THE 5 BIGGEST PAIN POINTS
1. Poor quality of master data
2. Insufficient capacities
3. Ambitious project/time planning
4. Adoption of existing legacy processes without customization
5. Underestimated complexity of the project
The transformation to SAP S/4HANA not only marks a necessary step, but also paves the way to an optimized, digital future. SAP S/4HANA is the latest ERP solution from SAP and replaces the SAP ECC predecessor system. SAP will officially discontinue support for the legacy SAP ECC system by the end of 2027. Extending support for SAP ECC until 2030 will result in additional costs. Therefore, the switch to SAP S/4HANA is mandatory for many of our customers.
But the switch is not only necessary, it also presents an opportunity for companies to digitize and optimize their business processes through a comprehensive transformation project and to restructure their reporting. It is not just a step into the future, but an opportunity to make your company more agile, efficient and competitive.
The seamless integration of the end-to-end data value chain enables business processes to be designed and optimized more efficiently, resulting in higher productivity and cost efficiency.
SAP S/4HANA offers numerous roll-out options, whether on-premise, in a private cloud or in the public cloud, to meet the individual requirements of your company.
SAP S/4HANA offers a high degree of flexibility to adapt dynamically to specific business requirements.
The powerful SAP HANA database not only enables high-performance data storage, but also the real-time evaluation of information. Loading times are reduced, meaning that data can be retrieved and processed more quickly.
The integration of advanced analytics and machine learning opens up new possibilities for data-driven evaluations and electronic data processing.
The intuitive design of the SAP Fiori user interface enables simple and intuitive operation of the applications, making SAP S/4HANA easier to use.
Our customers' inquiries confirm that unforeseeable challenges arise during SAP transformation that cannot be dealt with internally. Our experience shows that the key to the success of SAP transformation projects requires smooth cooperation between IT and business departments. We know the pain points and project risks that can arise during SAP transformation projects and offer the right solutions to ensure a smooth transformation.
THE 5 BIGGEST PAIN POINTS
1. Poor quality of master data
2. Insufficient capacities
3. Ambitious project/time planning
4. Adoption of existing legacy processes without customization
5. Underestimated complexity of the project
THE 5 BIGGEST PROJECT RISKS
1. Limited technical and procedural understanding
2. Lack of linguistic understanding between the department and IT
3. Lack of end-to-end process thinking
4. Too little change management
5. Low willingness to try new things
OUR ANSWER / METHODOLOGY
- Datacleansing before project start
- Status quo analysis & clear objectives
- Technical conception via blueprints
- E2E process optimisation
- Hands-on support across all project phases
- Detailed documentation
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
- Many years of SAP project expertise
- Certified consultants
- “Translator” between business and IT
- Strong team spirit and high seniority for demanding projects
THE 5 BIGGEST PAIN POINTS
1. Poor quality of master data
2. Insufficient capacities
3. Ambitious project/time planning
4. Adoption of existing legacy processes without customization
5. Underestimated complexity of the project
THE 5 BIGGEST PROJECT RISKS
1. Limited technical and procedural understanding
2. Lack of linguistic understanding between the department and IT
3. Lack of end-to-end process thinking
4. Too little change management
5. Low willingness to try new things
OUR ANSWER / METHODOLOGY
- Datacleansing before project start
- Status quo analysis & clear objectives
- Technical conception via blueprints
- E2E process optimisation
- Hands-on support across all project phases
- Detailed documentation
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
- Many years of SAP project expertise
- Certified consultants
- “Translator” between business and IT
- Strong team spirit and high seniority for demanding projects
During the “Ramp-up” phase, we focus on identifying weaknesses in the project approach and conducting a business impact analysis. We work closely with your team to define clear migration goals and strategies and perform an end-to-end process analysis.
As part of the "Discover & Explore" phase, we carry out a comprehensive fit-gap analysis to compare the specific business requirements and the existing template structures. By creating detailed functional blueprints, we ensure that the SAP implementation is precisely tailored to your business processes. By developing a data migration concept, we ensure a smooth transition to the new SAP system. In addition, we support you in planning and implementing effective change management strategies to ensure that your employees can successfully manage the changeover.
During the "Realize" phase, we work closely with your IT implementation team to push the implementation forward. We develop a comprehensive test concept covering all business processes and create detailed test cases to verify the functionality and performance of the system. In addition, we support you in creating and reviewing the cut-over plan to ensure a smooth transition to the new SAP system. Our experts accompany the unit and integration tests to ensure that your SAP system works at its best.
During the “Deploy” phase, we support you in the various test phases and ensure that your SAP system functions optimally. We support you in implementing the cut-over plan for a smooth productive migration. In addition, we offer comprehensive end user training so that your employees are familiar with the new system. Finally, we accompany you during the productive migration, data validation and go-live to ensure that the transition is seamless and that your company can immediately benefit from the advantages of your new SAP system and that data quality is guaranteed. We also ensure that appropriate documentation is prepared for external or internal stakeholders (e.g. auditors) during the "deploy" phase that meets the specific requirements.
During the "Run" phase, we accompany you during hyper care in order to quickly identify and solve any problems. In addition, we actively address post-go-live issues and ensure that your system is continuously optimized. Our team is also available for ongoing business support to assist with critical issues and ensure business operations.
In October 2023, SAP published the new SAP S/4HANA Release 2023. With this release, SAP S/4HANA is switching to a two-year release cycle and longer mainstream maintenance per release of seven years instead of five. In addition, new easy-to-implement feature packs will be released every six months. In plain language, this means more flexibility for the ERP upgrade for customers with releases 1709, 1809 and 1909.
The transformation to SAP S/4HANA can present numerous challenges that often arise unexpectedly. These include aspects such as the poor quality of master data, limited capacities of the specialist departments, the adoption of existing legacy processes without adaptation, the underestimation of complexity and timelines, as well as limited specialist knowledge. Misunderstandings between business and IT are also a frequent problem. These "translation errors" in the SAP transformation project can delay and, in the worst case, disrupt the course of the project, leading to additional work and costs.
The key to the success of the SAP S/4HANA transformation is the smooth cooperation between IT and specialist departments. Functional consultants play a decisive role here as ideal partners in the technical design of the target processes in the SAP S/4 HANA system. Thanks to their expertise at the interface between business and IT, it is possible to ensure optimal integration of the required processes into the new SAP S/4HANA system.
Regardless of which stage of the project you are in or whether you have lost track - don't hesitate to arrange a free benchmarking meeting with our SAP S/4HANA expert Norbert Simmerling! Take advantage of the opportunities offered by the S/4HANA transformation and make your company future-proof by consulting with us.
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