Author: Johannes N. Szalachy

The time is ripe to also address the details of the new framework for S/4 Hana operations. Many customers underestimate the lead time and complexity.

An S/4 project at the customer's is only successful if the expectations of management and users are met. Therefore, the numerous SAP facts should be critically scrutinized right at the beginning of a project.

In all ERP transformation projects, the focus is on the business processes, whether there are changes or not. With S/4, this is necessary at least because of the new SAP technologies or the possibility of simplifications.

S/4 migration projects have different starting points and objectives. Experience shows that many common denominators are implemented accordingly in project management, but some work packages are underestimated.

SAP's success story is based on system integration, but this has been neglected in recent years as a result of massive company acquisitions. However, the added value of the S/4 transformation only comes from integration.

The classic importance of project management for the S/4 transformation is currently misjudged. Sensitive factors, such as the framework conditions and communication, are given too little consideration.

Most SAP customers have implemented numerous in-house developments to optimize their business. With the S/4 transformation, however, many customers are facing major challenges.

Companies are faced with a decision regarding an ERP transformation. Existing customers are overwhelmingly in favor of the new SAP technology for a variety of reasons; for new customers, the decision-making process is more multi-layered.

According to SAP, there are currently more than 10,000 productive S/4 systems. The proportion of R/3-to-S/4 migrations thus already provides sufficient empirical data on some key issues that are underestimated or given too little attention.

The global transformation of the IT industry to the cloud has also reached SAP customers. In retrospect, interestingly enough, S/4 Hana also came onto the market at almost the same time.

SAP S/4 Hana is entering its darned seventh year this year. In the IT industry, such time spans are technological "generations". Many customers are wondering how much time SAP still needs to successfully complete the S/4 Hana strategy.

For around half of SAP customers, it is still open which system architecture should be used for the transformation. Decision-making can be facilitated by prioritizing and weighting the parameters involved.