From general uncertainty to individual "metromap

S/4HANA wasn't just new territory for end users, and SAP didn't just unsettle them with all the "back and forth". SAP consulting companies have had to do a lot of buffering in recent times and put their own trust in SAP, because: S/4HANA has come to stay - one way or another, there is a suitable path to S/4HANA for every requirement.

RISE with SAP is SAP's latest initiative. Whether and for whom RISE makes sense and within what framework remains to be seen due to the current lack of transparency. An exciting project title should not blind you here. The partnership-based and often long-term support with a holistic view of the company and the heterogeneity of the IT landscape also have their advantages.

The r(e)ise to S/4HANA must consider legacy issues and take company-specific values into account. Business transformation as a service must not just be marketing bluster, it must have an impact.

We, close to our customers, have been aware of the incredible uncertainty for some time - some consultants like to call it disorientation. Whenever you thought "Now there are clear framework conditions, let's get started", something changed on the SAP side.

Many discussions, in particular a lot of listening and taking concerns seriously, absorbing confusion and making complexity tangible were the focus of consulting and exchange discussions with customers and partners. We encounter different types: from the early adopter to the strategist to the hesitant. Every customer has their own individual starting situation and it is important to focus on a holistic approach.

About Floragard

Floragrad Vertriebs-GmbH, based in Oldenburg, has been selling potting soils and substrates since 1919 and has become a genuine global player over the years. 

The IT infrastructure, under the responsibility of Roger Schöning, has been managed by affinis (previously PTS) since 2009. 

"affinis has been providing us with reliable support in the areas of hosting, SAP Basis and data backup for more than ten years now. The partnership-based cooperation and the reliable quality of the service have never made us doubt whether we would like to continue - and that is a great compliment, as the SAP system is our 'heart', so to speak. This is still in the trusting hands of affinis."

Roger Schöning, IT Manager Floragard Vertriebs-GmbH

First S/4 conclusion: everyone has an individual entry station

But what is the starting point for every discussion? Here we encounter the following questions in particular: What realistic business value can a switch to S/4HANA create? What impact does the transition itself have on resources and how long do I need to take into account?

Each perspective has a different focus. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all approach, but you have to start somewhere! The important thing here is to rethink the status quo.

The approach: Interdisciplinary for a holistic methodology

The result of our internal S/4HANA approach is the "metromap" roadmap to S/4HANA, which we developed together with partners and customers. Together with our process and technical experts and our account management, we have commissioned our strategists to develop a sustainable and holistic methodology on an interdisciplinary basis. This describes roadmaps for a technical, business and organizational perspective in order to initiate and accompany the transition to S/4HANA in a target group-oriented manner. 

From analysis to implementation, we work with the customer to define the various milestones from the respective perspectives - we are convinced that this is the only way to ensure that major migrations or transformations are sustainable and profitable. Even today, (almost) every system is unique and every customer brings their own individual challenges to the transformation. 

In each phase of the implementation methodology, we focus on one perspective and "drive" it from the status quo along the various stages to the target state. We take each perspective with us and refine it in terms of overall success with our change experts in accordance with the Prosci® methodology.

In addition to the technical view and project management, we attach great importance to the human side of change. After all, the most important message is that a successful S/4HANA transformation is not a (pure) IT project. Everyone has probably already heard this message, but we have noticed time and again that the two worlds, core business and IT, do not always have the same final destination in mind.

Of course, it's about future-proofing IT, but it's also (and especially) about taking a critical look at current processes and business objectives. Depending on the objective, an individual roadmap towards S/4HANA must be developed and all perspectives must be included in order to create the appropriate path to S/4HANA via greenfield, brownfield or selective data transition. In addition to technical circumstances, future business models, the market environment and innovative strength also need to be considered.

"Just do it" together

In order to immerse as many team members as possible in the new world as quickly as possible, we made the first attempt together with our long-standing customer Floragard and, true to the motto "just do it", "rolled up our sleeves" and "got started".

Roger Schöning, Head of IT at the hidden champion, was certainly one of those who approached the topic of S/4HANA early on and with more curiosity than concern. After a joint kick-off workshop, the direction was quickly clear - the "metromap" had to be put into practice.

In intensive discussions with representatives from Floragard, the approach was found to be very suitable by all sides, creating trust in the process model. In particular, seeing the S/4HANA changes from the perspective of the affected employees right from the start was very impressive. Starting with a joint personnel development strategy, our project led to a successful transition to S/4HANA.

You can't do it without trust -
the fundamental basis

Trust is the key to success in such a comprehensive and forward-looking business transformation. It doesn't make sense to wait any longer before making the switch. The system has matured over several releases and SAP now only publishes innovations on S/4HANA.

All in all, this means that S/4HANA now combines reliability and innovation and therefore offers an innovative advantage over R/3 users. We don't need to talk about the end of maintenance - currently 2027.

There are indications that extended maintenance may happen beyond 2030, as Christian Klein pointed out in an interview with ASUG not so long ago that SAP does not want to leave any customers behind. "Cloud first" is to become "customer first" and this also includes serving "hybrid scenarios". 

The path to S/4 is set for many, the how is often still open. With our "-metromap", we join our customers on the chosen path. Together, we book a ticket to higher automation, better decision support and, as the final destination, the intelligent company with a clear focus on expanded business models.

We now have a clear roadmap that helps to bring perspectives together and make the path tangible and successful. Get on board...