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S/4 Migrations Gain Momentum

Complex SAP-centric business processes continue to hinder comprehensive, company-wide automation. These are the findings of a recent study by the Americas' SAP Users' Group ASUG and Precisely, a global provider of data integrity.
E3 Magazine
February 4, 2025
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This text has been automatically translated from German to English.

The study "Unlocking Automation in SAP: 2025 Trends and Challenges" provides key insights into the adoption, maturity and challenges of automation in SAP environments. The survey shows that 58 percent of companies are using automation for SAP migrations and digital transformation projects - an increase of 43 percent compared to the 2023 report.

At the same time, the study shows that the number of companies with a low level of automation has fallen by 69% - from 13% in 2023 to just 4%. Despite this progress, many companies still have hurdles to overcome in order to reach full automation maturity. Most companies (56%) say they have a 'medium' level of automation, indicating a mix of automated and manual processes. In addition, half of respondents (50 percent) stated that they are using automation selectively, i.e. taking a case-by-case approach rather than rolling it out across the organization.

Simple SAP?

One of the main reasons for these automation trends is the increasing complexity of SAP-centric business processes, particularly when it comes to creating and managing master data. The majority of respondents (61%) state that integration into existing business processes is the biggest challenge when introducing process automation - a significant increase from just 39% in 2023. This is closely followed by 53% of respondents who cite the complexity of business processes as the main obstacle to success.

In addition to the increased focus on automation, the ASUG study also shows a significant shift towards the introduction of SAP S/4 Hana as the 2027 deadline for migrations draws ever closer. By the end of 2024, 50 percent of respondents had migrated or started migrating to S/4, with a further 30 percent planning to switch within the next two years.

Challenging parallel operation

This news is in stark contrast to previous industry reports which predicted slow adoption. Migrating from legacy SAP ERP systems to S/4 Hana is a notoriously complex process that can require the parallel operation of old and new systems, as well as significant data management challenges. Successful companies rely on process automation to accelerate complex SAP business processes. This allows them to create new master and transaction data in SAP systems, update large amounts of data across the SAP landscape using Excel and perform data migrations from existing systems to S/4 Hana.

Growing interest in BTP

As more and more companies switch to S/4, interest in the Business Technology Platform is also increasing. BTP is an important part of SAP's efforts to simplify S/4 and eliminate many of the legacy challenges associated with SAP ECC - keyword Clean Core. The research report shows that with the increasing adoption of S/4, the use of BTP continues to grow.

Trend is accelerating

The authors of the study assume that this trend will continue. Between 2023 and 2024, the survey showed that this use had increased by ten percent, rising to 41 percent of all respondents in 2024. This trend is likely to accelerate, especially as fewer and fewer respondents state that they are not aware of the use of BTP in their company.

Does your company currently use the services available via SAP BTP?

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Working on the SAP basis is crucial for successful S/4 conversion. 

This gives the Competence Center strategic importance for existing SAP customers. Regardless of the S/4 Hana operating model, topics such as Automation, Monitoring, Security, Application Lifecycle Management and Data Management the basis for S/4 operations.

For the second time, E3 magazine is organizing a summit for the SAP community in Salzburg to provide comprehensive information on all aspects of S/4 Hana groundwork.

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Wednesday, May 21, and
Thursday, May 22, 2025

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Hotel Hilton Heidelberg
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The event is organized by the E3 magazine of the publishing house B4Bmedia.net AG. The presentations will be accompanied by an exhibition of selected SAP partners. The ticket price includes attendance at all presentations of the Steampunk and BTP Summit 2025, a visit to the exhibition area, participation in the evening event and catering during the official program. The lecture program and the list of exhibitors and sponsors (SAP partners) will be published on this website in due course.