Migration Strategies for S/4HANA
Companies that depict their logistics processes in SAP should take action sooner rather than later. SAP users will have to convert to S/4HANA before support for SAP ERP 6.0 ends in 2025. Many SAP users are unsure, however, about how to tackle the conversion, since there are so many options for how to approach migration, what steps to take, and in what timeframe.
Migrating existing SAP installations is a highly complex process, because it involves a complete reconstruction of the SAP system.
SAP describes the changes users will have to take into account in detail in a 660-page simplification list. The list reveals that the time and expense required for the conversion will essentially be determined by the modifications and business processes specific to a particular company.
SAP distinguishes between three fundamental migration scenarios
- New implementation from scratch for new customers or for existing customers looking to make a new start (Greenfield approach). You start with a new installation of SAP S/4HANA and migrate your master and transaction data with the help of integrated data management and data quality tools.
- A system conversion as a 1:1 upgrade of an existing system (Brownfield approach). The SAP Solution Manager supports this conversion as transformation software.
- The consolidation of several SAP systems (e.g., from multiple businesses or locations) into a central system to simplify the system landscape.
