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Spoilt for choice
Sep 23, 2024
Choosing the right scenario for the transition remains a key factor contributing to a successful SAP S/4HANA transformation. Roland Storbeck, Head of Transformation, and Alexander Jung, Solution Advisor at Natuvion, describe the range of approaches and the solutions Natuvion offers when moving to SAP S/4HANA.
In 2024, we have launched interesting projects and programs together with new customers and partners. What they all have in common is the desire to transform existing SAP ECC system landscapes to SAP S/4HANA. In most cases, the objective of the project was already roughly defined during the tendering and selection process. It is not uncommon for the switch to SAP S/4HANA to involve more requirements than simply switching to the latest SAP technology.
On the market, a few key requirements can be summarized here in the following keywords:
- Back/fit to standard
- Merge of clients/systems
- Data harmonization and data reduction
- Introduction of the SAP New General Ledger concept
- Harmonization/reduction of the group chart of accounts
- Roll-out of a transformation as a factory approach across system landscapes
- Getting to SAP S/4HANA as “simply” as possible
As the entire SAP community now knows, there are several steps, stages, and paths to achieving all these goals. In the past, companies often used the green/brown approaches as a reference. With the Selective Data Transition Community, launched by SAP together with Natuvion and other partners, a third way was opened up.
Today, we see that there is almost no project on the market that follows exactly the same path or that has identical specifications for all relevant business objects.
The questions before the transformation
- Do we start with a template of the existing customization (empty shell, smart brown)?
- Or should we build a greenfield system from scratch with an empty system instead?
- How much customization and which master data can we actually transfer one-to-one to SAP S/4HANA?
In 2024, none of these questions should limit anyone's choice of transformation approach. It is important that these essential initial decisions are made solidly and with conviction, preferably in the very early stages of the project.
Another relevant point is the amount of downtime a company can tolerate. Does the customer have time for an extended weekend, should it only be 48 hours, or is the goal a challenging, almost interruption-free (near-zero downtime) migration?
Many options, one approach
The ONE Data Transformation Approach
Natuvion offers a ONE Data Transformation Approach. The Natuvion Data Conversion Server (DCS) is used as a central hub and ETL tool. The Natuvion DCS supports a variety of possible scenarios for moving from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA. Above all, hybrid migration scenarios with, for example, a year of history in the area of finance, but a longer history in the area of logistical data, can be delivered end-to-end from a single solution with different technology approaches from a single source.
The advantage: customers can migrate their data using the SAP standard migration functionality and still have the option of implementing special requirements, additions, extensions or cleanups in their data history at any time. This brings quality standards, security and flexibility very close together.
Of course, we also support the change of the operating model here, e.g. in connection with the SAP RISE program.
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