The move to SAP S/4HANA requires careful planning and execution to minimize issues along the way. With modern business moving faster than ever, the margin for error continues to shrink. To learn more about how organizations are best managing and executing these migrations, SAPinsider surveyed 169 members of the SAPinsider community in Q1 of 2021, and the report is available now. 

Within the past year, many plans shifted, with teams being forced to delay or postpone their SAP S/4HANA migration. However, organizations are still preparing for their move to S/4HANA, even if the implementation isn’t starting right away for some. The report goes on to detail what teams should be planning around their upcoming transition and how they’re minimizing disruption. 

The Move to S/4HANA 

Eventually, all organizations will have to make the move to SAP S/4HANA. For the time being, business leaders can weigh their options. The report outlines some of the motivations for those who’ve decided to wait, but those who have made the transition smoothly report an increase in process efficiencies and improved end-user and business satisfaction.  

The challenges they reported included educating the decision-makers within the organization on the features of SAP S/4HANA while implementing new infrastructure and adapting custom code. The report goes on to discuss considerations for those on the fence about making the transition, including pros like improved functionality to best fit operational needs.  

Minimize Disruption During Migration 

Reducing organizational disruption remains one of the biggest requirements for a successful transition to S/4HANA, according to a majority of those surveyed. While S/4HANA leads to increased efficiency for entire businesses, it’s key for organizations not to lose efficiency along the way as a result of avoidable errors.  

While 57% of those surveyed said their plans were not impacted by the presence of COVID-19, the majority of those were either already in the process of implementing S/4HANA or had already begun running it. Preparing effectively beforehand continues to be the best way to avoid disrupting vital business processes.  

Meet Business Drivers with S/4HANA 

Before making the move, businesses report that they plan to modernize reporting and business intelligence strategies to provide faster access to business insights. This continued investment in the analytics that S/4HANA offers connects directly to analytics being one of the top priorities for organizations.  

Nearly half of survey respondents said they were implementing new systems and processes to support new changes and requirements. Organizations are moving to S/4HANA to find new ways to reengineer business processes and meet strategic objectives.  

Best Practices for Migration 

Other takeaways from the report include S/4HANA implementation best practices for those considering the move. The end of maintenance is coming in 2027 for existing SAP ERP systems. While this seems like a long time, organizations will need to factor in the 12-18 months that SAP S/4HANA transitions can take. Tools like automated testing can increase efficiency and speed in these migrations, but the move still takes time and preparation. 

As part of the move, organizations recommended updating reporting and business intelligence strategies to learn how SAP S/4HANA helps provide faster insights required to run a business while streamlining and improving processes. Adopting best practice business process models can extend to other areas of the solution such as implementation, automating processes, and conforming to standards.  
 

Read the rest of the report to gain more key insights into the transition to S/4HANA, and to learn more about how Worksoft automation empowers enterprises to achieve success during their migrations, visit our Customer Automation Journeys page.  

For more insights on SAP S/4HANA migration strategies and S/4HANA testing, check out these resources: