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Many companies that use SAP® are facing the challenge of migrating to S/4HANA – the switch from the old ECC R/3 world to the modern S/4HANA platform. This step is crucial in order to optimize business processes and further develop the system in a future-proof manner in accordance with SAP®. However, it is important to consider not only financial, but also system-relevant and technical aspects.
As a long-standing SAP® partner, we know their systems in detail and also support our customers when switching from R/3 to S/4HANA. In this blog post, we would like to share some experiences and findings from a recent project to give others an insight into the biggest hurdles when switching to the new SAP® world.
The road to migration to S/4HANA
Most of our customers decide to switch from SAP Business Suite to S/4HANA on-premise. The process is well established and involves several steps:
1. Provide add-ons:
Depending on the migration approach (brownfield or greenfield), SEAL Systems provides customers with the necessary add-ons, which are installed either before or after the migration.
2. Check ABAP customer enhancements:
As part of the review of existing ABAP extensions, SEAL Systems delivers customized versions for S/4HANA.
3. System installation:
The system is installed and then thoroughly tested before it goes live.
For customers using the S/4HANA Private Cloud Edition (PCE), SAP® itself handles the migration and basic support. This requires close coordination between the customer, SAP® and SEAL Systems to ensure a smooth process. The customer coordinates with SAP®, we provide requested information or take part in joint meetings.
What are the challenges when switching to RISE with SAP®, in our current case to the PCE – Private Cloud Edition variant, and how can they be tackled?
Add-ons for S/4HANA – Use and compatibility
One of the central elements in every migration project are questions relating to the add-ons. During the collaboration with SAP®, it must be ensured that all requirements are met.
Here are some of the questions we answered as part of the project:
- Are our add-ons certified for RISE with SAP®?
Our add-ons are optimally prepared for RISE with SAP®. Our central product, “Process Printing“, including structure resolution, DDD and Basis, is certified. Other add-ons do not require certification and are already being used successfully by many customers. - Do components from SEAL Systems have to be stored on the application server?
No. The BC-XOM interface software only requires components that are accessible from the application server. This is done by mounting a directory in the file structure of the application server. Our BC-XOM certification also applies to RISE with SAP®. - Can SEAL Systems confirm that the customer has a valid license for the SEAL Systems Add-Ons?
This can be answered with Yes. If desired, a written confirmation can be created and sent.
ABAP customer enhancements – customization and testing
For the migration to S/4HANA, existing ABAP customer extensions must be checked and adapted if necessary. SEAL Systems ensures that all relevant extensions are compatible with S/4HANA. To do this, we deliver optimized versions that meet the new requirements and make them available to the customer. In this way, the familiar functionality is retained and the transition runs smoothly.
System installation – prerequisites for migration to S/4HANA
Our current project shows how important close coordination and cooperation are. A long-standing customer turned to SEAL Systems for support with a slow installation, which is usually handled by SAP® itself. It turned out that SAP® had not yet released our software because the necessary proofs had not yet been submitted – an important step for the installation in the productive system to take place.
The necessary proofs are listed below. As an SAP partner and certified provider, we naturally support this process and are on hand to ensure smooth implementation.
SAP® requires the following information to ensure that the migration runs smoothly:
- Detailed information on the solutions and their versions
- Descriptions of all relevant software products and their use cases
- Installation and configuration guides, which should serve as a basis for the installation
- A so-called “Consent Letter” should confirm the licensing of the customer and consequently the legality of the use
Conclusion: Successful migration to S/4HANA – our findings
Migration to S/4HANA is a complex process that always requires careful planning, coordination and close cooperation between all project participants. Our experience shows that clear communication and timely clarification of requirements are crucial to ensure the project’s long-term success. We hope that this insight will help you gain a better understanding of the challenges and solutions involved in migrating to S/4HANA. Are you also about to switch to S/4HANA? Get us on board in good time and we will support you in ensuring a smooth process.
Stay tuned for more updates and experiences from our projects!