CLIENT

A well-established company specializing in advanced information and communications technology solutions

GOAL

 After the Croatian government passed the decision about the transition to the euro, the client contacted IBA Group with the request to switch their existing S/4HANA-based ERP system from HRK to EUR in accordance with the legally determined timeframe. The scope of work included key modules, such as Finance (FI), Controlling (CO), Material Management (MM), and Warehouse Management (WM).

CHALLENGES

The client chose the IBA team for the project because IBA Group had vast experience in transferring ERP systems from one currency to another. However, the deadline was tight with no possibility of extension—something that only trusted providers and SAP partners are capable of doing. Another significant challenge of the project was keeping the existing functionality and data.

SOLUTION

Before starting the project, IBA Group conducted a thorough due diligence with regard to the regulatory landscape in order to ensure timely delivery and compliance. After that, IBA Group ran a high-quality pre-sale and examined the customer’s existing IT infrastructure to provide accurate time, cost, and upload estimates, including the participation of the customer’s team so that no operational gap could occur.

RESULTS

Once the projects were implemented, both customers obtained stable ERP systems converted in the euro, preserving all the data, report forms, and productivity, as well as containing additional customizations.

LESSONS LEARNED

The cross-currency migration of ERP systems requires extreme caution in the legal area to avoid financial accounting issues in the future. Whether the SAP version you are running is ECC or SAP S/4HANA, the transition of an ERP system to another currency can be performed quickly and cause no harm to client’s internal business cycles. For the implementation of such a project, one needs to have adequate preparatory measures in place or select a contractor that has a proven record of accomplishment. Another viable recommendation is to combine transition to the euro with conversion to SAP S/4HANA.

CLIENT

Cellfie Mobile (formerly Veon Georgia) is a major player in the telecommunications market of Georgia, providing advanced mobile services to customers.

BACKGROUND

Cellfie Mobile partnered with IBA Group to implement the RISE SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition, making it the first project of its kind in Georgia. The project aimed to transform Cellfie Mobile’s operations and leverage the power of SAP’s advanced cloud solution. The project involved deploying various SAP modules to enhance financial management, sales and distribution, materials management, and other key processes.

GOAL

Deploy RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition to achieve efficient business management, improve decision-making, and align business processes with global best practices and international standards.

CHALLENGES

The main challenges faced during the project included transformation of business processes to align these with global best practices and ensure compatibility with SAP S/4HANA Cloud without extensive modifications, as well as normalization of master data to streamline operations and enable further enhancements.

OBJECTIVES

• Optimize business operations
• Enhance financial management and decision-making
• Align business processes with global best practices
• Normalize and standardize company data
• Achieve seamless integration with key platforms

SOLUTION

IBA Group successfully deployed RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition, at Cellfie Mobile. The implementation involved several SAP modules, including Management Accounting (SAP CO), Fixed Asset Accounting (SAP FI-AA), Treasury (SAP TRM), Sales and Distribution (SAP SD), and Materials Management (SAP MM). The solution provided real time analysis of business processes, effective expense management, and improved decision-making capabilities.

IBA Group addressed the challenges by minimizing modifications to the SAP S/4HANA Cloud software, ensuring smoother implementation and compatibility. They also developed a specific standardization approach to transform and normalize Cellfie Mobile’s master data, paving the way for improved operations and future enhancements.

The project team achieved seamless integration of the system with key platforms, including the automated trading operations solution, the state tax portal, the centralized data collection platform, and payment systems of related banks. These integrations significantly improved the overall efficiency of the system.

BENEFITS FOR THE CUSTOMER

• Real time analytics of business processes
• Improved financial management and decision-making capabilities
• Enhanced overall efficiency and operational effectiveness

RESULTS

IBA Group’s successful deployment of RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud at Cellfie Mobile resulted in optimized workflows, efficient expense management, standardized data, and seamless platform integration. The customer replaced numerous information systems with a single solution, reduced the number of manual operations, as well as modified business processes in line with the best world practices.

The new SAP S/4 HANA solution serves more than 120 end users. More than 50 business processes were automated. IBA implemented the solution within 10 months.  It was important for the client to complete the project before the end of the financial year, as they wanted to accumulate the 2023 reports in the new system. The solution collects real time information from 26 outlets of the customer throughout Georgia.

The project achieved recognition at the IT Europa Channel Awards, where the judges selected it as a finalist in the Enterprise Solution of the Year category. IBA Group’s expertise and solutions delivered transformative results for Cellfie Mobile’s business operations.

IBA Group successfully deployed Rise with SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition, at Cellfie Mobile (formerly Veon Georgia), a major player in the telecommunication market of Georgia. This is the first project of its kind carried out in Georgia.

IBA Group implemented a number of SAP modules that contribute to efficient business management, including Management Accounting (SAP CO), Fixed Asset Accounting (SAP FI-AA), Treasury (SAP TRM), Sales and Distribution (SAP SD), and Materials Management (SAP MM).

Following the successful implementation of SAP S/4HANA at the Georgian Railways, IBA Group became involved in the implementation of other SAP S/4HANA projects, the Satpayev Mining and Processing Plant in Kazakhstan being one of these.

The project is unique because IBA Group carried it out in the shortest possible time and the new solution went into commercial operation two months ahead of schedule. The SAP S/4HANA solution helped Satpayev Mining and Processing Plant, one of the largest enterprises in Kazakhstan, increase productivity and improve business processes.

Launching the project, the customer pursued a number of goals, including modification of production processes through elimination or minimization of manual operations, achieving transparency in pricing, and building a unified information system for all SAP users of the enterprise.

The project yielded the following results:

• 100 new business processes
• 124 new business functions
• Available in distributed locations

Users from the central management office and the production sites can work concurrently in the new SAP S/4HANA system. Management of Satpayev Mining and Processing Plant has online access to complete and reliable information about the ongoing production processes.

The new SAP S/4HANA solution provides numerous advantages. The distributed infrastructure makes it possible to achieve high speed computing and data transfer, regardless of the distance. The SAP S/4HANA system includes a set of tools tailored to meet requirements of specific industries and businesses. Therefore, the solution is suitable for a variety of industries.

According to Kairat Surauzhanov, Director General at Satpayev Mining and Processing Plant, “The successful realization of the project enabled the enterprise to manage manufacturing, tax, and accounting processes in an efficient manner.” He also said, “We can now quickly gain an understanding of what is really influencing the aggregate financial results.”

IBA Group achieves SAP certification for IBA Conversion Pack for SAP S/4HANA, the company’s SAP S/4HANA migration solution.

The SAP Certificate of Qualification says, “IBA Conversion Pack for SAP S/4HANA that addresses the specific business needs of companies moving from SAP ERP / SAP Business Suite has been reviewed and qualified as an SAP-qualified partner-packaged solution for Conversion to SAP S/4HANA®.”

SAP recognizes that the solution from IBA Group is “deployed based on a predefined scope, leveraging the use of pre-configuration, accelerators, methodologies, and tailored partner services to help customers run simple and realize a rapid time-to-value with reduced risk and a predictable outcome.”

Author: Natalia Lysenko

A well-established company specializing in advanced information and communications technology solutions approached IBA Group with a kuna-to-euro migration project. After the Croatian government passed the decision about the transition to the euro, the company contacted IBA Group with the request to switch their existing S/4HANA-based ERP system from HRK to EUR in accordance with the legally determined timeframe. The scope of work included key modules, such as Finance (FI), Controlling (CO), Material Management (MM), and Warehouse Management (WM).

Challenges

The client chose the IBA team for the project because we had vast experience in transferring ERP systems from one currency to another. However, the deadline was tight with no possibility of extension—something that only trusted providers and SAP partners are capable of doing. Another significant challenge of the project was keeping the existing functionality and data.

Solution

Before starting the project, the IBA team conducted a thorough due diligence with regard to the regulatory landscape in order to ensure timely delivery and compliance. After that, we ran a high-quality pre-sale and examined the customer’s existing IT infrastructure to provide accurate time, cost, and upload estimates, including the participation of the customer’s team so that no operational gap could occur.

Results

Once the project was implemented, the customer obtained stable ERP systems converted in the euro, preserving all the data, report forms, and productivity, as well as containing additional customizations.

Lessons Learned and Best Practices

The cross-currency migration of ERP systems requires extreme caution in the legal area to avoid financial accounting issues in the future. Whether the SAP version you are running is ECC or SAP S/4HANA, the transition of an ERP system to another currency can be performed quickly and cause no harm to your internal business cycles. For the implementation of such a project, one needs to have adequate preparatory measures in place or select a contractor that has a proven record of accomplishment. Another viable recommendation is to combine transition to the euro with conversion to SAP S/4HANA.

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

Recently, we sat down with Inga Prangishvili, Deputy Director of the Information Technology (WBS) branch of the JSC Georgian Railway, to talk about a challenging innovative SAP/S4 HANA implementation project. JSC Georgian Railway is a major transportation company, and the largest employer in its country. Companies like this have unique demands for SAP/S4 HANA, and a host of challenges in the best of circumstances.

In our candid, three-part conversation, Inga walks us through some of those challenges. In this installment, Inga shares how the GR engaged IBA Group after the initial project had stalled in the Deploy phase failing to transition from legacy systems to S/4HANA.

She offers helpful insight on when to involve project managers and project architects in the supplier selection process and how to create a matrix to select the right supplier for a project when the stakes are high.

Transitioning From Legacy Systems to SAP S/4 HANA Problems

“In the summer of 2017, we faced difficulties completing the Deploy phase and transitioning to S/4 HANA and had to choose a supplier to help us restart the project. We had full support and executive sponsorship for this,” Inga explains. As a result, the GR needed to choose a new supplier when they were crunched for time, and quick turnaround was imperative.

After committing time, money, and trust to the initial SAP S/4HANA project, it was a “difficult decision” to take a step back and restart. However, as Inga explains, the GR needed to find experts who could deliver on time and meet the project’s objectives.

So, the company was strategic about the selection process. They developed a specific set of requirements and a clear idea of needs. Then they evaluated meticulously.

“When Georgian Railway faced the necessity to find a new SAP deployment supplier mid-project, there were concerns that the first of the year deadlines would not be met, says Inga, “but thanks to IBA Group, we were able to meet our deadline and get superior quality.”

Selection Process

The GR looked at five SAP S/4HANA implementation providers. Inga notes that it is important to involve the project manager and the project architect at the selection phase. These are the individuals who understand the scope of the project. They need to be able to have a good workflow with the supplier and to feel confident that project goals are met in a timely manner.

Throughout the selection process, Inga says, the GR was looking for “a strong, well established company in the market who [also] had strong subject matter expertise.” They narrowed down the search to five SAP S/4HANA suppliers. Because the company had no time for error, they not only held personal meetings with each of the suppliers; they “went onsite to look for a good team that knows how to work together.”

SAP S/4HANA Supplier Selection Matrix

Inga and her team looked at what projects the prospective suppliers had completed previously. They looked at the results of those projects. And they reviewed how the suppliers were perceived by customers. After meeting with suppliers who had successful large-scale projects and good customer feedback, the company created a matrix and weighted the answers.

In addition to evaluating projects, they used the matrix to look at the people who needed to be involved in the project. The matrix was built on the initial project’s experience. They evaluated partners, project managers, architects, analysts, organizational leaders, and their respective areas and levels of expertise.

We analyzed the data collected in the partner selection matrix,” says Inga, “and it showed that IBA came out first in virtually every selection criterion.”

Choosing the Right SAP S/4HANA Supplier

Inga admits that, even after the rigorous selection process, she and her team still could not be sure if they made the right choice. After the issues they encountered in the original project, Inga and her team “couldn’t be sure IBA Group wouldn’t fail either.”

But after taking a leap of faith, it was time to get started. The company engaged IBA Group in November 2017, to start on the project with a go-live date of January 1, 2018.

What Happens When the Unexpected Arises and You’re Running Out of Time?

In the second part of our conversation, Inga and IBA Group’s Global Delivery Director for SAP Services, Igor Bordak, talk about what happened with the implementation project.

They speak frankly about some of the surprises they encountered. They talk about the flexibility required by a supplier who inherits a project mid-way through the process. And they explain whether it is possible to simplify implementation solutions for a company – and a project – of this magnitude.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our conversation!

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

At the end of 2027, SAP will no longer support SAP Business Suite 7. That includes the popular SAP flagship product SAP ERP 6.0.

At that time, some companies will have the option to prolong SAP support until the end of 2030. Of course, that extension comes with a hefty price tag. And it only prolongs the inevitable. By the end of 2040, at the latest, SAP S/4HANA will be the only option. Will you be ready?

SAP ERP 6.0 Is Support-Ready for the Next Seven Years – Do We Need to Convert Now?

Given these deadlines, you might feel like this is tomorrow’s problem, and you already have too much to worry about today. That is the wrong call.

Many companies who launched ERP systems in the early 2000s find those systems continue to work well.  More to the point, they are familiar. Everything is configured and comfortable. There is no learning curve, and there are few surprises.

However, if you use ERP for years without updating it, as is the case with most enterprises that fit this profile, a ‘frozen’ system begins to grow. That causes problems to build over time (even if you do not notice them immediately). On top of that, every year, those systems (with their mounting problems) become more outdated. And every year, the cost to support those outdated systems, increases.

If you choose to put off the decision to migrate to SAP S/4HANA, when you finally do initiate migration in time for the support deadline, you face a significant list of problems. And ever-increasing costs. Putting off SAP/S4HANA migration only exacerbates the time and cost burdens that come with version discrepancies, the inability to launch check-ups, and module failures.

Further, these factors, taken together, make transition to SAP S/4HANA difficult and expensive, if not impossible. The worst-case scenario (and we have encountered this) is that a system is so outdated that it becomes impossible to convert it. In cases like this, a new ‘green field’ implementation is your only option. And it is an option you want to avoid.

Make a Smarter Investment to Migrate to SAP S/4HANA

To make the smartest decisions about SAP S/4HANA migration, think about how and when you are spending your money. And be mindful of the old adage not to “throw good money after bad.” Imagine you do not invest in migration now. Then, seven years from now, you will not have access to SAP support for your system. But that system will need more support than ever. So, what is the result? The system you have been investing in for the last two decades is so outdated and riddled with issues you are forced to invest even more money (and time) into building a new one.

Instead, it is smarter to allocate resources to migration now. Choosing to migrate now saves time and resources on pricy support for outdated ERP. It also enables you to leverage the new opportunities and features that SAP S/4HANA brings to your business sooner. Those features and opportunities include high performance, real-time analytics, and seamless integration with IoT and Big Data platforms. And it gives you access to cloud solutions and a simple, convenient user interface.

That means you are investing now in saving money, saving time, and improving ease of use. Looked at this way, migration now is not simply the smartest choice. It is the only sensible choice.

When to Start Migration to SAP S/4HANA

Starting migration to SAP S/4HANA now means that you will be ready for the 2027 SAP support cutoff. With 2027 around the corner, if you hold off the transition to SAP S/4HANA much longer, you are not likely to complete the transition in time.

On the other hand, choosing to begin SAP migration before SAP ERP 6.0 support ends in less than seven years, means that you get to spend a full year on preparation. This helps to set a solid path for migration, avoiding the loss of time and money.

Further, starting the migration process now gives you the next year to update all modules and system elements. That positions you to migrate to SAP S/4HANA successfully and seamlessly in time for the deadline, and with significantly lower risk.

Migrate to SAP S/4HANA with IBA Group

Over 3,500 business users trust IBA Group’s SAP S/4HANA systems experts. In fact, our experts help SAP users around the world, empowering them with smart, innovative, trusted solutions that help them get the most out of their SAP investments.

As an SAP Gold Service Partner, we work with a variety of automatic SAP ERP 6.0 conversion tools to make the transition seamless and successful. That includes tools like QuickFix that are created by SAP. It also includes IBA Group’s proprietary solutions, like our extensions for QuickFix.

However, as good as these tools produced by SAP and by IBA Group are, tools alone are not enough to rely on for successful SAP S/4HANA migration projects. Rather, it is the human power that makes the ultimate difference. Our seasoned SAP S/4HANA experts are poised to implement new system features and applications, and to solve for the challenges business face and the demands they have on their systems.

In addition to our SAP Gold Service Partner status, IBA Group has the distinction of SAP S/4HANA Recognized Expertise. Both SAP and our clients around the world trust us to get the most out of their systems now and in the future, and we invite you to do the same.

Keep Business Moving through the SAP S/4HANA Migration Process

Given the savings of time, money, and risk (and the inevitability of the transformation), now is likely the ideal time to start your SAP S/4HANA migration process. As important as it is to recognize that it is time to take this step, you also must acknowledge the challenges that the migration process presents.

In our next article, we are looking at how your business needs to keep moving as you prepare to initiate the migration process, guided by experts like us. We walk you through how historic data plays a role in determining the timeline for migration, along with why you cannot simply stop the system as you transition from the old to the new.

We also take some time to outline the technical assessment process. The technical assessment process is an important phase of the SAP S/4HANA migration journey. It allows you to identify and isolate current and future risks. It also gives you the opportunity to take advantage of the new innovations that come with migration. Because remember, by migrating now, you are not only making it in time for the 2027 support deadline. You are also getting earlier access to better technologies designed to make your business run more smoothly.

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

Times are changing for SAP users. By 2027, SAP will no longer be providing support for its flagship product, SAP ERP 6.0 and SAP Business Suite 7. That means that you need to have a migration plan in place for your business now.

Starting migration before it is too late, saves you time and money, protects your historic data, and connects you to new features faster. However, while there is a sense of urgency, it is not possible to rush the migration process. In fact, as we noted in our last article, successful SAP S/4HANA migration processes must begin well in advance of the target date for full migration.

Business Cannot Stop During SAP Migration

One of the reasons the migration process has a long lifecycle, and a key reason why migration needs to start sooner rather than later, is that you cannot stop your business in order to address your SAP migration needs. In fact, it is critical to remember – and plan for the fact – that your business must continue to run during the SAP migration process.

All your demands remain the same. You need to manage your books, pay invoices, procure materials and equipment, hire new employees, pay salaries, and sign contracts. No matter the state of your enterprise solutions, delivering on your business obligations is your top priority.

Now, let’s return to that “when to migrate to SAP S/4HANA” question. Since your healthy business never stops, new data are entered into your system daily. So, if you put off migration to the last minute, you are adding seven to ten years’ worth of data to your systems. That means more historic data in an already outmoded system. In fact, when it comes to system modernization, historic data migration to the new version of SAP S/4HANA is one of the key tasks. Therefore, the less data you have in your current system, the faster (and cheaper) your transition project will be.

Also, bear in mind the costs of keeping your equipment up to date and the need to archive your existing, ever increasing amounts of data required to keep your current ERP system performance at an acceptable level. Looked at this way, holding on to your current ERP system is costing you time and money at every turn. Investing in migration just makes sense.

Plan Before You Migrate to SAP S/4HANA

Even though migration now is the best answer in most cases, that does not mean you should jump into the migration process without a clear plan of attack. Having worked with thousands of SAP users, our IBA Group Team knows better than anyone that these systems are as complex as they are essential.

When dealing with something that is as integral to your business operations as your systems are, it is imperative to develop a well thought out plan of action that takes into account your needs, budgets, timelines, and human capital. In many cases it makes the most sense to bring in a team like ours to guide the SAP S/4HANA conversion process. This ensures that you are not losing time, money, or essential functionality along the course of the transformation process.

To get started on the transformation path the right way, we recommend a thorough technical assessment.

Start with Technical Assessment

The technical assessment is the prudent first step in the transition to SAP S/4HANA. It helps you determine the amount of resources and time you need to allocate to the transition. Further, it enables you to develop a detailed plan for your migration by assessing all relevant current and potential risks. And it enables you to access innovative new SAP S/4HANA features faster.

After you have successfully completed a technical assessment, you are able to make an informed decision about when to implement a new ERP. Whether the implementation phase starts now, or five years from now, you will still be ahead of the migration deadline. At the end of the day, technical assessment costs you significantly less than the migration itself. As a result, by including the technical assessment in the overall migration process, you save money and time now and over the next ten years.

How to Complete a Technical Assessment for SAP S/4HANA Migration

The technical assessment depends on the size of your system and takes between two weeks to three months. Keep in mind, the migration itself typically takes three to four months for small and medium enterprises, and up to seven months or more for large enterprises.

In terms of budget and planning, the technical assessment often reveals issues that end up pushing the SAP S/4HANA migration up a few months. Keep in mind, the sooner you complete an accurate technical assessment, the sooner you are able to complete the migration. And the sooner you are able to leverage the advantages of the new platform and its innovations. Looked at this way, the technical assessment makes the migration smoother, and connects you to your system ROI sooner.

Bring in SAP S/4HANA Migration Experts

We are confident in our recommendations about the path to SAP S/4HANA migration because our trusted experts have helped more than three thousand SAP users and counting. We are an SAP Gold Service Partner, recognized officially by SAP for our Expertise in S/4HANA. We work with both our own IBA Group proprietary solutions and SAP’s conversion tools to make migration painless and profitable for you.

Our experience also teaches us that tools alone are not enough to guarantee a seamless conversion to SAP S/4HANA. As a trusted partner, we work directly with you to understand where you are, what your needs are, and where you want your system to take you next.

Migrate from Business Suite 7 to SAP S/4HANA

In our next article, we talk more about how to migrate to SAP S/4HANA from Business Suite 7. We look at the how to of conversion from ERP to SAP S/4HANA, as well as Greenfield Implementation (a good option for those who have not previously used an ERP system). Then we walk you through hybrid migration (including hybrid and selective data transformation). And finally, we examine landscape transformation. Migration to SAP S/4HANA is a complex undertaking. So, we are going step by step to help you understand the why, when, and how, while you still have the time to make the smart choices for your business.

Proper planning and allocation of time and resources create successful migrations that enable your business to do more, and to meet new challenges in a fully prepared state. It is time to start your migration for success now, in 2027, and beyond.

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

With the deadline looming to migrate from Business Suite 7 to S/4HANA, the How To of SAP Migration is on everyone’s mind. We start addressing that question by sharing the good news and the bad. Namely, there is no universal migration plan. The bad news seems to be that there is no one quick fix for SAP migration.

However, this is also the good news. It is good news because, in helping you determine how to migrate from Business Suite 7, experts like our IBA Group Team take into account the unique scenarios that your business faces. Then, we map out the best path to seamless migration for your business. That is the path that gets you the results you need, in time for the 2027 cutoff of SAP support. And it is the path that makes the best use of your resources, time, and money.

How to Migrate from Business Suite 7: Start by Understanding Your Scenario

Because every organization is unique, it is necessary to understand the scenarios you face when you need to decide how to migrate from Business Suite 7 to SAP S/4HANA. To determine the best path, look at the following factors. First, note the size and age of the enterprise. From there, account for the number of system users. Then, note the existence of other systems that manage business processes.

Once you complete the technical, functional, and strategic assessment of your company’s IT infrastructure, the consultant, along with SAP experts like IBA Group, determine how migration to SAP S/4HANA will improve business and assist the digital transformation.

As the result of that assessment, you receive a list of tasks that need to be implemented, as well as a recommendation for what migration scenario to use. There are four basic scenarios for migration to the on-premise version of SAP S/4HANA.

1. Greenfield Implementation.
2. Conversion of ERP into SAP S/4HANA, also known as System Conversion or Brownfield Implementation
3. Hybrid Migration, also known as Selective Data Transfer scenario
4. Landscape Transformation

Today, we dive into what the first two scenarios (Greenfield Implementation vs. Brownfield Implementation) are, and we help determine the right approach for your SAP S/4HANA migration.

Greenfield vs. Brownfields: The Basics for How to Migrate to SAP S/4HANA

When we look at the differences between Greenfield Implementation and Brownfield Implementation, we are talking about how the best ways to structure your migration based on your needs and usage now and in the future.

In the case of Greenfield Implementation, you are implementing an entirely new S/4HANA system. In the case of Brownfield Implementation, you are converting some of what you want to retain from the old system onto the new S/4HANA system.

Of course, whether you want to implement something from the ground up or undergo the conversion process depends on what scenario you face. In fact, it may come as a surprise that Greenfield Implementation, even though it involves implementing something entirely new, can lead to significant cost savings over time. Let’s examine some of these scenarios, all with the 2027 SAP support deadline in mind.

Greenfield Implementation

Greenfield Implementation is the migration option to choose if you have never used an ERP system before or if you have a system made by another vendor. Further, Greenfield Implementation is particularly useful if your SAP system has functionality that you do not use or want to use in the future.

Let’s examine this situation in a bit more detail. Does this scenario sound familiar? There are SAP ERP implementations that are largescale, having multiple SAP modules deployed with numerous custom ABAP modifications, and integrations with other systems and complex settings. However, only a fraction of this complex system is actively used by the business. What you have in these cases is an ‘inflated’ system. There is a huge amount of functionality that no one ever uses.

Only Migrate What You Use

By this logic, if you migrate your system in full, you repeat your problems over again. Once more, you face the burden of a system with expensive functionality but little utility to your operation. What’s more, that already expensive system requires additional regular investments. If this sounds familiar to you, or like a concern you have based on your current system usage, remember, it is much cheaper and easier to choose the Greenfield Implementation. Applying the Greenfield Implementation to migrate from Business Suite 7 assures that you migrate only the processes that your business actually uses. What’s more, SAP S/4HANA’s new innovative functionality will easily replace your outmoded custom ABAP coding.

Statistical analysis of existing systems shows that users never use up to 60% of custom functionality introduced during initial deployment of their systems. This is something we will dive into later, because it is a problem worth getting to the heart of. In the meantime, bear in mind (and this one comes as a surprise to many people), implementing SAP S/4HANA from scratch may turn out to be a more cost-effective option than the migration of the entire existing system.

Brownfield Implementation

Converting ERP into SAP S/4HANA is also known as System Conversion. Specifically, this type of conversion is known as Brownfield Implementation. Brownfield Implementation is recommended when business processes are clear and well documented.

So, what does that scenario look like? If you have regularly and diligently maintained and upgraded your SAP ERP 6.0 system over the years, Brownfield is likely they approach you want. Brownfield Implementation is the ideal choice if, in your scenario, you have upgraded your system, disconnected unused modules, and trained your personnel to work with new functionality. All these factors help you to migrate smoothly and quickly.

Set the Pace for Successful S/4HANA Migration

In this scenario, note that new SAP S/4HANA features are only activated after the migration project is completed successfully. So, it makes sense to migrate at a pace that is both acceptable and comfortable for your business.

The pace of Brownfield, on the whole, is faster. However, you are still responsible for setting up your migration timetable in a way that does not interfere with business operations.

Bring IBA Group Expertise to Your SAP Migration Project

One of the reasons we enjoy our work with SAP migration so much is that it gives us the chance to connect with our clients as real partners. We listen carefully to your needs, limitations, goals, and system usage habits and requirements. As a result, we are not only able to pair you with and apply the implementation solution that makes the most sense. We are also able to set you up for the future in a way that allows you to do more, while saving resources.

In addition to working as a trusted partner to our clients, IBA Group is an SAP Gold Service Partner. At IBA Group, we are experts in managing how to migrate from Business Suite 7 to SAP S/4HANA. We have more than 3,500 business users working with SAP S/4HANA systems that our experts implemented across the globe.

In our next article, we explore the other migration scenarios and the best paths for how to migrate Business Suite 7 to S/4HANA. Among them, we will look at Hybrid Migration and Landscape Transformation. We also delve into how cloud solutions can play a role in S/4HANA Migration, and what you need to know.