Your ERP system is the most essential element of your digital transformation and a basic requirement for central future technologies in your company.
But the transformation to the S/4HANA Intelligent Business Suite alone is not enough.
Rethink processes, organization, strategies
When switching to central data structures in the new SAP S/4HANA, previous separations of duties (e.g. finance, controlling) must be redesigned in terms of processes (e.g. asset accounting, reporting). At the same time, the new technologies offer attractive opportunities to improve customer interfaces and performance, which makes new offers and optimized processes possible.
In many companies we still find a heterogeneous process and system landscape.
Without process reengineering and standardization of master data and value flows, the investments made in ERP technologies alone do not contribute to the successful implementation of the company's digitalization strategy. The introduction of SAP S/4HANA brings with it some significant changes.
Approach preliminary projects and tasks at an early stage
Companies should therefore be well prepared for the change.
There are some preparatory activities that can already be implemented in legacy SAP systems, regardless of when SAP S/4HANA is implemented, to make the transition easier and to distribute effort more effectively.
Preparatory activities already in your SAP ECC ERP:
- Central master data concept and data cleansing
- Conversion to the new general ledger (NEW GL)
- Implementation of the business partner concept - Conversion to business partners (customer-vendor integration CVI)
- Implementation or conversion to solutions already integrated in SAP ERP ECC such as S/4HANA Receivables Management
- Use of new interfaces such as FIORI apps frontends
The switch to SAP business partners (Business Partner, Customer Vendor Integration CVI) should also be used to clean up and harmonize existing master data, such as debtors, creditors, customers or suppliers. For a brownfield migration, Unicode and ERP 6.0 EHP7 are required. Corresponding upgrades can already be made now. In the area of in-house developments, appropriate analyzes can be carried out on SAP S/4HANA suitability.