Once upon a time there was a S/4HANA Project...

[former_member330246]

This post was originally written in Portuguese, and can be read in original language here 

Today once again I heard the phrase that S/4HANA hasn’t changed much, after all there is SPRO, VA01, the FBL* and ME21N...

Each of these comments I listen to, the closer to I get to having a heart strike. I take a deep breath, balance my blood pressure, count to ten, and begin to list a bunch of questions.

A. Are you using Activate? Are you working with SOLMAN, uploaded RDS ...
If the answer is no, it is wrong!

There is no S/4HANA with ASAP, and no more BBP is done to detail processes that are already ready. Not only does S/4HANA bring new features and tools, but it's also supported by a new, agile methodology that aims to give businesses the speed and flexibility that was an almost impossible challenge before.

And the idea here is simple: to work with autonomous packages of fast and constant improvements, without giving up the governance, working the methodology and the technical method together.

And speaking about Activate, SAP JAM has an open group for people interested in Activate, which currently has more than 20,000 people. Crowded and funny group!

B. Have you consulted the Simplification List? Did you understand the improvements and possible new processes?
If the answer is no, it is wrong!

The credit analysis has been replaced by the FSCM credit analysis, rebates have become Settlements Management in purchase and sales (super flexible), SAP Revenue Accounting and Reporting to work according IFRS ... just to warm up. Well, the document has more than 500 pages of improvements (and there are no drawings and images in this 500 pages).

Do not start a project without reading the Simplification List.

C. Have you encapsulated the developments and improvements outside the core of the application?
If the answer is no, it is wrong!

The S/4HANA commitment is to be a rapidly evolving platform that effectively brings a huge value to customers; remember that at least one new version a year will be released. But disregard all of this if you are still making enhancements in the middle of the standard code, in that unnecessary way it was done in some of the old installations and that made it impossible to be upgraded today.

S/4HANA can and should be extended when needed, but please try to use the BRF + rules engine when possible, include routines and logics in the SAP Cloud Platform, consume APIs, rationalize the developments, and mainly put them in the right places ... leaving the S/4CORE as intact as possible. This is the only way to make it possible to reap the benefits of the platform in a medium-term.

There are a lot of contents regarding the best practices for development in S/4HANA available here in our community.

D. Are you using FIORI? Have you presented to the user the new user interface, and the analytics solutions available in FIORI?
If the answer is no, it is wrong!

One of the biggest improvements of S/4HANA was the interface, and before someone pop me to say that FIORI was already available in 6.07, remember that the new analytical APPS, the ones that really caught attention, depend on S/4HANA.

And there is more, not everything that runs in FIORI has a similar in SAP GUI (AATP is a good example of it). That said, invest your time in FIORI and APPS; there are some hidden gems here.

E. Have you used the new tools like Advanced ATP, TM, EWM, LIVE MRP ... and other tools that were paid by the customer and bring a huge improvement?
If the answer is no, it is wrong!

A handful of new tools, which previously required additional licensing are now embedded; BW with some cubes and reports ready, TM replacing LES, EWM replacing WM, SAP GTS (this one alone caused more than 200, yes, more than TWO HUNDRED transactions replaced). Besides the possible new processes to be explored...

The S/4HANA commitment goes far, far beyond SPRO; it goes through governance, methodology, application architecture, process analysis, integration with APIs, agile discipline... Work with S/4HANA as we did with ECC might even work, but the value capture and the gain of agility and innovation will surely stay far far from ideal.

And the last and important reminder: S4HANA, S/4 hana, S4hana... it is wrong. The software name is always S/4HANA; caps lock and all together.

Innovation for thought!
FM