Your First Steps On Your SAP S/4Hana Journey

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SAP S/4Hana is a priority move for many businesses as the 2025 deadline looms ever closer. The benefits that S/4Hana brings to a company make it worth the investment in terms of time and money. Successful businesses that can build their business cases are looking at methods of linking the business side of their companies to meet the IT side of their operations. S/4Hana offers a simple process of doing this that many companies are already experiencing.

Customer demands have started changing, and the evolution of this demand is what is driving more and more businesses to look at S/4Hana adoption. SAP S/4Hana enables enterprises to streamline their operations. Instead of having a complex business model, they can simplify, satisfying customers' wants for a less complicated system. S/4Hana also plays to the business side of the equation, offering a system that caters to the needs of the company  in terms of customer segments and lot sizes. The customizability that S/4Hana gives businesses means it can be fully scalable to how a company grows.

Getting Started with S/4Hana

There are many layers in an organization, and S/4Hana has an impact on each of these. At its heart, SAP S/4Hana is an information tool that helps businesses understand their processes better. Companies that intend to utilize S/4 Hana should be aware of the areas that the business impacts.

• Business Processes and Innovation: A business's innovation and implementation of new business processes are unique, but case studies may exist that help advise the company on its implementation. SAP has a Business Scenario Recommendation Tool that is specifically designed to help businesses that are looking at figuring out how S/4Hana can help their company grow. The recommendation tool can help a business see how their company's business processes can benefit from innovation through S/4Hana.


• Business Case Building: Some companies still aren't sold on whether S/4Hana is essential for their business' needs moving forward. SAP's proprietary business case value advisor can help companies build a case for their switch over to S/4Hana. Depending on the company's unique strategy, these business cases can help an enterprise figure out the most efficient method for implementation.


• Planning and Execution of the Project: SAP's tools that can aid a business's understanding of S/4Hana's impact on code and technical infrastructure are second to none. The SAP readiness check is crucial in helping a business figure out what SAP Fiori apps may benefit the company in the short and long term. The ABAP Test Cockpit can sift through custom code and offer suggestions on improving it. Additionally, unused code and programs can be retired, and the useful functionality moved into new applications. The SAP S/4Hana Migration Cockpit can similarly handle data migration.

Getting Early Exposure is Key

As with most software migrations, knowing what to expect is essential. For new users to SAP S/4Hana, getting up to speed means having a consensus between the business and IT departments of the company. It's in a company's best interests to invest in a trusted advisor that knows S/4Hana to help the business migrate its systems over. If the company's used to an on-premise server and is considering a cloud installation, the new policy may require some relearning of concepts. SAP has offered online training at www.sap.com/jointhemovement, offering a plethora of training material and articles to help businesses be aware of what S/4Hana is all about. Additionally, companies may consider sending representatives to software expositions for training on the migration and use of SAP systems. All of these things can add up to make for an efficient transition into the new paradigm of SAP.