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Latest Updates: Version 4 (September 2024) of the guide has been released. See the new blog Upgrading SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition - Why, How, and Best Practices guide - Version 4
Have you already made the move to SAP S/4HANA and are now wondering where to next to keep up with the latest SAP S/4HANA innovations?
If you are currently on SAP S/4HANA and have read Let's Talk SAP S/4HANA AnyPremise Upgrade, you will already know that there are many reasons to upgrade. There's some official resources available already, and perhaps now you are looking for more lessons learned guidance from other customers to help you through. Then this is the guide for you!
The latest version of the guide has now been released as of January 2023 with:
- All new lessons learned and guidance for upgrades to SAP S/4HANA 2022
- New release strategy and compatibility scope through to 2025
- Specifics and recommendations for SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition
- Highlighting new tooling to help you including:
- SAP Fiori Upgrade Impact Analysis
- Information on the general availability of ZDO (Zero Downtime Option) for speedier upgrades
- How to approach UX Adoption planning during and/or post-upgrade
From the authors: We especially thank all of the contributors who sent us feedback on previous versions of the guide - we hope you enjoy the changes!
Latest Updates
January 2023: NEW VERSION of the guide has been released - the current version is January 2023 and has been updated for upgrades up to and including SAP S/4HANA 2022.
November 2022: Updated the title from AnyPremise to On-Premise or Cloud, Private Edition.
Also there are some tools and some advice for those upgrading or patching up for SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA that are worth knowing:
Please note also the latest announcements (September 2022) on the changes to a 2 year major releases + 3 feature pack stacks from SAP S/4HANA 2023 as in the official SAP Release Strategy
November 2021: For SAP Fiori catalog and group changes SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – How to fix Changed and Outdated Catalogs
October 2021: With SAP S/4HANA 2021 released, if you are looking to upgrade to SAP S/4HANA 2021, you can find the main technical resources for upgrading in blog post SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – Foundational SAP Notes for SAP S/4HANA 2021
Added a link to blog post SAP Readiness Check for SAP S/4HANA upgrades With SAP Readiness Check for SAP S/4HANA upgrade, SAP provides a self-service tool to check the readiness of your existing SAP S/4HANA system in preparation for an upgrade to a selected target SAP S/4HANA release (including the selected feature package stack or support package stack) and to give you an indication of the required efforts. It helps to identify mandatory preparations and possible pre-projects for your system well before the upgrade project starts and enables you to understand respective implications. This early insight means that you can scope and plan your upgrade project with a higher degree of accuracy
June 2021: June 2021 version is now released! The guide has been updated with:
- The latest information on upgrading to SAP S/4HANA 2020
- Even more lessons learned from customer experiences
- A fast track guide to help you move through the document
- A revised content format
- Links to the latest enablement resources including openSAP microlearning "how to" videos
August 2020: August 2020 version released! The guide has been updated with some early feedback. With end of 2020 coming up fast we wanted to capture first feedback quickly. So you will find:
- More guidance on SAP Fiori, SAP Activate, Downtime Optimization, and services from SAP
- A few more known issues and FAQs
- Latest Learning Journeys and openSAP microlearnings - quick how-to guides to help you make the most of the available tools
Why consider upgrade now?
- Maybe you have been on SAP S/4HANA 1909 for a while and just want to take advantage of the latest innovations in SAP S/4HANA 2022
- Maybe you are on SAP S/4HANA 1809 and the end of maintenance date of 31st December 2023 is coming up fast.
- Maybe you have read about The Future of Compatibility Scope Packages in SAP S/4HANA and are starting to consider what you need to do avoid end of usage rights by 31st December 2025
- And perhaps after listening to a few SAP TechEd 2022 Replays you are all fired up for planning your upgrade to SAP S/4HANA 2022, SAP Fiori 3, lots more innovations and taking the next step towards your Intelligent Enterprise.
Or maybe you just want to drive more value out of your current SAP S/4HANA solution via Continuous Improvement Projects.
The good news is there is now a comprehensive guide especially for you:
Upgrading SAP S/4HANA - How, Why, and Best Practices
Title page of the Upgrading SAP S/4HANA guide highlighting the January 2023 version and the link to Download the Document
This downloadable guide is based on the latest information available and many lessons learned from SAP customers - just like you - who have already successfully upgraded their SAP S/4HANA release.
The information has been gathered and collated worldwide by myself and other colleagues from SAP S/4HANA RIG, SAP Enterprise Support, SAP S/4HANA Customer Care Program, SAP MCC (Mission Control Center), SAP CoE (Centre of Excellence), and SAP Customer Success.
The good news is that so far most customers complete their upgrade in as little as 3-6 months, based on statistics from the SAP S/4HANA Customer Care Program. Those timeframes are readily achievable providing you do your due diligence beforehand.
So this guide covers a range of advice to assist you Before, During, and After your upgrade including:
- Understanding key drivers for upgrading your SAP S/4HANA solution
- Deciding on your target SAP S/4HANA release and Feature Package Stack
- Key tipping points for deciding on Functional Upgrade vs. Technical Upgrade
- Preparing for your project
- Example project plans
- Evaluating the delta between your current and target SAP S/4HANA release
- Considerations in estimating effort to upgrade
- Where to find the technical upgrade guide for your target SAP S/4HANA release
- Managing and automating regression testing
- Known issues
- and last but not least FAQ
You will find listed all the latest and best tools to help you on your journey.
You can even find advice on potentially tricky questions such as what to do about your SAP Fiori architecture if:
- You did not set up your SAP Fiori in your initial implementation of SAP S/4HANA
- You are already using SAP Fiori and considering whether to save on costs and simplify your architecture via transition from standalone to embedded mode with your upgrade
But wait there's more!
SAP S/4HANA has progressed in leaps and bounds over the last 5 years. You have already seen out-of-the-box innovations come to SAP S/4HANA such as embedded analytics, chatbots, machine learning, SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation, and SAP Fiori Situation Handling.
You have already seen brand new (never provided in SAP Business Suite) processes such as Predictive MRP, Group Reporting, and Central Procurement.
You have seen more and more industry solutions covered, more languages supported, more add-ons embedded.
You have seen flexible business model innovation made achievable, where running multiple industry solutions side-by-side has moved from impossible (with SAP Business Suite) to easy (with SAP S/4HANA).
The evolution of SAP S/4HANA from release 1511 to 2022
And there's still lots more to come on the SAP S/4HANA journey.
Overview of Release Strategy for SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition and on-premise
So once you have upgraded your solution - and perhaps even before your next upgrade - you will want to drive more value out of your current SAP S/4HANA release.
So we have a whole chapter to get you started on running Continuous Improvement Projects - whether you want to introduce the latest and greatest innovation scenarios, or just want to do some UX Adoption planning to introduce SAP Fiori to a new group of business users.
You might even want to take advantage of RISEwiithSAP to extend SAP S/4HANA with end-to-end processes and intelligent use cases with SAP BTP such as: SAP Mobile Start; SAP Build Workzone, advanced edition; Intelligent Situation Automation using side-by-side AI capabilities; and many more.
What are our best tips for getting started for your upgrade?
Request your free SAP Innovation and Optimization Pathfinder Report to get you started on your business case for upgrade or continuous improvement.
You have so much content delivered to you with SAP S/4HANA, and your upgrade is a great start on your journey of bringing new business value to your colleagues.
Overview of the UX content delivered with SAP S/4HANA including more than 2.8K apps and hundreds of intelligent use cases
So look to make a habit of upgrade and continuous improvement - that's how you can keeping taking advantage of the latest and greatest in the SAP S/4HANA roadmap. And don't forget to capture your own lessons learned!
Signed up already for SAP Enterprise Support?
You can access additional learning content in the SAP Enterprise Support Value Map and watch out for some coming sessions in the SAP Enterprise Support Academy (Learning Hub - Enterprise Support Edition). Find out more in blog post Is it time for an SAP S/4HANA Upgrade? And is it really necessary?
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