4 Steps to Ensure a Successful SAP ECC to S/4HANA Migration. Quick Guide

How Can Leaders Prepare for a Smooth S/4HANA Migration?

Transitioning from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA may seem complex, with multiple stages to navigate. However, there's no need to worry—we've mapped out the entire journey for you. This blog will walk you through the essential steps to ensure a successful ERP migration from SAP ECC to S/4HANA.

Steps for Migrating from SAP ECC to S/4HANA: Best Practices

Below, we will outline the key steps for migrating from SAP ECC to S/4HANA. As we go through each step, I will share some tips and considerations that, in my experience, should be taken into account. I hope you find them helpful.

Initial Preparation: Analyzing the Current Situation

No two migrations are the same. While the key steps for migrating from SAP ECC to S/4HANA remain the same, their execution can vary significantly, as ERP functionalities must be adapted to the specific needs and processes of each company. For this reason, selecting the right technology partner is essential to ensure the highest return on investment.

Using the Right Tools and Best Practices: The Importance of the Technology Partner

It is vital to select a partner with proven experience in SAP S/4HANA migrations—one who follows a clear and transparent methodology regarding timelines, processes, and costs, and has a well-defined contingency plan.

For instance, at SEIDOR, we use a migration methodology based on "Migrate now, transform at your own pace," which allows companies to leverage the key advantages of SAP S/4HANA while postponing broader process transformations to a later phase. If you want to learn more about this methodology, click here.

Ensure that the SAP partner you choose for the migration employs tools such as SAP Readiness Check, which helps conduct a detailed analysis of your current SAP ECC system and provides reports on aspects like hardware requirements and compatibility of specific add-ons. Additionally, tools like the SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit facilitate the secure transfer of data from legacy systems.

A reliable SAP partner also applies best practices to mitigate risks and minimize hidden costs, ensuring a smooth migration process.

Initial Assessment of the SAP ECC System

For a successful SAP ECC to S/4HANA migration, it is crucial that the technology partner, in collaboration with the client, conducts an initial assessment of the SAP ECC system. This assessment should include:

• A technical analysis of the infrastructure.
• A review of customizations applied.
• A thorough evaluation of business processes and their alignment with SAP S/4HANA.

Involving Key Areas of the Organization

It is essential for the company to involve all relevant departments in identifying and prioritizing business objectives.

One of the key steps to a successful SAP ECC to S/4HANA migration is reimagining processes, improving operational efficiency, and enabling new business capabilities.

Defining the Migration Strategy

There are several methodologies to update SAP ERP. The most common include:

• Brownfield: Converting the existing system to SAP S/4HANA while retaining current data and configurations.
• Greenfield: Implementing a new system from scratch.
• Bluefield: Using a hybrid approach that combines elements of both.

Each approach has its own advantages in terms of cost, flexibility, project timeline, and resource requirements. Additionally, each technology partner develops unique methodologies based on their experience.

To choose the right approach, evaluate not only your company’s needs but also the project’s impact on operations and the resources you can allocate.

At SEIDOR, our approach is based on an initial migration where we migrate only the necessary information to implement the system, postponing process transformations and redesigns as needed—aligned with our "Migrate now, transform at your own pace" philosophy. I will provide more details about this approach later.

Technical Readiness and Data Migration: The Upgrade to SAP S/4HANA

In this stage of the SAP ECC to S/4HANA migration, critical tasks such as data cleansing and performance issue resolution are performed, ensuring the system is prepared for SAP S/4HANA requirements. Once the system is ready, data migration takes place—a crucial step for a successful transition.

At this stage, it is essential that the partner understands:

• The relevance and criticality of specific data.
• Which historical data should be retained and which can be discarded.

Once the system has been updated, the test plan developed by the partner is executed to evaluate performance and integration.

The active participation of the company is crucial in this phase, as end-user interactions with the system help identify issues, validate functionality, and ensure successful user adoption.

Go-Live and Post-Implementation Support

Go-live is the moment when the system is officially put into operation for daily business use. It is important to note that some setbacks may arise at this stage; therefore, close collaboration with the partner’s support team is vital for making corrections and optimizations.

Additionally, planning training sessions during this early phase helps ensure smooth employee adoption and effective system use.

Migrate Now, Transform at Your Own Pace: SEIDOR’s ERP Migration Approach

At SEIDOR, we understand that migrating from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA is a significant step for any business. Our approach, “Migrate now, transform at your own pace,” is designed to make this transition as seamless and efficient as possible. It enables you to unlock the core benefits of SAP S/4HANA quickly while deferring more complex business process transformations to a later phase—when it suits your business needs.

The SEIDOR Advantage: Flexible, Agile, and Efficient

From our extensive migration experience, we’ve learned that businesses need both speed and flexibility.

Our migration model is built to be:

• Flexible, allowing you to scale and transform at your own pace.
• Agile, adapting to your company’s unique requirements and timelines.
• Efficient, ensuring minimal downtime and no major disruptions to daily operations.

With SEIDOR’s approach, you can confidently migrate to SAP S/4HANA and focus on what matters most: running your business—now and in the future.