Busy Times Ahead
The number of SAP S/4HANA migrations over the coming years is expected to increase significantly as more organizations recognize the benefits of transitioning to this latest version.
The structured execution of these migrations is crucial to ensure a seamless transition and maintain business integrity.
Many organizations are planning their migrations to leverage the enhanced capabilities and efficiencies offered by this system.
Migrating to SAP S/4HANA is more than just a technical upgrade; it’s a comprehensive business transformation.
This involves data, processes, governance, and compliance, making data migration one of the most important and complex aspects of the entire journey.
Different Approaches
Like with any migration, there are different approaches.
In the SAP space, we talk about the following approaches and labels.
Greenfield Migration:
This approach involves implementing a completely new SAP system without inheriting legacy data structures.
It provides organizations with a clean and streamlined core from the start.
It supports comprehensive migration to S/4HANA, offering all essential SAP-related load objects.
Brownfield Migration:
This approach upgrades your SAP ECC system to SAP S/4HANA while preserving all historical data.
However, it can lead to potential data challenges after go-live. Instead of opting for Brownfield, a Selective Data Transformation approach is encouraged.
This method ensures alignment with the clean core of the new S/4HANA system, delivering a more efficient and reliable transition.
Selective Data Transformation (Shelf Conversion):
Critical data requiring retention is cleansed during migration, while non-essential legacy data is left behind, preventing unnecessary system clutter.
This approach achieves up to 75% savings on total project costs and is particularly effective for migrations involving critical data prone to anomalies.
SAP Migration Cockpit Tools:
There are two different migration tools depending on the source system:
- Migrate Data Using Staging Tables: Staging tables are created automatically in SAP HANA DB Business data is populated using SAP or third-party ETL tools, such as SAP Data Service
- Migrate Data Directly from SAP System (Direct Transfer): Connect the source system (ABAP-based SAP source systems) via RFC connection and based on predefined selection criteria (e.g., company code for ERP source system) and selected migration objects. This can be adapted with the SAP S/4HANA migration object model
Each approach has its own benefits and drawbacks, and the choice depends on the specific needs and circumstances of the organization.
Hopp S/4HANA Migration Approach
The Hopp Data Migration Approach is designed to ensure business integrity throughout the entire migration process.
It complements SAP's existing migration tools by providing a governed, automated approach that streamlines the process and cuts costs.
The approach focuses on aligning, validating, and preparing data for business use as soon as the transition is complete.
It addresses common challenges such as misalignment between legacy data and SAP’s target structure, gaps in governance and reconciliation, and manual scripting and custom workarounds.
The Hopp Data Migration Approach involves several key components:
- Governed Approach: Ensures a structured, controlled migration process that guarantees business integrity from start to finish
- Automation: Reduces manual interventions, thereby minimizing risks and improving data integrity
- Business Objects: Migrates data in units of "Business Objects" rather than the traditional table-to-table method, allowing for a more organized and meaningful transfer of information
- Components of the Migration Framework: Includes the studio application, runtime environment, portal, and code generator, each contributing to the overall data migration process
Hopp software provides a comprehensive set of features, including data profiling, validation, transformation, and issue management, which significantly simplifies and accelerates the migration process.
The ease of use and intuitive user interface allows teams to quickly adapt to the software and complete the migration seamlessly.
Cost Effectiveness
When considering cost-effectiveness for SAP S/4HANA data migration, the Selective Data Transformation (Shelf Conversion) approach stands out.
This method involves cleansing critical data during migration while leaving behind non-essential legacy data, which helps prevent unnecessary system clutter.
It can achieve up to 75% savings on total project costs.
Additionally, the Hopp Data Migration Approach complements SAP's DMC tools, providing a governed, automated approach that ensures faster, more efficient migrations with fewer manual interventions.
This approach reduces risks and improves data integrity from start to finish.