S/4 Hana Upgrades - 7 Key Factors to Consider
Mahad Hussein MBus (ERP Systems)
Program Manager | Senior SAP Project Manager
1 – Early identification of 3rd?party products / add-ons is key?– contact your 3rd?Party Vendors very early in the process and communicate to them your version of S/4 Hana with clear timelines. Make it clear to them what your expectation is of them during the implementation phase.
2 – Utilitise SAP’s system readiness tools for upgrades throughout the implementation journey.
3 – Commence Master Data Cleansing as a pre-project before the upgrade?– SAP provides fantastic tools to install in your SAP environment to get a good read of all the data requirements for S/4 Hana. Remember there are some big changes in the back-end such as the vendor / customer to Business Partner concept and the new finance tables so commencing cleansing will reduce implementation timelines.
4 – Establish a scoping phase with a sandbox environment stood up for a good preview of all the different issues and compatibility differences you will encounter. ?The technical teams will be better prepared with understanding of the code remediation required, compatibility issues flagged and data readiness. This also helps to firm your execution project plan and setting expectations at a program level based on the ‘quick look under the hood’ strategy.
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5 – Form a network of change champions from the various business units?in the organisation that are great with systems and are willing to communicate effectively back to their functions. They will become your champions in the design phase, user acceptance testing buddies and hypercare support advocates!
6 – Utilise strong conversion validation tools to automate the comparison between pre and post upgraded environments. Tools like LiveCompare are great for thorough data validation and ticking off stringent auditing requirements at an organisational level.
7 - Declutter your Production cutover by sending remediation items to your current SAP production system ahead of time. You will be surprised how much time you can save from your critical deployment weekend by identifying items for early transport or conversion. For example, proceeding with Customer Vendor Integration conversion for all the Vendors and Customers in your pre upgraded system can save a significant number of hours.
These 7 factors are only a summary guide of items and are not a complete list of items to consider for a S/4 Hana upgrade. Ultimately, a strong change management culture in tune with and lead by the Business, coupled with end to end program management is a fundamental part of the success of these projects.
?? Elevating Australia's Tech Landscape | Senior Sales Executive | Cloud Innovation | Salesforce | Oracle | SAP
5 个月You are missing on a foundational step 0: establishing clear goals for the S/4HANA project. Defining what you aim to achieve and setting the boundaries for the project will significantly influence its success. This clarity will ensure that subsequent steps are approached with the appropriate level of attention, whether you're undertaking a straightforward technical upgrade or pursuing a comprehensive business transformation.
Account Executive @ Prospecta Software with expertise in Partner Relationship Management and New Business Development.
5 个月Thanks for putting this together, Mahad. It is very well summarised, focusing on all the key areas, especially data and recon for pre and post-migration. IMO, master data acts as the fuel to any ERP.
Director of Finance | Mining, Infrastructure and Construction
5 个月Thanks for sharing these tips, Mahad!
Senior IT Leader – Program and Portfolio Management, Enterprise Applications Transformation, ERP Implementation, People Management, Supplier Management, Service Delivery Management, IT Governance, Innovative Solutions ??
5 个月Great insights and advice Mahad
SAP Projects | SAP Data | SAP Business Readiness | SAP Analyst & Reporting | Project Management | South African Representative Triathlete
5 个月Great read Mahad Hussein MBus (ERP Systems); adding to point 3 with regards to data - understanding the new concepts around data objects are important but also identifying gaps with required fields in the new environment is key. Business need to understand this and ask the question… do we have this detail or where we get it? Also, a detailed analysis over key data objects is key - like open PO, AP/AR items or active vendors over a given period and selection criteria for inclusion of these items - a picture normally tells a clear story. Also consider a robust data strategy that will include archiving… data is golden but we only need to take accross to the new system that we need otherwise we clutter it again.