So, you’ve already shaped an intricate yet winning IT landscape that’s suitable for your business, right? And now, you want to convert the existing SAP ERP infrastructure to SAP S/4HANA on a fixed schedule without having to change your structure. That’s all, right?
Yes, it can be done. To be precise, you can do it through two different procedures – Landscape Transformation and System Conversion. Each of them is effective in its own way and can offer the best possible results for you. But what’s more suitable for you?
Keep reading to find out more about it.
What Is System Conversion?
A System Conversion procedure, otherwise known as Brownfield Conversion, can help migrate data from an already-existing Business Suite to the brand-new S/4HANA.
The available ERP system (such as SAP ECC) is generally upgraded to the newer version during this procedure by performing a step-by-step conversion.
So, what’s the end result?
Once the entire process is completed, you’ll receive an amalgamation of accustomed features that you used to love before and some new, exciting attributes. If need be, you can adapt the processes to the SAP standard. And, you’ll have the option to switch to a cloud-based SAP system from an on-premise infrastructure, thanks to RISE with SAP.
Important Note: The System Conversion process best suits organizations who wish to retain their previous individualization, investments, and customizations.
The Benefits of System Conversion
The system conversion procedure can be beneficial for any corporation trying to keep its former database intact. This is how it can put you into advantage –
● A System Conversion procedure usually entails only a few slight alterations. Hence, it doesn’t usually require the support of a change management infrastructure. Moreover, the end users can also benefit from the improved UX and speed without undergoing a prominent training procedure. So, it can save a lot of money and time.
● The System Conversion procedure usually gets completed quickly and efficiently. If you opt for a consulting service, they can help accelerate the process even more. So, there’s no need to worry about hampering your working culture with it. Also, they can tell you how to avoid creating two parallel landscapes, resulting in less expenditure.
● Minimizing the overall migration risk can also prevent you from investing extensively in management security. With System Conversion, you’re able to keep and protect your precious data. This, in turn, can save a lot of your time and resources while lowering the risk of downtime or data loss.
The Limitations of System Conversion
While a System Conversion procedure is primarily enticing, it can also throw some curveballs and affect your work structure. Here are a few of them.
● Lack of understanding or pointing out the source data can affect the speed and agility of the conversion.
● Although it doesn’t require a data management system, it might offer inadequate data analysis. It may disrupt your calculation to some extent.
In addition to these, the process is pretty slow and less agile. It doesn’t ooze flexibility too.
What Is Landscape Transformation?
The sole purpose of performing an SAP LT procedure can be quite varied. After all, it’s quite flexible and can offer much more than you can imagine. For instance –
● It can enable you to update all of your existing organizational procedures.
● Align your existing SAP system following the restructuring of your business.
● Integrate a recently-obtained organization.
Moreover, it can eradicate a part of the business information due to divestiture from the existing SAP landscape. In general, it’s a much better option if you want to move a massive amount of data without breaking your budget or the core system.
The Benefits of Landscape Transformation
The advantages of SAP Landscape Transformation can entail the following –
● Accomplish the organizational goal of decreasing risks and improving the business stability of your company.
● Complete the conversion or transformation procedure without spending too much time or giving valiant effort in the process.
● Observe sustainable IT progression through system consolidation or data coordination altogether. It can also make your IT infrastructure more compliant and competent.
In this case, the information transferring process is usually performed uninterruptedly. In this case, the risk of losing money or business downtime will also be lower.
The Limitations of Landscape Transformation
The SAP Landscape Transformation procedure is pretty reliable and efficient on its own. So, it doesn’t really affect your organization in any aspect.
Also, there are no visible limitations available in the procedure. Hence, in a way, it’s a much, much better option than Brownfield Conversion.
The Differences between Landscape Transformation and System Conversion
This section will discuss the differences between Brownfield Conversion and Landscape Transformation in a table structure. So, let’s get started with it.
| Point | System Conversion | Landscape Transformation |
| Agility | It’s slow and less agile. It can take more than a week to complete if the data load is higher than usual. | It’s faster, more agile, and much more efficient than the System Conversion procedure. |
| Protection | It can protect your data while it’s being converted. | The protective capabilities are better than System Conversion. |
| Risks | Errors can occur when you are converting a huge amount of data. | The availability of ongoing test cycles guarantees an accurate information transformation. |
The Bottom Line
When talking about the fundamentals, Landscape Transformation and System Conversion do not offer many differences. However, when it comes to the working procedure, they tend to be much more diverse. Hence, before you choose something, don’t forget to talk to your team at the beginning. Also, make sure to check what your infrastructure is demanding.
Good luck!
