Success through Strategy: The 8 Building Blocks for Your SAP S/4HANA Transformation – Part 1

Before discussing tools, roadmaps, or target architectures, you need to answer a central question: What’s driving your transformation? Is it primarily technical – for example, the end of ECC support or the need to consolidate systems? Or is it business-driven – due to new business models, process harmonization, or updated reporting requirements?

This distinction is crucial for the further course of the project. Technically driven projects that focus on meeting the minimum requirements of the new S/4HANA release are often less complex and can be implemented more quickly. In contrast, business-driven projects require more intensive alignment with business units, a more sophisticated project organization and change management setup, and a clearer vision for future system usage.

Recommendation: Work with both IT and business stakeholders to assess the complexity and main drivers of your transformation. Document this assessment early as a foundation for all further steps.

Once the project has been classified, the next step is choosing the right transformation approach. This decision is critical and will greatly influence the course and success of your project. There are three established approaches:

The brownfield approach is aimed at a technical conversion to S/4HANA with as little change effort as possible. It involves comparatively little risk, but also offers only limited opportunities for redesigning processes and structures - innovation often falls by the wayside here. In addition, there is no opportunity to streamline the system or to control historical data in a targeted manner - which also wastes potential for reducing operating costs in the long term.

The greenfield approach, on the other hand, means a completely new start. Processes are rethought and the system design is rebuilt from scratch. This creates great freedom, but is also associated with considerable effort, high business involvement and longer project durations.

Many companies do not find themselves 100% in one or the other approach. A third approach can be the solution here: Selective Data Transition (SDT). This approach combines the best of both migration worlds: Proven processes and systems can be retained, while targeted modernization takes place where it makes strategic sense. SDT enables targeted migration of relevant data, reducing data volume, improving clarity, and supporting the implementation of a clean core strategy.

Recommendation: Don’t evaluate the transformation approach from a purely technical perspective. Consider business needs, organizational readiness, and innovation goals – and take a close look at the potential of Selective Data Transition as a sustainable strategy for your S/4HANA future.

The best strategy is worth little if data quality is lacking. Faulty data migration can lead to operational disruptions, compliance risks, and high rework costs. Quality assurance must be a standalone pillar of your transformation strategy. With solutions like the cbs Enterprise Transformer, you can unlock major benefits:

• Validation of mappings and selection rules before migration
• Step-by-step testing of transformations
• Automated consistency checks
• Support in generating audit-compliant documentation

Recommendation: Plan dedicated test phases within each cycle to validate data and processes – with a defined test organization, test cases, and approval workflows.