Brownfield+
Why Brownfield+
For many organizations, system conversions are becoming the only realistic path to SAP S/4HANA. Unfortunately, this approach misses the mark when it comes to creating valuable impact on the business, driving innovation, and moving the organization into the future of the intelligent enterprise.
Brownfield+ seeks to address the needs of the moment. Fast and minimally disruptive conversions, with pin-point, value adding transformation. Flexible conversions on your own terms. Want to focus on system harmonization to become a data-driven enterprise? No problem. Need to reduce your total cost of system ownership as you transition into the cloud? Bring only data you actually need into the new world. Interested in harnessing the full power of SAP Finance in S/4HANA? You got it!
Brownfield+ is a tailored solution to your transformation needs. Leverage existing investments in SAP by carrying over processes, system configuration, and data where it makes sense. Identify the most value adding innovations without restriction and focus only on those during the project. No need to reinvent everything. Strike the perfect balance of speed and innovation with minimal disruption to your operations.
What Brownfield+ Enables
Execute a controlled SAP S/4HANA system conversion that preserves existing processes and configurations while establishing a stable, cost-aware technical baseline.
Apply targeted changes to organizational structures, business processes, and finance models where business or cost impact is clear and intentional, without expanding the effort into a full-scale transformation.
Prepare SAP landscapes for public or private cloud by managing dependencies across SAP RISE and ECS, aligning stakeholders, and supporting predictable planning and execution.
Reduce data footprint through archiving, housekeeping, and selective history migration, lowering hosting and cloud costs while enabling near-zero-downtime scenarios.
Identify cost-saving levers related to data volume, migration timing, and cloud or RISE contract structures before commitments are locked in.
Design and execute phased migrations, time-slice scenarios, and cutover strategies that minimize downtime, reduce ECS dependency risk, and keep business operations running during the transition.
Key Benefits
Controlled conversion cycles and early validation reduce disruption during SAP S/4HANA programs.
Selective data migration and time-slice approaches lower database size, hosting costs, and long-term cloud spend.
Business changes such as organizational updates or M&A can be addressed without committing to a Greenfield transformation.
Selective improvements enable progress toward clean core principles while preserving stability where needed.
Why cbs?
Request a Complimentary Brownfield+ Discovery Session
- Assess your SAP S/4HANA and RISE readiness, including data volume, system constraints, and cost drivers.
- Identify where a pure Brownfield conversion creates unnecessary cost, risk, or rigidity.
- Explore selective improvement options without committing to a full Greenfield redesign.
- Leave with a clear, no-obligation roadmap. tailored to your system, timeline, and cost goals.
For organizations considering RISE or hyperscaler deployments, cbs helps assess available cost optimization and sponsorship considerations as part of the overall transition strategy.
Migration to SAP S/4HANA with cbs’ Enterprise Transformer
- Food Processing & Protein Manufacturing
- $235B USD Revenue
JBS, the world’s largest protein producer, successfully migrated one-third of their US operations to SAP S/4HANA, leveraging cbs’ Enterprise Transformer (ET) for a seamless transition with minimal downtime. This strategic move involved over 60 legal entities in North America, enhancing their system with a lean configuration of two years of transactional data, over 50 key innovations including 120 FIORI apps, and a shift to BW/4HANA for advanced analytics. The transition was executed with minimal business disruption, marking a significant milestone in their digital transformation journey.
- Global Scale: Migrated one-third of JBS’s US operations to SAP S/4HANA.
- Efficient Transition: Achieved minimal downtime during the go-live phase.
- Data Streamlining: Adopted a lean system with two years of transactional data.
- Innovations: Implemented over 50 key innovations and introduced 120 FIORI apps.
- Risk Management: Selected a data transition approach to manage risks effectively.
Cloud-based S/4HANA transformation on a global scale
- Chemicals & Water Treatment Solutions
- 3.4B EUR
- Global Rollout: Deployed SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud across 400 plants in 37 countries.
- Standardized Core Processes: Harmonized finance and operational processes internationally.
- Accelerated Timeline: Delivered transformation within a 15-month schedule with structured governance.
- Advanced Analytics: Enabled modern reporting and planning using SAP Datasphere and cloud analytics.
- Business Stability: Sustained operational continuity through targeted improvements and controlled execution.
SPS Companies: Pioneering the Cloud with SAP S/4HANA
- Steel Service & Processing
- 3.4 bn USD
- Migrated from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud using a selective data transition approach
- Preserved critical historical data while significantly reducing overall data volume
- Simplified and modernized the SAP landscape without redesigning core business processes
- Completed the migration in a compressed timeline with minimal disruption to operations
- Established a scalable, cloud-ready S/4HANA foundation to support future growth
Brownfield+ in Action: in Flight Data Migration
- Automotive Manufacturing
- 3.4 bn USD
PHINIA is currently moving from ECC to S/4HANA using the cbs Brownfield+ data migration approach. Leveraging the cbs Enterprise Transformer, PHINIA is selectively implementing key historical data within their new system, while reducing migration downtime, saving on hosting costs, and maximizing business flexibility during the implementation.
- Two systems and multiple company codes consolidated into one SAP system
- Strategic ET leverage for selective data migration within a Brownfield framework
- Enhanced Business Flexibility (Ongoing Currency changes, BP on the Fly)
- Supply Chain Shift (Organizational change, legal entity split) throughout project duration
Harmonized Chart of Accounts Migration
- Electrical Equipment
- 39.7 bn USD
Schneider Electric migrated 3 SAP ECC systems into one harmonized Chart of Accounts (CoA) for Central Finance, overcoming the challenge of running parallel large-scale conversions within strict downtime limits, while delivering added value through harmonized financial reporting, simplified account structures, and a Digital Finance Layer for advanced analysis.
- Near-Zero-Downtime conversion completed utilizing cbs Enterprise Transformer tool
- Harmonized financial reporting across multiple source systems
- Digital Finance Layer for advanced analysis
- Simplification via global account reduction
- Long-term benefits for SE Finance community
Brownfield+ Resource Hub
Pre-Study & Selective Scope
Brownfield Plus engagements begin with a targeted pre-study to identify high-impact innovations, define what should change, and protect what should not.
Change Management
Incremental change, focused testing, and role-based enablement ensure adoption stays manageable while the business continues to operate.
SAP BTP & Clean Core
New capabilities are built outside the core using SAP BTP — enabling automation, extensions, and integrations without compromising upgrade paths.
Finance Transformation
Modernize finance in S/4HANA without starting from scratch, improving reporting, close, and decision support while keeping business disruption manageable.
Data-Led Transition & Landscape Transformation
Selective data migration and time-slice approaches lower database size, hosting costs, and long-term cloud spend.
Supply Chain & Manufacturing (SSCM)
Stabilize operations while selectively modernizing planning, execution, and manufacturing processes as part of a Brownfield+ transformation.
Software for selective data transition, landscape transformation, and complex SAP system restructuring — enabling carve-outs, mergers, consolidations, and Brownfield+ execution with precision.
