S/4 Hana Upgrades - 7 Key Factors to Consider

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.

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.