In the ever-evolving world of technology, businesses are constantly looking for ways to enhance their operations and remain competitive.

SAP S/4HANA gives organizations the ability to evolve and grow, it’s designed to help organisations manage their data in more efficient and cost-effective ways. The software is designed to automate certain processes and make them more efficient, in addition to offering a wide range of analytics and reporting capabilities, which can give businesses a better understanding of their data and help them to make more informed decisions.

Data Migration is the most critical dependency of a S/4HANA project, and the one that frequently causes the most delays and frustration for businesses, as it can be challenging and time-consuming if not done correctly.

According to a study by the UK and Ireland SAP User Group (UKISUG), out of 116 SAP user organizations, “66% state that data management is a challenge when moving from SAP ECC 6.0 to SAP S/4HANA”. Other barriers such as the need to avoid business disruptions, avoiding adjustments to companies IT strategies and the need for new skill sets have caused businesses to hesitate in moving over to S/4HANA and miss out on the benefits that come with upgrading. These barriers and challenges can be avoided with a thorough Migration plan in place.

In preparation for a move to S/4HANA, a Data Migration Strategy is vital in establishing the scope, principles, responsibilities, and approach for the migration. Keeping in mind that if the data migrated is of poor quality, it can cause serious issues and is usually one of the biggest threats to the success of a migration project.

The importance of data-readiness in project risk management cannot be overstated. Without clearly defined data ownership, the process of identifying requirements and implementing measures to address data cleansing can add significant complexity and burden to both business and project resources. However, this task presents an opportunity to enhance organisation’s data quality and streamline processes, facilitating their effective operation with the new system right from the outset.

There are some factors to consider and a few steps organisations can take to get fully prepared before the Data Migration process:

• Conduct a thorough data analysis of your current ERP system: Companies should evaluate what data they have and how it’s being used to identify which data is essential and what is not.
• Determine data ownership and data cleansing required: Companies should determine who is responsible for specific data in Data Objects, Business Areas or modules, then determine and action the data cleansing required before migration.
• Develop a comprehensive Data Migration plan: early collaboration with your Data Migration Experts to define the scope of the migration, the timeline, and the roles and responsibilities of each team member involved.
• Managing the many moving parts: A data migration project can be complicated and volatile due to the involvement of multiple parties. Some of these could include the System Integrator (SI), change management teams, testers, and project managers. To ensure success, extra consideration and planning are needed to coordinate these various groups and prevent a siloed approach. It is crucial to find effective ways to synchronize the many moving parts of the project and facilitate collaboration.
• Staff Resource Planning: It is essential to plan for resource availability before undertaking a data migration project. The customer will play a significant role in the project and often allocate their personnel to be involved. It is crucial to ensure that employees are not overburdened and thinly spread across their core responsibilities and the migration project. Organizations should set realistic expectations for the time employees might need to spend on the project and allocate an adequate number of staff to be involved. This will ensure that the project can be completed efficiently without disrupting the daily operations of the organization.
• Train employees: according to an ASUG study, 25% of SAP S/4HANA adopters say that user training is the biggest barrier to platform acceptance, making it essential for companies to provide training to employees to ensure that they understand how to use the new system and how it differs from the old one. This will help to minimize any confusion and ensure a smooth transition.

We differentiate ourselves in the SAP technical Data Migration market by implementing a distinct process that utilizes our own tools, methodologies, and extensive knowledge of the SAP architectural landscape. This approach ensures a high level of maturity in the ETL data migration process and enables the detection and resolution of migration design and errors at every stage of the S/4HANA project. Additionally, it allows for the tracking of KPIs at a data object level, expediting the deployment of new releases and innovation while relieving the pressure on business involvement in the project.

As companies continue to digitize their operations, migrating SAP systems to the cloud is becoming more and more valuable. Data Migration requires extensive planning and understanding to ensure your business continuity is not affected, and your existing data is preserved. We take pride in being at the forefront of revolutionizing SAP Migration projects and have made it our mission to ensure that such projects are completed within the allocated timeframe and budget, while maintaining high data quality and providing our clients with a seamless migration experience.