With technology advancing at a rapid pace, Cloud-based SAP S/4HANA has taken over as one the best ERP systems globally. Its robust architecture and in-memory database makes it the best ERP solution that provides cost effectiveness along with improved and fast performance.
SAP has extended the earlier deadline and has now decided to end the support for SAP ECC (older version) by the year 2027. A scenario that’s pushing organizations, including those running SAP applications also as those deploying mission-critical applications, to line important tasks aside and seriously consider the benefits of undertaking the migration to adopt Cloud-based S/4HANA. Or those who have never implemented SAP ECC before, should now consider adopting Cloud-based S/4HANA.
Indeed, the deadline is 6 years away, but such decisions are often made much sooner because the roadmap to S/4HANA can span several years counting on the scope and size of the migration.
Like any attempt at scaling a summit – having a trusted, expert Sherpa showing the way ahead makes all the difference between a smooth and safe journey or one with pitfalls at every turn. Same way partnering with an SAP HANA Managed Services Partner is the best solution to get your IT infrastructure, ERP system all managed and monitored by them, making your implementation journey smoother along with owning the responsibility of the entire solution.
8 Steps to Make the Best of SAP HANA Cloud Journey
- One must do the due diligence of whether the prevailing infrastructure is up-to-date and compatible with the move to S/4. Checks would come with confirming that each one of the application extensions is compatible which your hardware meets the required configuration and sizing requirements.
- For example, SAP’s Business Suite products can run on top of most databases, whereas S/4 must only run on HANA, which comes with large performance requirements. Which makes us ponder upon the fact that have you fully ensured that the cloud infrastructure you’re moving to – will support your availability and performance requirements?
- Assess the extent of customization within your current SAP environment. Large amounts of customization will ultimately cause a more complex transition to S/4. What is going to happen to your customization through all that transition process?
- How will your organization manage all that data and altered formats while at the same time, ensure data integrity?
- Locate a trusted MSP for your cloud journey and supply dedicated support. You’ll want to think about a cloud partner with years of experience and know-how when it involves moving business-critical workloads. The potential for pitfalls and complexities which will hinder a smooth S/4 HANA adoption journey are numerous, and you would like to be sure you’re working with a cloud-based managed service provider (MSP+CLOUD) whom you’ll trust together with your business-critical data.
- Your chosen MSP should also provide a dedicated team of SAP experts who can complete your S/4 adoption successfully with minimal downtime. With two & a half decade of deep expertise & flawless experience in Managed Services, Progression really does give you a competitive edge.
- Choose the proper migration strategy for your business needs. Outsourcing the infrastructure and application management to an MSP+CLOUD like Progression removes an outsized burden from your organization and internal IT team. Work together with your MSP+CLOUD to settle on the proper migration strategy to make sure that the migration to S/4 causes as little business disruption as possible.
- Ensure your MSP+CLOUD offers contractually-enforced SLAs (Service Level Agreements) to ensure that your applications experience as little downtime as possible.
- Always be prepared for the worst-case scenarios. What happens if a disaster hits your business? Choose an MSP+CLOUD that offers Disaster Recovery as a Service that meets your required RPO and RTO times.
Here are a few reasons your business should utilize a trusted MSP
- Move Away from Operational Aspects: The goal of any MSP should be to enable you to focus on your core business functions while the MSP takes over the operational aspects of IT and partnering with a trusted one will allow your business to get the most out of your investment and give you the best outcome.
- Competitive Edge: The whole idea of partnering with a trusted MSP and adopting the journey of digital transformation is to leverage the experience and in-depth knowledge of the MSPs according to your business requirements and always be on the continually evolving transformation path & gain competitive edge.
- Tailored Roadmaps & IT Strategy: An MSP is not merely a services provider but also acts as a consultant that understands your requirements & pain points and then formulates a strategy and roadmap for your IT needs.
Last thoughts as we wind down: As you commence on scaling the summit to Cloud-based S/4HANA: remember, just a couple of hours of unplanned downtime for mission-critical systems may mean negative repercussions for your company’s market reputation and trust, besides adverse financial implications. A trusted MSP will help you with your journey for adopting Cloud-based SAP S/4HANA and will deliver better performance.
Is that an expedition you would like to undertake on your own? Determine more about how Progression can assist you run SAP applications within the cloud with better performance, superior service and higher resiliency – than ever before.
