Designed to link complex business processes efficiently in real-time, SAP’s next-generation, intelligent business suite SAP S/4HANA helps companies achieve digital transformation. To ensure a smooth deployment and drive quick time-to-value, there are four strategies Entuber can employ in the planning stage.

Although every customer is different, each will typically take one of three routes: implementing from scratch, converting from an existing system, or what SAP calls landscape transformation – consolidating and simplifying multiple SAP or hybrid installations. While these implementation strategies are principally written for new SAP deployments, they also apply slight modifications to migration strategies.

Wherever a company starts from, the first step is to define the business needs, build a business case and develop a strategy and roadmap - once this has been done, the path to implementation can be defined.

Get users on board

Ensuring business users support the implementation and adoption process is just as important as the technical aspects of deploying a new system. Thanks to its simpler data model, SAP S/4HANA provides significant process improvements and productivity. For example, for finance departments removing the need for tedious and error-prone data reconciliation between finance and controlling at the end of a financial period. Communicating such changes to users helps them understand the benefits and gets them positively involved in the process.

Get your data ready

SAP HANA, the data platform of SAP S/4HANA, has a simplified data model, which makes it easier to migrate data. Whether it’s a completely new implementation – customers new to SAP, for example – or a fresh start, such as with SAP Business Suite customers migrating from older legacy systems, SAP provides a complete set of data migration tools that enable customers to bring data from their old systems for faster, smoother startup.

Plan your deployment

While the roadmap might differ slightly, depending on whether customers are new to SAP or migrating from an existing system, the first step is to set up a deployment team that includes SAP experts, either through teaming up with an SAP partner or using internal resources. Carrying out initial workshops for functional planning is the next step to a successful deployment. Prototypes and test systems can be set up inexpensively in the cloud and are invaluable for getting early feedback from end-users – another valuable aspect of getting them on board.

Re-imagine business

Once the deployment is organized, a detailed roadmap can be developed in which business is re-imagined and digital transformation planned.

With SAP’s BiModal IT approach, core mission-critical applications can be decoupled from line of business (LoB) edge applications, which can be developed on the SAP Cloud Platform. This allows SAP S/4HANA to act as the digital core of the enterprise and LoB applications to be developed at their own pace without risk to business-critical processes.

To help customers with this and the implementation process, SAP Digital Business Services provide comprehensive and expert guidance and support. Customers can leverage SAP’s technical and functional support services to ensure that they reach their business goals with maximum efficiency and the least possible disruption.

Regardless of where they start, customers looking to implement a digital platform with SAP S/4HANA can ensure that the journey will be smooth and as direct as possible with Entuber on their side.