Introduction

As SAP transitions to S/4HANA, the concept of “migration” takes center stage. But what does migration truly signify in the SAP ecosystem? Is it simply about moving data, or is there more to the story? Join us in this insightful journey as we uncover the synonym for migration in SAP’s dictionary, revealing not just a word, but a transformative approach to business landscape evolution.

Whether you are preparing for a system conversion, a new implementation, or a landscape transformation, understanding this term and its implications will simplify your ERP strategy and align your business with the future of SAP’s cloud technology.

To go by, enjoy this blog-voyage in discovering the synonym for migration in SAP’s dictionary.

Transition to S/4HANA

SAP’s ERP has come a long way with the evolution of R/1, R/2, R/3, ECC and S/4HANA. As the world is moving towards the paradigm shift of cloud ERP, SAP has coherently come up with the cloud and on-premise versions in its S/4HANA Business Suite. And with the maintenance support for ECC ending in 2025, it’s an inevitable move for the 47k ECC customers to migrate to S/4HANA. With this process generally uttered as migration, SAP defines the transition to S/4HANA in three scenarios namely – 

  • New implementation: Initiating a fresh effectuation in the configuration of functionalities, implementation of objects, standardization of processes on the lines of S/4HANA, along with the data migration to HANA 
  • System conversion: Complete conversion of existing landscape to S/4HANA, checking compatibility and aligning objects with its processes and structure, along with the data migration to HANA 
  • Landscape transformation: Consolidation of various regional business landscapes to one global S/4HANA landscape, following its standardized business processes, along with the data migration to HANA 

Embracing this transition to S/4HANA would simplify the customer’s IT landscape, reduce TCO, lessen the data footprint, save operational and hardware costs, also enabling the option to leverage the hybrid model of deployment. Though the scenario of new implementation is applicable to S/4HANA on-premise and cloud versions, the system conversion and landscape transformation is preferred only for the S/4HANA on-premise version at present.

Accelerator to the rescue 

Hurray! With the plans set, processes organized and approach defined, are we set in for an instant, easy S/4HANA transition? If that’s the immediate aspiration, believe me, it might lead to a laborious, catch-22 situation. Come on, chill out folks! Of course, the transition to S/4HANA would eventually lead to a better business outcome, yet the process of migration is a not-so-easy activity, as it demands a comprehensible and efficient way of planning, executing and managing the various operations as follows –

  • Impact Analysis
  • Roadmap Guide
  • Effort Estimation
  • Project Management
  • Custom Code Management
  • Data Management
  • Landscape and System Management
  • Training
  • Business Process Optimization
  • Test Suite
  • License Auditing & Optimization

And what if there is an accelerator to automate the operations, resolving issues, giving the user a guided-control and steering the whole project? Awesome, right ! At KaarTech, it’s our pleasure to present the #Smart SAP S/4HANA accelerator to the SAP Customers & Partners, based on our global pure-play SAP consulting expertise for the past 20 years and success reaped from our SAP S/4HANA implementation and conversion projects. It helps accomplish the following enterprise endeavors – 

  • Know the S/4HANA impact by assessing and analyzing the ECC system instantly without applying any OSS Note, further estimating the project effort and timeline
  • Takeoff with proven turnkey plans, which are aligned with SAP Activate methodology and that which is industry-specific, methodically organized and structured
  • Execute, engineer and achieve the milestones, thanks to the offerings of Project Management, Custom Code Management, Data Management, Landscape and System Management, Training, Business Process Optimization, Test Suite and License Auditing & Optimization
  • Run and go-live with the operations
  • Nurture the journey with hypercare support

Unlocking the answer 

Haven’t still discovered the synonym for migration in SAP’s dictionary ? Look out for the first letter in the above five points, arrange them as in order and unlock the world’s first of its kind SAP S/4HANA accelerator, named after a migratory bird. Smart enough! Go one step ahead, check your answer and experience the demo application by entering the name of accelerator as the username and password in the site, referenced by the link below – 

Click here to verify your answer 

Now that you have Discovered, it’s high time you Prepare, Explore, Realize, Deploy and Run your SAP S/4HANA project with our accelerator, that aligns with the SAP Activate methodology for automating various activities in the conversion, reducing the project TCO, guiding the users for a risk-free, successful SAP S/4HANA transition and enriching the productivity in business. A blessing in disguise indeed ! Paraphrasing Neil Armstrong’s quote, the migration with our accelerator is now – 

“One small step for customer,
One giant leap for S/4HANA” 

Conclusion 

As SAP continues its evolution toward S/4HANA, the term migration takes on a broader meaning. It’s not just about moving data from one system to another; it’s about fundamentally transforming the way businesses operate. Whether you are pursuing a new implementation, a system conversion, or a landscape transformation, these transitions to S/4HANA mark a significant step in aligning your business with modern cloud ERP practices. 

If you’re ready to simplify your SAP S/4HANA migration and optimize your business for the future, KaarTech is here to help. With our Smart SAP S/4HANA accelerator, you can navigate the migration process with ease and confidence. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your transition and set your business on the path to success with SAP S/4HANA. 

 

FAQ’s 

1. What does migration mean in the context of SAP S/4HANA?  

Migration in SAP S/4HANA refers to the process of moving from an older SAP system, such as ECC, to the latest S/4HANA platform. This process not only involves transferring data but also optimizing and transforming business processes to take advantage of the improved functionalities and architecture in S/4HANA. 

2. What are the key migration paths when moving to SAP S/4HANA?  

The main migration paths include new implementation, system conversion, and landscape transformation. New implementation involves starting from scratch with a fresh setup of the S/4HANA system, while system conversion is a complete upgrade of the existing SAP ECC system to S/4HANA. Landscape transformation refers to consolidating various regional or global landscapes into one unified S/4HANA system. 

3. Why is migrating to SAP S/4HANA important before 2025?  

SAP will end mainstream maintenance for SAP ECC in 2025, which means businesses using ECC will no longer receive support or updates. Migrating to S/4HANA ensures continued support, access to the latest innovations, improved performance, and better alignment with cloud-based ERP trends. 

4. What are the key challenges in the migration process to SAP S/4HANA?  

Migration to S/4HANA can be complex and may involve challenges such as data migration, custom code adaptation, system compatibility checks, and business process optimization. Proper planning, project management, and expert guidance are essential to address these challenges and ensure a successful transition.