Modernizing Legacy Systems

"𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐀𝐏 𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐏 𝐢𝐧 2025 — 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈’𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐎𝐧…" 𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕: Learning just classical ABAP in 2025 is like learning MS Paint when the world is using Figma. You’ll still get things done… but you’ll always be behind. So if I were starting as a new SAP ABAP developer in 2025, this is exactly what I’d focus on — step by step. 1️⃣ 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐏 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 — 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐏 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 Focus on ABAP 7.4+ syntax — inline declarations, expressions, constructor operators. Understand how FOR, REDUCE, FILTER make code clean and functional. Don’t waste time on WRITE: and TOP-OF-PAGE. 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐞 > 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐞 2️⃣ 𝐉𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐀𝐏 (𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐏 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥) RAP isn’t optional. It’s the future of SAP app development. Learn how to create: CDS-based data models Behavior definitions Fiori apps without writing a single line of UI5 Understand late numbering, draft-enabled apps, and managed vs unmanaged scenarios. 𝐑𝐀𝐏 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐒/4𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐓𝐏 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲. 3️⃣ 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐃𝐒 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 Learn how to: Expose data via CDS Use annotations for UI, analytics, OData Combine views using associations & joins Use VDM (Virtual Data Model) like a pro. 𝐂𝐃𝐒 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐀𝐏 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐏 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐏𝐈𝐬. 4️⃣ 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐏𝐈𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Learn OData V2 and V4 (you’ll need both) Understand how CPI, SAP Gateway, and API Management use your backend logic Practice building and consuming APIs — with Postman, CAP, or Integration Suite 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐏 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐀𝐏 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 — 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦. 5️⃣ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐲 Use ABAP Unit, Test Seams, and Test Classes Get into TDD mindset: write test cases first Learn how automated testing fits into CI/CD pipelines 𝐀 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬. 𝐀𝐧 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. 6️⃣ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐀𝐏 𝐁𝐓𝐏 (𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦) Even if you’re ABAP-core, you must understand: SAP Build Apps for no-code UI SAP Event Mesh & Workflow for process integration Deployment in clean-core environments 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐓𝐏, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐒𝐀𝐏𝐆𝐔𝐈. If you're starting out or restarting your SAP journey in 2025, don't build muscle memory on outdated tools. Build for where SAP is going — not where it came from. And if you're already in the game? 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐏 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭. ************ Be a part of my SAP Community : https://lnkd.in/gspu3-Fd

“We need to move off SAP ECC, but we can’t justify the cost.” My CEO friend from Harvard Business School told me this last week. And she’s not wrong. Migration quotes often look scary because many SAP projects: ⚠️ Take years with runaway budgets. ⚠️ Have consultants billing endlessly without clear outcomes. ⚠️ Burn out teams testing the same processes on repeat. But why do SAP migrations become so expensive? Here’s the truth: Most SAP migrations fail the moment they’re scoped. 🛑 They scope everything instead of what matters. ➡️ Every custom report, even if no one uses it. ➡️ Every process variant, even if it’s an edge case. ➡️ Every piece of dirty data, without cleaning it first. This isn’t transformation. It’s expensive duplication. A smart SAP migration is different. It’s a business simplification project disguised as a technical upgrade. If you want to control your migration costs, here’s how: ✅ 1️⃣ Migrate only what you need. Your ECC likely has 20 years of custom code, unused reports, and workarounds that no longer serve you. S/4HANA is your chance to reset, not replicate. ✅ 2️⃣ Fix your data before you migrate. Dirty data multiplies your testing cycles and post-go-live headaches. Good data shrinks timelines, reduces consultant hours, and improves user trust. ✅ 3️⃣ Prioritize the 20% that runs 80% of your business. You don’t need to perfect every exception on day one. Get your core revenue-driving processes live, then iterate. ✅ 4️⃣ Pick a partner who says ‘no’. You need a partner who challenges scope bloat, not one who says yes to everything to grow billable hours. 🚩 Here’s what most never calculate: the cost of staying stuck. – The revenue lost because quotes take days, not hours. – The manual reconciliations your team does every month. – The friction your customers feel because your processes can’t keep up. You’re already paying a hidden cost every day you stay on ECC. You just don’t see the invoice. The difference between an expensive SAP migration and a smart one isn’t technology. It’s strategy. If migration costs are holding you back, maybe it’s time to ask: “Are we planning a migration, or are we copying our problems into a new system?” How are you thinking about controlling cost when you move off SAP ECC? #SAP #S4HANA #SAPMigration #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #CIO #CEO #EnterpriseIT #CloudERP #BusinessTransformation #SAPCommunity #ASARDigital #ERP

Banks’ biggest tech challenge isn’t upgrading legacy systems- it’s integrating an entirely new (Gen)AI layer with orchestration in the lead. And making it work across functions. Too many banks often start with the wrong focus. Whereas dealing with legacy infrastructure is inevitable, it can become a blind spot without the right understanding of what it needs to achieve. Delivering agile, intelligent services that anticipate customer needs should be the goal. Here is a high-level overview of how the back end can be adjusted: 𝟭. 𝗢𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲: -   An orchestration layer sits atop core systems, routing everything - from customer questions to fraud alerts - to the right AI service. -   Modern APIs abstract legacy systems into modular services, so AI features can be added or swapped without changing existing workflows. 𝟮. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: -   Real-time data feeds stream transactions, balance changes and logins as they happen. -   A unified data hub brings together customer details, activity patterns and risk ratings so every AI tool works from the same information. 𝟯. 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: -   Requests are automatically enriched with live account balances, recent transactions and open support tickets - ensuring the AI’s output reflects up-to-date information. -   Data is fetched on demand from indexed records, so the AI stays current without the expense of retraining the entire model for every update. 𝟰. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: -   Data stays encrypted end-to-end, from intake to AI output. -   Automated audits flag bias and log every decision. -   Failure simulations uncover hidden risks before they impact customers. 𝟱. 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝘁-𝘂𝗽: -   Modern interfaces turn core banking, payment and CRM systems into plug-and-play modules. -   Behind the scenes, back-end services can be updated piece by piece without interrupting the AI layer. 𝟲. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀: -   Small, cross-functional teams manage everything from data ingestion to model deployment and monitoring. -   Defined roles and fast feedback loops keep projects compliant and focused on real customer needs. The GenAI layer doesn’t just sit on top of the existing setup – it’s a complete overhaul of the tech architecture and the business logic behind it. Opinions: my own, Graphic source: BCG 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: https://lnkd.in/dkqhnxdg

Greenfield vs Brownfield vs Bluefield — Which SAP S/4HANA Migration Path Should You Choose? With ECC support ending, every SAP customer must chart a journey to S/4HANA. But how you migrate matters just as much as when. As SAP consultants, we must guide our clients toward the right path — not just based on technical feasibility but also strategic fit. Our clients always ask: “How should we know which migration path aligns more to our business needs?” Let’s understand Migration Strategies to answer: 🟢 Greenfield Migration A complete reimplementation of SAP S/4HANA from scratch. 1. Clean slate: No baggage from legacy configurations 2. Adopt standard best practices & Fiori UX 3. Great for major process redesigns and innovation 🔹 Caution: High effort, high reward — longer timelines and higher initial costs ✅ Ideal for companies undergoing major transformation, M&A, or moving away from heavily customized systems. 🔵 Brownfield Migration/ Selective Data Transition A system conversion — upgrading existing ECC systems to S/4HANA. 1. Retain historical data, config, and custom developments 2. Faster time-to-value & minimal disruption 3. Can leverage familiarity and existing training 🔹 Caution: But may carry forward legacy inefficiencies ✅ Best for stable landscapes with complex integrations and investments consultants want to preserve. 🟠 Bluefield Migration A hybrid approach — selectively migrating data and processes. 1. Combine the control of Brownfield with the flexibility of Greenfield 2. Avoid complete rebuilds but embrace transformation 3. Choose what to carry forward and what to redesign 🔹 Caution: Requires detailed planning and data carve-out strategy ✅ Great for businesses wanting targeted innovation with minimized risk. 💡 Why This Matters for SAP Consultants: As business models evolve and AI, sustainability, and automation reshape industries, ERP landscapes need to support agility and innovation — not just stability. As a consultant, we must always evaluate: • Client’s current system complexity • Appetite for change vs. continuity • Regulatory and industry constraints • Long-term digital transformation roadmap No one-size-fits-all. The best migration path is one that aligns with business goals, not just system constraints. #SAP #S4HANA #Greenfield #Brownfield #Bluefield #SAPConsultant #ERPModernization #DigitalTransformation #RISEwithSAP #SAPCommunity #WomenInTech #SAPCommunity #SAPMM #GreenfieldvsBrownfiledvsBluefield

I’m thrilled to share a hobby project I've been working on - a generative AI prototype designed to analyze custom ABAP code from ECC or S/4HANA systems and propose clean core compliant ways to transition the code to a future state. 🌟 🔍 What It Does: Analyzes the program’s business purpose and flow. Works with complex ABAP developments (most complex I tried consisted out of over 400 objects), considering all objects like Data Dictionary, Function Modules, Classes, SmartForms, etc. Conducts research on APIs, Events, CDS Views, BTP Services, and standard S/4HANA features. Provides detailed implementation approaches and suitable APIs, CDS Views, Events, and more. Advises on whether to retire, refactor, or rebuild the code, offering a comprehensive report for each analyzed program. 💡 Why It’s Useful: Supports the transition of legacy ABAP code to “clean core”-style extensions. Helps in planning both green field and brown field transitions. Issues reports in any language, making it versatile for global teams. I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions! Would you use such a tool?Let me know in the comments! 👇 #ABAP #S4HANA #CleanCore #GenerativeAI #SAP #TechInnovation #CodeAnalysis

Transform your SAP Development: ABAP Test Cockpit (ATC) Takes Off in the Cloud ✈️ ☁️   Want to perform static tests during development to reduce the risk of errors and the cost and time of fixing them in the final product? The answer lies in the ABAP Test Cockpit (ATC), a powerful tool that integrates with SAP systems to improve the quality of ABAP code ✅.   With the release of SAP BTP ABAP Environment 2408, we have completed the essential feature set for ATC on SAP BTP. This update introduces the baseline functionality and the ability to schedule ATC runs. Now ATC on BTP is fully equipped and can be confidently recommended for static quality assurance in both private cloud and on-premise landscapes 🌐.   Core Functionalities: 1️⃣ Centralized quality checks: Supports centralized quality management where quality experts can perform comprehensive static checks to establish consistent quality criteria across the system landscape. 2️⃣ Comprehensive testing capabilities: Provides a wide range of tests, including static code checks for functional, performance and security aspects, ABAP unit tests to ensure comprehensive quality 3️⃣ Advanced quality processes: Features robust workflow for exemption handling, baseline to exclude findings in old legacy code, and scheduled execution of static tests on a regular basis. 4️⃣ Development tool integration: Integrates seamlessly with ABAP Development Tools (ADT) for Eclipse, enabling developers in their private cloud and on-premise systems to use the central ATC on BTP as part of their regular workflow. 5️⃣ Extensible infrastructure: Offers various extension capabilities for custom use cases, such as implementing custom static checks, starting check runs, or retrieving results. 6️⃣ User-friendly interface: Combines SAP Fiori and Eclipse-based tools for easy configuration, navigation, filtering of results and direct correction capabilities. 7️⃣ Cross-system integration: Integrates with SAP Solution Manager quality management processes such as Change Request Management (ChaRM) to improve the quality of the software change process.   📚 Want to learn more? Dive into the specific use of the baseline feature in ATC in the cloud environment: https://lnkd.in/eKptEz2v Understand how ATC can be used in the cloud for on-premises development: https://lnkd.in/e3gTzrX6 Learn key strategies for testing your custom ABAP code for cloud readiness: https://lnkd.in/eUDZirEy   Here’s the link to the ABAP Holiday Calendar 2024 for you to bookmark: https://lnkd.in/e8W3NHJ3

Everyone talks about AI like it’s magic—just sprinkle some algorithms, and suddenly entire industries transform overnight. I wish it were that simple. Because there’s one reality I keep coming back to, over and over again, in my work with executives, founders, and investors trying to build the “next big thing”: the law of LEGACY. People hear “legacy” and think old code and systems, Excel spreadsheets or dusty filing cabinets. But it goes much deeper. Legacy means the roads, bridges, and buildings designed for yesterday’s tools and assumptions. But it also means the societal cultural norms and the legal systems built for a pre-digital world, grinding forward at a snail’s pace while tec races ahead. The architecture of our economies is also legacy—capital flows, pensions, debt—that can’t just pivot overnight without chaos. Lastly and most importantly, legacy is our link with past through present and towards the future through the mental models running in our heads, shaping how we judge risk, trust information, and react to change. Legacy is humanity continuity law. None of these swap out with an API call. This is why we live in a two-speed world when it comes to AI bit we fail to acknowledge iti. On one hand, I see AI models evolve every few months, while the companies I advise wrestle with ERP systems from the 90s or regulators still operating in paper files. I’ve watched founders pitch groundbreaking products that look flawless in a demo—but fall apart the moment they hit real-world legacy constraints. Investors often underestimate how expensive and time-consuming it is to navigate these layers. That’s why innovation pilots stall. Why impressive demos never scale. Why billions get burned chasing “transformation” that never lands. The legacy layers of our world are ignored. Yet here’s the twist: legacy isn’t just an obstacle. It can also be a moat. The people and companies who figure out how to bridge new tech with old infrastructure, laws, and cultural contexts build advantages that pure technical innovation alone can’t replicate. Of course in the process our legacy world gets an upgrade too, but it essential to fully account legacy. My advice to all those investing or building with AI - plan for the world as it actually is—in all its messy yet layered reality. To capture it well, think of it as cake, with different flavours that will give that unforgetable taste: • The top layer is digital tech—fast, modular, exciting. The juiciest. • The middle layer is institutional systems—laws, governance, rules. A bit dry but tasty • The bottom layer is physical & cultural legacy—bricks, roads, norms, beliefs. The most solid of layers with vintage taste, no soggy bottom. When you cut through top to bottom layer, each piece has all the right balancing flavour for the unforgetable Bake Off taste. I am curious how does your cake looks and taste like lately?

I recently implemented SAP's Clean Core strategy for a major FMCG client. SAP Clean Core strategy includes a method to enhance SAP S/4HANA Cloud systems in a way that is safe to upgrade. The SAP Clean Core concept advocates for a strategy that maintains the core system as standard and uncluttered as possible. This approach prioritizes minimal customization to ensure the core remains streamlined and efficient. Here are some key takeaways from my assignment to achieve a Clean Core: 1.Identify custom developments (Z-objects, User Exits, BAdIs, Enhancements, etc.) -decommissioning unused custom objects. 2. Run SAP Readiness Check for SAP S/4HANA to analyze custom code impact -modernizing to ABAP cloud syntax. 3. Identify unused or obsolete customizations that can be retired. 4.Use SAP Standard Best Practices instead of custom transactions - moving to standard SAP delivered functionality. 5.Replace custom Z-tables with SAP CDS Views & Embedded Analytics. 6.In-App Extensibility (Embedded ABAP, Key User Tools) -migrating to key user extensions. 7.Build Custom Applications on SAP BTP instead of modifying SAP S/4HANA -SAP RAP /CAPM development. 8.Use API-first approach → Leverage SAP API Business Hub - maximizing use of released APIs and CDS views. 9.Replace SAP GUI-based transactions with SAP Fiori apps. 10.Use SAP Build Apps for business-user-driven custom UI development. 11.Implement Business Process Automation with SAP Workflow Management.  #Clean #Core #CloudPlatform #INDIA #TechnologySolutions #BTPInnovations #SAPLearning #ABAP #AI #Developers #SAPBTP #BusinessTechnologyPlatform #Innovation #RAP #CDS #SAPTechnology #SAPCloud #Innovation #EY #EYINDIA #SAP #SAPBuild #EYGCC #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseTechnology #RisewithSAP #Transformation #SAPGROW #SAPbusinessSuite  #SAPHANA #CloudPlatform #TechnologySolutions #BTPInnovations #SAPLearning #LinkedInTechPost #S4PublicCloud #S4PrivateCloud SAP Wouter van Heddeghem #SAPBTP #EYGCC #S4PublicCloud #S4PrivateCloud #RISE #GROW #Business #SAPCleancore #SAPCloud #SAPIntegration #DigitalTransformation #CloudComputing #EnterpriseTechnology #SAPHANA #SAPDevelopment

"Replacing Legacy Systems, One Step at a Time with Data Streaming: The Strangler Fig Approach" Modernizing #legacy systems does not need to mean a risky big bang rewrite. Many enterprises are now embracing the #StranglerFig Pattern to migrate gradually, reduce risk, and modernize at their own pace. When combined with #DataStreaming using #ApacheKafka and #ApacheFlink, this approach becomes even more powerful. It allows: - Real time synchronization between old and new systems - Incremental modernization without downtime - True decoupling of applications for scalable, cloud native architectures - Trusted, enriched, and governed data products in motion This is why organizations like #Allianz are using data streaming as the backbone of their #ITModernization strategy. The result is not just smoother migrations, but also improved agility, faster innovation, and stronger business resilience. By contrast, many companies have learned that #ReverseETL is only a fragile workaround. It introduces latency, complexity, and unnecessary cost. In today’s world, batch cannot deliver the real time insights that modern enterprises demand. Data streaming ensures that modernization is no longer a bottleneck but a business enabler. It empowers organizations to innovate without disrupting operations, migrate at their own speed, and prepare for the future of event driven, AI powered applications. Are you ready to transform legacy systems without the risks of a big bang rewrite? Which part of your legacy landscape would you “strangle” first with real time streaming, and why? More details: https://lnkd.in/erxrBJNn

𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐀𝐏 𝐄𝐂𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐀𝐏 𝐒/𝟒𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀 – 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 For many SAP installed base customers, a Brownfield migration from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA looks like a straightforward path. After all, the premise of Brownfield is that you “lift and shift” your current system, minimizing disruption, cost, and risk. SAP often underscores these advantages in its sales pitch, encouraging companies to see Brownfield as a simpler alternative to Greenfield. However, this approach can hold a hidden 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐆𝐨𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 that activates as many of the new capabilities in S/4HANA as possible. Organizations that merely replicate their existing processes in the new environment risk missing out on the true power of S/4HANA’s advanced features, such as embedded analytics, streamlined user experience (Fiori), and real-time data processing. Instead of transforming how work is done, they end up with a modern system used in an old way—hardly worth the migration effort. Another overlooked factor is the complexity of 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐂𝐂 or from a 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 over time. In such cases, what is marketed as “uncomplicated, cheap, and risk-free” can suddenly become a long process of untangling modifications, deprecating obsolete code, and harmonizing data. With every custom enhancement or non-standard integration, there’s a need to carefully assess whether it should be carried forward, re-implemented using new best practices, or abandoned altogether. These extra preparatory steps can extend project timelines and add cost that wasn’t initially anticipated. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫: if you opt for a Brownfield approach, make sure you also allocate resources for an extensive clean-up beforehand, and include a post-GoLive optimization phase. Only then will you truly leverage the innovations that SAP S/4HANA brings, and avoid the unpleasant surprise of a “lift and shift” that barely moves the needle on performance and ROI. #sap #technology #risewithsap #digitaltransformation