With the 2027 deadline to upgrade to S4 HANA fast approaching, it's important to start your ERP migration as soon as possible or at the very least, have a plan in place.
Preparation will not only help you migrate quickly, but you'll also use resources more efficiently and make the most of your upgrade. To learn everything you need to know about migration, its challenges and best practices, check our our guide on mastering S4 HANA migration for ERP systems.
In this guide, we break down every step so you can ensure a smooth transition across your business and take advantage of all the improvements that come with your new ERP.
Step 1: Assessment and strategy development
The first step in any migration is to evaluate current systems and decide what migration strategy you want to go with. You can go with a Greenfield Migration Strategy, which involves building a new system from scratch and complete data migration, a Brownfield Migration Strategy, which converts an existing SAP system to S/4 HANA and migrates data from your current system, or a Hybrid Migration strategy, which combines aspects of both Greenfield and Brownfield and allows for selective data transitions based on your business needs.
Step 2: Preparation and planning
Before migrating, there are several preparation steps including data cleansing, infrastructure readiness and system compatibility checks.
These steps are as follows:
2.1. Data cleansing
- Identify and eliminate duplicate or redundant data
- Standardise data formats and structures
- Remove outdated or incomplete data
- Validate data accuracy and completeness
- Ensure data compliance with new system requirements
2.2. Infrastructure readiness
- Assess current hardware and software capabilities
- Upgrade infrastructure to meet S4 HANA requirements
- Configure servers, storage and network for optimal performance
- Ensure scalability and flexibility for future growth
- Implement disaster recovery and backup solutions
2.3. System compatibility checks
- Evaluate existing systems for compatibility with S4 HANA
- Check compatibility of databases, applications and interfaces
- Identify potential conflicts or dependencies
- Test integration with third-party systems
- Address any gaps or issues through customisation or third-party solutions
Step 3: Migration execution
Once you're ready to migrate, you'll need to follow the correct steps around system conversion, data migration and post-migration testing. The steps are as follows:
3.1. System conversion process
Perform system assessment
- Evaluate current system landscape and identify requirements for S/4 HANA
- Determine hardware and software compatibility for the conversion (as performed in system compatibility checks in step two)
Prepare landscape for conversion
- Back up all data to ensure data integrity
- Disable unnecessary functions and clean up the system
- Schedule downtime for the conversion process
Execute system conversion
- Install necessary conversion tools provided by SAP
- Run the conversion process with proper monitoring and oversight
- Address any issues or errors during the conversion
Verify data integrity
- Conduct thorough data validation to ensure all data is transferred accurately.
- Perform reconciliation checks between legacy system and S4 HANA
- Confirm successful conversion of data and configurations
3.2. Data migration steps
Define data migration strategy
- Identify data to be migrated and map out the migration approach, whether you're using Greenfield, Brownfield or a hybrid approach
- Establish data mapping and transformation rules
Extract data from legacy system
- Extract relevant data from legacy systems using migration tools
- Cleanse and optimise data before migration
Transform and load data to S4 HANA
- Transform data into a format compatible with S4 HANA
- Load data into S4 HANA using data migration tools
Validata data migration
- Perform data validation to ensure completeness and accuracy
- Conduct data reconciliation with legacy system to identify discrepancies
- Resolve any data migration issues before moving to the next phase
3.3. Post-migration testing
Functional testing
- Test all functional modules and business processes in S4 HANA
- Verify that all functionalities are working as expected
Performance testing
- Conduct performance testing to ensure system responsiveness and stability
- Test system performance under different load conditions.
Security testing
- Perform security testing to identify and fix any potential vulnerabilities
- Ensure data confidentiality, integrity and availability in S4 HANA
User acceptance testing
- Engage end users to validate the system meets their requirements
- Obtain feedback from users and address any usability issues
- Sign off on the migration after successful user acceptance testing
Step 4: Post-migration activities
After you migrate, you’ll need to stabilise, optimise and train users. Those steps are as follows:
Stabilisation phase
- Perform post-migration system checks
- Address any immediate issues or bugs
- Monitor system performance and user feedback
- Implement quick fixes or patches as needed
- Work with support teams for ongoing maintenance
Optimisation phase
- Conduct system performance analysis
- Identify optimisation opportunities
- Implement performance tuning
- Fine-tune configurations for efficiency
- Test system enhancements and improvements
User training phase
- Develop training materials for S4 HANA
- Conduct user training sessions
- Provide hands-on workshops for practical experience
- Offer ongoing support and guidance
- Gather user feedback for continuous improvement