SAP and Its Partners: The Dream Team for Your Move to SAP S/4HANA

To date, roughly 3,600 SAP customers have made the move to SAP S/4HANA. As the need to remain agile continues to grow, we expect the number of businesses taking advantage of the SAP S/4HANA Movement program to grow even further.

Like any journey, each customer's move to SAP S/4HANA will be unique to the needs of its industry, environment, and client base. At SAP, we're making sure that no matter which path a customer chooses in their journey to becoming an intelligent enterprise, they receive the best possible services and support along every step of the way.

From Implementation to Continued Success

As announced in April, SAP S/4HANA Adoption Starter Engagement from SAP Digital Business Services is now available to SAP customers worldwide, providing the foundation for a successful move to SAP S/4HANA.

Through the SAP Readiness Check tool, customers can assess the requirements to convert to SAP S/4HANA from their current system, no matter what SAP ERP Central Component 6 system on which they are currently running. From there, customers have access to the SAP Transformation Navigator tool, which builds a customized roadmap complete with milestones and checkpoints. Users have access to learning content, virtual classrooms, and peer collaboration tools throughout each step outlined by SAP S/4HANA Adoption Starter Engagement, helping to successfully move a business to SAP S/4HANA.

Once a customer has established their transformation path and deciphered the best way to leverage SAP S/4HANA, SAP Value Assurance and SAP Model Company services are available to serve as the next guiding force in the implementation journey. From planning to go-live, these services provide industry-specific resources, product expertise, and reference solutions to reduce the risk, cost, and time associated with moving to a new digital core.

All Roads Lead to Optimization

It is common for our customers to choose to deploy SAP S/4HANA through one of our global strategic services partners, adding another layer of personalization to every optimization journey. While an enhanced level of customization might seem needed at first, this creates the potential for varied standards along the path to SAP S/4HANA, making the realization of 'back-to-standard' more challenging.

For customers carrying out a partner-led implementation, SAP has established a clear set of guidelines aligning delivery roles, methodology, and timelines with partners to help ensure that each customer receives a well-defined, consistent approach. Known as SAP Integrated Delivery Framework, this transparent process gives clarity to the way SAP Value Assurance and SAP Model Company are delivered during partner-led implementations to complement partner services, while ensuring value-added engagement from the software provider.

From the start of a partner engagement, close collaboration between SAP and the partner promotes risk management and cost efficiency. Partner services are layered in as complementary to SAP's best-run standards for SAP Value Assurance and SAP Model Company, setting a clear implementation foundation while also allowing for industry-specific customization. Once a starting point and road map have been designed by a partner with SAP's guidance, an SAP team of support experts remain available to safeguard the move to SAP S/4HANA as customers prepare to go live with their partner.

Make the Move to SAP S/4HANA Through a Partner Today

More than 20 SAP partners have used SAP Integrated Delivery Framework to optimize their implementations with SAP customers. Their positive feedback speaks to the enhanced level of commitment that collaboration between SAP and its partners can provide.

The saying goes that many hands make light work, and through SAP Integrated Delivery Framework, SAP and its partners make up one skilled team with the common goal of customer success. With so many resources at our customers' disposal and safeguarding every step of the way, there has never been a better time to make the move from a legacy system to SAP S/4HANA. Learn more about joining the SAP S/4HANA Movement today.

Michael Kleinemeier is a member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, SAP Digital Business Services.