Your checklist for making informed decisions
RISE with SAP is a compelling solution for modern Enterprises running SAP who want to convert their existing software licenses to a subscription model and leverage SAP for a complete managed service. The challenge to adopting RISE with SAP is that it is designed as a platform for SAP S/4HANA only. Typical SAP landscapes have a rich and tightly integrated environment of SAP, non-SAP and legacy SAP components that will never move to SAP S/4HANA, yet are essential to the operation of the business.
For our last article in this series, we turn our attention more to the technology evaluations that are required for planning the move to SAP S/4HANA on RISE with SAP. To do this we will summarize six key considerations for making informed decisions about moving to SAP S/4HANA on Cloud.
Focus on the bigger picture
RISE with SAP is a new deployment and architectural option for customers, but you need to also keep your eye on the big picture– especially when it comes to integration. You cannot make any decisions based on RISE with SAP alone; you need to look at your whole SAP and non-SAP product set and consider them all while planning your target cloud architecture.
Continually challenge to achieve optimal improvement
Challenge your architecture team to “put the Cloud in SAP” by bringing cloud-native services and tooling to SAP, rather than just putting SAP in the Cloud. There are a lot of benefits to be gleaned from these Cloud Native technologies, which were designed from the bottom up for massive scale and low PAYG costs. For example, all 3 hyperscalers have incredible Data Lake, Analytics and ML capabilities which SAP customers can easily connect in to. These have been developed over many years for all types of customers so come complete with incredible innovation.
Be confident about your move
Getting to Cloud allows you to be bold and refactor some of your ways of working with your IT services and get more customer-focused. For example, driving to self-service, moving your SAP Release Strategy to a DevOps model or implementing automation to remove downtime for any Planned Maintenance activities.
Have a clear view of what you need (want) to achieve
Ensure you balance getting to SAP S/4HANA on Cloud quickly and making the right moves to transform your business. Which options get you to where you want to be the most quickly and with the least disruption? Some are treating SAP S/4HANA as a technical upgrade and then making incremental changes once they’re on Cloud, while others are taking the opportunity for full-scale digital transformation. There are many different routes and paces of change to choose, so ensure you select the one best suited to your business and its needs.
Work closely with SAP
Make sure you talk to your SAP Account Executive to ensure you get all the data you need for a good evaluation, such as the Roles & Responsibilities matrix, insight into the other software that comes with the RISE license, Roadmaps, etc.
Use the learnings and experience of those who have gone before you
SAP S/4HANA on Cloud and RISE with SAP are new but fast-maturing. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel – take advantage of insights from SAP customers, SAP and related partners who have already made the transition, and leverage the approaches and methodologies that are best suited to the route that your company decides to take. It will minimize cost and risk, and it will accelerate time to value.
As with all journeys in life, SAP S/4HANA on Cloud starts with a single step (and preferably a good plan). And though the trek may feel long, and there may be ups and downs and even changes in course along the way – each step that you take progresses the journey towards milestone achievements and ultimately your anticipated outcome.
If you are ready to make a plan, chart a course or just check out the sights with a Proof of Concept (POC) or take a look at our SAP on Cloud Discovery Workshop.
Read the three-part series: Decisions, decisions, decisions! Is complexity stalling your transition to SAP S/4HANA on Cloud?
Part 1: The Facts
Part 2: Managing the Technology
Part 3: Making Informed Decisions
Recommendations: Migrating to SAP S/4HANA on Cloud / Book a SAP on Cloud Discovery Workshop
