Expert thinking on ERP migration

The pandemic exposed ERP weaknesses, as pressures to reduce costs and data center dependencies increased. Amid this widespread disruption, cloud technologies proved effective, reliable, and accessible. The next life-changing event might be something completely different, but the lesson is the same – organizations must be ready for anything. With a backdrop of geopolitical instability, supply chain disruptions, and inflationary concerns, there is appetite for change. And new tools have been developed to accelerate and automate SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP migration.

Of those surveyed, a third have already moved to S/4HANA, a third have plans to migrate, but the rest remain hesitant. Organizations face a baffling choice of migration scenarios. So, it’s only natural for them to feel intimidated by stepping out of their comfort zones into the unknown. Adding to this, migrating to S/4HANA is hard to budget for and comes with significant uncertainties due to SAP ERP’s complexity and mission-critical nature. Of those already migrated to SAP S/4HANA, only 12% said the migration cost had gone beyond their upper estimates. With the right support, most businesses have migrated within their original budgetary limits.

Despite all the uncertainties, there does seem to be agreement on what organizations want from migration. Most want an ERP that will improve the customer experience, be agile enough to adapt to change, and capable of capitalizing on the amount of data now available. Many are favoring a multi-vendor solution to give them the flexibility to achieve business goals faster. As for hosting options, the most popular seems to be hyperscalers and SaaS solutions like SAP S/4HANA.

IDC surveyed 700 business leaders to understand their views and experience on the importance of ERP migration for their organizations. Among other things, the research explores how SAP ERP customers are navigating current challenges such as supply chain distribution and changing business practices. While most are satisfied with their current ERP setup for now, all agree that the modernization of their core business applications is now their number one technology priority. Find out more about S/4HANA migration in the real world by reading this in-depth report.

Expert thinking on your ERP migration

Any move can be daunting, but the potential benefits of a successful transformation to SAP S/4HANA can be far-reaching as you unleash the full power of your data to deliver benefits across the board. To enable you to get your head around the journey that lies ahead, we’ve written this handy infographic guide that lists five smart moves you can make to help you minimize risk and uncertainty.

While we would never dispute how tricky ERP modernization can be, the potential benefits are game-changing. It’s why many companies have seen new cost efficiencies, increased levels of sustainability, and more effective supply chain management. Take a look at our infographic for a more detailed analysis of the benefits. Smart stat: The top three business case drivers for S/4HANA migration are reduction of SAP ERP operating costs, improvement of customer experience, and higher business agility

Longitude interviewed seven CIOs from organizations that have already migrated. In this report, we learn what they took away from their experiences and what advice they’d give to those looking to make smart moves of their own.

You won’t have done this before. That’s why, like most organizations, you may want support from an expert. To help you develop the business case for change, evaluate which path to take, overcome cultural and data quality challenges, and optimize ongoing management. Smart stat: 36% of survey respondents yet to migrate said they had so far been unable to build a robust assessment of the costs and risks.