When exploring the best path for ECC to upgrade to S 4HANA, it's important to choose the best approach for your business based on your specific business needs. So how do you choose the right method? This article will discuss the three main ways to upgrade S 4HANA: Greenfield, Brownfield, and Bluefield. Break them down by breaking them down to the benefits and challenges to help you evaluate what works best for your company.
Learn about the different approaches to S 4HANA migration
greenfield, brownfield and bluefieldtm
If you're implementing an S 4HANA upgrade, you're probably already familiar with the brownfield approach (.)brownfield) with the greenfield approach (greenfield). Recently, many organizations have also chosen to migrate using the Bluefield approach. So what are the differences, advantages, and challenges between them?
oneWhat is the Greenfield Approach? The Greenfield approach treats migration as an entirely new implementation. When using Greenfield, you will set up and configure a completely new ERP system that is completely independent of any existing systems. Of course, you can also migrate historical data from existing systems.
oneBenefits of the Greenfield Approach: Implementing a completely new ERP system enables you to reassess, standardize, and redesign all processes. If you're new to SAP and its implementation, or if your system is outdated and inefficient, Greenfield is a great way to do it. If you're looking for a lightweight and more efficient migration, not being tied to historical data in this case is a big plus.
You and your team should identify current business needs and develop a plan for the future. This allows you to take immediate steps to adapt your new system to accommodate these plans.
oneDisadvantages of the Greenfield ApproachImplementing an entirely new system from scratch will present challenges, such as more effort, higher costs, and longer project time. Another factor to consider is that when you're building a new system, you may overlook some important features or even lose the historical context associated with your business.
Additionally, your users may need to be trained during the adoption and onboarding phases, which can cause further delays.
II. II. IIWhat is the brownfield method? The brownfield approach is essentially a conversion of the current ERP system to S 4HANA by doing a system conversion. This approach is to leverage your existing system, rather than creating an entirely new one.
II. II. IIAdvantages of the Brownfield Approach Compared to the Greenfield approach, it experiences less risk and minimal disruption to the current system, preserving existing processes and functionality. By keeping your system, you'll also find that the migration process is faster.
II. II. IIDisadvantages of the Brownfield Approach System retention is a huge advantage, but it can also mean limiting the ability to innovate and optimize. If your process isn't as streamlined as it should be, these can also be a barrier for you to introduce a new system. This means that you need to do extensive testing of all your systems and applications during and after the migration.
SNP Bluefield: A hybrid solution.
Take advantage of the greenfield and brownfield approach and there you have it:bluefield— An effective hybrid strategy that combines their strengths. SNP has successfully completed nearly 15,000 projects using the Bluefield methodology, what is it that makes this hybrid approach increasingly popular?
With Bluefield, you can migrate only the data and processes that are relevant to your business. This allows you to keep customizations without having to redesign the entire system. It's a fully documented, easy-to-understand transformation that can be performed according to your specifications, and the migrated data is consistent.
When Airbus Commercial Airplanes wanted to upgrade their five on-premise ERP systems to S 4HANA, they needed a way that would allow them to centralize their on-premise financial processes on a unified platform. Airbus wanted to integrate the systems they had into a single project plan as seamlessly as possible. Use the SNP Bluefield methodology to tailor each transition step for fast and flexible migrations.
But it's not just companies like Airbus that can take advantage of Bluefield. Berry Elite Group has been using the ECC system in more than 10 factories (15+SAP companies**) in China for more than 15 years, and has selectively migrated nearly 5 years of historical data to the S 4HANA PCE system through SNP Bluefield, laying the foundation and reference for its global business upgrade. (SNP Good News Berry Elite Group SAP S 4 HANA PCE system was successfully launched).
Wistron Group's global operation upgrade project involved a large and complex selective data migration, validation, testing and adjustment, using SNP Bluefield to switch 50 companies, 99 factories and 187 peripheral systems at the same time, and successfully went live with 24-hour technical downtime. The S 4 upgrade provides Wistron with future business scalability and significant operational efficiency. (Good news that Wistron Group's Wistron S 4HANA PCE upgrade project in the high-tech industry has been successfully launched).
BSH, a global leader in home appliances, is planning a complete overhaul of its SAP ERP system worldwide to accelerate industrialization. Their focus is on maintaining flexibility and consistency so that they can continuously optimize and innovate their business in the future.
Thanks to the selective migration approach, bluefield ensures maximum flexibility. The plan is to migrate only the relevant data, modules, and systems. Once this is done, the focus can shift to data optimization in the target system to truly harness the full potential of SAP S 4HANA. But what about legacy historical data? There are several strategies for dealing with legacy historical data, including archiving or system decommissioning. In short, legacy data can be moved into a cost-effective storage solution and still be accessible for legitimate purposes.
Now that you have a better understanding of the three approaches, it's up to you and your team to determine which one works best.
Five questions to help you choose the most correct method.
Finding the right approach requires a thorough understanding of risk assessment and business needs. The following questions can help you weigh your options:
1. What are your current system limitations?
2. What are your process optimization needs across the business?
3. What are your budget and time constraints?
4. What are your top priorities regarding retaining existing customizations and processes?
5. Are you willing to invest in a third-party tool to facilitate your migration?
With all of these factors in mind, you can now determine the migration method that works best for your organization. We recommend using the right tools to help overcome many of the challenges we've outlined. The use of Crystalbridge to empower Bluefield is one example of this.
One of Bluefield's core elements is selective data migration. This allows many businesses to keep the best elements and make improvements where necessary before migrating to a new S 4HANA system. The Crystalbridge platform provides in-depth analysis, process improvement identification, and other transformation options during the migration process, enabling a seamless and efficient migration process.
Fueling bluefield's approach by automating data and system conversions without compromising flexibility. This means that your existing SAP environment and processes can be retained, optimized, or modernized.
Methods and tools that fit your business.
You know better than anyone how important it is to complete your ECC to S 4HANA migration as efficiently and accurately as possible. But don't just think of it as a technology upgrade, it's a critical part of your organization's digital transformation journey. Having comprehensive information and the tools you need to achieve your goals will help you make informed decisions, which are critical to success.