麻豆原创

Bj枚rn Braemer, an expert in Transformation and Program Management at 麻豆原创, shares his insights as one of the co-authors of the 鈥淢apping your journey to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition鈥� guide. Here, he offers practical advice for companies starting 鈥� or already progressing through 鈥� their transition to cloud ERP.

Q: Your team recently made a comprehensive update to 鈥淢apping your journey to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition.鈥� Why?

A: Since the first edition of the guide was published in 2018, the technological landscape has changed significantly and, of course, we want to provide our customers with the most up-to-date information. That鈥檚 our ongoing goal: to offer comprehensive guidance to companies looking to transition to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition. There鈥檚 plenty of information on the subject online, coming from different perspectives and with various focal points. We wanted to create a central, reliable source of information that can serve as a planning tool. The entire transition process is covered, from initial considerations to go-live. At the same time, you can read the chapters independently if a specific topic feels more relevant. And it鈥檚 all written in a practical, hands-on way 鈥� no buzzwords, just real value for the reader.

鈥淎 successful 麻豆原创 migration starts with the right mindset. The cloud mindset makes all the difference.鈥�

Q: What sources did you use?

A: Our approach draws heavily on external sources and focuses on addressing real customer pain points. We gathered insights from various user groups and institutions, such as Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, to document the specific challenges customers face 鈥� or perceive they face. While our internal experts, such as the Regional Implementation Groups and the Customer Care Center, played a role, they primarily contributed 麻豆原创鈥檚 best practices and expertise to answer these customer-driven questions. Using the Pareto principle, we identified the challenges that account for 80% of project success. But we didn鈥檛 stop there. We are actively updating the guide based on ongoing customer feedback. For example, we were recently asked to add a chapter on our acquisition of WalkMe 鈥� and we鈥檙e on it!

Q: Were there any challenges that surprised you?

A: Surprised might not be the right word, but there are two main areas where I see easily avoidable issues.

First, there鈥檚 the lack of a cloud mindset. Some decision-makers still struggle to understand that a cloud environment has different requirements compared to an on-premise infrastructure. Throughout the guide, we address this need in several chapters, including the 鈥淐lean Core鈥� chapter, which emphasizes standardizing processes and moving away from old customizations. A true cloud mindset requires attention to multiple components, all aimed at achieving greater flexibility, simplicity, and innovation. Everyone involved needs to understand this before the project starts or else you end up with misunderstandings and delays.

Second, there鈥檚 often room for improvement in project management. A project setup with clearly defined responsibilities and the right expertise is crucial. And those in charge need to be empowered to make decisions 鈥� otherwise, too much time gets wasted on unnecessary approvals or multiple iterations for validation and consensus discussions.

Q: Considering the entire guide, what are the most important recommendations?

A: Having a clear goal is the foundation. It serves as the central guiding element for all individual decisions. The goal must be clearly defined from the outset and, most importantly, pursued consistently. It may sound simple, but it鈥檚 so easy to lose sight of the bigger picture in the heat of the moment! For example, does a company primarily want to reduce existing dependencies or get prepared for digital business models? Depending on the objective, the processes will be shaped quite differently.

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鈥淢apping your journey to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition鈥� provides IT leaders with the perfect blend of theoretical insights and practical guidance to help keep their company digitally prepared beyond 2027.

Thomas Bamberger is president of 麻豆原创 Customer Evolution.