When it comes to migrating to SAP S/4HANA, most people try to avoid going through a manual process as much as they can.
Why?
To begin with, working manually on your migration method will stretch the deadline for the project’s completion by almost a month or so.
Secondly, as you are doing everything in a standardised manner, it might also affect the quality of your work. You may become prone to making errors as well.
Finally, performing a manual process requires a decent amount of manpower – which, as an owner of an SME or an MSME, is close to impossible.
That’s why, as a part of your migration plan, it’s always best to include some tools, apps or programs that can help you with everything.
But the question is – what should you choose?
The toolset provided by SAP, specifically for data migration, is often overlooked due to its ‘supposedly’ complicated nature. However, that’s not true.
As the tools have been offered by SAP, it means that they’ll be highly compatible with a specific migration procedure. And they are much more convenient too.
Tools to be Used for SAP S/4HANA Migration
Data migration is considered to be a critical aspect of any system integration method. If it isn’t done properly, your infrastructure might get affected inadvertently in the future.
Also, if the system hasn’t been implemented properly, it might be difficult for you to get accurate information or data through. It might pose a bigger threat to your company.
So if you want to be on the safe side of the road, it will be a must for you to use a tool or an expert to partner with you during the process.
Here are some options that you can choose from –
Choice – 1: S/4HANA Migration Cockpit
Migration Cockpit, in essence, is a web-based tool that can help a business to migrate an important data file to S/4HANA from its legacy system.
It has been packed with a set of well-executed features and objects that get updated with every release. Thanks to that, the tool becomes more and more capable of offering better performance and showcasing higher efficiency without getting limited.
Besides the standard objects, you may also try and develop something new within your system. This will make it easier for you to meet your implementation requirements.
Note: Migration Cockpit is available on-premise from the new SAP S/4HANA Release 1610 and S/4HANA Cloud system. For SAP S/4HANA 2020 and SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2008 (and higher), SAP recommend using the “Migrate Your Data – Migration cockpit” new Fiori app to create Migration projects.” since old Migration Cockpit transaction (LTMC) will be depreciated.
Choice – 2: SAP Rapid Data Migration
With it, you can safely migrate whatever information you have in your legacy system in a quick and efficient manner. Furthermore, it will also enable you to –
- Cleanse your data,
- Transform it into a better format,
- Load the same into a brand-new SAP-based application
Each of these tasks can be done without too much intrusion or limitation. Furthermore, you wouldn’t have to worry about any errors, as everything will be done automatically.
Choice – 3: S/4HANA MOM (Migration Object Modeler)
While SAP Migration Cockpit is an excellent option when performing SAP migration, it still lacks a few things gravely – especially the customisation-related requirements.
Hence, to handle such situations, SAP has offered us another tool to spare – also known as SAP Migration Object Modeler. With this tool, you can –
- Change your field mapping
- Create a new source structure and manipulate the older ones you had
- Add different rules to exploit data and new objects
SAP S/4HANA MOM usually comes with global data, target and source structures, and structure mapping to begin with. There’s a field mapping feature available with it too.
Choice – 4: SLT or SAP Landscape Transformation
SAP Landscape Transformation, also known as SLT, is an ETL (Extract, Transform, and Load) tool that can help you migrate or align with any data in your current landscape.
The application can also guide you through business reorganisation of any shape or size. It supports Unicode and non-Unicode conversion during loading and replication. Hence, it becomes easier for you to get done with the conversion procedure quickly.
Also, SAP LT can enable you to deploy anything convenient and efficient. It automates the entire process, which helps in reducing errors to some extent.
Bonus Choice – SAP S/4HANA Guided Configuration
When using a cloud-based system, most people tend to go for a pre-configured solution. After all, it results in acquiring a higher form of ROI from their perspective.
Thus, to make it easier for everyone, SAP also offers a guided configuration that can be used during the migration procedure. This can provide you with –
- An easy-to-use UI system
- Different web-based activities for personalisation
- Higher speed and better accuracy
With Guided Configuration’s help, you won’t have to define any parameters on the table as you had to do in the ERP systems. It’ll help simplify the entire implementation process and ensure that you are not making any mistakes at all.
Why Should You Use SAP Tools, Though?
Using SAP tools may seem to be difficult at first. However, because of being made with or by SAP itself, they can also offer several benefits related to migration.
Here’s what you need to know about them –
1: Simplified Migration Process
SAP provides a comprehensive set of tools that guide you through the migration process step by step. The SAP RC assesses your current system’s landscape and tries to identify potential issues or customisations that may need attention during the migration. This app also provides insights into the readiness of your system and helps you plan your migration project effectively. The SAP Transformation Navigator tool assists in creating a clear roadmap, outlining the required steps, and estimating the effort and resources needed for the migration.
2: Predefined Migration Content
SAP tools come with predefined migration content that includes templates, guidelines, and best practices. These resources serve as a foundation for your migration project, saving time and effort in designing migration strategies and processes from scratch. The predefined content covers various aspects, such as data migration, system configuration, and application migration. Leveraging these resources helps ensure consistency and reduces the risk of overlooking critical migration tasks.
3: Data Conversion and Harmonization
Migrating to SAP S/4HANA often involves transforming and harmonising data structures to align with the new system’s requirements. SAP tools offer data migration capabilities that enable you to extract data from your legacy system, transform it according to the target data model, and load it into SAP S/4HANA. These tools provide data mapping functionalities to facilitate the mapping of data fields between the source and target systems. Additionally, they offer data cleansing functionalities to address data quality issues, ensuring a smooth transition with accurate and reliable data.
4: Automated Processes
SAP tools automate various migration tasks, minimising manual effort and reducing the risk of errors. For instance, the SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit allows you to define and execute data migration activities in a guided manner. It provides preconfigured templates, data extraction and loading functionalities, and error-handling mechanisms. By automating these processes, you can significantly accelerate the migration timeline and improve data accuracy.
5: Reduced Downtime
Minimising system downtime during migration is a crucial goal for organisations. SAP tools enable a phased or hybrid approach, allowing you to gradually transition to SAP S/4HANA while keeping your business operations running smoothly. The SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server (SLT) and SAP Data Services enable real-time or near-real-time data replication from the source system to SAP S/4HANA. This ensures that data remains synchronised, allowing for a seamless cutover without disrupting critical business processes.
6: Enhanced Analysis and Reporting
SAP S/4HANA leverages the power of SAP HANA’s in-memory computing to deliver real-time analytics and reporting capabilities. By using SAP tools for migration, you can take full advantage of these capabilities. The tools enable you to analyse data in real time, generate actionable insights, and build interactive dashboards and reports. This empowers your organisation to make informed decisions based on up-to-date information, improving overall operational efficiency.
7: Continuous Innovation
Migrating to SAP S/4HANA opens up a world of new possibilities and innovation. SAP constantly introduces advanced technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and IoT capabilities into their solutions. By using SAP tools for migration, you position your organisation to leverage these innovations seamlessly. You can start exploring and adopting new features and functionalities that drive digital transformation and enable you to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving business landscape.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
We will offer some additional information regarding the SAP tools here to make it a bit easier for you to understand the entire thing. So, let’s begin.
Q1: What is the SAP Readiness Check, and why is it important for the migration process?
A1: The SAP Readiness Check is a tool provided by SAP that assesses the readiness of your current system landscape for migration to SAP S/4HANA. It analyses your system, identifies potential issues or customisations that may impact the migration, and provides recommendations for a successful migration.
The Readiness Check helps you understand the scope and effort required for the migration, enabling effective planning and risk mitigation.
Q2: How does the SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit simplify the migration process?
A2: The SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit is a tool that facilitates data migration from your source system to SAP S/4HANA. It provides a guided approach to define and execute migration activities, including data extraction, transformation, and loading.
The Migration Cockpit comes with preconfigured migration templates, error-handling mechanisms, and automated processes, simplifying and accelerating the migration process while ensuring data integrity.
Q3: Can SAP tools handle data conversion and harmonisation during the migration?
A3: Yes, SAP tools offer capabilities for data conversion and harmonisation. These tools provide data mapping functionalities to align data structures between the source system and SAP S/4HANA. They also support data transformation and cleansing to address data quality issues.
By leveraging these tools, you can ensure a smooth transition of data to SAP S/4HANA with accurate and reliable information.
Q4: How do SAP tools minimise system downtime during the migration?
A4: SAP provides tools such as the SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server (SLT) and SAP Data Services that enable real-time or near-real-time data replication from the source system to SAP S/4HANA.
This allows you to transition to SAP S/4HANA gradually, keeping your business operations running during the migration process. By minimising system downtime, you can ensure continuity and minimise disruptions to critical processes.
Q5: Do SAP tools provide advanced analytics and reporting capabilities in SAP S/4HANA?
A5: Yes, SAP S/4HANA comes with advanced analytics and reporting capabilities, leveraging the power of SAP HANA’s in-memory computing. SAP tools enable you to leverage these capabilities effectively.
You can perform real-time analysis of your data, generate actionable insights, and build interactive dashboards and reports using SAP’s tools and functionalities.
The Bottom Line
If you’re considering migrating to SAP, it’s always best to choose the app that has been provided by the company itself. This way, you can reduce the risk of losing your data to some extent and ensure that the entire process is getting completed smoothly.
Furthermore, using an SAP tool means you will also be able to automate any process you want. This will lower the time needed for the migration significantly and make sure that your other projects or developments aren’t getting stagnant.