How Grainger Saved Costs While Fast-Tracking SAP S/4HANA Adoption

With the emergent need for companies to migrate to the SAP S/4HANA, finding ways to fast track and save costs during this process is essential. This was especially true for Grainger, a company grappling with a 30-terabyte database expanding at a rate of 0.5 terabytes per month. Recognizing the urgency of their situation, Grainger turned to Auritas’ team of data experts to facilitate a seamless transition to SAP S/4HANA. 

Grainger’s recent integration of Canadian and Mexican operations put significant strain on processing times. Despite a 2008 data archiving implementation, the database presented formidable challenges, featuring multiple tables with over 10 billion rows and requiring 86 application servers in the production environment. When Grainger’s team approached Auritas, the primary goal was to reduce the database space by optimizing the existing archiving program to meet the organization’s pressing needs.

The Challenges

Simultaneously, Grainger faced the imminent need to transition to SAP S/4HANA to harness the numerous benefits that cloud systems offer. With compliance and data quality as top priorities, Auritas’ experts collaborated with the team to implement cost saving solutions that would help minimize the risk of downtime during the SAP S/4HANA adoption. This was done to ensure business continuity during the critical transition phase.

Auritas’ Solution

Auritas tackled these challenges head-on by reformulating and optimizing Grainger’s current data archiving program, coupled with the automation of processes to maximize operational efficiency. Through a thorough analysis of the current environment and a review of the data earmarked for migration to HANA, the company achieved a remarkable 66% reduction in volume. This resulted in substantial annual savings of approximately $1.5 million on hardware costs alone, particularly significant given the potentially higher expenses associated with migrating to a system like HANA, considering database licensing costs and tiered pricing structures in comparison to older on-premises alternatives. The results achieved were nothing short of remarkable.

The Results: Saving Costs & Fast-Tracking SAP S/4HANA Adoption

• S/4HANA Adoption Plan Reduced to One Year: The meticulous approach to data management allowed Grainger to condense their SAP S/4HANA adoption plan from an extended timeline to one year.
• Approaching NetZero HANA Migration Downtime: Through strategic planning and execution, Auritas helped Grainger minimize the possibility HANA migration downtime.
• Conversion of Clusters and LOB Tables to Manageable Transparent Tables: Auritas successfully converted complex data structures, enhancing manageability. It helps not only for the transition but following the adoption of the new cloud system.
• Data Volume Reduced by Half: The optimization efforts resulted in an approximately 50% reduction in data volume, significantly improving performance, storage and resource utilization.
• Database Growth Reduced by 85%: The remarkable reduction in data growth alleviates the strain on their infrastructure and paves the way for scalable, sustainable operations. By optimizing processes tailored to the company’s needs, the organization can sustain the database changes and keep it lean and healthy.
• HANA Sizing Reduced from Estimated 21 TB Appliance to 7 TB Appliance: Through careful archiving and optimization, Grainger cut down their database sizing to be migrated, resulting in substantial cost savings.

The collaboration between Grainger and Auritas serves as a testament to the transformative power of strategic data management in the face of complex challenges. By leveraging innovative solutions and expertise, Grainger not only fast-tracked their cloud migration but also achieved significant cost savings and operational efficiency. This success story underscores the importance of choosing the right partners and implementing robust data management strategies for businesses navigating the ever-evolving landscape of digital transformation.

Want to learn more about how to prepare for a successful S/4HANA Migration? Download Auritas’ The Ultimate SAP /4HANA Pre-Migration Guide.

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