Baker & Baker Perfects the Recipe for a Unified SAP S/4HANA Future

In a decisive move to streamline its complex European operations, bakery giant Baker & Baker is consolidating its disparate IT landscape onto a single, cloud-based SAP S/4HANA platform. This strategic overhaul sees the manufacturer of baked goods moving away from four separate SAP ECC systems to a unified environment through a transformation project that offers compelling insights for SAP professionals charting a similar course.

A Digital Journey to the Cloud

The project, managed by NTT DATA Business Solutions, will leverage RISE with SAP and is designed to create a single source of truth for the company, which operates across 19 locations in 10 countries. According to Paul Jones, Chief Financial Officer of Baker & Baker, “This is a transformative step that brings our business together, enabling better decision-making, improving collaboration across markets, and positioning us for long-term growth.”

This move from a fragmented, multi-system environment to a harmonized, cloud-hosted platform on Microsoft Azure reflects a broader trend in the SAP ecosystem; the journey to the cloud is a fundamental business transformation. For SAP users on the fence about their migration, the Baker & Baker story and market data provide a clear rationale for action.

Baker & Baker is utilizing NTT DATA Business Solutions’ Zero Cost Move program for its project. This allows the company to redirect funds that would have been spent on the technical migration itself toward higher-value services. In this case, Baker & Baker will leverage NTT DATA’s Natuvion DCS platform for selective data transfers, implement automated testing with Tricentis, and explore the potential of AI to boost efficiency.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

The clock is ticking, and harmonization is key. The migration from legacy SAP systems is a pressing strategic imperative. According to SAPinsider’s SAP S/4HANA Migration 2025 benchmark report, the impending end of maintenance for core SAP Business Suite applications is the single biggest driver for migration, cited by 57% of organizations. Baker & Baker’s decision to consolidate four ECC instances into one SAP S/4HANA system underscores a critical benefit of the move: harmonization. A fragmented system landscape, like Baker & Baker’s, creates data silos and process inconsistencies and hinders real-time visibility. By unifying its core, the company gains the agility to operate as a single, integrated entity, a crucial advantage in a competitive market. This quest for a harmonized and centralized model drives 22% of ERP strategy plans, per SAPinsider data, highlighting the importance of breaking down digital walls.

Innovative programs can de-risk and fund transformation. The financial and operational hurdles of migration are significant. However, innovative partner offerings are emerging to mitigate these challenges. In this instance, the partnership between Baker & Baker and NTTT DATA Business Solutions reframes the migration as a value-generating investment rather than a pure cost. For organizations concerned about the price tag of transformation, it demonstrates that the right partnership can unlock pathways to innovation that might otherwise seem out of reach. SAPinsider research reinforces this, with 76% of organizations stating that a partner with a proven track record in implementing SAP S/4HANA is a key requirement for their migration projects.

Migration is the foundation for future-proofing. Moving to SAP S/4HANA sets the stage for future innovation and resilience as it simplifies vendor management and establishes a modern, scalable core. With a unified SAP S/4HANA system, Baker & Baker is better equipped to enhance supply chain resilience and deliver consistent customer experience across its vast European network. This digital roadmap aligns IT directly with business strategy, ensuring the company’s operations are future-proofed. Moreover, SAPinsiders must note that the move to a clean, centralized core is the critical first step to effectively leveraging transformative technologies like AI and advanced analytics, turning a legacy system into a launchpad for sustained growth.