Syntegon Streamlines IT Infrastructure by Migrating to the SAP Cloud
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Key Takeaways
Syntegon successfully migrated its ERP systems to the SAP Cloud within five months, demonstrating that rapid cloud transitions are possible even for large, complex organizations.
The company's focus on standardizing processes over extensive customization has significantly reduced technical debt and improved efficiencies.
Operational support from SAP has led to notable performance improvements, highlighting the value of SAP-managed infrastructure in streamlining IT operations and minimizing upkeep burdens.
German packaging machine manufacturer, Syntegon, has started its digital transformation by migrating to the SAP cloud via RISE with SAP, to achieve standardization across its plants and future-proof its systems.
Syntegon previously operated on its own data center-based ERP system, SAP ECC, with Oracle databases.
As part of the transformation, the company migrated these three ERP systems, the business warehouse, content server and about 400 interfaces, to the cloud within five months.
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Now the company’s system runs in the SAP Cloud based on the SAP HANA database.
“It is the largest SAP project in the history of our company,” Orson Heueck overall project manager and senior manager at Syntegon noted. “With RISE@Syntegon, we are now creating the technical foundation for our digital future.”
Syntegon implemented the RISE with SAP Package, which supports companies in modernizing their IT infrastructure by migrating from traditional on-premise systems to the cloud.
Standardizing the System Landscape
The company, which spun off Bosch Packaging Technology five years ago, has grown rapidly since, and has 40 manufacturing plants and service and sales locations worldwide.
The main challenge was the company’s heterogenous system landscape, comprising in-house applications, supplemented with multiple individual customizations. With each plant having its own processes and custom applications, it was difficult to push out updates for isolated and siloed systems.
“Over the years, we continuously optimized our systems to achieve maximum efficiency in our processes. However, in doing so, we moved further and further away from the SAP standard. Therefore, every update involved considerable effort,” Heueck added.
Now with its move to the cloud, the company is reducing this complexity, trimming excess wasted effort, and streamlining its IT infrastructure to achieve a standardized ERP system.
Successful Technical Implementation in Record Time
The project was kicked-off in March and went live in August. During this period, the SAP systems transfer was handled by SAP while Syntegon adapted the rest of the interfaces after migration to the cloud.
Felipe Groh, Senior Manager for Digital Enablement and technical project manager of the RISE project said, “The methodology and tools that SAP provides for migrating ECC data to the cloud have worked very well for us.”
The company reported significantly improved transaction times after the go-live. Using a professional platform that is managed directly by SAP also relieved an operational burden for the company.
Syntegon is now planning to convert all its plants to SAP S/4HANA by 2029, with the launch for the first of these plants planned for November 2025.
What This Means for SAPinsiders
Large, heterogeneous landscapes can move fast with the right scope. Syntegon’s five-month migration challenges the assumption that RISE projects must take years. For organizations with complex, heavily customized ECC environments, this demonstrates that a rapid cloud transition is possible when the goal is system standardization rather than a ground-up redesign. It signals that “fast, clean, and standardized” may increasingly become the preferred modernization path over long, multi-year rebuilds.
Standardization over customization is becoming the default modernization strategy. Syntegon’s biggest win came from reducing custom code and harmonizing processes. This reflects a wider industry trend: SAPinsider research shows that 57% of organizations say integration of SAP and non-SAP applications is a top priority when migrating. Syntegon’s experience reinforces that companies drifting away from SAP standard face exponentially higher technical debt during upgrades, while RISE offers a structured reset.
SAP-operated infrastructure is emerging as a key value driver. Syntegon reported performance gains and relief from infrastructure upkeep once SAP took operational responsibility. For SAPinsiders evaluating RISE, the message is clear; the operational model that comes with the cloud platform is part of the value proposition.
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