Streamlining AWS Cloud and SAP HANA Migration with Automation

⇨ Molson Coors successfully migrated its on-premise data centers and SAP systems to AWS Cloud by implementing ActiveControl, which automated change management processes and minimized disruptions to business operations.

⇨ The implementation of ActiveControl led to significant operational efficiencies, including a 40% reduction in manual effort and a 50% decrease in transport planning time, allowing the company to maintain its dual maintenance setup during the transition.

⇨ Molson Coors' experience highlights the critical role of automation in managing complex migrations, providing a valuable lesson for other SAP users facing similar challenges to reduce risks and ensure smooth operational continuity.

Global beverage company, Molson Coors, recently faced the challenge of migrating its on-premise data centers to AWS Cloud infrastructure while also moving to SAP HANA. Managing this transformation was no small feat for a business of this scale, with over 16,000 employees and products sold in more than 100 countries. Molson Coors needed a solution that would not only ensure a smooth migration but also prevent disruptions to its ongoing operations.

The company’s existing manual change management processes had become unsustainable, increasing the risk of unplanned downtime and inefficiencies. With numerous changes happening simultaneously across different parts of its SAP landscape, managing these changes manually left Molson Coors vulnerable to mistakes and business interruptions. The team needed to synchronize updates between its on-premise and AWS environments and handle retrofitting without risking business continuity.

To address these challenges, Molson Coors turned to ActiveControl from SAP solution provider Basis Technologies, a solution designed to automate and govern SAP change processes. The implementation of ActiveControl delivered immediate results. By automating the end-to-end change process, Molson Coors achieved a 40 percent reduction in manual effort, freeing up valuable time for its team to focus on other tasks. Additionally, the company reduced its transport planning time by 50 percent, and retrofitting between environments, which previously took days, was now completed in just one hour. These improvements allowed the company to migrate to AWS Cloud without disrupting its day-to-day operations, ensuring seamless business continuity throughout the process.

Before implementing the solution, the company relied on spreadsheets to manage changes, a system prone to errors that resulted in costly business downtime. With ActiveControl, these errors became a thing of the past, allowing the business to manage changes smoothly and migrate its SAP systems to AWS Cloud with minimal risk.

In all, ActiveControl enabled Molson Coors to streamline its change management, reducing the need for manual intervention and improving overall operational efficiency. This was critical in supporting the company’s dual maintenance setup, which required keeping the on-premise systems fully operational while building and maintaining the new cloud environment.

Looking forward, Molson Coors is continuing its transformation by migrating to SAP S/4HANA. ActiveControl is playing a key role in this ongoing project, ensuring that the company can maintain business continuity while simultaneously moving new changes into the S/4HANA landscape.

For other SAP users facing complex migrations, Molson Coors’ experience shows the importance of automation in achieving a seamless transition. By adopting solutions like ActiveControl, businesses can reduce the risks associated with manual change management and ensure that critical migrations proceed smoothly without disrupting their operations.