SAP S/4HANA


SAP S/4HANA: An Overview and Key Considerations

What Is SAP S/4HANA?

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) has been the cornerstone of SAP solutions since the company was founded in 1972. SAP’s first packaged mainframe software application, SAP R/2, was released in 1979, and was followed by SAP R/3, SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) 5.0, and SAP ECC 6.0. SAP’s current flagship enterprise ERP solution, SAP S/4HANA, was released in 2015, and was a significant shift for the organization as it ran exclusively on the SAP HANA database.

Modules included in an SAP S/4HANA system include: Asset Management, Finance, Human Resources, Manufacturing, R&D/Engineering, Sales, Service, Sourcing and Procurement, and Supply Chain. Each of these modules consist of multiple applications that offer specific features and functionality, as well as industry-specific and enhanced line-of-business functions.

SAP S/4HANA: An Overview and Key Considerations

What Is SAP S/4HANA?

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) has been the cornerstone of SAP solutions since the company was founded in 1972. SAP’s first packaged mainframe software application, SAP R/2, was released in 1979, and was followed by SAP R/3, SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) 5.0, and SAP ECC 6.0. SAP’s current flagship enterprise ERP solution, SAP S/4HANA, was released in 2015, and was a significant shift for the organization as it ran exclusively on the SAP HANA database.

Modules included in an SAP S/4HANA system include: Asset Management, Finance, Human Resources, Manufacturing, R&D/Engineering, Sales, Service, Sourcing and Procurement, and Supply Chain. Each of these modules consist of multiple applications that offer specific features and functionality, as well as industry-specific and enhanced line-of-business functions.

Key Considerations for SAPinsiders

  • SAP S/4HANA is the solution that SAP wants enterprise ERP customers to be running, but it is about more than simply adopting technology. According to Tom Janoshalmi, the former Global Head of SAP Digital Core Move, organizations need to look at their move to SAP S/4HANA to being about a connected story not just a technology upgrade. While SAPinsider research has shown that many organizations look at SAP S/4HANA largely because of the upcoming end of maintenance for core SAP ERP releases, more see a move to SAP S/4HANA as the opportunity to re-engineer and update processes and configurations. Janoshalmi agrees. He wants organizations to focus on the value they can derive from SAP S/4HANA and what they can achieve moving forward. You can hear more about why the move to SAP S/4HANA is important by reading SAPinsider’s interview with Janoshalmi.
  • SAP S/4HANA is the core around which organizations can build their transformed landscape. When Eczacıbaşı Building Products needed to update their existing systems and processes, they looked at SAP S/4HANA as the central part of their update. The overall process involved a complete evaluation of all their current processes and implementing technologies that would increase agility while boosting customer brand experience. SAP S/4HANA was used to connect all the different parts of the business in that process. This article covers more about the Eczacıbaşı project, as does this event session where they discuss their results.
  • SAP continues to enhance SAP S/4HANA by including it in RISE with SAP. RISE with SAP is not a new product, but an offering that includes assets that help organizations achieve transformation. The central part of this is SAP S/4HANA Cloud, the software-as-a-service version of SAP’s flagship ERP solution. Damien Johnson from SAP explains in this session what RISE with SAP is, and how it impacts organizations’ existing SAP S/4HANA projects.

620 results

  1. Guide to SAP S/4HANA Data Migration: Tools, Techniques, and Best Practices

    Reading time: 8 mins

    Migrating to SAP S/4HANA involves complex data transfer from legacy systems, requiring careful planning and strategies to ensure data accuracy, integrity, and usability, ultimately enabling organizations to maximize the platform’s capabilities.

  2. Planning an S/4HANA Transformation Journey

    Planning an S/4HANA transformation journey goes far beyond just a technical upgrade. In this webinar, we will explore the critical pillars that drive true success: Business Transformation, Technology Transformation, and Organizational Alignment. Together, these elements ensure your organization achieves maximum value realization from the S/4HANA transformation initiative. Many organizations face uncertainty around how to effectively…

  3. Achieving Global Regulatory Compliance with SAP S/4HANA

    Reading time: 1 min

    Met stringent regulatory standards with SAP S/4HANA, streamlining supply chain operations, improving compliance documentation, and enhancing real-time decision-making.

  4. Vertex AI Meets SAP: Google Cloud Unveils New Tools for Intelligent ERP

    Reading time: 2 mins

    At SAP Sapphire 2025, Google Cloud unveiled innovations integrating its Vertex AI with SAP ecosystems to enhance ERP systems by reducing manual efforts, enabling predictive insights, and accelerating outcomes, while also promoting its Cortex framework for real-time analytics and seamless data integration across SAP and non-SAP environments.

  5. Data Operations

    Automating API Governance in SAP Cloud Landscapes with Int4 Shield: What CIOs Need to Know

    Reading time: 2 mins

    As SAP-centric enterprises navigate cloud transformation and composable ERP strategies with increasing API complexity, Int4 Shield offers an automated governance solution to enhance security, compliance, and operational efficiency while enabling agile development.

  6. PwC's Cloud Foundation Services

    How Kimberly-Clark Accelerated Its SAP S/4HANA Transformation with Basis Technologies

    Reading time: 3 mins

    Kimberly-Clark successfully modernized its core SAP system while minimizing disruption by leveraging Basis Technologies’ ActiveControl solution, which reduced expected downtime from 18 hours to 5-6 hours during the upgrade and streamlined transport management, underscoring the critical need for automation and DevOps practices in complex ERP transformations.

  7. A Hybrid Journey to RISE with SAP: Unlocking Value Through Strategic Partnership

    Reading time: 3 mins

    To navigate the complex transition from legacy SAP systems to SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Private Edition, large enterprises can leverage a strategic partnership among Red Hat, Avantra, and Lemongrass, which offers an open hybrid cloud platform, intelligent automation, and migration expertise to enhance operational efficiency and compliance while minimizing risks.

  8. Boomi Boosts Secure MFT and Context Aware Integration with Thru Inc.’s Acquisition

    Boomi Boosts Secure MFT and Context Aware Integration with Thru Inc.’s Acquisition

    Reading time: 3 mins

    Boomi has acquired Thru Inc. to enhance its file-based integration capabilities, providing SAP users with secure, scalable, and compliant Managed File Transfer (MFT) technology integrated into a single cloud-native platform, streamlining operations and improving data exchange efficiency.

  9. Maximizing SAP Analytics Cloud Performance: A Strategic Approach to Real-Time Data Integration

    Unlocking the Power of SAP Cloud ERP Private with Dell: Accelerating AI and Data-Driven Transformation

    Reading time: 3 mins

    SAP’s S/4HANA Cloud, private edition – Customer Data Center (CDC), enables enterprises to modernize their ERP systems with cloud-managed solutions securely hosted on their infrastructure, while Dell Technologies provides the necessary infrastructure and AI capabilities to enhance data analytics and innovation, making this model ideal for organizations in regulated industries.

  10. cbs Corporate Business Solutions

    S/4HANA Pre-study Assessments: A Smart First Step for SAP Transformation

    Reading time: 3 mins

    As SAP-centric organizations strategize their transition to S/4HANA amidst looming support deadlines for ECC, a targeted Pre-Study assessment provides a low-risk, insight-driven approach to evaluate readiness, align goals, and define a tailored roadmap that facilitates informed, cost-effective decision-making.