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.

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  1. Newmont’s SAP Roadmap and Journey Achieve One Consolidated ERP

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    Discover how Newmont Corporation, after acquiring Newcrest Mining, is creating the world’s largest gold company by market capitalisation, production, and reserves, and learn about their two-year Technology Roadmap to integrate and migrate Newcrest’s ERP to SAP S/4HANA, leveraging Rev-Trac tools for streamlined, efficient, and risk-free SAP change management.

  2. How an automated retrofit approach accelerates your S/4HANA migration

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    Migrating to SAP S/4HANA presents challenges, primarily dual maintenance of legacy systems alongside the new environment until the migration is fully complete.

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    Organizations undergoing digital transformation with S/4HANA or SAP BTP must implement effective processes and solutions to ensure a smooth transition, and Rev-Trac Platinum 8.3.3 offers crucial support through S/4HANA readiness checks and CloudTMS assistance.

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    The article outlines essential considerations and highlights the advantages of upgrading to SAP S/4HANA for businesses modernizing their SAP systems.

  5. Automate and Digitize Finance Operations with VIM and Get Ready for your RISE to S/4HANA

    Despite technological advancements, accounts payable teams face challenges with manual invoice processing and the transition from SAP ECC to S/4HANA, which can be improved through OpenText™ Vendor Invoice Management.

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      Key Highlights: Intelligent Content Management: The solution addresses challenges of disconnected systems and manual processes by tying unstructured content (e.g., emails, PDFs, videos) to business workflows, enabling secure and efficient access to information. ​ Integration and Accessibility: SAP Content Management Core integrates with SAP S/4HANA (Cloud and Private Editions) and third-party platforms, offering seamless…

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    SAP Signavio Powers SoCal Edison’s SAP S/4HANA Transformation

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    Southern California Edison is enhancing its efficiency and innovation through a business transformation that leverages SAP Signavio and SAP LeanIX as part of its transition to SAP S/4HANA, focusing on process-centric approaches and user adoption strategies.

  8. HANEYA® Offers ZERO DOWN TIME for S/4 HANA Migrations

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    HANEYA offers ZERO risk to the Business by providing a risk-free go-live and S/4 HANA migration by using HANEYA B&R process, so there is NO disruption in the existing Production environment – Absolutely Zero Downtime achieved! During the blackout period, Haneya will keep track of the changes to the transactional data and synchronize every 2…

  9. HANEYA® Cuts Process Configuration Effort, Time and Cost by 60%

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    Haneya provides a buildable blueprint by identifying and executing only the configuration elements that change during S/4HANA migrations, dramatically reducing manual intervention. Through guided automation and intelligent categorization of processes, it ensures compliance, accelerates delivery, and improves the overall quality and consistency of enterprise SAP transformations.

  10. DMAG – Mining Industry and Data Interfaces

    The solution ensures seamless SAP S/4HANA data migration and integration with SCADA, weighbridge systems, lab systems, and commodity exchanges. Tailored for mining operations, it supports commodity pricing, transportation, and extraction, with advanced middleware for efficient workflows and end-to-end integration.