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.

631 results

  1. Mastering SAP Transformation: How T-Systems Elevates RISE with SAP with Clean Core and Cloud Flexibility

    Reading time: 3 mins

    Enterprises facing inefficiencies in complex SAP landscapes can transform their operations and reduce costs through RISE with SAP, tailored by T-Systems to offer customization, hybrid integration, and a clean core strategy, ultimately preparing them for SAP’s 2030 deadline and enabling agile, innovative responses to market changes.

  2. Building Resilience in SAP Change Management: A Strategic Framework for Risk Reduction

    Reading time: 3 mins

    As the 2027 deadline for SAP ECC and Solution Manager approaches, organizations must adopt a structured five-step framework utilizing real-time data to improve change management and transformation success, embedding risk assessment throughout the change lifecycle and ensuring alignment with clean core principles to navigate increasing complexity and regulatory pressures.

  3. Unlocking SAP Data for Microsoft Fabric: Bridging the Gap for Finance Teams

    Unlocking SAP Data for Microsoft Fabric: Bridging the Gap for Data Teams

    Reading time: 3 mins

    The integration of SAP systems with cloud analytics platforms like Microsoft Fabric presents significant challenges for finance teams due to complex data structures, diverse extraction methods, and skill gaps, but tools like CData Sync simplify this process by providing user-friendly connectors that enhance data accessibility and reduce technical barriers.

  4. SAP s/4 HANA

    Maximize Your SAP® S/4HANA Investment

    Reading time: 1 min

    SAP® S/4HANA supports broad enterprise functions but lacks specialization in the financial close process. Trintech’s Cadency Platform fills this gap, automating tasks, enforcing best practices, and accelerating close cycles for quick ROI. It complements SAP® S/4HANA with targeted controls for period-end activities.

  5. Bayer’s Strategic Migration to SAP S/4HANA and the Integration of Trintech’s Cadency Platform for Enhanced Financial Close Efficiency

    Reading time: 1 mins

    To streamline finance during its SAP S/4HANA transition, Bayer adopted Trintech’s Cadency in 2020 to boost compliance and efficiency in reconciliation processes.

  6. Achieving a Reliable Financial Close, Before, During, and After Your SAP® S/4HANA Migration

    Reading time: 3 mins

    Migrating to SAP® S/4HANA presents significant challenges for finance teams, but utilizing Trintech’s Cadency platform can standardize financial processes, improve data integrity, and enhance efficiency, ultimately simplifying the transition and unlocking long-term value.

  7. From Complexity to Control: Driving Aerospace and Defense innovation with SAP S/4HANA and Protiviti

    Reading time: 3 mins

    Digital transformation in the aerospace and defense industry, driven by SAP S/4HANA, is essential for organizations to enhance efficiency, ensure compliance, and manage operational complexity, with Protiviti serving as a key partner in this transformative journey.

  8. cybersecurity

    Bridging the SAP Security Gap: How Fortinet and SecurityBridge Deliver Comprehensive Protection

    Reading time: 3 mins

    As SAP systems face heightened cyber threats due to digital transformation and fragmented security approaches, Fortinet and SecurityBridge’s partnership offers an integrated solution that enhances visibility and threat response by correlating network and SAP application activities.

  9. Data Management ERP Customization

    How Data Management Maximizes the Move to SAP S/4HANA

    Reading time: 3 mins

    Successful migration to SAP S/4HANA requires comprehensive planning, stakeholder engagement, and robust data management strategies to navigate potential challenges and ensure a smooth transition.

  10. Inetum announces a strategic partnership with SAP in Morocco

    Reading time: 3 mins

    Inetum announces a strategic partnership with SAP in Morocco, leveraging its global capabilities in SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud to provide quick, efficient, and secure implementations.