What kind of business impact should you expect from Selective Data Transition?

⇨ Selective Data Transition (SDT) allows for on-the-fly data cleansing and active data changes, unlike traditional system conversion that requires archiving and fixing inconsistencies before migration.

⇨ SDT offers improved flexibility during migration, enabling field and structural mappings to be created throughout the process, while standard system conversion allows only minimal, mandatory changes.

⇨ Opting for a phased go-live with SDT can result in a smoother integration compared to the one-time, all-in approach of traditional system conversion, allowing businesses to prioritise critical data and reduce disruption.

In previous installments of our cbs SDT coverage, we discussed the mechanics behind the selective data transition approach to migration and what kind of process changes are to be expected when choosing this path for business transformation.

Organisations now know what to expect should they choose a selective data transition path for their S/4HANA migration journeys, but how exactly can this kind of approach compare to traditional system conversion methods?

The differences between cbs Selective Data Transition and standard system conversion

While the difference may not be gargantuan, users can still benefit from the added risk mitigation and improved flexibility that SDT can provide. On the point of data cleansing, for example, a selective data transition can allow users to make changes to active data on the fly. When compared to traditional system conversion, users would have needed to optionally archive data and fix inconsistencies before the project even started.

The flexibility of SDT means field and structural mappings can be created during the migration process – system conversion only allows minimal, mandatory changes during the same process.

A Selective Data Transition approach can also provide users with the ability to deliver a phased go-live, potentially allowing a much smoother integration. System conversion, however, is a one-and-done deal with no option for a phased approach.

Why you should be using Selective Data Transition

A cbs Corporate Business Solutions SDT migration approach could be the exact kind of method some businesses will thrive with when considering the move from ECC to S/4HANA. The benefits, however, still aren’t too clear until you take a step back and observe the whole picture.

The leap to SAP S/4HANA is an understandable one for many organisations but demonstrates one of the biggest challenges: it’s a time and resource-intensive transformation journey that needs to be planned for accordingly or has the potential to seriously disrupt business processes.

By opting for a selective transition, organisations can hasten the migration process. Vital business process data can be prioritised, allowing decision-makers to pick and choose exactly what data is moving and when it needs to. Through selectively shifting data across to new systems, any possible disarray, that may be introduced to work processes or production shop floors, can be significantly reduced.

Before deciding to dive headfirst into a SAP S/4HANA migration, take a moment to consider all the factors. Can a business handle a sudden, top-to-bottom digital upgrade and overhaul of all processes? Or would the business benefit from a more selective and calculated migration journey? Perhaps the cbs SDT approach is one worth investigating.