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.

951 results

  1. Video: HP Focuses on Compliance during its Global SAP S/4HANA Migration

    HP Inc. launched a strategic effort in 2018 with three goals in mind: Make it easier for its customers to do business with the company, improve its internal processes for employees, and gain a competitive advantage. Migrating to SAP S/4HANA was selected as the way to simplify its sprawling corporate systems. As part of its transformation, HP set up a new governance,…

  2. Real-Time Supply Chain Planning with Demand-Driven MRP in SAP S/4HANA

    Published: 21/December/2017

    Reading time: 11 mins

    Learn how to use the new demand-driven material requirements planning (DDMRP) method to decouple the lead time. It minimizes the bullwhip effect to achieve real-time supply chain planning in SAP S/4HANA. Key Concept The demand-driven material requirements planning (DDMRP) concept was introduced in SAP S/4 HANA 1709. DDMRP is a new planning method introduced by...…

  3. Accelerating Your Journey to SAP S/4HANA

    In an increasingly connected world, enterprises need the ability to leverage leading-edge technology to respond faster to change, improve key business processes and access the real-time information that enables innovative action. For organizations considering how to take advantage of SAP S/4HANA as the digital core to drive business transformation, the right strategy can accelerate the…

  4. Embrace HR Technology Trends to Maximize SAP S/4HANA Migration with SuccessFactors

    Published: 17/April/2023

    Reading time: 3 mins

    The HR technology landscape is undergoing a rapid transformation, with cutting-edge trends redefining how organizations manage their workforce. As companies embark on their SAP S/4HANA migration journey, many are considering these latest trends as they transition from SAP Human Capital Management (HCM) to SAP Human Experience Management (HXM) in SuccessFactors. In this article, we will…

  5. How to find the SAP ECC transaction codes that have been removed or replaced in SAP S/4HANA

    How to find which are the Transaction Codes that are Deleted or Replaced in SAP S/4HANA which was available in SAP ECC.SAP has created a simplified version in SAP S/4HANA and in order to do that they simplified the number of Transaction Codes that can be used. The presentation will cover some useful Transaction Codes…

  6. SAP S/4HANA Conversion Application Interface Testing and Virtualization

    Depending on the type of SAP S/4HANA conversion (brownfield, bluefield, or greenfield), the existing business logic and code of available project functionalities may change, leading to a need for whole systems to be retested. But how can the IDOCs or proxy messages be automatically retested? Thanks to SAP Application Integration (API), those messages are persistent…

  7. Best Practices to Streamline Your Supply Chain Labeling from SAP and SAP S/4HANA

    Published: 01/June/2018

    Reading time: 12 mins

    Thank you for registering for this live Q&A. Find the transcript on supply chain labeling below. Matthew Shea: Hello, and welcome to today’s SAPinsider live Q&A. We will be chatting for the full hour about Enterprise Labeling Solutions and how SAP customers can leverage them to keep up with changing customer demands, comply with regulatory…

  8. Change Intelligence: Your GPS for a Flawless SAP S/4HANA Migration

    Detailed knowledge of SAP S/4HANA’s risks and rewards plays a critical role in helping companies choose an SAP S/4HANA migration path and conversion methodology. But these decisions – some of the riskiest and most important of our IT careers – are often being made without knowing exactly what lies ahead. Join Stu Bierig, Panaya’s solution…

  9. SAP S/4HANA Unlocked | Automation drives delivery without disruption

    How Seamlessly Connected Process Intelligence & Code-Free Test Automation Pave a Smooth Migration Path If you’re getting ready to embark on your SAP S/4HANA journey, or even if you’ve already begun, this migration is no doubt daunting and complex. And there’s a lot at stake. This session will share insights on how to engage automation…

  10. Options for Extending and Integrating SAP S/4HANA with SAP Cloud Platform

    SAP Cloud Platform is an open business platform designed to help you innovate, integrate, and extend applications. It is an ideal cloud platform to extend SAP S/4HANA and integrate SAP S/4HANA with SAP and non-SAP applications. Join this session to discover how SAP Cloud Platform: - Enables you to extend SAP S/4HANA using ABAP and…