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?

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.

Mastering SAP Connect – Gold Coast 2025

June 05 - 06, 2025

Gold Coast, Australia

We’re bringing the thriving Mastering SAP community together – 500+ people, 2 days, 40+ hours of brilliant content and a plethora of unrivalled networking opportunities – to celebrate the talent, innovation and ideas literally transforming the way we work.

Learn More
Nine Tips for Dealing with Zero Decimal Place Currencies

Published: 15/February/2004

Reading time: 54 mins

The U.S. dollar, like many of the world’s currencies including the euro, uses two decimal places, which – not surprisingly – is the default setting for R/3. When you roll out your SAP functionality across geographies, however, you may run in trouble coping with currencies with other decimal-place demands. The author provides tips to help...…
Use Shelf-Life Planning to Lower Stockouts For Inventory With Expiration Dates

Published: 11/March/2011

Reading time: 14 mins

Most inventories used in the supply network planning run have expiration dates. You can use information relative to inventory expiration dates and future demand needs to reduce future stock-outs via additional replenishment orders. Although shelf-life propagation and associated alerts are fully described in SAP’s standard documentation, you can also incorporate shelf-life information into your standard...…
Meeting Resistance to Implementing SAP Solution Manager? Here’s What to Do

Published: 12/March/2010

Reading time: 19 mins

Manager/Project ManagementHere are five tips on how to explain why SAP Solution Manager should be considered an advantage to an organization, not a burden or the source of additional project cost. Also, learn how to structure the implementation of SAP Solution Manager once you have received approval. Key Concept SAP Solution Manager is a tool...…
ERMS Under the Hood: Configuration Tasks and the Service Manager Profile

Published: 15/January/2007

Reading time: 11 mins

See how E-Mail Response Management System (ERMS), a standard mySAP CRM tool, allows you to route your incoming emails using Rule Modeler and Category Modeler. By using predefined rules with ERMS, you can set up your system to handle these emails without using ABAP coding. Also learn how ERMS can reply to certain types of...…
A Better Way to Manage User Exits: The Flexible Approach

Published: 01/February/2009

Reading time: 15 mins

The SAP NetWeaver BI environment involves many developers in many different areas (such as finance, logistics, and HR). In the traditional approach, all developers share the same user exit. Discover another way to handle this work — the flexible approach — that can save you time (and money), while reducing the potential problems of sharing...…
Customize Your Screen Layout Easily with GuiXT

Published: 15/November/2007

Reading time: 14 mins

The GuiXT user interface extension allows you to modify your screen layouts. Learn how to add buttons on the screen, delete unused fields and menu links, and alter text to accommodate your SCM business preferences. Key Concept GuiXT is a standard R/3 tool used to personalize SAP screens using scripts, without changing the underlying ABAP...…
- SAP ECC 6.0
Seamlessly Execute Vendor-Managed Inventory Using SAP APO 7.0 and SAP ECC 6.0

Published: 15/September/2010

Reading time: 10 mins

Companies who have vendors manage the inventory in their stores for specific stock keeping units often opt to use Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI). VMI improves customer service, reduces inventory requirements, and improves customer retention. Discover how to seamlessly execute VMI across demand planning, Supply Network Planning, and sales and distribution. Key Concept Vendor-Managed Inventory is an...…
Mobilize Your Technicians with Mobile Asset Management

Published: 01/April/2005

Reading time: 14 mins

SAP Mobile Asset Management can enhance maintenance processes through distribution of data to technicians and engineers in the field. If you are planning to implement it, your project strategy should take some key points into account. Key Concept Preventive and corrective maintenance are basic best practices for a supply chain. SAP Mobile Asset Management (MAM)...…
RF-Enable Logistics Transactions for Automated Data Collection in Real Time

Published: 01/December/2003

Reading time: 18 mins

When you implement bar-coding and radio-frequency (RF) technology in your warehouse or plant, you must modify a number of commonly used SAP transactions so that they recognize RF devices. The author of this article lists the transactions you will likely have to modify and provide advice for doing so. However, users have been demanding transactions...…