infrastructure, performance and operating model. Innovative database architectures based on HANA, ASE and Hadoop plus sc
Decision-maker’s checklist
An end-to-end skillset for SAP migration Migration to SAP HANA and conversion to S/4HANA is no run-of-the-mill release upgrade. For user organizations, this represents the greatest upheaval since R3 – and the impact on the business as a whole will be far greater. It opens up fantastic opportunities, including real-time reporting, big-data analytics and simulations. But if you are to make the most of them, you need to join forces with a reliable and expert partner. The questions given here are designed to help you assess the quality of a potential service provider for your SAP migration project – based on the key criteria for successful transformation.
The most important partner assessment questions Ist der Provider ein agiler Technologie-Experte? The technical complexity of SAP HANA is not to be underestimated. So you should choose a partner who gives you sound strategic advice and ROI analysis – but can also implement the corresponding technical infrastructure, right through to go-live. Best of all is a complete modular offering, encompassing design, transformation and operation. Agile partners also give you maximum contractual flexibility, with a choice of fixed-price packages and quality-driven exit options.
Does the partner have in-depth process, business and strategy expertise? HANA projects are not just about IT – they are about combining the right technology with the right processes and strategy to master the challenges of digitization. You therefore want an technology and integration partner who can give you ideas and innovations that ensure long-term success.
Does the provider offer roadmaps and use cases tailored to your specific imperatives? You require a solution geared to your particular business and situation. An effective migration offering entails analysis of where you stand at the moment, plus expert advice and hands-on implementation. A standardized, methods-based approach to transformation allows you to forge seamless links between your traditional and digitized processes. And how much you transform and migrate and how should be down to you.
Can the potential partner really get his head around your particular business? If your partner is to provide effective support for your mission-critical processes without you investing excessive time and resources, they need to fully understand your specific business. They should have proven knowledge of corresponding processes and industries. Because without this expertise, they will not be able to develop a sound, made-to-measure business case.
Can the provider help you develop your own tailored HANA strategy? Today’s hyper-competitive market means you have no time to lose: you need to address and harness the potential of new technologies without delay. A partner should offer you the expert advice required to identify the opportunities and benefits for your processes and your enterprise – and to present sound business cases. The ideal first step is a HANA readiness check: this entails looking at test procedures, test cases, interfaces and user authorization. In conjunction with an analysis of system usage, this forms firm foundations for actual transformation.
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Does the provider take full account of your specific situation? As an SAP customer, you want to carefully consider the timing of your transformation/migration. And this calls for the assistance of SAP and its partners. A good provider is able to examine and understand your business’s current position, and tailor their services and solutions accordingly. This includes expert advice on process and business model transformation – with a focus not just on speed, but also on the right support for your IT and user departments. A partner of quality will work hand-in-glove with you to develop and implement a made-to-measure SAP roadmap.
Does the provider take full account of the size of your company and its financial position? Many companies are leery of the expense of transition to a new SAP world. Mid-size players in particular look for projects with clearly defined scope, costs, and methodologies. Your provider should offer standardized service packages with flexibility in terms of infrastructure, performance and operating model. Innovative database architectures based on HANA, ASE and Hadoop plus scalability and sizing options can mean additional savings.
Does your potential partner have an end-to-end approach? A provider should not only have the right technical skills – they should also assist you with ideation, the development of visions and strategies, enhancing your processes – and the implementation of viable, high-quality solutions. This end-to-end approach is vital when it comes to SAP migration.
Can your provider ease the workload on your in-house resources? The more time your own IT professionals have to spend operating your SAP landscape, the less they have for improving processes or driving innovation. A provider with a comprehensive, proven skillset can perform your routine operational tasks for you, freeing up internal resources for new and better things. And with robust quality management, an experienced provider can ensure high availability and stable, reliable services.
How does your potential partner maximize investment protection? As an SAP customer, you have, over the years, successfully established your own data center infrastructure – and now you enjoy very low operating costs. An experienced partner will help you protect this investment, by combining your on-premises resources with new cloud-based solutions – to create the most cost-effective infrastructure possible.
Does the provider support you during the preparatory phase? A good partner has experience and expertise – that he makes available to you at an early stage, during preparations for SAP HANA transformation. Extensive SAP experience, including operation of extremely large SAP installations, are a particularly positive sign. Any provider who has completed a large number of customer and in-house projects in the SAP space will have acquired knowledge that will benefit your own undertakings.
Does the provider have references and use cases that demonstrate his abilities? Experience across a variety of projects is indicative of a broad skillset. Test scenarios and proof-of-concept studies are further evidence of relevant expertise, and can help you to develop powerful ideas for your business.
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Does the provider have a comprehensive solution portfolio for the effective support of migration to, or introduction of, SAP HANA? The right time for transformation depends on a range of factors: licensing models, current maintenance contracts, and business strategy are just some examples. You therefore seek high-quality consulting services, business case development expertise, as well as hands-on migration and integration abilities. And ideally, these services should be delivered by a single provider in the form of a one-stop solution.
Does the provider give you total flexibility? Variable and transparent pricing models and a proven ability to deliver stable services will increase the appeal of a transformation project for your business.
How does the provider ensure security? Cloud-based SAP is, understandably, for many decision makers a security concern. A provider with tried-and-true collaboration models and transparent reporting can give you peace of mind. Your provider should be able to demonstrate that they have a robust governance model and that they provision cloud services from high-security data centers based in Germany.
How does the provider guarantee rapid, simple and flexible migration? Specially designed “quick start” offerings that deliver swift results are particularly attractive, and the best entry point for rapid and reliable transformation. Proof-of-concept systems based on agile cloud computing allow you to test-drive solutions under real-world conditions – with the flexibility to move onto go-live or to simply deactivate the system, depending on the outcomes.
How good is the provider’s relationship to SAP? SAP has a broad cloud offering, with HEC (Hana Enterprise Cloud) and HCP (Hana Cloud Platform), now combined under the name SAP Cloud. Only selected providers will be certified for these new platform services. SAP partners of many years’ standing and with a broad range of certifications can leverage their close relationship with the vendor to find the best solution for your specific goals.
Does the provider offer neutral, independent advice? Consulting services should not be license-driven – they should be unbiased and vendor-agnostic. A seamless combination of SAP and Non-SAP services within a robust, high-quality cloud environment is a vital prerequisite for a successful, sustainable digitization strategy.
Does the provider offer you an end-to-end approach? SAP HANA and S/4 can be hosted on-premises or in diverse clouds. A cloud-based model offers you greater agility, allowing you to modify your architecture simply and swiftly in line with changing circumstances. To harness this flexibility for your business, you want a partner with demonstrable experience with hybrid cloud environments and multi-cloud orchestration. A provider of this caliber can help you integrate new solutions into your existing infrastructure in compliance with all applicable legislative and security requirements.
Can the provider tackle technologies and tasks that fall outside the SAP space? A provider with broad range of skills in a wide variety of fields and at many levels helps you keep your provider landscape manageable and transparent.
Can the provider support you with your digitization goals – over and beyond your migration project? An effective overall IT strategy requires SAP HANA to be combined with more general digitization goals – this is vital if your business is to take full advantage of the new solution.
any Further questions? Contact our expert for Dynamic Services. We will be happy to help.
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