In case of a system changeover from SAP ECC to S/4HANA, there are different approaches: new implementation (greenfield) or system conversion (brownfield). There is no right or wrong here. The following article provides tips helping you make this decision.
The extended maintenance period for SAP ECC until 2027 makes numerous SAP users breathe a sigh of relief. In this way, they will have more time for the system changeover to S/4HANA: for content-related preparation, check and further development of their individual business models and processes and more time to define their individual strategy. The changeover strategy also needs to be well thought out and individually valuated in advance. For the changeover to SAP S/4HANA, there are basically two ways of changing the existing SAP systems:
When choosing between these two approaches, there is no unique solution for all initial scenarios. The decision in favor of one of the two approaches is primarily based on the following two questions: What is your status quo and what are your future requirements? The following article gives an initial indication as to which approach is more suitable under specific conditions. An exact valuation and decision-making always require a more detailed analysis.
Brownfield – successive migration of the existing systems
The brownfield approach describes the successive migration from one or several SAP systems to SAP S/4HANA, for example with intermediate steps into the SAP Business Suite on HANA or SAP S/4HANA Finance environments. The existing know-how, such as individual developments, is transferred to the new SAP S/4HANA system.
A transition via the brownfield approach can be carried out in one single step or in two steps depending on the individual corporate conditions. In case of a successive migration, a changeover from a classic SAP ERP system to SAP Business Suite on HANA, which implements the HANA database technology, will be carried out in a first step by means of technical migration and by using any kind of database desired. Processes, applications and data are transferred. Subsequently, a transformational migration is used to change over to the SAP S/4HANA landscape in a second step. Processes and data are ported here as well and complemented by simplified specific applications from business areas Finance, Controlling, Logistics, etc.
The transformation of the SAP system landscape by means of the brownfield approach will frequently be recommended
Greenfield – complete new implementation of the systems
The greenfield approach describes the complete new implementation of one or several SAP systems. In case of this approach, the systems and processes are completely reconfigured; the company starts afresh on a “green field”. It goes without saying that business data of the existing systems, such as master and transaction data, is adopted and transformed to the new system. “Old ballast” such as historical data is archived but not ported to SAP S/4HANA, which has a positive effect on the data volume to be migrated and, consequently, on operating costs.
The complete new implementation of the SAP systems by means of the greenfield approach will be recommended
Conclusion: not only a technology update, but a process update
The upcoming changeover is the best time to question the internal business processes and to optimize them if necessary. A successful transition starts with a detailed planning in advance: from the strategic choice between greenfield and brownfield approach to planning and preparation and, finally, to the implementation of the transition to the future-oriented SAP S/4HANA system. It should be noted that there is not the one right way here that is equally promising for each enterprise. Therefore, it is useful to jointly valuate your individual situation in an assessment center or workshop and, in this way, find the ideal procedure.
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