(https://news.sap.

com)
Products (https://www.sap.com/products.html) 

Industries (https://www.sap.com/solution/industry.html)

Support (http://go.sap.com/support.html)

Training (http://go.sap.com/training-certification.html)

Community (http://go.sap.com/community.html)

Developer (http://go.sap.com/developer.html) Partner (http://go.sap.com/partner.html)

About

(http://go.sap.com/about.html)

About SAP SE (https://www.sap.com/corporate/en.html) / SAP News Center

(https://news.sap.com) / SAP S/4HANA (Https://News.Sap.Com/Topics/Sap-S-4hana/)

IDC Study: Seven Insights

into SAP S/4HANA
Feature Article (Https://News.Sap.Com/Type/Feature-Article/) | December 1, 2017 by

Andreas Schmitz (https://news.sap.com/author/aschmitzmuc)  79  Hot Story

Customers that have already migrated to SAP S/4HANA are beginning to see
the added value, and putting their reservations aside. Tips from these
forerunners include staying close to the standard system and using real-time
information.
1. SAP S/4HANA: Two-Thirds of SAP Users

Two-thirds of SAP customers are planning their company’s future with SAP S/4HANA
(https://www.sap.com/products/s4hana-erp.html). According to the findings of the latest global
survey conducted by market researcher IDC involving 300 SAP users, the question isn’t if users
plan to implement SAP’s latest enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and upgrade or
replace the existing ERP system, but rather when.

2. Added Value: SAP S/4HANA Increased Employee Productivity and

Reduces Costs

Expectations and concerns vary according to SAP users’ prior experience with the software.
Customers already familiar with SAP S/4HANA are more than convinced that the software
creates tangible added value. Are employees more productive, does the system really provide
information in real time, does it reduce costs? While almost one in three SAP S/4HANA users
recognize it as a driver and see the concrete added value, only one in five companies without any
first-hand experience are convinced of the benefits.

3. Legacy Code Migration: Fewer Concerns from SAP S/4HANA Customers

When it comes to deploying modern software, users with prior SAP S/4HANA experience are
finding it easier to put their reservations aside. Among these reservations are concerns about
Legacy Code migration.Thirty-eight percent of companies that are still in the deliberation phase
have expressed these concerns, yet for companies that have already used the software in
practice, the percentage is only 17%.

(https://news.sap.com/wp- (https://news.sap.com/wp- (https://news.sap.com/wp-

content/blogs.dir/1/files/idc_drivers.jpg)
content/blogs.dir/1/files/idc_functions.jpg)
content/blogs.dir/1/files/idc_inh

The most important drivers for SAP Areas in which SAP S/4 HANA has The key obstacles for SAP S/4HANA.
S/4HANA. Source: IDC 2017. Click to already been implemented Source: Source: IDC 2017. Click to enlarge.
enlarge. IDC 2017. Click to enlarge.
4. Modern UX: Software Training is Vital

While 20% of companies currently considering a transition to SAP S/4HANA do not always feel
the need to offer their employees seminars and training courses to educate them about the new
software, this percentage is twice as large among companies that already have experience with
SAP S/4HANA. Although the new SAP user experience provides users with a more intuitive user
interface, this is still a transitional phase for employees who have been long used to the traditional
SAP GUI, and must be closely supported.

5. On-Premise and Private Cloud Proving Popular: Public Cloud Deployment

Model Still in the Minority

According to the survey, when companies implement SAP S/4HANA, most of them integrate their
own systems, which can either be run or run independently. The majority — more than 40% of
companies planning to transition to SAP S/4HANA or already use it — use the software in a
private cloud or in the SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud (https://www.sap.com/products/hana-
enterprise-cloud.html). Just like the more than 20% of companies that have opted for the on-
premise operating model, companies can also make customized adjustments. According to the
IDC survey, among companies already deploying SAP S/4HANA, 15% have opted for the public
cloud. Only the minority have streamlined their processes to allow them to follow the greenfield
approach, and remain close to the standard.

6. In Practice: Majority use SAP S/4HANA Finance

Simplifying processes with support from SAP S/4HANA all started in finance. Even today, SAP
S/4HANA Finance is right at the top in the SAP S/4HANA functions ranking. Forty percent of
companies using SAP S/4HANA have already migrated their financial systems. Of the companies
currently planning an SAP S/4HANA migration, 38% have also opted for SAP S/4HANA Finance
(https://www.sap.com/products/s4hana-finance-erp.html). SAP S/4HANA for project
management (37%), for HR (36%), and for ERP core processes (35%) are also proving popular
among current SAP S/4HANA users. In contrast, functionalities for marketing (19%),
procurement (22%), and supply chain management (23%) are currently proving less popular.

7. Implementation Tips: Stick to the Standard, Start out With Clean Data,
Real-Time Information for Process Improvements

IDC conducted a web-based survey and face-to-face interviews with nine companies using SAP
S/4HANA to find out what tips they would give to other companies that are thinking about
migrating to SAP S/4HANA. According to the users, the most important technical hurdle in the
run up to migration is to thoroughly prepare the master data. Cleaning up the data to ensure that
it’s of high quality is an important requirement for a successful implementation. Another key tip
from the users: instead of customer-specific processes, always stick to standard processes
defined by SAP. The benefit lies in the fact that companies whose systems were implemented in
accordance with the greenfield approach can install all future SAP innovations with ease. Findings
from SAP S/4HANA forerunners: Ideally no more customer-specific adjustments, “zero
customization.” Based on their experiences, the users also say its important to ensure that the
real-time information does not only provide new insights, but that processes are triggered directly
and automatically. Failure to do so is wasted potential.

Related
Tags: cloud (https://news.sap.com/tags/cloud/), ERP (https://news.sap.com/tags/erp/), IDC
(https://news.sap.com/tags/idc/), SAP S/4HANA (https://news.sap.com/tags/sap-s-4hana/)

Related

SAP Releases Support for

Demand-Driven MRP in SAP
Get started with SAP
S/4HANA
S/4HANA now with a free
(https://news.sap.com/sap-
trial
releases-support-for-
(https://www.sap.com/cmp/oth/crm-
demand-driven-mrp-in-sap-
s4hana/s4hana-on-
s-4hana/)
premise.html)
 Add a comment 

More in SAP S/4HANA

SAP S/4HANA at JTI:
Change as Opportunity
(https://news.sap.com/sap-
s-4hana-at-jti-change-
as-opportunity/)
Feature Article
(Https://News.Sap.Com/Type/Feature-
Article/) — Traditionally stable
industries are facing important
changes and are having to
respond with new solutions.
Switzerland-based tobacco
company JTI has seized this
opportunity by moving to SAP
S/4HANA. The tobacco market
is evolving as consumer trends

 Read more
(https://news.sap.com/sap-
s-4hana-at-jti-change-as-
opportunity/)

Nov 30, 2017 by Claudio Brecht

(https://news.sap.com/author/claudiobrecht)

Independent Research
Firm Names SAP a
Leader in Translytical
Data Platforms
(https://news.sap.com/independent-
research-firm-names-
sap-a-leader-in-
translytical-data-
platforms/)
Press Release
(Https://News.Sap.Com/Type/Press-
Release/) — WALLDORF — SAP
SE (NYSE: SAP) today
announced that it has been
named a leader in “The
Forrester Wave™: Translytical
Data Platforms, Q4 2017.” SAP
ranked highest for strategy and
market presence SAP HANA
platform,

 Read more
(https://news.sap.com/independent-
research-firm-names-sap-a-
leader-in-translytical-data-
platforms/)

Nov 29, 2017 by SAP News 

Microsoft and SAP Join

Forces to Give
Customers a Trusted
Path to Digital
Transformation in the
Cloud
(https://news.sap.com/microsoft-
sap-give-customers-
trusted-path-digital-
transformation-cloud/)
Press Release
(Https://News.Sap.Com/Type/Press-
Release/) — REDMOND, Wash.,
and WALLDORF, Germany —
Microsoft Corp. and SAP SE
(NYSE: SAP) on Monday
announced integrated offerings
toRelated
provide enterprise customers
with a clear road map to
confidently drive more business
innovation in the

 Read more
Share & Follow
(https://news.sap.com/microsoft-
(https://www.facebook.com/SAP) (https://twitter.com/SAP) (http://www.youtube.com/user/sap)
sap-give-customers-trusted-
(http://www.linkedin.com/company/sap) (https://plus.google.com/u/0/+SAP/)

path-digital-transformation-
(http://www.slideshare.net/SAP)
(https://news.sap.com/idc-study-s4hana-seven-insights/amp/)
cloud/)
Voice of the Customer: 10
Insights
Privacy Direct from
(http://www SAP
sap com/about/legal/privacy html)
 Insights,
Privacy Direct from SAP
(http://www.sap.com/about/legal/privacy.html)
Terms
S/4HANA
Nov of Use
28, 2017 News 
by (http://www.sap.com/corporate/en/legal/terms-of-use.html)
Pioneers
SAP
Legal Disclosure (http://www.sap.com/about/legal/impressum.html)
(https://www.sap.com/documents/2017/07/ea44b070-
Copyright (http://www.sap.com/about/legal/copyright.html) Trademark (http://www.sap.com/about/legal/trademark.html)
c97c-0010-82c7-
Sitemap (http://www.sap.com/site-map.html) Newsletter (http://www.sap.com/registration/newsletter.html)
eda71af511fa.html)