The journey to SAP S/4HANA hasn’t moved as quickly as SAP had hoped — so much so that they've extended support for ECC for customers who commit to migrating via RISE with SAP. And honestly, it’s not surprising. Many organizations have already poured time and money into their ECC environments, making it tough to justify the ROI of a major shift — especially one that risks business disruption.
But that's starting to change.
We’re now seeing more large enterprises, especially those deeply invested in SAP, ask the right questions: How do we make the move to SAP S/4HANA—and more importantly, how do we unlock real business value from it?
SAP may be pushing a “public cloud and out-of-the-box” narrative, but let’s face it, that’s not always the right fit for everyone.
For many organizations, particularly those with well-established SAP systems, the value lies in what they’ve already built. Years of investment in global or regional templates, custom processes and deep business logic aren’t just technical debt — they’re competitive assets. These systems don’t just run the back office — they power the heart of your operations.
So the big question is:
If you’ve got a large, complex SAP landscape full of valuable business data and processes, how do you move to SAP S/4HANA without turning everything upside down?
Our answer: Migrate+
Migrate+ is our proven approach to brownfield conversion — from ECC to SAP S/4HANA, that minimizes risk and disruption. It starts with a smart preparation phase and roadmap, followed by a highly automated migration using our Conversion Studio, and then leads into a phase of continuous innovation. That’s where the real value kicks in — with capabilities like Fiori, embedded analytics, AI and the SAP Business Technology Platform.
The best part?
You retain the data and customizations that matter most while modernizing your foundation for the future. It’s more than a technical upgrade — it’s a strategic move, designed to help you evolve without losing what’s already working.
Preparing for a Successful SAP S/4HANA Migration
At HCLTech, we believe the success of any SAP transformation starts long before the actual migration. That’s why the preparation phase of our Migrate+ approach is so critical—it’s where we roll up our sleeves and dive deep into your current system to understand what should move forward and what should be left behind.
Using our Elevate+ framework, we structure this process to give you a clear, holistic view of what’s ahead. We assess the technical requirements, map out the business benefits, review architectural impacts and consider data, users and support — all the building blocks of a successful transition. And then? We turn that into a clear, actionable implementation plan.
But here's the key: not everything needs to make the journey.
Before moving to your new RISE with the SAP S/4HANA system, we archive what’s no longer needed — keeping things lean, clean and efficient.
Our HANASmart tool helps identify unused custom code based on real usage logs. And in many cases, we find that up to 50% of custom code is no longer used — so why carry that extra weight?
Of course, some clients need to make deeper changes — restructuring legal entities, handling carve-outs and more. For those more complex transformations, Selective Data Transition can help, using tools from providers like SNP and Natuvion. But in our experience, it’s best to use these options only when absolutely necessary, as they add complexity and cost — and it’s worth noting that SAP doesn’t formally endorse these third-party approaches.
Bottom line?
A smart, structured preparation phase ensures your SAP S/4HANA migration is faster, cleaner and focused on what truly drives business value.
Get Converted – is it a leap of faith?
Moving a global SAP system to S/4HANA can feel like a big leap — especially when the stakes are high and the entire business is expected to be up and running first thing Monday morning. But with HCLTech, it’s far from a blind jump.
We’ve refined our conversion process to take the guesswork — and the worry, out of the equation.
It all starts with a comprehensive discovery phase, where we dig deep into your system to understand exactly what needs to change. Whether it’s remediating custom code, migrating interfaces to SAP BTP, updating security roles or enabling Fiori apps — we plan for it all.
Then, we don’t just hope it works — we test, test and test again. Multiple trial conversions and cutovers allow us to simulate the real thing, including a full reconciliation phase to ensure data integrity. We cover every detail, from functionality to user readiness, so nothing is left to chance.
And just in case? A solid fallback plan is always in place — because managing risk is just as important as managing change.
So, if you're wondering what happens when the lights come on Monday morning… don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.
How do we drive business value?
You’ve moved to SAP S/4HANA — now where’s the value?
For most businesses, the real benefits of SAP S/4HANA aren’t unlocked overnight. They come from a mindset of continuous innovation—small, smart changes that add up to big business outcomes.
One of the biggest game-changers? Real-time performance.
Unlike ECC’s overnight batch jobs and static reporting, SAP S/4HANA operates in the now. It plans, re-plans, runs MRP Live and adapts operations—all in minutes, not hours. That means more agile supply chains, smarter manufacturing and better coordination across distribution and vendor networks.
At HCLTech, we help you uncover what’s possible using our Base90 systems and Value Sentinel methodology, aligning new SAP capabilities to business priorities that drive measurable impact.
We also tap into the power of embedded analytics and SAP Analytics Cloud dashboards — bringing you up-to-the-minute insights without the lag of outdated BW reports. On a recent greenfield deployment, we replaced dozens of legacy reports with just two custom ones, thanks to modern embedded analytics.
Now that you’re on SAP S/4HANA, you also have access to SAP’s broader innovation ecosystem — BTP, automation, mobile apps and AI. But to truly take advantage, you need structure and vision. That’s where we bring three clear pathways:
- Process Insights
Using SAP Signavio and our Intelligent Process Engineering (IPE) approach, we help you identify inefficiencies, automate where it matters and redesign processes for impact. - Innovation at Scale
Our ideaX framework—run virtually or in our global innovation labs — guides you from brainstorming to proof of concept to deployment. From GenAI to mobile apps, we co-create with your team to build what drives the most value. - Next-Gen User Experience
Fiori changes everything — simplifying tasks, surfacing insights and making SAP more intuitive. We help you adopt standard Fiori apps and design custom ones where they matter most. And with SAP Joule, the future looks even more exciting — AI-driven guidance, reduced training time and automated support built right into the interface.
So yes, the journey to value with SAP S/4HANA takes effort. But with the right tools, governance and mindset, it’s not just possible — it’s powerful. Let’s keep building, innovating and growing — one intelligent step at a time.
That doesn’t sound so complicated.
As a customer, you’ll probably go through just one SAP conversion — maybe a few if you’re managing multiple systems. And while it might seem daunting, the good news is the process is well understood. At HCLTech, we’ve delivered many conversions and we continue to refine and automate the journey to make it as smooth as possible.
The secret? It’s all in the preparation.
Start with a clear plan: know what needs to happen before the conversion, scope it thoroughly with strong analysis and build a roadmap for what comes after — because the real value often shows up post-conversion.
Most organizations don’t need a massive overhaul to see results. The biggest impact usually comes from a series of smart, focused changes that collectively deliver strong ROI.
By following this approach, you not only preserve the value of your existing SAP investments — you also lay the groundwork to take full advantage of SAP’s latest innovations and future-ready solution
