For an international food organization the time had come to fully implement SAP S/4 HANA. This implementation was a critical step for this organization to further optimize processes. However, due to extensive customization, SAP proved to be unstable, making a full go-live unfeasible. The complexity of the customization required a reassessment of the plan. The project team went back to the drawing board to scale down the customization and return to standard SAP functionalities.

Step-by-step towards a manageable implementation

A new roadmap was developed to implement SAP gradually. The following strategy was adopted: first, a dry run of the system, a phased go-live for the potato intake process, and then a full go-live. This approach allowed the organization to migrate gradually and identify potential bottlenecks early.

A challenging first dry-run

The first dry run became a crucial learning experience. Migrating both master data and transactional data brought its own challenges. The issue lay in outdated loading applications and long wait times to resolve technical problems due to the use of LSMWs. SAP no longer supports LSMWs and advises against their use, as they don’t support data governance. After this first test, program management realized that additional data migration expertise and an extra dry run were necessary to ensure the quality of the migration.

Stronger together: the second dry run

After a thorough analysis of the application landscape,  recommended an alternative path the data migration approach, This once again underscored the importance of a solid data migration strategy. During the second dry run, the immediate improvements were clear. By using process automation toolingthe process ran significantly more efficiently and much faster than before.

Phased go-live as the key to success 

To ensure process continuity, it was decided to go live with the master data first, followed by a separate dry run for transactional data a few months later. This staggered approach proved highly successful: all master data was loaded flawlessly, and the third dry run for transactional data took only three days. This paved the way for a full go-live.

The final step: SAP live on all fronts 

Finally, the moment arrived. Thanks to a meticulously managed cutover plan, the transition to SAP was structured and efficient. From archiving the old MES system to uploading new inventory data, each component went according to plan. The data migration team worked on the final steps during the go-live weekend, ensuring everything went smoothly down to the last detail. By Sunday evening, all transactional data was successfully loaded with the use of process automation tooling, marking a milestone that prepared the organization for a SAP-integrated future.

The result: a successful Data Migration

Thanks to detailed planning and the expertise of the data migration team, the data migration for this SAP implementation was successfully achieved. This project not only demonstrated the power of collaboration but also the importance of flexibility and innovation at every stage and especially through the use of process automation tooling.

Process automation tooling also used for other data processes

Investing in process automation not only supported the data migration but was after go live also used for e.g. mass uploads and mass changes.