SAP S/4HANA Migration

Secure, Structured, and Business-Aligned End-to-End Migration to SAP S/4HANA for Enterprises

SAP S/4HANA migration is not just a technical upgrade—it is a strategic business transformation. With SAP ECC nearing end-of-maintenance, organizations must act decisively.

Our SAP S/4HANA Migration Services help enterprises transition with minimal risk and maximum business continuity.

We support Brownfield, Greenfield, and selective (Blue-field) migration approaches. Our focus is on system stability, data integrity, and process optimization. We address both technical and functional transformation requirements. Legacy custom code and forms are modernized systematically. Financial structures are aligned with S/4HANA requirements. We support in implementation of Business Partner (BP), New G/L and other obligatory requirements while ensuring effective user readiness and training. We support on-premise and cloud-based S/4HANA deployments with strong governance reduces migration risk.

Services Overview – SAP S/4HANA Migration

Readiness Assessment

Are you considering migrating to SAP S/4HANA? Ensure a smooth transition by assessing your organization’s readiness with our comprehensive SAP S/4HANA Readiness Assessment. At Automatic Infotech, we offer expert consulting services to help you evaluate your current landscape, identify potential challenges, and develop a roadmap for a successful migration to SAP S/4HANA.

Our assessment evaluates:

ABAP FACTORY

Our assessment begins with a thorough evaluation of your existing SAP landscape, including system architecture, customizations, and integrations. We identify potential roadblocks and areas that require attention before migrating to SAP S/4HANA.

Data Readiness

Data is at the core of every SAP system. We assess the quality, structure, and readiness of your data to ensure a smooth transition to SAP S/4HANA. Our experts identify data inconsistencies, duplicates, and other issues that may impact the migration process.

Custom Code

Custom code plays a crucial role in SAP environments. We analyze your custom ABAP code to identify compatibility issues with SAP S/4HANA. Our experts provide recommendations for optimizing custom code and ensuring compliance with SAP S/4HANA standards.

Infrastructure

A robust infrastructure is essential for running SAP S/4HANA efficiently. We assess your hardware, network, and infrastructure components to ensure they meet the requirements for running SAP S/4HANA. Our recommendations help you optimize your infrastructure for maximum performance and reliability.

Business Processes

SAP S/4HANA introduces new functionalities and capabilities that may impact existing business processes. We analyze your current business processes to identify areas for improvement and optimization in alignment with SAP S/4HANA best practices.

Interfaces and Add-Ons

Evaluating interfaces and add-ons is a critical part of the assessment phase in an SAP S/4HANA migration to ensure compatibility, determine the need for adaptation, and prevent technical blockers. SAP and non-SAP Add-ons must be upgraded to be compatible with S/4HANA.

SAP ABAP Code Conversion

Thorough analysis, adaptation, and optimization of the existing SAP ABAP code is necessary to ensure compatibility with the new data model and database capabilities offered by SAP S/4HANA. The ABAP Test Cockpit (ATC) checks play an important role in evaluation of the ABAP code compatibility.

We support SAP ABAP Code Conversion in following phases:

Analysis and Planning

The goal of this phase is to identify the custom code that needs attention and to remove unused code to minimize effort.

  • Custom Code Scoping: Identification of custom code which is actually in use and needs to be migrated. Identification of code which can be retired. Prioritization of the work packages.
  • Custom Code Analysis: Compatibility analysis of the SAP ABAP Code using SAP tools.
  • Simplification Database: Analysis of the custom code against SAP’s Simplification Database (a list of all data model and functionality changes in S/4HANA) to find incompatibilities.
  • Review and Define: Review of the findings, definition of the priorities and work packages.
  • Plan: Define the teams and partners for execution of the code conversion along with testing and acceptance.

Realization

This phase involves the actual modification of the code during and after the technical system conversion using the Software Update Manager (SUM).

  • CODE conversion: Adaption of the SAP ABAP code as per the ATC and analysis results. Removal of native SQL code, implementation of S/4HANA development recommendations.
  • SPDD and SPAU: Adjustment of custom modifications during the SUM process downtime.
  • Functional Adaptation: Adaption of the new S/4HANA database architecture in SAP ABAP code including new database tables and views.

Performance Tuning: Review of critical functionalities and implementation of performance enhancement mechanism. 

Form Conversion (SAPSCRIPT / SMARTFORMS to Adobe Forms)

Older printing formats such as SAPscript and Smart Forms do not provide the same advanced features like ADOBE Forms (Interactive Forms by Adobe). To utilize the new features provided by SAP S/4HANA, a conversion of older forms to ADOBE forms is recommended.

Automatic team supports you in:

  • Identification of used Forms
  • Definition of target layouts on ADOBE Forms
  • Definition and standardization of layouts
  • Definition of work packages
  • Execution of form conversion activity
  • Support in end user testing and acceptance
  • Documentation of the forms and printing layouts

Business Partner Implementation

In SAP S/4HANA, Customer and Vendor master records are consolidated into a single object: Business Partner (BP). The migration to Business Partner (BP) requires:

  • Pre-migration configuration (account groups, number ranges, roles)
  • Data cleansing
  • Mapping legacy data to BP roles
  • Migration from old customer/vendor records to Business Partner (BP)

Automatic supports you in the Business Partner (BP) migration by assisting you in:

  • Understanding the Business Partner (BP) Model
  • Pre-Migration Configuration
  • Data Cleansing & Harmonization
  • Data Preparation
  • Data Migration
  • Data Verification
  • End user training

New G/L Implementation

In SAP S/4HANA, New G/L (based on the Universal Journal – ACDOCA table) is mandatory. While migrating to S/4HANA, migration to New G/L is essential. New G/L comes with certain standard functionalities such as:

  • Universal Journal (ACDOCA): All financial, controlling, and asset data is consolidated into a single source of truth.
  • New Asset Accounting (FI-AA): Classic G/L is not compatible with New Asset Accounting. The assignment of leading ledger (0L) in all depreciation areas is mandatory.

If you are currently using classic G/L in the SAP ECC system, following are the possible migration approaches for New G/L:

Direct Conversion

  • The system is switched to General Ledger Accounting (New) automatically during the conversion.
  • Data is transferred to the new data structures via the Software Update Manager (SUM).
  • Limitation: You cannot activate complex features like Document Splitting or new Parallel Ledgers during the conversion project itself.

Two Step Conversion

  • Two-Step Approach: First, migrate from Classic G/L to New G/L within ECC as a standalone project, then convert to S/4HANA.
  • Benefit: This allows you to implement Document Splitting and Profit Center reporting before moving to S/4HANA.
Automatic supports you in the New G/L Implementation by assisting you in:
Evaluation of your current configuration and usage
Pre-Migration Configuration
Data Cleansing & Harmonization
Data Cleansing
Data Preparation
Data Migration
Data Verification
End user training

Benefits of SAP New G/L

The primary advantages of SAP New G/L focus on data unification, real-time reporting, and faster financial closing.

Consolidation of once-separate modules (General Ledger, Controlling, Asset Accounting, and Material Ledger) into the Universal Journal. Manual reconciliation between FI and CO is eliminated (ACDOCA). Reduction of data footprint and memory usage is achieved through elimination of redundant summary tables (like GLT0 or FAGLFLEXT).

Document Splitting is a mandatory feature in S/4HANA that enhances the granularity of financial statements. This ensures that every document is balanced not just at the company code level, but also by Profit Center, Segment, or Business Area. Organizations can generate full balance sheets and P&L statements for specific business segments at any time, supporting international standards like IFRS and US GAAP.

Instead of the accounts-based approach, S/4HANA utilizes a Ledger Approach to handle multiple accounting standards simultaneously. You can maintain a Leading Ledger (0L) for group valuation and Non-Leading Ledgers for local GAAP or tax requirements, each with its own fiscal year variant and currency.

The UPA functionality is available in SAP S/4HANA releases 2022+ and consistent parallel valuation across all submodules, including fixed assets and inventory, allowing up to 10 currencies per ledger.

With the enhanced architecture, New G/L on SAP S/4HANA enables significantly shorter period-end closing cycle. Postings like depreciation are now performed online and in real-time, rather than requiring separate batch sessions. Period-end reconciliation runs are not required since cross-entity Controlling postings are updated in the General Ledger instantly. Reporting and analysis is improved drastically as navigation from high-level financial statements directly to the most granular line-item details is possible. 

Custom Fields: The Universal Journal is easily extensible, allowing businesses to add user-defined fields that are automatically available across all standard reports.

Extension Ledgers: These allow for delta-based management reporting (e.g., for predictive accounting or internal adjustments) without duplicating the entire data set of the underlying standard ledger.

Simplification Item List Implementation

Implementation of simplification checklist items is a mandatory technical and functional requirement for converting an SAP ECC system to S/4HANA. The simplification items identify deprecated features, mandatory data model changes, and potential showstoppers for the Software Update Manager (SUM). Automatic supports you in implementation of Simplification items covering:
  • System preparation for implementation
  • Assessment of necessary notes and configuration
  • Implementation of relevant notes
  • System configuration
  • User awareness training
  • Functional testing

Why Automatic?

Your SAP S/4HANA Migration Partner

  • Proven SAP S/4HANA migration expertise
  • Experience across ECC and S/4HANA landscapes
  • Strong functional and technical SAP teams
  • Structured migration governance
  • Deep ABAP and data expertise
  • Financial transformation experience
  • SAP Activate aligned approach
  • Focus on clean core principles
  • Strong testing and quality assurance
  • End-user training capabilities
  • Offshore delivery for cost efficiency
  • Experience with cloud and on-premise S/4HANA
  • Transparent communication and reporting
  • Focus on risk mitigation
  • Long-term support mindset

S/4HANA Migration Options

BROWNFIELD
  • This approach is preferred by existing customers who are running on SAP ECC and want to move to S/4HANA but still retain their investment in the current framework. 
  • You will be shifting the entire system and business process to a new S/4HANA platform with system conversion. If you do not want any changes in the operations of your business process, this approach could provide a better solution.
  • With this approach, the conversion becomes less complex and disruptive.
Benefits
  • Preserves historical data and processes.
  • Lower business disruption.
  • Faster migration timeline.
GREENFIELD
  • Customers with many years of            sub-optimal SAP usage wanting to redesign their SAP environment and benefit from the SAP innovations prefer this approach.
  • Effectively, this is a costly, effort intensive and time- consuming new implementation of SAP S/4HANA.
  • A major complexity area is the management of changes and organizational expectations (especially because the project starts from scratch).
  • With the Greenfield migration approach, you can redefine and simplify business processes and make full use of the capabilities of S/4HANA.
Benefits
  • Redesign of business processes.
  • Eliminates legacy issues.
  • Longer project duration.
BLUEFIELD
  • Customers wishing to combine the BROWNFIELD and GREENFIELD approach opt for the BLUEFIELD approach.
  • This approach is primarily supported by proprietary developments of various solution partners for selective overhaul of the system and selective migration of the data.
  • This approach requires organizational maturity to identify the processes and data to be cleaned and migrated.
  • Extensive stakeholder involvement in all phases of the project is necessary for project success.
Benefits
  • Preserves historical data and processes.
  • Selective data and process migration.
  • Enables transformation with continuity.

Project Phases of S/4HANA Migration

  • Assess current system and business readiness.
  • Define migration strategy and roadmap.
  • Identify risks and dependencies.
  • Select migration approach.
  • Set up project governance and teams.
  • Prepare system landscape.
  • Plan migration activities.
  • Initiate change management.
  • Validate processes against S/4HANA standards.
  • Analyze gaps and simplification items.
  • Finalize design decisions.
  • Execute technical and functional migration.
  • Perform code and data conversion.
  • Conduct testing cycles.
  • Execute cutover activities.
  • Go-live with S/4HANA.
  • Provide hyper-care support.

DOs and DON’Ts for S/4HANA Migration

DOs

  • Perform a detailed readiness assessment
  • Choose the right migration approach
  • Clean and archive data early
  • Involve business users from the start
  • Follow SAP-recommended tools
  • Plan adequate testing cycles
  • Train users on Fiori and new processes
  • Focus on clean core
  • Establish strong governance

DON'Ts

  • Treat migration as only a technical upgrade
  • Ignore simplification items
  • Delay Business Partner implementation
  • Underestimate testing effort
  • Over-customize S/4HANA
  • Skip data cleansing
  • Ignore integration impacts
  • Rush go-live decisions
  • Neglect user adoption

Case Studies: Successful SAP S/4HANA Migration Projects

Our SAP S/4HANA migration case studies demonstrate secure and predictable transformations. They highlight our structured approach and risk management. Each case showcases measurable business and IT outcomes.
They reflect real-world ECC-to-S/4HANA challenges.

Explore how we help enterprises transition with confidence.