Blog Post

Independent SAP analyst reveals: The 10 deadly sins of an S/4 migration.

Jan 29, 2025

The migration to SAP S/4HANA is a complex and costly undertaking for companies. Yet many companies fall into the same traps and risk massive delays, budget overruns, or even a failed migration. As an independent SAP analyst, West Trax has observed in countless projects which mistakes can be costly for companies. Here are the ten biggest deadly sins of an S/4HANA migration – and how to avoid them.

1. Missing Strategy: Going into Chaos without a Plan

Many companies start their migration without a clear strategy. A SAP migration is not just a technical upgrade, but an opportunity for process optimization. Companies that start without a roadmap quickly lose track and miss important opportunities for efficiency improvement.

👉 Solution: A detailed preliminary analysis of the current SAP landscape is essential. Define clear goals, identify critical processes, and develop a robust roadmap.

2. Migration without Data Cleansing: Garbage In, Garbage Out

Often, old, faulty, or unstructured data is directly transferred to the new system. This leads to performance issues and makes the new system inefficient.

👉 Solution: Before the migration, data should be cleaned, duplicates removed, and redundant structures resolved. A Data Readiness Check helps to identify issues early.

3. Underestimating Complexity: 'We'll Do This on the Side'

Many companies think that an SAP migration is purely an IT project. However, without the involvement of specialist departments, misunderstandings arise, and important requirements are overlooked.

👉 Solution: The migration is a company-wide project. IT, specialist areas, and management must be involved early to align requirements and processes optimally.

4. License Chaos: Costly Surprises After Migration

After switching to S/4HANA, new licensing models often come into effect that companies are not aware of. Many end up paying much more than planned.

👉 Solution: A license analysis before the migration shows which users really need which license. This can help avoid unnecessary costs.

5. Ignoring Best Practices: Reinventing the Wheel

SAP provides best practices and predefined scenarios for S/4HANA – yet many companies try to transfer their old processes directly and thus miss out on the advantages of the new solution.

👉 Solution: Utilize the best practices recommended by SAP and only adjust where there is a clear business value.

6. Inadequate Testing Strategy: Noticing Errors Only After Go-Live

Insufficient testing leads to critical errors in the productive system, which only become apparent after go-live. Then corrections are costly and time-consuming.

👉 Solution: A structured testing strategy with multiple testing phases (unit tests, integration tests, user acceptance tests) ensures that the system runs stably.

7. Overlooking Security Risks: Open Doors for Attackers

After the migration, new roles and permissions can create security gaps. Companies risk unauthorized access or compliance violations.

👉 Solution: A permission analysis before and after migration prevents unnecessary security risks.

8. No Employee Training: A System Without User Acceptance

A new system is of no use if employees cannot work with it. Often there is a lack of adequate training, leading to errors and decreased efficiency.

👉 Solution: Early training sessions and change management measures increase acceptance and ensure that all departments can work optimally with the new system.

9. False Expectations: Viewing Migration as a Pure IT Upgrade

A common misconception is that S/4HANA is simply a new version of SAP. In reality, it often requires profound process adjustments. Companies that do not plan for this will face massive problems after migration.

👉 Solution: The migration should be viewed as a transformation project. A preliminary analysis shows which processes need to be revised to maximize the benefits of S/4HANA.