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Moving to S/4HANA?

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What's New

Moving to S/4HANA?

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We invite you to meet Reply business process experts at the SAP Transformation Excellence Summit on September 16-18 in Chicago. This will be a great opportunity to explore the SAP Transformation Suite and learn how it aligns with your business needs. As a certified S/4HANA and Signavio partner, Reply helps clients across various industries realized value with process mining. Schedule a meeting to find out how.

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Join your peers in Houston October 14–16th for, ASUG Best Practices, the premier gathering of North America's SAP community, bringing leaders from core industries such as Chemicals, Mill Products, Industrial Manufacturing, Mining, Oil, Gas and Energy. As a global SAP S/4HANA Cloud partner with extensive experience in executing transformative projects and incremental enhancements, Reply offers expertise in business process optimization, backed by over 20 years of successful delivery. Attend the customer session with AdvanSix to discover RISE and S/4 best practices. Additionally, schedule a meeting Reply's industry experts on the show floor to learn how to maximize your SAP investment.

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The SAPinsider Finance & Innovation Summit is a premier event that gathers industry leaders, SAP experts, and customers to explore how organizations are transforming their core finance and accounting processes with SAP S/4HANA, cloud technology, AI, and automation. Join the session below to hear from Hexion about their use of SAP Group Reporting as an initial step toward adopting S/4HANA. Additionally, connect with Reply’s finance experts to gain valuable insights and learn how to enhance your financial and accounting strategies.

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SAP’s HANA reached its 10-year anniversary this year, an event marked by some unusual cuteness from the enterprise software company. HANA’s younger sibling, S/4HANA, turned 5 in February and the platform appears to be hitting its stride: a recent ASUG outlook update indicated all customers surveyed were either live (16%), in the process of moving (21%), or planning to move to S/4HANA (63%). No customer indicated having no plans to migrate to S/4HANA, a quite remarkable leap from just last year, when 12% remained on the fence.

moving graphic

As more companies move to S/4HANA, each will need to understand its unique organizational reasons for doing so, align those needs with overall project goals, establish KPI’s to measure success, and garner support for a project that touches most business processes. In my conversations with company executives, IT professionals, and business users over the years, I’ve encountered distinct personality types shared by organizations that have completed their S/4HANA migrations. While they share a common goal—implementing S/4HANA—their reasons for doing so vary, which influences the path they choose to get there. Here are the three most common:

PERSONALITY 1: RISK MITIGATORS

These companies recognize S/4HANA as SAP’s future path and they want to get there as safely as possible. They tend to have a mature SAP organization (user base and support) and want to leverage their internal expertise as much as possible, often complimenting with system integrator (SI) support to supply S/4HANA-specific expertise. This usually results in a quasi-technical upgrade (the crawl), followed by a stabilization phase (the walk), and completed with functional enhancements (the run) the organization deems beneficial based on the business user’s response following the stabilization phase.

Their main driver isn’t business-led ROI or major process improvements, but the reality of needing to move to S/4HANA (regardless of the maintenance date extension). And they want to do it before the market o experienced S/4HANA consultants thins (remember, 63% of organizations have plans to move) to help with overall risk mitigation. Although these types of organizations understand the functional benefits of S/4HANA, as well as the additional cost of a crawl-walk-run approach, they still prioritize risk mitigation over business enhancements and cost. This results in a longer transition timeline, but the organization prefers the safety and security of having the project done by them, not to them.

PERSONALITY 2: SCALERS

These companies consistently grow, organically or inorganically; yet, their success is also their struggle. The growth they achieve comes with more customer products, offerings, services, processes, systems and complexity. Due to this, their ERP system is highly customized, they have integration challenges with 3rd party applications, one-off workflows are in abundance, and all worsen with each acquisition or new offering. That means IT spends most of its time making SAP work without considering best practices or standard functionality to keep up with growing business demands.

This twisted environment creates an opening for S/4HANA, which is perceived as an opportunity to standardize across their organization--one global chart of accounts, a single ERP instance, less custom code, and standardized processes with S/4 Best Practices or Model Company. Also, with SAP folding industry-specific functionality into their flagship ERP system, it allows companies to adopt S/4HANA without the need of an industry solution such as SAP IS-Oil. All these components allow growing organizations to return to standardized processes and position themselves to scale. In the long term, the organization has an easier system to maintain and upgrade, resulting in less effort and cost and its focus can return to valuable growth areas, particularly around acquisitions and customer offerings.

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PERSONALITY 3: MODERNIZERS

This type of organization sees S/4HANA in the purest form SAP intended. They see the technical advantages of HANA: reduced data tables, in-memory RAM, and upgraded code. They have brought in their business analysts and SME’s to evaluate the feature-rich standard functionality of S/4HANA, put tangible ROI’s to the enhancements, and have committed to business transformation that S/4HANA supports. These types of organizations tend to be progressive when it comes to technology and have a start-up-type culture, regardless of size.

In these sorts of organizations, there is a willingness to learn, roll-up the sleeves, and win in the race to becoming truly customer driven. Executive leadership typically views technology as a core component of business operations. These companies move towards S/4HANA to outpace laggards. Standard components like AI and Machine Learning provide a way forward for organizations that want to minimize monotonous tasks and focus their efforts instead on value-add initiatives usually centered around new market opportunities and customer needs.

Finding a system integrator who understands your goals, the path you will need to take to achieve them, and the pitfalls along the way can help you save time and build the kinds of processes that will future proof your organization. Enowa has focused on SAP ERP projects for over 17 years and has an incredible track record from project planning and Readiness Phase 0’s all the way through execution and hyper care—be it Selective Data Migration, Green or Brown Field. Our success rate is rooted in our intimate team approach and business process expertise.  

For additional information on our S/4HANA expertise, please visit: enowa.com/capabilities/hana/s-4hana.  

Or talk to us today to ask a question or discuss your S/4 plan.  

About the Author

AJ Dettorre has helped organizations with their business and IT needs for several years. During his tenure at SAP, he worked with executives, managers and end users by assisting them in their software evaluations, building business cases, and aligning SAP’s offerings to their strategic initiatives. More recently, AJ moved from the software side of SAP to services, while also moving to the east coast and joining Enowa in Philadelphia, PA. He currently supports companies throughout the US with a major focus on S/4HANA, data and analytics, and ECC enhancements. AJ’s first-hand experience at SAP provides an additional value to his customers by providing them with a range of software and service knowledge.

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October 16 from 10:35AM – 11:15AM

How AdvanSix took a pragmatic greenfield approach to SAP RISE

Hear from Laura, Sr IT Manager, Business Process Transformation of AdvanSix, a global chemical company, on how they took a pragmatic greenfield approach to SAP RISE.

AdvanSix has methodically approached S/4HANA starting with Reply’s Phase 0, to piloting S/4 at an acquisition, and now moving the rest of the global organization onto SAP RISE. Learn why they chose RISE, reasons for a greenfield implementation, lessons learned, and how they plan to execute this S/4 transformation.

  • How we use Pilot to learn about RISE and S/4 best practices (How do we prove that it will work?)
  • Conduct a process review to define value driven roadmap for the enterprise adoption
  • Key lessons learn and how we apply them to the enterprise

Discover invaluable expert insights, engage, and connect with peers in intimate, small group discussions, and delve into industry roadmaps that empower you to prepare for the future. ASUG Best Practices is your gateway to knowledge, networking, and success strategies.

October 16 from 11:45AM – 12:30PMCT

Group Reporting at Hexion: Leveling Up Financial Consolidation

Kristen VanDyne, Finance Manager, at Hexion with the support of Van Vu, Senior Financial Lead, and Friedrich Glugsberger, Senior Manager, at Reply will share best practices for Group Reporting and forward thinking approach for S/4HANA.

Hexion, a global chemical company, transitioned its financial consolidation solution to Group Reporting as the initial phase of adopting SAP S/4HANA.

Explore the reasons behind choosing Group Reporting, their implementation approach, and how they extended its use beyond standard consolidation processes.

  • Insights into Internal & External Reporting
  • Optimization of Cash Flow Reporting
  • Management of Discontinued Operations & Carve-Out Scenarios

June 12 at 2pm ET

SAP Rise and Shine Webinar Part 2: Value Beyond Migration

As organizations navigate the complex landscape of SAP migration to the cloud, it's also essential to look beyond the migration process itself and focus on unlocking long-term value. Join us for the last of our two-part SAP RISE and Shine webinar series, where Azure Infrastructure and SAP experts from Valorem Reply and Syskoplan Reply, will provide you with expert tips for optimizing your new SAP RISE platform post-migration, as well as strategies for leveraging your new cloud capabilities once the migration is complete. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical insights, real-world examples, and expert advice to transform your SAP environment into a catalyst for business growth and innovation.  

What We'll Cover: 

  • Managed Services
  • SAP Analytics Cloud
  • BTP for innovation
  • App Innovation & Modernization
  • AI/ML 
  • Copilot for Finance
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Watch On-demand | Session 1 of 10: Corporate Performance Management and Group Reporting Overview

Join the first this interactive group discussion with Reply’s finance lead, Friedrich Glugsberger and Van Vu, and senior consultant, Jeff Messer, in this session to explore what Corporate Performance Management (CPM) embodies and how Group Reporting fits into the overall CPM Vision. Attendees will be able to engage in conversations with peers, ask questions, and exchange information on SAP Group Reporting.

We will discuss:

- Viable transition and integration scenarios

- The value proposition for reporting and decision making

Submit your interest to register for the session by clicking the button and include the session date on the Subject. Someone from the team will get back to you in 1-business day.

Watch On-demand | Session 2 of 10: The Path to Group Reporting for Any ERP Landscape

Join this interactive group discussion with Reply’s finance lead, Friedrich Glugsberger and Van Vu, as they break down the most frequently asked questions of incorporating Group Reporting across different ERP landscapes. Attendees will be able to engage in conversations with peers, ask questions, and exchange information on SAP Group Reporting. Discussion topics include:

- Group Reporting with S/4HANA

- Group Reporting with CFIN, ECC, External Systems

- Master data and transactional data integration

Submit your interest to register for the session by clicking the button and include the session date on the Subject. Someone from the team will get back to you in 1-business day.

Watch On-demand | Session 3 of 10: Setting Up Your Group Reporting Implementation For Success

Join this interactive group discussion with Reply’s finance lead, Friedrich Glugsberger, and guest speaker, Jeff Messer, in this session to uncover the "must knows"  for a successful move to Group Reporting. Explore different methodologies and identify critical paths that could impact your implementation. Attendees will be able to engage in conversations with peers, ask questions, and exchange information on SAP Group Reporting.

Submit your interest to register for the session by clicking the button and include the session date on the Subject. Someone from the team will get back to you in 1-business day.

Watch On-demand | Session 4 of 10: A Closer Look at SAP Best Practices for Group Reporting

Join this interactive group discussion with Reply’s finance lead, Friedrich Glugsberger, and guest speaker, Krizelle Ong, in this session to discover what SAP Best Practices has to offer for Group Reporting. Attendees will be able to engage in conversations with peers, ask questions, and exchange information on SAP Group Reporting. We’ll cover

- Explanation of what Best Practices are

- Benefits and practical considerations when adopting Best Practices

- Our customers' experiences and lessons learned

Submit your interest to register for the session by clicking the button and include the session date on the Subject. Someone from the team will get back to you in 1-business day.

Watch On-demand | Session 5 of 10: Group Reporting Fundamentals and Key Updates

A reader's digest to Group Reporting that every user should know. Join Reply’s finance lead, Friedrich Glugsberger and Van Vu to

- Learn about the fundamental building blocks in the Group Reporting core architecture

- Explore how to properly use building blocks for effective reporting and analysis

- Brief overview of new developments from Release 2309

Submit your interest to register for the session by clicking the button and include the session date on the Subject. Someone from the team will get back to you in 1-business day.

Watch On-demand | Session 6 of 10: How to Navigate Two Critical Paths in Group Reporting: Historical Data Migration and Report Migration

In this webcast, we will discuss how to properly plan for migrating historical data and reports in Group Reporting. Explore how these two workstreams are common risks in any Group Reporting implementations and the strategies Reply has deployed to ensure success.

* Please note that registering for one session will not register you for all sessions. You are encouraged to register for all the sessions that you are interested in attending.

Watch On-demand | Session 7 of 10: How to Avoid Pitfalls in your Group Reporting Data Collection Installation and Integration

Learn how to properly install and integrate Group Reporting Data Collection the first time and avoid many of the pitfalls along the way.

* Please note that registering for one session will not register you for all sessions. You are encouraged to register for all the sessions that you are interested in attending.

Watch On-demand | Session 8 of 10: How to Approach Organization Change Management for Group Reporting

What does Organization Change Management entail for Group Reporting? Learn about the different aspects and strategies to deploy for a seamless integration.

* Please note that registering for one session will not register you for all sessions. You are encouraged to register for all the sessions that you are interested in attending.

Watch On-demand | Session 9 of 10: A Deeper Dive of the Reporting Solutions for Group Reporting

Join our webcast to compare and contrast the different reporting solutions available for Group Reporting. Learn about the different features along with the advantages and disadvantages of each solution.

* Please note that registering for one session will not register you for all sessions. You are encouraged to register for all the sessions that you are interested in attending.

Watch On-demand | Session 10 of 10: Group Reporting Technical Architecture, Integration Concepts, and Security Design

Join us for a review of the architectural design, requirements, and considerations for on-prem and cloud source systems. Explore considerations for an effective security design.

* Please note that registering for one session will not register you for all sessions. You are encouraged to register for all the sessions that you are interested in attending.

Watch On-demand: Charting The Path to S/4HANA Group Reporting: Glatfelter and Hexion

In this presentation, Reply’s finance experts, Friedrich Glugsberger and Van Vu, will examine the practical aspects of implementing S/4HANA for Group Reporting in three industry-leading companies: Glatfelter and Hexion. Our exploration delves into the reasons for change, strategies employed, and the lessons derived from these projects, offering insights valuable to organizations considering S/4HANA for Group Reporting.

Key Points:

  1. Project Framework and Approaches: We dissect the methodology from preparation to going live, providing a comprehensive view of the project's lifecycle.
  2. Solution Design in Varied ERP Landscapes: We examine the intricacies of solution design, particularly in the context of various source accounting systems, while highlighting data integration and transparency.
  3. Lessons Learned: We share insights gained from these implementations, focusing on the critical success factors and challenges that were successfully navigated.
  4. Benefits Achieved: We outline the practical benefits of these projects, especially in terms of improved consolidation processes and consolidated financial reporting.
  5. Planned capabilities: We provide an overview of future innovation for Group Reporting and what these companies have planned for additional value realization

This presentation provides an opportunity to gain knowledge from these projects and better understand the landscape of financial consolidation. Whether you are a financial professional, compliance expert, or an executive seeking to enhance your organization's group reporting, this comparative study offers valuable insights.

Wednesday June 5 at 1:30PM ET
Hexion Chemical on their Journey to S/4 with Group Reporting as the first Adoption Step.

Hexion Chemicals Company replaced its financial consolidation solution and began its adoption of SAP S/4HANA by initially using the solution for group reporting. Learn about the company’s implementation approach, project governance, change management, lessons learned, integration with various data sources, benefits achieved, and value realized.

Tuesday June 4 at 1:00PM ET
Storyboards Drive Digital Modernization Executive Decisions at Kimball Electronics

KEI operates a global decentralized organization with disparate processes and data. Strategic growth objectives require harmonized global operations balanced with business unit autonomy for competitive advantages. KEI and Reply conducted a business-focused assessment to provide board-level details for executive alignment in transforming KEI with S/4HANA RISE.

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Contact us at contact.syskoplan.us@reply.com to learn more about Sapphire or to schedule a meeting with Reply experts at our booth or meeting room.