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ABRIMATT
CONSULTING

Core ERP · on-premise or customer-managed

SAP S/4HANA: the intelligent ERP core, run on your terms.

SAP S/4HANA is SAP's ERP suite for large and complex organizations, built on the SAP HANA in-memory database. Deployed on-premise, or on infrastructure you choose and manage, it gives you full control over configuration, custom code, integration and the timing of upgrades. It is a different product from SAP S/4HANA Cloud, which SAP runs for you in a Public or a Private Edition.

Compare the three S/4HANA products

Capabilities

What SAP S/4HANA covers

  • Finance on a single source of truth

    The Universal Journal brings financial and management accounting into one ledger, so closing, reporting and reconciliation work from the same data.

  • Supply chain and inventory

    Materials management, warehousing, planning and logistics on a simplified data model, with live stock and order status.

  • Manufacturing and production

    Production planning, shop-floor execution and quality processes for discrete, process and mixed-mode manufacturing.

  • Sales, distribution and service

    Order-to-cash from quotation to billing, with pricing, credit and revenue processes in one system.

  • Fiori experiences and embedded analytics

    Role-based SAP Fiori apps and analytics that run on live transactional data, so users work from the same numbers as finance.

  • Group reporting and compliance

    Central Finance and group reporting bring entities together, while localization, tax and audit controls follow each country's rules.

Which S/4HANA?

Three different products, side by side

SAP S/4HANA, SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition and SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition are not one product in three wrappers. They differ in who runs them, how far they can be customized and how updates arrive.

Scroll sideways to see all three products.

SAP S/4HANA, SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition and SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition compared
CompareOn-premiseSAP S/4HANACloud · sharedSAP S/4HANA Cloud Public EditionCloud · dedicatedSAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition
How it is deliveredSoftware you install and run: in your data center, or on cloud infrastructure you manageSoftware as a service on shared (multi-tenant) infrastructure: one version for all customersA dedicated (single-tenant) system hosted and operated by SAP
Who runs the infrastructureYou, or a partner you appointSAPSAP
CustomizationBroadest: configuration, custom code and add-onsStandardized: key-user and developer extensibility, and side-by-side apps on SAP BTPBroad: custom code and add-ons are possible, and a clean core is recommended
Updates and upgradesAnnual releases; you choose the timingDelivered by SAP on a fixed schedule, to all customersAnnual releases; timing agreed with SAP
Typical route to itConversion of SAP ECC, or a new implementationNew implementation with fit-to-standard sessions; often subsidiaries and growing groupsConversion of SAP ECC or a new implementation; often bought as RISE with SAP
Best suited toLarge, complex or data-residency-constrained organizationsOrganizations ready to adopt SAP best practice for speed and simplicityLarger organizations that want SAP to operate the system but need flexibility
It may not fit ifYou want SAP to run it and keep it up to date for youYour processes need heavy modification of SAP's own codeYou want the quickest, most standard adoption

These are summaries of how SAP positions each product. Contracts, regions and scope vary, and we confirm the details for your situation.

Is it the right one?

Where it fits, and where it does not

We would rather you choose the right thing than the one we happen to be discussing.

A strong fit when

  • You run SAP ECC today and want the most direct path to S/4HANA, with the option to convert your existing system and keep what works.
  • Your processes are complex or specialized enough to need custom code, add-ons or deep industry solutions.
  • Policy, data residency or latency means the system has to run in your own data center, or in a hosting arrangement you control.
  • You want to decide for yourselves when each upgrade happens.

Look at something else when

  • You want SAP to operate the system and deliver updates for you: look at SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition or Private Edition.
  • Your processes are close to standard and you want the fastest adoption with the least infrastructure: the Public Edition is built for that.
  • You are a growing business that does not need an enterprise suite: SAP Business One or SAP Business ByDesign usually fit better.

How we deliver

How Abrimatt delivers S/4HANA

Every engagement runs in phases, so the business sees progress and risks surface early. The timescale for each phase is set after an assessment, not before.

  1. Assess

    A readiness and fit review: your current landscape, custom code, data quality and integrations, and whether conversion, a new implementation or a selective approach suits you.

  2. Design

    Target architecture, process design (standard where it pays, custom where it differentiates), data model, security, and the integration and extension approach.

  3. Build and integrate

    Configuration, extensions and integrations, with custom code kept deliberate, documented and as small as it can be.

  4. Migrate and test

    Data cleansing, migration rehearsals, and integration, performance and user-acceptance testing against real business scenarios.

  5. Go live

    Cutover planning and rehearsal, role-based training, and hypercare while the first period-ends run on the new system.

  6. Run and improve

    Application support, release and upgrade planning, and a backlog of improvements from what the business learns.

Questions we are asked

S/4HANA: questions and answers

What is the difference between SAP S/4HANA and SAP S/4HANA Cloud?

SAP S/4HANA is software you run yourself, on-premise or on infrastructure you manage, with freedom to customize and to choose when to upgrade. SAP S/4HANA Cloud is delivered as a service in two editions: the Public Edition (shared, standardized, managed and updated by SAP) and the Private Edition (a dedicated system operated by SAP, with more flexibility). They are separate products with different delivery and commercial models. The comparison on our SAP overview page sets them side by side.

Do we have to convert our existing SAP ECC system, or can we start fresh?

Either. A system conversion keeps your data and processes and moves them to S/4HANA; a new implementation redesigns processes on a clean system and brings across selected data. Many organizations choose a mix. We assess your landscape, custom code and data quality first, then recommend the path with the least risk for the business.

How long does an SAP S/4HANA programme take?

It depends on scope: the number of entities and countries, how much custom code and how many integrations you have, and the state of your data. We do not quote a timeline before an assessment. We plan in phases so the business sees progress and risks early.

Goes well with

Related solutions

  • Cloud · dedicated

    SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition

    A dedicated, SAP-operated S/4HANA system with the flexibility of on-premise: a common route from SAP ECC to the cloud.

    Explore S/4HANA Cloud Private
  • Cloud · shared

    SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition

    SAP's multi-tenant cloud ERP: standard best-practice processes, updates delivered by SAP, and extensions kept outside the core.

    Explore S/4HANA Cloud Public
  • Cloud platform

    SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP)

    SAP's cloud platform for integration, extension, data and AI: build around the ERP core instead of inside it.

    Explore SAP BTP

Carried out with

Services that go with it

  • Implementation

    ERP Application Deployment

    Full-lifecycle SAP implementation: blueprinting, configuration, data migration, testing and go-live support for finance, sales, stock and purchasing.

    Explore ERP Deployment
  • Advisory

    Technology Assessment

    An objective review of your infrastructure, security posture, software licences and bottlenecks, ending in a prioritized action plan.

    Explore Technology Assessment
  • Advisory

    Strategic Technology Planning

    A multi-year technology roadmap and budget, with architecture blueprints and continuity plans that follow your business plan.

    Explore Technology Planning
  • Managed service

    Application Support

    Tier 2 and Tier 3 engineering support for your ERP, custom software and integrations.

    Explore Application Support

Start the conversation

Find the right path to SAP S/4HANA before you commit to one.

Conversion, new implementation or a mix, on-premise or in the cloud: the right answer depends on your landscape, your custom code and how much change the business can absorb.

  • A view of conversion, new implementation and selective options for your own estate
  • Where custom code, data quality and integrations are likely to drive the effort
  • A phased roadmap you can take to your leadership team
See the three side by side

What happens next

  1. Tell us where you are

    A short form or a call: what you run today, and what is getting in the way.

  2. We review it with you

    A named consultant looks at your situation and talks through the options and what each would involve.

  3. You decide what comes next

    You leave with a clear picture and a recommended scope you can take to your team.