FIS-ASP Provides a First Assessment
In January 2021, SAP introduced RISE with SAP, which bundles different software offerings in one subscription model. Its central element is SAP S/4HANA as ERP and core of many business processes. On top of this, SAP adds the use of innovation platforms (SAP Business Technology platform), access to the purchasing and supply chain network (SAP Business Network), tools for business process analysis, a high-performance IT infrastructure in the cloud as well as further modules.
SAP S/4HANA is the core element of RISE providing SAP “as a service” and, consequently, following the current trend of many companies to purchase more and more IT services “as a service” instead of providing operation and support on their own. At the same time, this software is used to achieve the advantages of moving from CapEx (capital expenditures) to OpEx (operational expenditures).
Private Cloud Edition (PCE), a new cloud infrastructure by SAP, and Public Cloud Edition, an SaaS variant, are the two central models for the provision of this software as part of RISE with SAP. Therefore, the PCE variant by SAP represents a possible alternative for the hosting of S/4HANA Enterprise Management system landscapes in the private cloud operational model at FIS-ASP. In the private cloud, FIS-ASP provides a classical on-premise installation with technical operation and support “as a service”.
If SAP ERP (ECC) or S/4HANA are already used, what do possible migration paths to the corresponding SAP S/4HANA models look like?
With RISE, SAP supports the brownfield approach (upgrade of an ECC system landscape) and the complete move from an existing S/4HANA landscape (system move) via system copy. The migration processes are predefined and permit, for instance, only a dry run (test run) for production systems. In the FIS-ASP private cloud approach, migrations are optimized individually through multiple test runs in order to reduce the required downtime to a minimum. The technical migration is provided from a single source on the basis of all components such as fallback strategy and go-live support.
If an SAP implementation (greenfield) is planned, what steps may be important for decision-making be-tween the different models?
Irrespective of the operational model, the S/4HANA target landscape is sized via a best practice approach. In the private cloud model, FIS-ASP offers individual S/4HANA sandbox systems with a monthly runtime that are widely used to build up know-how prior to the actual implementation project and that create the basis for planning the changeover to S/4HANA. It is already possible in the sandbox to install and test add-ons at the customer’s request in order to experience the effects of process changes live in this test system and make adjustments.
What happens to subsystems required for handling business processes?
This concerns print systems, archive solutions, web shops and many more. When using the RISE approach, these systems can continue to be operated with the selected HyperScaler or on premise. It is up to the customer to establish the network connection (peering). The operation of subsystems with a HyperScaler requires specific know-how and causes fixed and variable monthly costs. Within the FIS-ASP private cloud solution, the subsystems have already been integrated or can be integrated individually into the S/4HANA landscape. The technical assistance is provided from a single source and is charged via fixed monthly oper-ating costs. In this way, you retain an overview of your costs and benefit from the focusing on your core business.
Conclusion
Companies preparing an upgrade to S/4HANA or planning a new implementation of S/4HANA need to deal intensively with different operational models. It is recommended by FIS-ASP to weigh all advantages and disadvantages with regard to an SAP operation by means of an individual digitization strategy and to docu-ment the result in an IT roadmap. Here, FIS-ASP provides assistance based on more than 20 years of tech-nical expertise.