S/4HANA – Techcarvings

Choosing an SAP partner? Ask these 10 questions before you sign

admin — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 16:15:58 +0000

Every company that buys SAP S/4HANA gets the same software. What they don’t get is the same result. The difference almost always comes down to one decision made before the project starts: who you choose to implement it.

In 30 seconds

Judge partners on people, method and scope, not presentations.
Ask for proof on your exact S/4HANA edition and industry.
A quote that’s much cheaper is usually missing something.
Use the scorecard below to compare up to three partners.

Why your partner matters more than the software

S/4HANA gives you best-practice processes, real-time data and SAP Business AI. But software doesn’t design your processes, clean your data, train your people or stay with you after go-live. Your partner does.

The software is the constant. Everything around it is your partner’s work.

The 10 questions to ask every SAP partner

Group them into four stages. For each, here’s what a strong answer sounds like, and the warning sign to listen for.

Stage 1 · Credentials

What is your SAP partner status?

SAP certifies partners at levels such as Silver, Gold and Platinum, based on certified consultants, customer success and ongoing review.

Strong answer: a clear tier, verifiable on SAP’s partner finder, with certifications in your modules.

Red flag: “We work with SAP” with no listing you can check.

Have you implemented this exact solution before?

GROW with SAP, RISE with SAP, SAP BTP and SuccessFactors are different skill sets.

Strong answer: named projects on the same edition you’re buying.

Red flag: general “SAP experience” with nothing on your edition.

Do you know our industry?

A partner who knows manufacturing understands production planning and batch management. One who doesn’t learns on your budget.

Strong answer: industry case studies and consultants who speak your process language.

Red flag: the same generic demo for every industry.

Stage 2 · People and method

Who will actually work on our project?

The senior people in the sales meeting aren’t always the ones who show up.

Strong answer: CVs for the solution architect and leads, with committed time.

Red flag: “We’ll staff it after signing.”

What methodology do you follow?

Most partners use SAP Activate: prepare, explore, realise, deploy, run.

Strong answer: how they run fit-to-standard workshops and control scope changes.

Red flag: a methodology slide with no detail on decisions and sign-offs.

How do you handle data migration?

Data problems cause more delays than any other issue.

Strong answer: a set number of trial migrations and clear ownership of cleansing.

Red flag: “Data is the client’s responsibility.”

The best SAP partners don’t promise you everything. They tell you exactly what’s in scope, and what isn’t.

Stage 3 · Scope and design

What exactly is in your quote?

Vague scope today means change requests tomorrow.

Strong answer: modules, entities, users, reports, interfaces and migration objects, all counted.

Red flag: a single lump sum with “as discussed”.

How will you keep our core clean?

A clean core keeps upgrades fast and affordable, and keeps you ready for SAP Business AI.

Strong answer: standard first, extensions on SAP BTP, custom code only where it differentiates you.

Red flag: “We can rebuild everything you have today.”

Stage 4 · After go-live

What happens after go-live?

Go-live is the start of value, not the end of the project.

Strong answer: defined hypercare, an AMS model with response times and transparent rates.

Red flag: support “to be discussed later”.

Can we speak to your customers?

References from similar companies are the strongest signal you’ll get.

Strong answer: introductions to clients who’ll tell you what went wrong and how it was fixed.

Red flag: logos on a slide, but no one you can call.

Compare partners with this scorecard

Score each partner from 1 (weak) to 5 (excellent). Weights reflect what matters most; change them to suit you. Totals update as you type.

Criterion	Weight
Weighted score (out of 100)		0	0	0

Red flags that should stop you

A price far below other quotes, with no clear reason why.

Promises that every current customisation can be kept.

No named team, or heavy reliance on unnamed subcontractors.

No clear plan for testing, training or change management.

Global integrator or specialist partner?

	Large global integrator	Specialist SAP partner
Best for	Very large, multi-country programmes	Mid-size and growing companies, focused programmes
Senior attention	Spread across many large accounts	Senior consultants closely involved
Decision speed	More layers of approval	Faster, more flexible
Local knowledge	Varies by delivery centre	Strong on local tax, GST and business practice

Frequently asked questions

Should I choose a large global integrator or a specialist SAP partner?

ERP change management: getting your people to use S/4HANA

admin — Wed, 27 May 2026 16:01:00 +0000

Home › Blog › SAP Projects

SAP Projects

ERP change management: getting your people to use S/4HANA

A technically perfect ERP still fails if people don’t use it well. Here’s a practical change management approach for S/4HANA.

By the TechCarvings SAP team5 min readPublished 27 May 2026

ERP change management is what turns a working system into a used system. An ERP project can be technically perfect and still fail if people don’t use the system well. Change management is how you make sure the new way of working sticks. Here’s a practical approach for S/4HANA projects.

In 30 seconds

People adopt what they understand and helped shape.
Train by role, on real scenarios, close to go-live.
Key users are your most valuable change agents.
Measure usage after go-live, not just training attendance.

Why ERP adoption fails

Users first see the system at training, weeks before go-live

Training covers screens, not real daily scenarios

Nobody explains why the change matters

Support disappears the week after go-live

ERP change management in six steps

The role of key users

Key users are respected people from each department who join workshops, test the system and then help colleagues. They turn ‘IT’s new system’ into ‘how we work now’. Choose people others go to for help, and give them real time for the project.

Measuring adoption

Measure	What it tells you
Transactions done in SAP vs outside	Whether workarounds are creeping back
Help desk tickets by topic	Where extra training is needed
Process cycle times	Whether the new way is faster
User feedback after 30 and 90 days	Confidence and pain points

Go-live is the start of adoption, not the end of the project.

Key benefits of ERP change management

Faster adoption: people reach full productivity in weeks, not months.
Fewer workarounds: users trust the system, so spreadsheets fade away.
Better data: correct entries at the source improve every report.
Lower support load: well-trained users raise fewer tickets.

Common mistakes to avoid with ERP change management

Starting too late

ERP change management that begins a month before go-live can only react, not shape.

Generic training

Train people on their own daily scenarios, not a tour of every screen.

Ignoring middle managers

Managers set expectations. If they keep asking for old reports, old habits return.

No support after go-live

The first weeks need visible, fast support.

A worked example: a finance team’s transition

Illustrative example

This scenario is a composite of common situations, not a specific client.

A finance team is moving from spreadsheets to SAP. Early on, leaders explain why: faster close, fewer errors and better insight.

Two respected accountants become key users, join workshops and help design the new close process. Training uses the team’s real month-end tasks.

After go-live, a daily stand-up and a support desk handle questions. Within two closes, the team is working faster than before. ERP change management made the difference.

ERP change management checklist

Use these questions with your team before you begin. Clear answers here make every later decision faster.

A clear, simple message on why the change matters
Key users chosen and given real time for the project
Training plans by role, using real scenarios
A visible support desk for the first weeks
Adoption measures agreed before go-live

Frequently asked questions

When should change management start?

SAP data migration: how to move your data without the drama

admin — Wed, 20 May 2026 16:06:00 +0000

Home › Blog › SAP Projects

SAP Projects

SAP data migration: how to move your data without the drama

Data migration is where ERP projects most often slip. Here’s how to plan it so go-live weekend is calm and uneventful.

By the TechCarvings SAP team6 min readPublished 20 May 2026

Good SAP data migration starts long before go-live weekend. Data migration is where many ERP projects slip. Not because loading data is hard, but because the data itself is messy and decisions about it come late. Here’s how to plan it so go-live weekend is uneventful.

In 30 seconds

Start cleansing early, long before the build is finished.
Move masters, open items and balances; leave most history behind.
Plan at least two trial loads before go-live.
Give every data object a business owner.

Why SAP data migration goes wrong

Cleansing starts too late, during testing

No business owner for each data object

Too much history is moved ‘just in case’

No reconciliation plan for balances

The six steps

What to move, and what to leave

Usually move	Usually leave in the old system or archive
Customer, vendor and material masters	Closed historical transactions
Open sales and purchase orders	Old, inactive master records
Open receivables and payables	Superseded price lists and conditions
Opening balances and fixed assets	Data you can report from an archive

For S/4HANA, SAP provides the Migration Cockpit with predefined templates for common objects, which speeds up mapping and loading.

Tips that save weeks

Profile the data first to see duplicates, gaps and inconsistent codes.
Agree naming and numbering rules before cleansing starts.
Automate validation so each trial load produces an error report.
Rehearse cut-over with timings, so go-live weekend runs to plan.

Clean data is the cheapest insurance an ERP project can buy.

Common mistakes to avoid with SAP data migration

Treating it as a technical task

SAP data migration needs business owners to decide what’s correct, not just IT to load files.

One trial load

A single test rarely catches everything. Plan two or three trial loads.

No reconciliation sign-off

Agree in advance how balances and counts will be checked and who signs off.

Cleansing in the new system

Fix data before loading it; cleaning inside SAP after go-live is far harder.

A worked example: rehearsing cut-over

Illustrative example

This scenario is a composite of common situations, not a specific client.

A company plans its SAP data migration over three trial loads. The first load reveals duplicate customers and missing tax numbers; owners fix them in the source system.

The second load runs much cleaner, and finance tests reconciliation of open items and balances. The third load is a full cut-over rehearsal with timings.

On go-live weekend, the final load follows the rehearsed plan and reconciliation is signed off on time. Good SAP data migration made go-live uneventful.

Checklist before your SAP data migration starts

Use these questions with your team before you begin. Clear answers here make every later decision faster.

A business owner for every data object
Agreed rules for naming, numbering and units
A decision on how much history to move
At least two trial loads in the plan
A reconciliation and sign-off process for balances

Frequently asked questions

How much history should we migrate?

SAP ECC vs S/4HANA: what’s actually different

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:24:00 +0000

Home › Blog › SAP Basics

SAP Basics

SAP ECC vs S/4HANA: what's actually different

Everyone running ECC hears they must move to S/4HANA. Here’s what actually changes between the two systems, and why it matters.

By the TechCarvings SAP team6 min readPublished 22 April 2026

This SAP ECC vs S/4HANA comparison explains the changes that matter. If you run SAP ECC, you’ve probably heard you need to move to S/4HANA. But what actually changes? Here’s a straightforward comparison of the two systems, and what the differences mean for your business.

In 30 seconds

S/4HANA runs only on SAP HANA, with a simpler data model.
Finance moves to a single universal journal.
Customers and vendors become business partners.
ECC mainstream maintenance ends 31 December 2027, about 20 months away.

SAP ECC vs S/4HANA side by side

The changes that matter most

One database, simpler tables

ECC could run on several databases and stored totals and indexes in many separate tables. S/4HANA runs only on SAP HANA and removes much of that duplication, which makes processing and reporting faster.

The universal journal

In S/4HANA, financial accounting and controlling post to one table. Finance gets a single source of truth, and month-end reconciliation shrinks.

Business partner

Customers and vendors are managed as business partners, giving one consistent master record and simplifying data maintenance.

Fiori user experience

Role-based Fiori apps replace many GUI transactions, work across devices and are easier for new users to learn.

Embedded analytics and AI

Reports run on live transactional data, and new capabilities such as SAP Business AI are delivered on S/4HANA, not ECC.

The support deadline

SAP’s mainstream maintenance for ECC 6.0 on enhancement packages 6 to 8 ends on 31 December 2027. Extended maintenance is available to 2030 at a higher fee. Given typical project lengths, companies on ECC should be planning now.

The move to S/4HANA isn’t just a technical upgrade. It’s a chance to simplify how your business runs.

Common mistakes when moving from SAP ECC to S/4HANA

Assuming it’s just an upgrade

SAP ECC vs S/4HANA is a change of data model, database and user experience, not just a version number.

Leaving custom code analysis too late

Custom programs may need changes in S/4HANA. Analyse them early so the effort is in the plan.

Ignoring process improvement

Moving to S/4HANA is the best chance in years to simplify processes. Don’t just convert the old way of working.

Waiting for 2027

With projects taking many months, waiting until close to the deadline means less choice and higher costs.

A worked example: deciding the path

Illustrative example

This scenario is a composite of common situations, not a specific client.

A company has run SAP ECC for 12 years with moderate customisation. Comparing SAP ECC vs S/4HANA, it sees the biggest gains in finance (the universal journal), user experience (Fiori) and access to SAP Business AI.

A custom code analysis shows many custom objects are no longer used. The team decides to retire them and adopt S/4HANA’s standard features where possible.

With a clear view of the differences, leadership can choose between converting the existing system or starting fresh, and plan a timeline well ahead of the 2027 deadline.

Frequently asked questions

Is S/4HANA just a new version of ECC?