Moving to SAP S/4HANA: all at once or in stages?
Big bang or phased migration? My bachelor’s thesis examines the criteria for moving to SAP S/4HANA: data retention, departments, process complexity and custom developments.
The study
I developed hypotheses from the literature, analysed seven qualitative expert interviews and brought the decision criteria together in the Brandenburg Migration Check. Five additional interviews served only to clarify technical questions. The study is limited to seven experts in the German market.
Choosing an approach
Customisation increases migration effort. Risks to operations can favour a phased approach, while strong functional alignment can favour a big bang. The focus is migration strategy, business continuity and change management.
Criteria determine the path
Which data should be retained? How many departments are affected? How complex are their processes? Which custom developments must be considered? Management goals, organisational requirements and business processes determine the appropriate path. There is no universally best strategy.
What followed
The work laid a foundation for my later migration projects, including in other companies.
Why the topic remains relevant
As of September 2026, SAP lists mainstream maintenance for core Business Suite 7 applications, including the latest three enhancement packages of SAP ERP 6.0, through the end of 2027, with optional extended maintenance through 2030. This is not a general shutdown date. A cloud transition option for certain large, complex customers has been announced for 2031–2033, subject to conditions; it is not a general extension of on-premise maintenance. The thesis was written in English, with German interview transcripts.