Upgrade of a Global Information System: from SAP ECC to S4HANA – A Case Study

Introduction

Currently, SAP is the lead ERP solution for medium and large pharma companies. Many of them are now facing the challenge to identify a solution to upgrade from SAP ECC to S4HANA as a required step: the support of the SAP ECC solution will end in 2025. 

The embedded complexity of the project is due to the impact of the project:

1. The number of changes and stratification of modifications during the years, which includes a very high number of Z-transactions; 
2. The number of interfaces with field equipment (printers, handheld devices) and systems (see also Figure 2); 
3. The number of companies and differentiated processes between them, for example:
   • 3 pharmaceutical production plants
   • 1 API production plant 
   • 10+ commercial and distribution sites around the world 

SAP ECC was validated in its first implementation and then in all succeeding roll outs. The S4HANA Validation Exercise should be executed to maintain the validated status of the system.