Upgrade of a Global Information System: from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA® – 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 S/4HANA 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 S/4HANA Validation Exercise should be executed to maintain the validated status of the system.