SAP S/4HANA Migrations Roll Out Slowly in Germany

Rhea-AI Summary

German enterprises are increasingly adopting SAP S/4HANA, but remain hesitant about transitioning to a SaaS model, as revealed in the ISG Provider Lens™ report. The report highlights a slow migration from traditional SAP ERP systems to S/4HANA, with heightened reluctance towards public cloud implementations. While SAP's RISE initiative has gained traction among midsize clients, larger companies are more cautious. Notably, ISG evaluates 46 providers, naming leaders in various quadrants. The report emphasizes a skill shortage hindering cloud migration projects.

Positive

• Increased willingness among German enterprises to transition to SAP S/4HANA.
• SAP's RISE initiative is popular among midsize customers, facilitating cloud transitions.
• The report provides a detailed evaluation of 46 providers, enhancing service provider options.

Negative

• German enterprises exhibit significant reluctance to adopt SaaS for S/4HANA.
• Larger companies hesitant to utilize SAP's RISE initiative due to existing licensing agreements.
• A shortage of skilled professionals complicates transition efforts for both providers and clients.

German enterprises are embracing S/4HANA but still cautious about SaaS-based, public cloud implementations, ISG Provider Lens™ report says

FRANKFURT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- German enterprises are increasingly willing to move to SAP S/4HANA but have been slow to adopt it in the form of software-as-a-service (SaaS), according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ SAP Ecosystem report for Germany finds enterprises around the world have been hesitant to migrate from their traditional SAP ERP core to S/4HANA in production systems, despite SAP making this transition a high priority as it prepares to end support for previous products at the end of 2027. However, organizations in Germany have an even greater reluctance to deploy S/4HANA on public clouds instead of private clouds or on-premises infrastructure, the report says.

“German companies are conservative about making the full transition to SaaS-based S/4HANA,” said Anna Medkouri, partner at ISG. “However, many are planning their S/4HANA migration and beginning to engage with providers.”

Last year, SAP launched the RISE with SAP initiative to ease customers’ transitions to cloud-based S/4HANA by offering a bundle of licenses and services. While RISE has developed a following among midsize customers with relatively simple SAP environments, many larger enterprises with longstanding licensing agreements have been reluctant to use it, ISG says.

The report examines a series of questions enterprises face as they consider the transition to cloud-based S/4HANA. These include whether to start by migrating their applications to the cloud or by implementing S/4HANA, or whether to do both at the same time. A shortage of professionals with the skills to carry out such projects further complicates these questions for both providers and clients, ISG says.

SAP also offers the option of replacing ERP systems with a standard process-oriented implementation using SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP). This allows for the integration of SAP and non-SAP applications in a unified platform and supports a digital-first approach that can include new technologies such as AI, machine learning and blockchain. Most German enterprises have been cautious about taking such approaches to full implementation, the report says.

“German enterprises are under pressure to remain relevant and agile,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “Service providers can help them integrate the necessary technologies.”

The report also includes insights on other SAP trends in the German market, including the needs driving adoption of SAP managed application services and the importance for midmarket clients of providers having strong onshore and nearshore resources.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ SAP Ecosystem report for Germany evaluates the capabilities of 46 providers across five quadrants: SAP S/4HANA System Transformation — Large Accounts, SAP S/4HANA System Transformation — Midmarket, Managed Application Services for SAP ERP, Managed Platform and Cloud Services for SAP ERP, and SAP Business Technology Platform Services.

The report names Accenture, All For One Group, Atos, Capgemini and T-Systems as Leaders in four quadrants each. It names Infosys and Wipro as Leaders in three quadrants each and Cognizant, NTT DATA and TCS as Leaders in two quadrants each. Arvato, Camelot ITLab, CANCOM, DATAGROUP, Devoteam, Fujitsu, Innovabee and Syntax are named as Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, HCL is named as a Rising Star — a company with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in two quadrants. Wipro is named as a Rising Star in one quadrant.

Customized versions of the report are available from Atos, Capgemini, DATAGROUP and T-Systems.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ SAP Ecosystem report for Germany is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG Provider Lens™ Research

The ISG Provider Lens™ Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

A companion research series, the ISG Provider Lens Archetype reports, offer a first-of-its-kind evaluation of providers from the perspective of specific buyer types.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 800 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220906005368/en/

Philipp Jaensch, ISG

+49 151 730 365 76

philipp.jaensch@isg-one.com



Matthias Longo, Palmer Hargreaves for ISG

+49 152 341 464 63

mlongo@palmerhargreaves.com

Source: Information Services Group, Inc.

FAQ

What does the ISG Provider Lens report say about German enterprises and SAP S/4HANA?

The report indicates that German enterprises are increasingly adopting SAP S/4HANA but remain cautious with SaaS implementations.

What challenges do German companies face in migrating to SAP S/4HANA?

Challenges include reluctance to adopt SaaS, existing licensing agreements for larger firms, and a shortage of skilled professionals.

What is the significance of SAP's RISE initiative according to the ISG report?

RISE has gained traction among midsize businesses, although larger enterprises are more reluctant to adopt it.

How many providers does the ISG report evaluate, and who are the leaders?

The report evaluates 46 providers and names Accenture, Atos, Capgemini, and T-Systems as leaders in multiple quadrants.