Insight
Companies worldwide are running heavily customized SAP ECC landscapes. As they migrate to S/4HANA, many face a critical decision: rebuild that custom code, or take a fundamentally different approach?
The instinct to replicate legacy ECC processes is understandable. Those customizations were built for good reasons they addressed real business needs that standard SAP didn't cover.
But here's what many organizations discover too late: data structures and process patterns differ significantly in S/4HANA. Copying legacy customizations directly doesn't just slow you down, it creates compounding problems that grow more expensive every year.
Custom software projects introduce risks that aren't immediately visible. Performance issues emerge as data volumes grow. Integration gaps appear when APIs don't align. Security vulnerabilities hide in code that fewer eyes review. Compliance gaps surface when auditors ask for documentation that doesn't exist.
And with EU regulations tightening - NIS2, DORA, CSRD, the stakes for getting this wrong are higher than ever.
What if you could modernize to S/4HANA without rebuilding all that custom code? What if industry-specific requirements could be addressed with pre-built, certified solutions that integrate cleanly with S/4HANA's core?
We compared both approaches for a corporate client, a tailor-made build versus an alternative strategy. The differences in TCO, implementation speed, and risk profile were significant enough to change how we advise clients on S/4HANA programs.
Get the full TCO analysis, readiness checklist, and EU compliance guidance in our free whitepaper.
