BCS/4HANA Project Highlights:
- Transfer of the SEM-BCS application to the BCS/4HANA on the existing BW/4HANA system
- BCS/4HANA project was carried out as a classic waterfall project
- Work packages were to transfer the SEM-BCS application, BEx reporting, customer-specific BW developments and customer-specific programs to the BW/4HANA system
- Migration path a mixed form of greenfield and brownfield approach
- By switching to BCS/4HANA, STEAG benefits from an expanded scope of services for preparing consolidated financial statements and planning, as well as from new functionalities
In autumn 2018, our customer STEAG approached us with the question of how the alignment of their system landscape around the central group reporting system SAP SEM-BCS could be made future-proof and cost-efficient. Together with us, INSIRE Consulting, a concept for an optimal solution for the company was then developed.
The Essen-based energy company STEAG previously operated a classic BW installation (release status SAP BW 7.40) with the SEM-BCS component SEM-BW (release status SEM-BW 7.47). In addition, a BW/4HANA 1.0 installation with the software component SAP BPC was already in productive use, as were other NON-SAP systems.
The initial situation of our customer was also characterized by the fact that the decision had been made in favor of a BW strategy and the introduction of an S/4HANA platform was not an option at this point in time due to the existing system landscape. As a result, STEAG decided to migrate their previous SEM-BCS application to BCS/4HANA on the existing BW/4HANA system. The decision was favored by the expiring maintenance of the current release status of the classic SAP BW system, which would have required a release change anyway.
This decision achieved several goals:
- Consolidation or reduction of the operated BW systems
- Switch to the NextGeneration Data Ware Housing solution from SAP BW/4HANA
- Combination of group actual reporting and group planning in one system
- Avoidance of further system-preserving measures on old systems
Project approach BCS/4HANA project
The BCS/2019HANA project, which started in August 4, was carried out as a classic waterfall project. Since, in addition to the SEM-BCS application, the BEx reporting as well as customer-specific BW developments and customer-specific programs were transferred to the BW/4HANA system, these components were divided into several work packages as part of the project. These were then defined as milestones during the course of the project.
The components for the transfer to the BW/4HANA system were defined by preliminary analyzes within the previous BW system. The basic working premise here was that, if possible, the individual components should be transferred one-to-one into the BW/4HANA system. Part of the transfer was the adaptation of the system components to the technical conditions of the new environment. Due to the fact that the previous BW system was an older system, the option to part with master data and reports that were no longer needed was used, especially when transferring the SEM-BCS application and the BEx reports to be transferred. Due to the reduction in master data, the dependent customizing and the defined reports were reduced to the essentials and made more transparent. In addition, smaller and directly implementable optimizations have been carried out.
Transformation
A mixed form of greenfield and brownfield approach was chosen as the migration path. An in-place migration was out of the question, since in addition to the previous SAP BW system, a SAP BW/4HANA installation was already available on which a SAP BPC application was already running. In addition, remote conversion was not yet supported by SAP at that time.
Challenges and peculiarities of the BCS/4HANA project
During the transfer of the individual system components, we encountered a number of technical difficulties. The greatest challenge was the development of a customer-specific application for entering separate Notes information, because the SAP Notes Management application used up to now is no longer available on the BW/4HANA platform. The newly created development for recording Notes information can be described as a symbiosis of BCS/4HANA as well as planning functions and input-ready AfO workbooks.
Another challenge was the implementation of the process of the time stamp procedure with BCS/4HANA standard means. The time stamp procedure is a customer development that is embedded in a complex BW process and differs functionally from the check digit procedure. The process newly developed by INSIRE based on BCS funds and an AfO report not only increases the transparency, but also the user-friendliness of the time stamp procedure.
Result
By switching to BCS/4HANA, STEAG now benefits from an expanded scope of services for preparing consolidated financial statements and planning, as well as other new functionalities. Thanks to our preliminary analyzes and optimization processes, the new system could be set up in a more structured and efficient manner from the chosen start date and at the same time the environment familiar to the employees could be guaranteed.
If you are also interested in migrating your system to BCS/4HANA, please contact us and make an appointment for an individual workshop to identify your needs and possibilities.
Our SAP BCS/4HANA workshop offer for you:
https://www.insire.de/unser-workshop-angebot/
Discover the new possibilities of SAP BCS/4HANA & SAP BW/4HANA together with our experts!
We will show you the optimal application possibilities in a transparent and understandable way using implemented practical examples.
- What are the optimal possible uses of the solution?
- What requirements must be met?
- What added value is actually for your company?
In a remote workshop or at your site, we provide answers to these and other questions that may be of interest to your company.
In a prior call, we would be happy to coordinate the focus of the appointment together.
Duration: approx. 2 - 3 hours
Fee: by agreement
Location: at your premises or online
Target group: Accounting/Controlling departments and IT departments
In this way, you and your team can obtain information conveniently and efficiently.
We look forward to speaking with you! https://www.insire.de/kostenlose-erstberatung-vereinbaren/
https://www.insire.de/sap-sem-cs-sap-ec-cs-sap-bcs-4hana/
WE ARE GLAD TO BE HERE FOR YOU
Contact Person
Peter Thesing
Manager SAP SEM-BCS, SAP EC-CS, SAP BCS/4HANA