Migrate to S/4HANA without the risk

The 2027 SAP ECC end-of-mainstream-maintenance deadline is fixed. Organisations that migrate on a planned timeline control the outcome. Those that wait face compressed timelines, premium partner rates, and the operational risk of a rushed cutover. BCS delivers SAP S/4HANA migrations that preserve business continuity while retiring the technical debt that has been holding the roadmap hostage.

On-time Delivery
96%

S/4HANA migration programmes delivered on or ahead of schedule with BCS execution

Custom Code Retired
55%

Average legacy custom code retired or replaced with standard S/4HANA functionality

Data Accuracy
99.8%

Post-migration data accuracy rate achieved through BCS data quality programme methodology

Trusted by leading enterprises worldwide

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Migration Approaches

Which migration path fits your landscape?

The right approach depends on the state of the ECC landscape, the volume of customisation, and how much of the current process model should be preserved versus redesigned. BCS delivers both, with the same clean-core discipline and assessment rigour applied regardless of the path chosen.

Every BCS migration starts with a structured assessment: actual custom code object count, data quality profile, integration inventory, and a timed cutover simulation. Scope is priced on evidence, not market benchmarks. Whether the programme follows a brownfield system conversion or a selective data migration, the outcome is the same — a clean-core S/4HANA system with technical debt permanently retired and Symphony automation live from go-live.

SAP ECC SOURCE LANDSCAPE ECC Finance FI · CO · Asset Acc ECC Operations MM · SD · PP Custom Code Z-objects · Exits BCS MIGRATION PROGRAMME Assess · Remediate · Deploy PATH A Brownfield PATH B Selective OUTCOME Clean Core Every path arrives at the same clean-core S/4HANA target Assessment-first · Technical debt retired · Symphony at go-live S/4HANA Finance Universal Journal · Live S/4HANA Ops Simplified · Automated BTP Extensions Differentiators · Retained SAP S/4HANA TARGET PLATFORM
Why S/4HANA Migrations Fail

The failure modes that turn migrations into crises

SAP S/4HANA migrations are among the most technically and operationally complex programmes in enterprise IT. The failure modes are well documented and largely consistent across organisations. What distinguishes the programmes that land from those that do not is whether these patterns were addressed before technical execution began.

× Industry norm What usually happens
✓ BCS approach How we prevent it
×
Custom code discovered late
A custom code impact assessment was skipped or deferred, leaving hundreds of Z-programs and exits to be assessed during the Realize phase under time pressure.
Custom code impact assessed and roadmapped before the programme starts
BCS runs a full ABAP custom code scan and impact analysis during Discover. Retirement, keep, and recode decisions are made before the migration approach is set, so the programme budget is based on evidence.
×
Data quality not addressed upfront
The migration assumed clean source data. Data quality issues surfaced during mock migration runs, forcing scope reductions and rushed remediation.
Parallel data quality program from Prepare phase
Data profiling, cleansing, and deKorvai validation run as a parallel workstream from day one. Migration objects are loaded against clean data, not data that teams intend to fix during the cutover window.
×
Integration mapping incomplete
Third-party and satellite system integrations were not fully mapped before the migration began, creating integration gaps discovered only during system integration testing.
Full integration inventory and regression test plan confirmed upfront
Every integration touchpoint is catalogued, the regression test scope is agreed, and integration testing is scheduled as a first-class workstream, not discovered as an afterthought in User Acceptance Testing.
×
Cutover window underestimated
The technical cutover sequence was built for the ideal scenario. Fallback procedures, parallel run requirements, and reconciliation time were not factored into the window.
Cutover plan rehearsed and timed before go-live weekend
BCS cutover plans are built at task level with owners, time buffers, and defined rollback triggers. Dress rehearsals are completed twice before the final weekend so every step is understood in advance.
×
Business continuity not planned
Operational teams were not prepared for system downtime. Manual fallback procedures were absent or untested, creating business disruption during the cutover window.
Zero-defect cutover with pre-built reconciliation tools
Pre-built reconciliation tooling verifies financial balances, open item counts, and stock positions before the business is live on the new system. Go-live is confirmed by reconciled data, not by assumption.
×
Post-migration stabilisation ignored
The hypercare period was treated as informal support. Regression issues, performance degradation, and adoption gaps accumulated without a structured resolution programme.
Structured post-migration stabilisation with Symphony from day one
A defined hypercare programme keeps the landscape stable post-migration while Symphony agents absorb transactional volumes that would otherwise require emergency manual intervention during the stabilisation period.
Business Outcomes

What the board gets from a successful S/4HANA migration

Migrating to S/4HANA is the most consequential SAP investment an organisation will make this decade. The business case is not just about keeping the lights on beyond 2027. It is about the new operating model that sits on the other side of the migration window.

A future-proof platform before the 2027 deadline

SAP ECC mainstream maintenance ends in 2027. Organisations that migrate on a planned schedule avoid extended maintenance premiums, constrained partner availability, and the operational risk of a deadline-driven migration.

Real-time operational visibility

The Universal Journal, embedded analytics, and live MRP replace the batch-heavy, report-intensive operations model of ECC. Decisions are made on current data, not last night's extract.

Technical debt retired permanently

An average BCS migration retires 55% of the legacy custom code base, eliminating the upgrade friction, security risk, and maintenance cost that has accumulated over the ECC lifetime.

Operational excellence through SAP transformation

Compliance rebuilt on a modern foundation

Anugal embeds continuous controls monitoring into the new S/4HANA system from cutover, replacing the manual compliance processes built around ECC limitations.

Roadmap unlocked

A clean-core S/4HANA system accepts every future SAP innovation, AI, embedded automation, industry cloud, without re-implementation. The migration pays forward for a decade.

Operational efficiency from day one

Symphony agents are deployed at cutover to absorb routine workloads in the new system. Stabilisation is supported by automation, not headcount spikes.

Methodology

How BCS delivers S/4HANA migrations

BCS migration programmes follow a six-phase approach built around risk elimination before technical execution. The custom code, data quality, and process simplification decisions made in the first two phases determine whether the migration window holds. Everything else is execution.

01
Phase 1

Migration Assessment

Custom code impact analysis, data quality profiling, integration landscape mapping, and cutover complexity scoring. The output is a migration business case with a risk-adjusted timeline and resource plan.

02
Phase 2

Architecture & Design

Target S/4HANA architecture, clean-core extension design, integration re-architecture for the new platform, and a selective data migration or brownfield conversion strategy confirmed.

03
Phase 3

Data Quality Programme

Legacy data cleansing, deduplication, and enrichment run as a parallel workstream before the migration begins. Data quality is a gate, not an assumption.

04
Phase 4

Technical Migration

System conversion or selective data migration execution, custom code remediation, configuration transfer, Universal Journal activation, and integration re-routing in the new system.

05
Phase 5

Testing & Cutover Rehearsal

End-to-end regression testing, integration testing, performance testing, and multiple full-cycle cutover rehearsals with measured durations and fallback decision points confirmed before the production window is scheduled.

06
Phase 6

Go-Live & Hypercare

Production cutover execution with reconciliation sign-off before business operations resume. Structured hypercare with SLAs, daily triage, and Symphony agents absorbing the L1/L2 support peak that follows every major migration.

Core Capabilities

Migration expertise across every S/4HANA workstream

BCS migration practice covers every technical and functional dimension of a complex S/4HANA programme, from custom code remediation and data quality through integration cutover and the Symphony-augmented operating model that is live on day one. Every capability below is a scoped workstream with defined deliverables, not a background task.

Custom Code Assessment & Remediation

Automated custom code impact analysis using SAP's Custom Code Migration app and BCS tooling. Every Z-program, enhancement spot, BAdi implementation, and implicit enhancement assessed and classified, retire, refactor as BTP extension, or carry forward under clean-core rules.

Data Migration Programme

LTMC, LTMOM, and custom migration object design. Legacy data quality programme, migration cockpit configuration, and reconciliation reports that sign off each load.

Universal Journal Migration

FI, CO, and Asset Accounting migration to the Universal Journal. Period carry-forwards, open item transfers, and balance validation against the legacy system.

Integration Re-architecture

Third-party and satellite system integration re-routing to the new S/4HANA APIs. PO to CPI migration where applicable, BCS holds full CPI implementation capability.

Embedded Analytics Activation

CDS views, SAP Analytics Cloud connectivity, and Fiori analytical apps activated on the new platform. Reporting modernised as part of the migration, not deferred.

Cutover Planning & Execution

Technical cutover sequence, fallback decision criteria, parallel run architecture, and reconciliation scripts. Multiple dress rehearsals with measured window durations before production cutover.

S/4HANA Brownfield Conversion

System conversion using SUM with DBACOCKPIT optimisation. Downtime minimisation, custom transport import sequencing, and post-conversion activation of S/4HANA simplifications.

SAP Fiori Activation

Fiori launchpad configuration, tile setup, and role-based UX activation across migrated business processes. UX improvement delivered as part of the migration programme.

Post-Migration Hypercare

Structured hypercare with daily triage, severity SLAs, performance monitoring, and Symphony-augmented L1/L2 resolution. Stabilisation designed as a programme phase, not an informal period.

The BCS Difference

What other SAP migration partners cannot offer

Most migration partners deliver a new system. BCS delivers a new operating model alongside it. Symphony, deKorvai, and Anugal are scoped during migration design and deployed at cutover, so the business operates at a higher baseline from day one rather than waiting for a follow-on programme that may never arrive.

Agentic Operations Platform

Symphony

Symphony agents are deployed at migration cutover, autonomously absorbing the operational workload in the new S/4HANA environment from the first production day. Approvals, exceptions, and period-end tasks that previously required manual handling run without human triage, reducing the hypercare staffing burden migrations typically generate.

  • Deployed at cutover to absorb operational workload immediately
  • Autonomous exception handling in the new S/4HANA environment
  • Period-end close automation active from first close post-migration
  • Support ticket deflection at L1/L2 during hypercare
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AI Decision Intelligence

deKorvai

The data that arrives in S/4HANA after migration is cleaner and better structured than anything in ECC. deKorvai is built to extract intelligence from it immediately, turning the migration into the starting point for predictive operations rather than just a platform change.

  • Post-migration anomaly detection across migrated transaction history
  • Demand and inventory signal sensing active from go-live
  • Predictive analytics replacing the ECC batch reports retired by migration
  • Cash flow forecasting on the Universal Journal from day one
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Compliance & Controls Automation

Anugal

Migration is the right moment to reset the compliance posture. BCS deploys Anugal at cutover to monitor SoD compliance against the new S/4HANA role design, collect audit evidence from the first period, and eliminate the access control gaps that accumulate when compliance configuration follows go-live.

  • Continuous SoD monitoring from cutover, not quarterly reviews
  • Automated audit evidence collection in the new S/4HANA system
  • Access risk analytics applied to the post-migration role design
  • Compliance reporting rebuilt on S/4HANA from the first period
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Why BCS

What makes BCS different for S/4HANA migrations

12 years of SAP delivery across 40+ enterprise programmes, including brownfield conversions, selective data migrations, and multi-entity cutover programmes, is what sits behind BCS migration methodology. That experience is why the approach is built around prevention rather than crisis management.

Assessment before execution, always

BCS runs a structured migration assessment before any technical work begins. Custom code volume, data quality state, integration complexity, and cutover risk are quantified before the project is scoped and priced.

Data quality is a gate, not a task

Data migration is the most common cause of migration delays and post-go-live defects. BCS runs a parallel data quality programme from the start of the project, data is clean before the migration begins.

Custom code retirement is an outcome

Most partners migrate custom code. BCS retires it. An average 55% of legacy custom objects are replaced with standard S/4HANA functionality or refactored as clean-core BTP extensions, permanently eliminating future upgrade friction.

Cutover rehearsed, not assumed

Multiple full-cycle cutover rehearsals with measured durations, fallback decision checkpoints, and reconciliation sign-off before production cutover. The cutover window is a known quantity, not a projection.

Automation covers the stabilisation peak

Symphony agents are deployed at cutover. The L1/L2 support load that peaks in the first 90 days post-migration is absorbed by automation, protecting the business from the operational disruption that typically follows a major system change.

Migration scope is priced on evidence, not benchmarks

BCS scopes and prices migrations from a structured assessment: actual custom code object count, measured data volumes, documented integration endpoints, and a timed cutover simulation. Organisations do not receive a budget estimate built on industry averages that later requires significant revision.

Get Started

Start your S/4HANA migration on your timeline.

The 2027 ECC maintenance deadline is fixed. The organisations that migrate on a planned programme control the outcome. Tell us where you are and BCS will scope a migration programme that eliminates the risk and delivers the S/4HANA foundation your roadmap requires.