Time to RISE - Why and When Should We Move to RISE with SAP?
In today's fast-paced digital landscape, businesses seek efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and a competitive edge. Enter RISE with SAP—a transformative solution revolutionising operations and bolstering competitiveness.
Whether you're contemplating the move or seeking to optimise your upgrade timing, this post provides some factors to consider when deciding when to move, guiding you towards a decision that aligns seamlessly with your business objectives. It is the second blog in our Time to RISE blog series, and we expand on the benefits and provide further insights into the right time for your business to RISE with S/4HANA Cloud, Private Edition.
Join us as we navigate the intricacies of RISE with SAP, offering insights into why moving is not just an option but a strategic imperative.
Benefits of Moving to RISE with SAP
Simplified IT Landscape
One of the standout advantages of RISE with SAP is its capability to consolidate your IT landscape under a single contract. Consolidating the IT landscape eliminates the complexity of managing multiple contracts and service providers, which can be resource-intensive and cumbersome. By simplifying your management processes, RISE frees your team to focus on more strategic initiatives, enhancing operational agility and responsiveness to business needs. By consolidating your IT landscape, you could potentially reduce costs associated with managing multiple service providers and contracts.
Additionally, consolidating IT services under RISE with SAP with a unified system simplifies cybersecurity management as it becomes easier to monitor, detect, and respond to potential security threats, thereby enhancing the overall security posture of your organisation.
Scalability
In today's business environment, agility is critical. RISE enables businesses to scale operations seamlessly according to fluctuating demands. Whether you need to expand rapidly to meet growing market opportunities or scale down during quieter periods, RISE provides the flexibility to adjust operations swiftly. This scalability boosts operational efficiency and ensures cost-effectiveness, allowing businesses to optimise resource allocation regardless of market conditions. RISE with S/4HANA Private Cloud Edition is designed to grow with your business, easily adapting to meet changing needs and future-proofing your IT infrastructure. This means your business's long-term growth is supported, making RISE an excellent choice for businesses looking to optimise their IT infrastructure and remain competitive in the future digital economy.
Innovation
Staying ahead in the digital age requires continuous innovation. RISE with SAP Private Cloud Edition grants businesses access to cutting-edge SAP technologies and innovations on a robust and secure private cloud environment that safeguards your essential business data and mission-critical operations. Once implemented, the suite of powerful tools and services can drive innovation and competitiveness. One such service is the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP). This platform focuses on turning data into actionable business insights. It allows businesses to extend and personalise SAP applications, integrate and connect landscapes, and drive business innovation. BTP empowers professional developers and business experts with its SAP Build low-code solution which accelerates development and business automation. Businesses can leverage BTP to make confident decisions, connect processes and experiences, and stay competitive.
Another key tool is the SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC). This comprehensive solution for analytics and planning integrates with SAP and other data sources to provide real-time insights based on a single source of truth. With its generative AI, industry-specific content, and collaborative planning features, SAC enables businesses to make informed decisions faster. From harnessing artificial intelligence for enhanced customer experiences to leveraging advanced analytics for deeper operational insights, RISE empowers businesses seamlessly. This proactive approach to innovation ensures that businesses remain competitive and well-positioned to capitalise on emerging opportunities.
Cost Savings
Moving to RISE with SAP can yield substantial cost savings over time. By transitioning to cloud-based solutions, businesses can eliminate the need for on-premise infrastructure, reducing the costs associated with hardware acquisition, maintenance, replacement, and consolidating various third-party services. The cloud-based model also reduces the need for physical space, power, and cooling, which are significant expenses in traditional IT landscapes.
Maintenance costs associated with running traditional SAP ECC, including system upgrades, bug fixes, and security patches, are significantly reduced with RISE as SAP takes care of these tasks under the new governance model. The pay-as-you-go cloud services model further optimises costs, ensuring that businesses only pay for the resources they use. This shift reduces IT expenditures and enables businesses to redirect resources towards strategic investments that drive growth and profitability.
When Should You Move to RISE with SAP?
Deciding to move to RISE with SAP is pivotal and should align closely with your business objectives and readiness for change. However, a compelling event that SAP Business Suite customers need to consider is the end of mainstream support and extended maintenance.
Here are key factors to consider:
End of ECC Support
SAP has announced the expiration date of support for SAP ECC solutions with enhancement packages (EHP) 6, 7, and 8 to be the 31 December 2027, with extended maintenance due to expire in 2030. All SAP ERP 6.0 without an EHP or with less than EHP6 will see the end of support on the 31 December 2025. This means that businesses running on these versions of ECC will no longer receive updates, patches, or technical support from SAP after these dates. As a result, moving to S/4HANA, which is included in RISE with S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, becomes not just an option but a necessity for some businesses. Your business needs to factor in the volume of SAP customers needing to move and avoid potential delays by prioritising your move plans.
Business Objectives
When deciding to RISE with S/4HANA on Private Cloud Edition, it is important to evaluate whether your current business objectives align with what RISE with SAP offers. If your business prioritises simplifying IT operations, rapid scalability, access to cutting-edge innovations, and achieving long-term cost efficiencies, upgrading to RISE could be a timely and strategic move.
For instance, if your business plans to meet ESG reporting requirements, simplify requisitions, optimise procurement, run remote logistics, enhance warehousing operations, expand into new markets or launch new products, the scalability and innovative technologies offered by RISE could be instrumental in achieving these objectives.
IT Landscape Complexity
Consider the complexity of your existing IT landscape. If managing multiple contracts and diverse IT environments becomes burdensome, RISE can streamline operations by consolidating everything into a unified platform.
Another important factor to consider is the complexity of your existing IT landscape. If your business struggles with managing multiple contracts and diverse IT environments, RISE can offer a solution by streamlining operations and consolidating everything into a unified platform. This simplification not only reduces overhead costs but also enhances operational efficiency. For example, consolidating third-party services such as Security Penetration testing, ITSM Services, and patching can significantly reduce administrative overhead and potential security risks.
Budget Considerations
While RISE with SAP offers the prospect of long-term cost efficiencies, evaluating your financial preparedness for the upfront investment is essential. This includes considering the costs associated with the move, potential expenses for training, and the operational modifications needed for effective system integration. During the move, there's typically a period where costs for both the existing landscape and the new subscription coexist. Post-move, you can maintain some existing services temporarily to mitigate the impact of change. As your SAP Partner, we collaborate with hyperscalers and SAP to explore any available funding incentives that could lower the investment, thereby providing financial savings for your business.
Readiness for Change
Upgrading to RISE with SAP entails more than just adopting new technology—it involves organisational change. Developing a robust change management strategy will prepare your business for this transition. The plan must include:
• Training employees on the new system.
• Fostering a culture of innovation.
• Addressing any resistance to change within the organisation.
It's also important to communicate the move's benefits to key stakeholders to ensure buy-in and a smooth transition.
Conclusion
The move to RISE with SAP represents a strategic move towards future-proofing your business operations. By embracing this integrated solution, businesses can simplify IT management, enhance scalability, drive innovation, and achieve significant cost efficiencies. However, it's crucial to approach this decision thoughtfully, considering your specific business needs and readiness for change.
Consulting with an SAP Platinum partner like DyFlex Solutions can provide invaluable guidance if you're contemplating a move. They can help assess your readiness, tailor a move or upgrade strategy to align with your objectives and support you throughout the implementation process. Ultimately, upgrading to RISE with SAP isn't just about adopting new technology—it's about positioning your business for sustained growth and success in the digital era.
Are you ready to RISE with SAP and unlock your business's full potential?
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