SAP S/4HANA Cloud Reviews

I work with SAP S/4HANA Cloud with two major clients: one in the UAE and one in UK. I already work with the cloud-based S/4HANA and ECC.

Use cases also depends on the business process. It's personal to what the use of the previous business process was, what they want, what they get from ECC, and what they want in S/4HANA. 

Everything in S/4HANA is related to the business processes. It depends entirely on the customer's or client's requirements. If you want to check the software via ALV report, S/4HANA can deliver it. If you want to show everything graphically, S/4HANA can deliver that capability, too. 

If anyone wants to check data, like dashboards, S/4HANA also provides those facilities via Fiori apps. S/4HANA delivers everything related to the business process.

We currently leverage SAP S/4HANA Cloud for real-time analytics.

In SAP S/4HANA Cloud, we work on RFCs (Remote Function Calls). Overall, the dependencies on the client's requirements are similar to those in SAP ECC. The major fields in S/4HANA are the same as in ECC. I work on SD and MM modules, and they are integrated with each other via web services or IDocs.

ECC is almost finished. SAP will support it until 2027, and S/4HANA is the long-term solution, supported until 2040. 

S/4HANA provides more features using the Fiori interface and business processes. We can use the GUI, SAP Fiori apps, and web browsers. It is accessible online from anywhere in the world. It is a more user-friendly environment and faster than ECC. The major feature is that it uses its own database, not relying on third-party applications.

The cloud aspect of SAP S/4HANA:

It uses its own database, HANA 2.0, and because it is its own database, it works very smoothly and quickly. S/4HANA is stable, and there is no chance of data redundancy, making it fast and responsive for the client.

It has been almost more than four years in S/4HANA Cloud and almost three years in ECC. Overall, I have more than nine years of experience in SAP and five successful implementations, including three S/4HANA Cloud and two ECC projects.

I work as a web consultant/specialist and also with technical functional consultants, like integrations, enhancements, scripts, workflows, etc.

It is a 100% stable product. I would rate the stability a ten out of ten. 

I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten because it supports all the business processes. 

It is suitable for all types of businesses. 

After the successful implementation of S/4HANA for a client, technical support is available 24/7 because the client may face errors at any time. So, technical people are always available for support.

The technical support team is all-time available.

Positive

I would rate my experience with the initial setup a ten out of ten, with ten being easy. I am a technical consultant, so it was easy for me. 

It can be done within a few hours, but it also depends on the customer's requirements. If they want some changes, it may be done within one hour. But if there are large-scale changes, it may take one week or one month.

Integration capabilities:

I have a lot of experience with integrations in my nine years of experience. A major integration I successfully completed was in UAE, with a big company called Q Holding. They needed to resolve property-related issues in the UAE and REFX modules using SAP. We fully integrated it with mobile apps and browsers, and everything is accessible online. 

Another major project was in the UK, with a company called CVS, an international company. We integrated it with ECC, and now we've moved to S/4HANA, with everything done by S/4HANA. It is totally integrated with three modules: MM, SD, and FI modules.

SD and FI are the core workflows for enterprise businesses. Without SD and FI capabilities, the business process cycle is not complete.

The expense of S/4HANA depends on the business scale. For a small business, it may be less expensive, but for a large, international level, it may be more expensive. It depends on the kind of business scale.

I recommend S/4HANA 100%. It is user-friendly ERP software and 100% trusted, with no chance for scams. Business processes run smoothly, and we can completely see our balance sheet, profit and loss, and year-end closing with tenure.

It's the best, ten out of ten.

We were migrating from our in-house ERP solution to the solution, which was a more corporate-centralized solution. My role was to lead the team in mapping our processes with the central team. We aimed to find synergies and learn how to handle processes that weren't directly covered.

Sales data processing was cumbersome with many mandatory inputs. We normalized this by pulling the data out, manipulating it, and sending it back. We also had unique requirements for controlling product availability, ATP checks, and prioritization for certain customers. These were areas specific to our business model that we handled outside the tool.

I have been working with the product since 2017. 

Our Singapore team contacted SAP's technical team. I found them in tune with our needs and understanding from my limited interaction. They took time but provided solutions to meet our requirements.

Neutral

The solution helped us save money and time, especially as part of a global central platform. It allowed for standardized, optimized processes across all entities in our global organization. When one entity develops an optimized practice, it becomes available to everyone. This brings both tangible and intangible benefits.

The time it takes to see benefits varies. For a new optimization like procurement planning, it might take 12-18 months to see results. For shorter-term projects like monitoring investments, we might see the impact in three to six months. It depends on the complexity and scope of the project. You can't expect immediate results like adding spice to soup—it takes time to see the effects of these changes.

SAP S/4 Hana isn't cheap, but its value depends on how much you can leverage from it. It's not just about the system but how well your people are trained to use it and adapt to derive benefits.

No specific feature stood out as especially valuable. It's a well-established ERP solution, so all of it was good. We stuck to the original solution in some areas where we couldn't manipulate it much. Where needed, we used our development on an SQL platform, taking relevant data from the tool, manipulating it, and sending it back using interfaces.

We didn't use real-time analytics because we didn't need it. Our data refresh frequency of one to two hours was good enough for us. It wasn't about cost but necessity. We didn't want to load the system unnecessarily when our business needs were met with less frequent updates.

We used SAP S/4 Hana with other tools in our ecosystem. We extracted data through interfaces for multiple ancillary solutions. For example, we integrated it with our warehouse management system, not SAP's. We used real-time interfaces for some things, but for analytics like Power BI and SQL analytics, we updated data every one to three hours, depending on needs.

I'm a strong supporter of integration. You can't expect to have all the solutions on one platform. Different solutions excel in order processing, procurement planning, workflow management, or data analytics. Integration is the best way to combine these strengths.

Integrating tools with SAP S/4 Hana wasn't too difficult because we had a good technical team. It has standard interfaces for sharing critical data. It can be challenging without people who have in-depth knowledge of the modules and processes. But with the right team, it's just a matter of good design, testing, and rollout.

We didn't use AI features as our implementation was in 2017-2019 before AI became prominent. I haven't worked with other equivalent platforms, but from what I hear, the tool is among the top. Nothing is perfect, as it's all man-made, so I'd rate it an eight out of ten. 

In my role supporting clients in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Europe, and India, I have worked with companies, including government entities like Gartner Rich Ship Builders, migrating from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA Cloud. The transition aims to streamline operations, enhance user experiences with SAP Fiori, and enable real-time analytics for better decision-making. While specific client names are confidential, our support spans diverse industries, illustrating the global adoption and versatile applications of SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

I have found the financial and production planning modules to be the most valuable features.

The only thing that could be improved would be the complexity of the initial setup.

I have been working with SAP S/4HANA Cloud for a few years.

The stability of SAP S/4HANA Cloud is still being evaluated as we are in the early stages, especially with data migration. Right now, I would rate it around six out of ten, but it needs more time to see how it performs as we continue to use and migrate data.

It is highly scalable. I would rate the scalability as a nine out of ten. We have around five or six clients using SAP S/4HANA Cloud. Our clients range from big Fortune 500 companies to smaller businesses with revenues close to half a billion US dollars.

There is significant room for improvement in SAP's support, as getting answers from them can be challenging. Fortunately, in many cases, we rely on our capable in-house team and don't often require extensive support from SAP. I would rate the support as a five out of ten.

Positive

we have advised our clients to move from on-premise to cloud, as cloud hosted subscription based model eliminates the installation and maintenance cost (OPEX & CAPEX) of data center.

The initial setup of SAP, especially with SAP HANA and S/4HANA, is inherently complex. However, SAP offers assistance through services like RISE with HANA to handle the setup aspect, making the software ready for users. While SAP supports the setup, the implementation phase is a separate, intricate process where challenges can arise. Overall, the installation is getting streamlined, but the implementation remains a complex task. SAP S/4HANA Cloud deployment typically involves two main phases. SAP can get the system up and running in about six weeks when you purchase the license. After that, the actual implementation takes a bit longer, usually ranging from nine to eighteen months. In our case, we follow SAP's recommended process called Activate Methodology, which is a standard and widely accepted approach. This helps ensure a structured and efficient deployment.

We are an implementation partner for SAP.

ROI depends on certain parameters. As SAP provides the infrastructure support and maintenance, the ROI directly would reflect that. Subscription allows flexibility that is otherwise not available. 

The price depends on the business size and comparison with competitors like Oracle. In the SAP sphere, the pricing is competitive, but it is not suitable for smaller businesses. For companies under $500 million, it might be considered expensive, but this holds true for other ERP solutions in this category. The affordability varies based on the business scale and requirements. In addition to the standard licensing fees (yearly subscription based), there are no separate costs for SAP S/4HANA Cloud. Also application components or stack can be added/removed as per business usage of business functionality. However, there are nuances in the licensing structure, especially regarding transactions, that require careful consideration to avoid unexpected charges.

we advise SAP S4/HANA cloud - public or private (depending on customer budget).

My advice for anyone considering SAP S/4HANA Cloud is to study the product and its competitors to ensure it meets your business needs. Assess if there is a clear return on investment. ERP implementation is complex and requires a strong commitment from top management. Do your homework and make sure leadership is fully on board to avoid costly mistakes. Overall, I would rate SAP S/4HANA Cloud as a seven out of ten.

Our primary use case for SAP S/4HANA Cloud is managing and coordinating theatre productions, including handling logistics, accommodations, and technical requirements. It supports our environment by streamlining communication and ensuring seamless event execution across various venues.

The solution has significantly improved our organization by enhancing our ability to manage multiple productions efficiently. It has streamlined coordination between teams, improved communication, and facilitated better tracking of logistical needs, leading to smoother operations and reduced manual errors.

The platform's most valuable features include the integrated scheduling tool, which allows us to coordinate between different teams and venues effortlessly, and the comprehensive logistics tracking system, ensuring that all aspects of our productions are managed effectively.

The product could be improved by enhancing its user interface to make it more intuitive and by increasing the customization options for tracking and reporting, which would better align with our specific needs.

They should include advanced analytics features for performance tracking and reporting, as well as improved integration with other tools we use for budgeting and scheduling.

The product is generally stable, with minimal disruptions or downtime, which is crucial for maintaining the smooth operation of our productions.

The product is highly scalable, effectively accommodating the needs of both small and large-scale productions without compromising performance.

The technical support team has been responsive and helpful, addressing issues and providing solutions promptly whenever needed.

Positive

We previously used a different solution but switched because the former needed to provide the level of integration and customization we required for managing complex theatre productions.

The initial setup was relatively straightforward but required some customization to fit our requirements. The process involved integrating various components and configuring settings to align with our operational requirements.

We implemented the solution with the assistance of a vendor team.

The return on investment has been positive. The solution contributed to more efficient operations and reduced overhead costs, which impacted our overall budget favorably.

Overall, SAP S/4HANA Cloud has been a valuable asset to our operations. We are taking full advantage of the available training resources to maximize its benefits and provide feedback to the provider for continuous improvements.

I rate it a nine out of ten. 

The use cases are for ERP, for manufacturing, for sales, for finance, HR, material management. Normally, all the basic modules of any ERP package.

Right now, SAP uses the HANA database. It is a real-time database, or as SAP calls it, an in-memory database. For all current transactions, SAP has layered the database into different layers. All the current databases are stored in memory, which makes processing them very fast.

Secondly, the most important thing is that Oracle or Microsoft Dynamics still uses the RDBMS concept in the database. That's what any standard ERP has been using all this while. What SAP HANA does, the HANA database, is store it in a linear fashion. It's a linear database.

See, if I have to draw an analogy, suppose I ask Mr. X. He enters an apartment, and then I ask him to gather five books from five bedrooms. He has to run to each bedroom to get a book. And then I have another apartment where there is one big bedroom. That's what is a linear database. And there are five books stored in that one big shelf. That's the difference between previous RDBMS databases and the HANA database. So the response time is much quicker.

It takes care of very high-volume manufacturing MRP runs, where the MRP run is done across geographies. This kind of in-memory database helps out a lot. Then, the current database is stored next. 

The other part is that near-line storage. That's the second layer of the HANA database, where they store the not-so-current data. And the rest of the old data is stored in the data lake layer of the HANA database.

The biggest value of SAP S/4HANA is its integration aspects—across business modules, and not only across business modules—its integration or interoperability with other third-party systems and its ease of use.

Previously, SAP versions used to be quite cumbersome for the end-users. Now SAP S/4HANA has a totally different approach. They use Fiori landing pages, which makes life better.

The integration aspect is the cake. Normally, other ERP packages - I have worked with Oracle ERP, I have worked with Bond previously, and even Microsoft Dynamics - they claim to have integration across modules. But the reality is something different.

Now, by integration, what happens is that... Suppose I give you an example of Oracle Financials or Oracle Manufacturing. You do a transaction in Sales, and then you have to make corresponding entries in Finance and Manufacturing and go back into Sales to ensure that it integrates. They try to propagate it as an integration highlight, which is not the case with SAP. In SAP S/4HANA, I make a sales entry, and I don't have to patch anything. I don't have to make corresponding entries anywhere in any other modules. It will have corresponding entries already made in finance and manufacturing.

For any other ERP, like Point M, Microsoft Dynamics, and all, I would have to manually make those entries. And they call it integration. Giving a facility to manually enter and then calling it integration is something I don't like to call integration.

In SAP, I make an entry, and it has corresponding entries automatically done. There's a chain of events that happens in the respective modules. The integration aspect is so significant.

It's a continuous improvement process. Maybe right now, as this is evolving, I find it's quite good. The only thing is the pricing of S/4HANA Cloud. It needs to be taken care of. 

Previously, very small business owners could go ahead and implement it on-premise, separately, according to their needs. Now, the cloud subscription using the SaaS model is quite expensive. It's beyond the reach of small and medium-sized businesses.

I have been using it for more than ten years.  

Now, there is no on-premise version. Everything is on the Cloud now. And these S/4HANA versions are now called RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud and GROW with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition [it started just this year].

So, I have worked with both, RISE and GROW editions. 

I would rate the stability a ten out of ten. I have never seen such a stable solution. 

I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. The solution itself is scalable as it depends on the consultants who are deployed for the solution. 

In SAP, there is no one right solution. You can deploy a solution in three, four different ways, and all can be right. Now, what is a better solution? There can be variations of what is better or not, depending on the scalability of that solution. But once I add new product lines and some new plants, I see a new client or a new company code. How much do I have to change in my production? That is where the scalability of the solution depends. That is what differentiates a good consultant from a not-so-good consultant. 

Because everyone deploys the right solution. The only thing is how scalable the solution is.

Customer service and support are pain points. For the cloud solution, deployability, or the installation of the certificates, that is great; there is no problem with the support. But when there is a certain thing, like the other three problems, where we need to call up the help desk, we might not get a very good answer or feedback from them.

At the end of the day, although it is SAP, a big company, the people who are sitting there to help us are quite junior consultants. So, the answers to the questions are very... I mean, it's a mundane answer given a lot of times. So, there's a lot to be desired.

So, SAP needs some improvement in the technical support part too.

Neutral

I would rate my experience with the initial setup an eight out of ten, with one being difficult and ten being easy. It's very easy to set up. In SAP, RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud and GROW S/4HANA are the two versions available now in the public and private cloud. You don't have to set up anything. SAP does everything for you.

Previously, you needed to deploy basis or admin consultant to set up the systems. It's either from the consulting side or from the end-user side. Now you don't need to do anything. SAP actually does everything for you.

The deployment model depends on the kind of customization required. If the business requires a highly customized solution, they have to go for a private cloud. The other option is to go for public cloud. Now, public cloud is much cheaper, almost 50% of the price of a private cloud subscription. But it is very difficult to do customizations there.

But there is another aspect to it. You can always do those customizations in SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform). Now, what SAP has been recommending for the last two or three years is not to mess up your core SAP system. There is a parallel platform they use again, which is the Business Technology Platform. They ask you to do all your programming, customization, analytics, and AI tools there. It's embedded in that Business Technology Platform. They ask you to do all your customizations there. So it should not be a problem, whether it's a private or public cloud. It all depends on the budget of the customer.

Basically, people choose the hyperscalers. But if they use something like Control S or some other smaller providers, then some of the freebies are not available. But whatever is the subscription fee for SAP, it's not only the SAP license, it also includes the cloud hosting fees. Everything is a one-package solution.

The deployment time varies and depends on different factors. The current project I'm doing is a public cloud implementation with SAP. Obviously, we intend to go live in six months' time. But if the go-live is in five months with, let's assume, customized programs of a magnitude of a hundred programs, we can go live in five to six months. But with larger, customizable business processes, then it will take longer, maybe even a year, another six months.

So, normally, it should take something around six months to one year. We have big businesses as our customers. So, the deployment takes a lot of time for large infrastructure.

I would rate the value for money an eight out of ten. 

Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. SAP is a state-of-the-art solution. I have never seen, and I can't compare it with, any other competitor.  

The depth of the solution is huge. The cost and affordability are the biggest concerns. Price is an obstacle. It will be an obstacle for small and medium-sized enterprises.

It's a lovely solution. But, I don't recommend it for very small enterprises. Why? Because it's like we are bringing in a nuclear bomb for just a street fight. It would be too excessive for them for small businesses to get such a huge solution.

We use the product for handling configurations and managing user requirements across different modules.

The product's most valuable features include its real-time data storage and integration capabilities through SAP connectors. These features have enhanced operational efficiency by allowing seamless data processing and connectivity.

We have encountered challenges with integration projects, particularly between SAP and non-SAP systems, which have caused delays. While these issues are being gradually addressed, I recommend improving the user interface of the SAP ticketing portal. Making it more user-friendly and searchable would help submit tickets more effectively and ensure they reach the correct team for resolution.

I have been working with SAP S4HANA Cloud for approximately three years.

We have encountered issues with updates and delays in receiving timely information regarding component readiness for updates. 

I rate the stability a four out of ten.

I rate the platform's scalability as seven out of ten. 

Support tickets are often unresolved for extended periods, and the support team needs more understanding.

Negative

The initial setup is moderately difficult, with the deployment process varying depending on the complexity of the development. 

Complex developments can take hours, whereas simpler ones can be completed in minutes.

I rate the process a six out of ten. 

The product implementation was handled through a vendor team.

The return on investment has been lower than expected, as the rising costs have not translated into proportional gains.

The solution's costs have significantly increased, and we have not seen any anticipated cost savings.

I advise those considering the solution to ensure proper training and support. Having a well-informed front-end team and receiving regular updates to address customer needs is crucial. 

I rate it a five out of ten.

In my consulting work, clients commonly use SAP S/4HANA Cloud for finance and logistics. Some integrate additional applications through the Business Technology Platform, while others streamline manufacturing processes with Digital Supply Chain functionalities.

The most valuable aspect of SAP S/4HANA Cloud is its ease of deployment and the reduced hassles of infrastructure support. Compared to the earlier on-premise ECC version, upgrading is now much smoother, eliminating the challenges that used to appear during version upgrades. One significant advantage is that SAP handles infrastructure support and downtime directly when the system is hosted in its environment. This not only saves time but also mitigates the challenges associated with managing infrastructure independently.

There is room for improvement in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, particularly in enhancing the application's response time. While it is not problematic, any improvements in this area would be beneficial. Additionally, despite the availability of the BTP for integration, there is a potential for increased flexibility. A more adaptable environment from SAP in terms of integration would be highly valuable for optimizing processes and workflows.

I have been an SAP consultant for over 20 years, specializing in supply chain and order fulfillment. 

I find it to be a highly scalable product. The ease of deploying patches and upgrades from SAP contributes to its scalability, provided that users maintain a clean system. The seamless integration suite facilitates the incorporation of non-SAP applications into the landscape, making it a straightforward solution for deployment and accommodating the continuous addition of new functionalities by SAP. Overall, scalability is a strong point for this product. I have worked with setups having around 200 to 400 end users concurrently using SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

While I haven't needed support frequently, the times I did, the response from the SAP technical team was good. The support provided was helpful and responsive, particularly within the Indian ecosystem. Although instances requiring assistance have been infrequent, the overall experience with SAP's technical support has been positive.

The initial setup of SAP S/4HANA Cloud has been relatively smooth in my experience. Compared to earlier on-premise versions of SAP, the process is notably more efficient, particularly in the context of public or private cloud deployments, like SQL HANA on the cloud. I would estimate that the initial deployment is about 40-50% percent more streamlined than it used to be in the past.

For SAP S/4HANA Cloud the return on investment is significant. 

While SAP S/4HANA Cloud may be on the higher side price-wise, it is a worthwhile investment.

In my experience of nearly two decades in the ERP field, I highly recommend choosing SAP S/4HANA Cloud. SAP is a reliable and user-friendly ERP, and its integration with the public cloud ensures continuous updates without the hassles of migration or upgrades. It offers ease of deployment, a user-friendly interface, incorporation of good business practices, preconfigured solutions, scalability, and straightforward upgrade and management processes. Overall, I would rate SAP S/4HANA Cloud as an eight out of ten.

I use SAP to manage an entire company. It is an ERP system that helps me streamline and integrate various business processes.

Public cloud deployment is preferred, as I do not have to take care about infrastructure, security and upgrades.

What I like the most about SAP S/4HANA public cloiud is how reliable and powerful it is.

SAP S/4HANA public cloud could improve by adding more features because the current set is a bit limited. I need more options for enhancing the system, especially compared to the features available in the on-premise version. Additionally, the initial setup can be quite complex and still requires deep SAP expertise.

I have been using SAP S/4HANA public cloud for five years.

Very stable, no issues.

I would rate the scalability as a seven out of ten. It is fairly scalable. We have approximately 250 users at our company. Scalability inviolves potential subscription price increase. Adding extra features very often require AddOn subscriptions that you can hardly predict at the start of the project.

My experience with SAP's technical support varies a lot. It depends on the person handling the ticket; if you are lucky, you might get someone knowledgeable, but sometimes it is not so great. It is a bit hit or miss. I would rate the support as a five out of ten.

Neutral

SAP ERP, SAP S/4HANA (on-prem). 

The initial setup is complex. It takes at least four to six months to deploy the solution, depending on scope.

SAP S/4HANA is very expensive. You need to compare the TCO, which is hard in some cases. Of all SAP ERP solutions, public cloud is still the most affordable.

My advice to new users is to pay serious attention to the standard feature set analysis (Fit 2 Standard workshops). If you don't, you might find out later that you need something not in the standard features, and there is no way to add it afterward. Overall, I would rate SAP S/4HANA public cloud as an eight out of ten.