SAP S/4HANA Cloud Reviews

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.

Managing the server and taking advantage of the services provided by SAP itself is the most valuable feature. They take care of everything.

There is room for improvement, especially in the financial and costing parts. In a specific scenario, it becomes complicated when you have different valuation types for materials, and you try to create a costing model. It's a bit challenging to cover all the aspects.

In future releases, there are two scenarios I would like to see addressed: handling different materials and the pricing model. 

Another area of improvement is the support provided by this solution. It takes a long time to receive support on certain issues.

I have been using this solution for one year. We use the latest version.

I would rate the stability of this solution a nine out of ten. 

We haven't encountered any scalability challenges. So, I would rate the scalability of this solution an eight out of ten for now, with the possibility of it being higher.

Around 300 users are currently working with this solution in our organization. Over time, we plan to increase the usage of this solution. We need to add more features and incorporate more cloud-based solutions like Aruba for retirement. We are planning improvements in the overall technology sector.

Customer service and support's response time is really long. The ticketing system and the support cycle are very long. It takes a while to get a customer response and they often forward lots of articles and links to read. There isn't a clear, direct support contact.

Neutral

The initial setup is okay. In the implementation phase, a very clear standard of methodology by SAP is activated. It's working very nicely. The whole thing is just for your team or for the users to validate such a high-tech solution.

It was completely deployed with SAP. It's a fully managed cloud solution provided by SAP.

The deployment model we chose is RISE with SAP. It's a comprehensive cloud solution managed by SAP itself.

The pricing model can be complicated in certain scenarios. 

The pricing depends. It depends. For small to medium-sized businesses, it can be expensive. However, for larger organizations like ours, it is acceptable and working well. For small businesses, it might be more challenging due to cost limitations.

The pricing calculations are based on various factors, and for businesses with larger volumes and more complex requirements, the costs can be higher compared to smaller businesses.

I have used other solutions as well. As an example, I used SAP ECC. I've been using it since 2005, so I have experience with an older version.

I would advise them to ensure they have a well-prepared and capable team to handle the system and its overall utilization. It's important to understand the requirements and risks involved in implementing SAP S/4HANA Cloud. Especially when it comes to financial investment and resource allocation. Proper preparation is crucial.

Overall, I would rate this solution a nine 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.

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.

SAP S/4HANA Cloud is very powerful compared to previous versions regarding enterprise process management, data retrieval, and reporting. SAP S/4HANA Cloud is way better than the previous versions because of the data architecture and new technology adopted by SAP.

SAP S/4HANA Cloud's robustness in data accessibility and reporting, GUI change, end-user experience, and accessibility on mobile have improved our organization. The traditional layout change of SAP is improvised on SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

The reporting that we are doing from SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a valuable feature. Also, SAP S/4HANA Cloud has improved the data retrieval time, system speed, user accessibility, and user experience.

SAP S/4HANA Cloud's customization can be improved. 

SAP S/4HANA Cloud can incorporate basic procurement, material management, and HR-related functionality like in other cloud-related services, such as SAP Ariba. The incorporation of these additional features could be a very good offer.

I have been using SAP S/4HANA Cloud for the last five years.

I would give SAP S/4HANA Cloud an eight out of ten rating for stability.

I would give SAP S/4HANA Cloud an eight out of ten rating for scalability.

The initial setup is a bit complex.

We do see a ROI with the use of SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

The pricing of SAP S/4HANA Cloud is on the higher side. Traditionally, SAP is always a heavy product for any organization.

We currently use a free version. We started with a very basic version around five years back and then did two upgrades. Around 2,0000 people are using SAP S/4HANA Cloud in my organization, and we have plans to increase the usage in the coming years.

My advice would be to evaluate whether your organization needs this kind of product because it is a high-end product and may not be relevant for a small-scale or medium-scale organization. Your business processes should be standardized instead of adapting the tool because we normally believe adopting the tool is the solution to our business processes or business problems. First, fix the business process-related issues, streamline and standardize them, and then go for this implementation of SAP S/4HANA Cloud. When I compare SAP S/4HANA Cloud on-premises with SAP RISE, I feel there must be some more control available on SAP RISE.

Overall, I rate SAP S/4HANA Cloud an eight out of ten.

SAP S/4HANA Cloud has been used in manufacturing, for niche industries, such as automotive utilities, higher education, and oil and gas.

The most valuable features of SAP S/4HANA Cloud are the detailed solution costing, integration, and built-in analytics.

The integration with third-party vendors could improve.

I have used SAP S/4HANA Cloud within the last 12 years.

SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a stable solution.

The scalability of SAP S/4HANA Cloud is great.

It is difficult to receive the correct answer from the support.

I rate the support from SAP S/4HANA Cloud a four out of ten.

Neutral

Other ERP solutions are significantly easier to implement, but SAP S/4HANA Cloud has its merit.

The length of time it takes to implement the solution depends on the environment. I have done 15 implementations.

I rate the initial setup of SAP S/4HANA Cloud a six out of ten.

The maintenance of the solution can be outsourced, done in-house by a selected team, or a hybrid of the two. Most companies have hybrid maintenance programs.

SAP S/4HANA Cloud is not one of the top solutions when evaluating other solutions on the market. This solution is a bit rigid. 

I rate SAP S/4HANA Cloud an eight out of ten.

We are into little segments and we are using SAP's little option. We are using five models in that S4HANA, and this is just the backend. On the front-end side, we are using both applications and both are integrated together.

The primary and secondary line views are very helpful.

The solution is reliable.

The scalability is very good.

The integration is very stable. We have 18 years of SAP experience and we simply have migrated to S4HANA. We are using SAP Best Practices within our business requirements and it works very well for using this approach.

Technical support has always been insightful and responsive.

There isn't anything I would want to improve on. It's a good solution.

There is a difference between the real-time synchronization of any application or the solution that's provided by the OEM. SAP is providing releases or notes frequently, so it's an ongoing activity. SAP is constantly providing small, small patches to upgrade everything. The release strategy is based on the OEM. It works fine for us, this approach.

The pricing is high.

We have used SAP for the last 17 years, however, recently, last year, we migrated into HANA.

The stability of the product is good. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches. The performance is reliable. 

We've never had issues with scalability. It's good. If a company needs to expand, it can do so.

We currently have 40 or more SAP users in our business. While we have over 700 employees, the backend application can only be used by corporate or regional team members.

Technical support has been great. We've used them in the past and have been satisfied with how they have helped us. 

I am also familiar with Oracle and Microsoft Dynamics. This product has a higher cost, however, it is the best option and therefore you get good value for money.

That said, our company is almost 20 years old and we adopted SAP about 18 years ago. We've pretty much always used it. 

The installation or implementation of this product takes around five months. It's about the process implementation. Therefore, whenever you will implement any application, you have to understand how it will fit into your business. You need to consider the business use cases and the user interactions. All of these tasks take time.

While we handled the solution's implementation in-house, we also had an in-house consultant who assisted us in the process. 

If you compare this product with the big players - like Oracle and Microsoft Dynamics - SAP is quite costly. That said, if you are talking about the solution, SAP is the number one option.

You do need to pay for a license. It's an architectural license based on maintenance costs. Every year we have to pay 22% of the purchase costs and maintenance costs. It's not a subscription-based model, it's a perpetual model.

I would recommend the solution to others. We have 18 years or so of experience with SAP and we've always found the solution to be excellent. We deeply understand SAP and SAP culture. We understand the processes and how to leverage everything for the betterment of our business. We're totally aligned with SAP.

I would rate the solution at a nine out of ten.

Speaking about use cases, it is a whole ERP system for a medical tech company.

It is a complicated solution. So it should be easier to use.

At the moment, I'm not using the solution, but as a consultant, I'm looking at or evaluating ERP systems for customers. So, SAP S/4HANA is the last one, which I evaluated for one of our customers. Also, my customers chose the solution. So, I am a consultant for my customers. I provide consultations in a totally neutral manner for all the products.

It is a stable solution.

It is a scalable solution.

In one of the projects I know, there are around 400 to 500 users using the solution.

It's a hybrid solution. So a few things are on-premises like the local data is on-premises, and the rest of the software is in the cloud.

The biggest problem if you are involved in implementing SAP S/4HANA is that you are not working directly with SAP, meaning that you are dependent on implementation partners. The implementation partners receive the incentives only if they are selling cloud solutions. So they are cherry-picking in the market. So this means that the transaction phase will go much longer, and the companies with the most needs and the biggest backlog will be the latest ones in the last ones of the transformation, which will spread some competitive disadvantages.

I would recommend the solution to those who are already working with SAP.

I rate the overall solution a seven out of ten.