I'm a senior functional consultant and we partner with SAP.
Senior Functional Consultant at Cognitus Consulting
Ability for remote access is a key feature in streamlining our processes
Pros and Cons
- "The Fiori design is a valuable feature."
- "Documentation could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Previously, when a sales person had to register a deal, it meant logging onto Windows to look at the deals, now it can all be done from a mobile phone. That's a huge benefit for us.
What is most valuable?
The best part of this solution is the Fiori design.
What needs improvement?
The documentation for this solution can definitely be improved and I'd also like to see more support, more numbers of Android or iPhone apps.
Buyer's Guide
SAP S/4HANA
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about SAP S/4HANA. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is highly scalable. We've scaled it more than 75% of what we initially had. We regularly scale and there's no excess consumption of resources or major tweaks required when we're scaling up. We have around 500 end users and we have a team of five or six people responsible for maintenance, including a system administrator. We use this solution extensively and will continue to expand our use of it.
How are customer service and support?
We had a good experience with technical support. They know what they're doing and the response time was good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used SAP ECC. We switched because they discontinued maintenance of ECC and this is a new solution altogether. It didn't make sense for us to continue with SAP ECC.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was moderate on the complexity side. Not too complex, but also not so easy. The deployment was done in-house and took several months.
What other advice do I have?
There are a lot of ERP solutions on the market - Oracle, JD Edwards, and the like, but when it comes to SAP, my experience is that once you implement the solution and you understand how it works, it becomes intuitive to work with. When you upgrade to a new solution or when a whole lot of changes come in, the user experience stays pretty much consistent.
I rate this solution an eight out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Senior Manager at Mazars India
Good support and analytics capabilities, and it is definitely scalable
Pros and Cons
- "From a technology standpoint, the theory and analytics are fascinating."
- "Every year, when a new version is released, it comes with a very thick booklet of 300 or 400 pages and it is a little difficult to comprehend."
What is our primary use case?
I am a consultant and SAP S4HANA is one of the products that I work with.
What is most valuable?
From a technology standpoint, the theory and analytics are fascinating.
What needs improvement?
When it comes to the delivery of features, I would like it presented in a more user-friendly way. Every year, when a new version is released, it comes with a very thick booklet of 300 or 400 pages and it is a little difficult to comprehend. This is something that should be simplified. A simple comparison between the older and newer version would be very helpful for customers and consultants.
The default UI has been the same for a long time and in my last few projects, I've found that it wasn't fast enough.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with this product since version 1511 in 2015, about five years ago.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I am comfortable with its stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This product is definitely scalable.
I would say that it is for medium-sized companies. For smaller companies, the scale of the project might be too large, so they may not be able to harness the complete power of S4HANA.
How are customer service and technical support?
The support from SAP is excellent. It is very good, compared to other products.
The SAP Marketplace is a good source of support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have hands-on experience with a few other products that are on the market.
How was the initial setup?
Compared to older versions, prior to S4HANA, it is very easy to deploy. Starting from a development environment, I say it would take about three to four months to deploy for a mid-sized customer.
What other advice do I have?
For ERP, I do not recommend anything other than SAP 4/HANA. For other applications such as CRM and planning, I may recommend a different product.
I think that the newest version is great and I think the idea should be to quickly push it to cloud completely.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
SAP S/4HANA
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about SAP S/4HANA. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
head it at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
Provides excellent features and easily integrates with other systems
Pros and Cons
- "It is easy to integrate the solution with other systems."
- "The initial setup was difficult."
What is our primary use case?
The solution supports our business transformation process.
What is most valuable?
The features related to finance are beneficial for our day-to-day operations. It is easy to integrate the solution with other systems.
What needs improvement?
The initial setup was difficult.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We did not face any problems with the product’s stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the product’s scalability an eight out of ten. We have 500 users in our organization. We use the tool daily.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment took one year.
What about the implementation team?
A third-party integrator helped us with the deployment. We needed 40 people for the deployment and three people for maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is expensive. The price must be improved.
What other advice do I have?
I will recommend the tool to others. It is a good solution. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Jun 18, 2024
Flag as inappropriateIt's relatively stable, but it still needs time to mature
Pros and Cons
- "S4HANA is relatively stable."
- "We found that the implementing partners themselves are struggling with S4HANA's features. It's not an exact translation of the older ECC, so SAP has taken a new route to do things with S4HANA. Maybe it's a good product, but the implementing partners also like to have an in-depth understanding of the full feature set the product offers."
What is our primary use case?
We are consultants who help supervise our customers' implementation projects. Two of our customers use S4HANA. The older ones are on the ECC platform.
What needs improvement?
We found that the implementing partners themselves are struggling with S4HANA's features. It's not an exact translation of the older ECC, so SAP has taken a new route to do things with S4HANA. Maybe it's a good product, but the implementing partners also like to have an in-depth understanding of the full feature set the product offers. There are areas where even the implementer has to go back to set, which takes time, so that's one of our major concerns.
The older implementations were cloud-based, but one is happening now in one of the larger utilities, which sells services to around 4 million consumers. That's an ongoing project that hasn't gone live yet. This will be the real test. In a year, we'll know, and we can give more feedback.
Another complaint I have is that the screen source is disjointed. When I say this, I'm speaking from a user experience perspective. I don't know the S4HANA database, so I can't say if it's good or bad. I am sure that S4HANA would have certain limitations compared to Oracle, which is the gold standard for databases. Maybe there are some challenges in the backend, but I don't dwell on those because I'm not a technician. But the graphical interface requires improvement, and its flow should be very smooth.
Also, the Fiori app is very basic. They need to become richer because people tend to use Fiori to access the S4HANA application to save on license costs. Fiori gives you access because it's a web client, and they market it as an app. It's not really a full-fledged app, but the roadmap has to be cleared from SAP. And when its capabilities improve, it gives a native app experience when people use Fiori.
For how long have I used the solution?
I haven't been using S4HANA for long. It's been two years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
S4HANA is relatively stable, but it's not as stable as ECC was. ECC had a long time to mature, so S4HANA still has a few years to go before it can achieve the level of stability that we've come to expect from SAP.
How are customer service and support?
We've primarily relied on the local implementers for support, and there are challenges whenever they need to refer back to SAP's own technical support. It usually takes longer than expected in many cases. Sometimes they're pretty fast, but they're usually not, which is a serious concern.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We've worked with three of the biggest products in the ERP segment: S4HANA, Oracle EBS, and Microsoft Dynamics AX. Microsoft Dynamics is pretty straightforward. It's not as complex and offers a good user experience, whereas SAP through Fiori gives a certain level of user experience, but that's not as good as what Microsoft offers. But the rich line where you go through the desktop license — that user interface is still cumbersome. It's not as user-friendly I must say. On the other hand, Oracle is the middle of the two. I won't say that it's as good as Microsoft's user experience. However, while it is a bit more complex than Microsoft, it's not as complex as SAP.
What other advice do I have?
I would currently rate S4HANA seven out of 10. We tell our clients that SAP's roadmap shows us that S4HANA will mature in time. It won't happen tomorrow. They have to make an informed decision whether they want to live with certain delays in getting certain fixes or go with another solution. SAP is such a big name, so half the time, people are willing to live with those delays with the expectation that things will get better in a year or two. SAP is a trusted name, and I'm sure they must be doing something now to get S4HANA up to speed. I hope they understand that.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Consultant at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees
Scalable product with valuable integration features
Pros and Cons
- "The scalability of SAP S/4HANA is highly impressive, making it suitable for companies of all sizes."
- "The product could be improved in several key areas, particularly in API granularity and ease of configuration."
What is most valuable?
The integration features of SAP S/4HANA stand out as the most valuable, surpassing those of other systems.
What needs improvement?
The product could be improved in several key areas, particularly in API granularity and ease of configuration. It is typical for new technology to initially lack the full functionality of older systems, as seen in every development cycle. In the Business Technology Platform (BTP) context, certain granular configurations available in S/4HANA, such as output determination, are not as easily replicable through current APIs. Previously, configuring outputs for delivery at a detailed level was straightforward. For example, one could easily specify output settings for regular deliveries. However, replicating this process in an API-driven workflow is currently more complex and less intuitive for business users. Additionally, there is no simple way in the new technology to verify if an output was successfully created and sent to a partner.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using S/4HANA for approximately two to three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Overall, the stability of the solution is commendable. The core system demonstrates robust performance, maintaining operational stability in general use. However, there are instances where specific functionalities become less stable. These issues often stem from implementation-related factors, such as custom user exits, rather than inherent flaws in the software itself. For example, an order may fail due to a custom user exit, which should be considered an implementation issue rather than a reflection of the system's stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of SAP S/4HANA is highly impressive, making it suitable for companies of all sizes. Its flexibility allows for adding applications as required, enabling customization to meet specific business needs effectively.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of SAP S/4HANA is inherently complex, with various factors contributing to its intricacy. While the software installation may be completed quickly, configuring it for practical business use involves a lengthy process spanning years.
Typically, an implementation partner is involved in this process. These implementers handle most setups, including addressing bugs or issues during deployment. They act as the primary contact with SAP for resolving technical problems.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the product an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Implementer
Last updated: Jun 3, 2024
Flag as inappropriateIT systems consultant at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Is a stable solution
Pros and Cons
- "At present, it seems very stable because it is in the cloud."
- "The migration to SAP S/4HANA is hard."
What is our primary use case?
This solution is installed in the customer's system, and we perform SAP Basis administration.
What needs improvement?
The migration to SAP S/4HANA is hard.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using it for one year. It is deployed on-premises and in the cloud.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
At present, it seems very stable because it is in the cloud.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability depends on the tier you have. You may need to pay more as you scale up.
I have 10 administrators and 7 customers using S/4HANA at present. Our objective is to scale, but it's difficult because customers are scared to migrate to S/4HANA.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used R/3 before S/4HANA. We switched to S/4HANA in order to stay with SAP solutions.
How was the initial setup?
The initial deployment is difficult, and migration is hard when big data is involved. For a medium company, the initial deployment can take six to seven months, or maybe even one year to get it done perfectly.
For maintenance, you would need two or three people for a medium company.
What about the implementation team?
Depending on the client, we have deployed it ourselves or have done so with the help of an integrator.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is an expensive solution. On a scale from one to five, with five being the most expensive, I would rate the price at four.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate SAP S/4HANA at eight on a scale from one to ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Administrator at HCI
Highly stable and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "I have found SAP S4HANA to be scalable."
- "The difficulty level of the initial setup depends on the person's skills. If you know the basic knowledge of the database, then it will be easy, otherwise, it will be very difficult."
What is our primary use case?
We are using SAP S4HANA for the OIL and GAS industry.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used SAP S4HANA within the past 10 Years
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SAP S4HANA is highly stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have found SAP S4HANA to be scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The support quality depends upon the solution and the nature of the problem. It depends on which platform you working on it.
How was the initial setup?
The difficulty level of the initial setup depends on the person's skills. If you know the basic knowledge of the database, then it will be easy, otherwise, it will be very difficult.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I would rate the price of SAP S4HANA a four out of five.
The price of SAP S4HANA could be cheaper.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to others is for them to do their homework very well because if you move into production, you don't have any chances. Make sure your timelines are correct and select your consultant wisely.
I rate SAP S4HANA an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Coordinator at Cooperativa Central Dos Produtores Rurais De Minas Gerais Ltda.
A next-generation in-memory database solution with a useful feature called Fiori
Pros and Cons
- "I like the user experience and usability of SAP Fiori, which is one of the main features that we are using."
- "The initial setup could be better. They can make the process a little easier. The functions that we require will be available in the next release. We specifically need a new model, and I think we have some versions to implement. I already read on the SAP website that some functionalities we are waiting for are available in this new version."
What is our primary use case?
We use SAP S4HANA for our main backup processes. Most of the backups processes if for sales, supply, accounting, and financial.
What is most valuable?
I like the user experience and usability of SAP Fiori, which is one of the main features that we are using.
What needs improvement?
The initial setup could be better. They can make the process a little easier. The functions that we require will be available in the next release. We specifically need a new model, and I think we have some versions to implement. I already read on the SAP website that some functionalities we are waiting for are available in this new version.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using SAP S4HANA for just six months. We just converted the ECC to S/4.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SAP S4HANA is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
SAP S4HANA is scalable, and we're running this solution at some banks we have here. It's easy to scale, but it takes a couple of months to do it.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is good. it's very nice because we have both local support and international support on their website. I think it's good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup isn't easy because it takes six months to deploy the project. I think we also discussed it for almost a year before implementing it.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise potential users to plan extensively before they start. It's very important.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give SAP S4HANA a nine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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