Core Landscape Renovation
SAP S/4 HANA

How our client was enabled to successfully launch an initiative to renovate it's SAP based core landscape towards SAP S/4 HANA using an agile approach to architecture development.

Learn more

Core Landscape Renovation SAP S/4 HANA

Project Reference

Background

Our client, a leading reinsurance group, operates a SAP R/3 based core application landscape in the domains of technical and financial accounting. Driven by the introduction of S/4 HANA and the announced vendor support end of the R/3 platform the need for a seminal landscape renovation became evident.

Goals

The goal of our client was to establish and align an initiative for planning the required landscape renovation. To begin with, the awareness for the situation and the required transformation needed to be created within business and IT. Beyond that a first vision was to be developed for the future landscape and the required discussion processes to be triggered.

Approach and Deliverables

Due to the high degree of uncertainty regarding future requirements, drivers and contraints an agile approach to architecture development was pursued. Starting from certain hypotheses, this involved the development of "vague" and "unfinished" architecture deliverables which could be discussed with stakeholders early on and validated and refined gradually.

Initially, a large-scale series of stakeholder workshops was conducted with participants from various business and IT departments. During the workshops, the expected benefits of an S/4 HANA based future landscape were presented and discussed (e.g., Continuous Accounting, Realtime Reporting). Also, internal and external drivers and constraints as well as the resulting architecture requirements were collected and documented.

Based on the results architecture guardrails were derived, discussed and finally approved. These were used to mark out the solution space and build a solid foundation for future decision making. Beyond that the future S/4 based solutions offered by SAP and it's partners (S/4 Finance, SAP Insurance for Reinsurance, Financial Products Subledger) were analyzed in more detail.

Using these information as an input, a first target vision and long-term scenario was developed and gradually refined after discussions with various stakeholders. Also, the main transformation steps required to move towards the target scenario were identified. Following the overall agile approach, first fields of action were identified and projects initiated to prepare and actually start the transformation.

Outcomes

An initiative for landscape renovation was successfully launched and guided through the initial iterations. The agile approach followed helped to create the required awareness and produce tangible results quickly. The most essential deliverables provided were Architecture Guardrails and a high-level (but concise) description of an initial future target scenario. In the following, these were used to manage and align ongoing projects and to launch first re-architecting initiatives. They will be used in future iterations and further elaborated and refined as required.

Request

You find yourself in a similar situation and would like to learn more about how we might help? Just leave us a message. We will get back to you as soon as possible. 

The data you provide will be used to respond to your request. You will receive information on the processing of your personal data by e-mail after submitting your request. Further information regarding our website can be found in our privacy policy.

Project Name
Landscape Renovation SAP S/4 HANA

Industry
Reinsurance

Role
Enterprise Architect

Period
2018 – 2020

Contact

Dr. Christian Schmidt
Managing Partner

+49 69 71 04 56 463
Get in touch by email

Project History

Take a look at our project history

Project History

Project References

As leading experts for Enterprise Architecture we have been serving our clients for many years in various architecture matters. In the following, we provide detailed insight into selected engagements. Further information on our project activities can be found in our project history.