RISE with SAP Solutions, introduced in early 2021, marks a pivotal shift by SAP towards cloud-centric “as-a-service” business models, reflecting the growing adoption of cloud technologies across various industries[1]. This initiative aims to facilitate digital transformation for businesses by providing a comprehensive, flexible suite of tools designed to streamline and enhance their transition to cloud-based, intelligent enterprises. Central to RISE with SAP is the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, a premier enterprise resource planning (ERP) suite, which offers robust, real-time analytics capabilities and is available in a hosted Private Edition[2].
RISE with SAP encompasses several key components, including the SAP Business Network and the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP). The SAP Business Network aids in connecting trading partners and managing source-to-pay processes, while BTP supports rapid innovation through a unified data model and integration capabilities with both SAP and non-SAP applications[3]. This platform leverages advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to optimize business processes, making it a vital tool for organizations looking to harness data-driven insights for operational efficiency[2].
The transformation methodology of RISE with SAP emphasizes a structured approach to transitioning from traditional SAP ECC systems to SAP S/4HANA Cloud, involving detailed business process redesign and optimization based on SAP Best Practices[3]. A significant advantage of this solution is its bundled subscription package, which simplifies digital transformation by offering various components and services at a uniform price. This package also includes cloud credits that provide flexibility for businesses to tailor solutions according to their specific needs, an aspect particularly beneficial for organizations with smaller IT infrastructures or budgets[2].
RISE with SAP has been adopted by various industries, demonstrating its versatility and efficiency. Notable success stories include HanesBrands in the fashion sector, Versuni in consumer appliances, and Mahindra in automotive manufacturing, all of which have seen significant improvements in operational efficiency and business performance after implementing RISE with SAP[4]. Despite its numerous advantages, the transition to RISE with SAP presents challenges such as data management, security concerns, and the need for effective stakeholder coordination, highlighting the importance of careful planning and support throughout the digital transformation journey[5].
Introduction
RISE with SAP, launched in early 2021, represents a strategic shift by SAP towards embracing the growing trend of “as-a-service” business models and cloud-based solutions[1]. This initiative aims to facilitate businesses in their journey towards digital transformation by providing a tailored, flexible approach to implementing SAP solutions.
The core components of RISE with SAP include analytics, application development and integration with non-SAP solutions, database and data management, and intelligent technologies[2]. To cater to the diverse needs of businesses, SAP offers cloud credits to RISE with SAP license holders, allowing them to utilize these credits on various areas of the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) instead of a predefined set of tools. This flexibility is particularly advantageous for companies with smaller IT infrastructures, limited technical expertise, or budget constraints, enabling them to adopt SAP solutions without significant disruptions to their existing systems or finances[2].
RISE with SAP includes access to SAP S/4HANA, SAP’s premier enterprise resource planning (ERP) suite. SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, a hosted version, is designed for companies that prefer not to run the solution on-premise[2]. This suite encompasses a range of line-of-business solutions covering areas such as finance, supply chain and supplier relationship management, sales, and research and development, with ongoing plans to expand these options further[2]. The suite operates on SAP HANA, delivering real-time business statistics and analytics to support informed decision-making[2].
In addition to the technical solutions, SAP offers a partner benefits catalog, an online store that provides high-value services to help businesses grow, upskill their staff, or explore new sales strategies[6]. Qualified partners gain access to shared demo landscapes featuring relevant online and offline demo scenarios, including RISE with SAP, SAP Business Technology Platform, and SAP’s industry cloud solutions[6].
RISE with SAP
RISE with SAP is a comprehensive suite designed to facilitate and streamline the transition of businesses to cloud-based, intelligent enterprises. Launched in early 2021, this offering aligns with SAP’s strategic pivot towards “as-a-service” business models, reflecting the widespread adoption of cloud technologies across various industries[1]. RISE with SAP enables organizations to adopt hybrid and multidimensional environments seamlessly, providing a robust foundation for digital transformation.
Key Components
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
At the heart of RISE with SAP is the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, available in a Private Edition. This version allows businesses to avoid the complexities of on-premise solutions while still leveraging the powerful, real-time analytics capabilities of the SAP HANA database[2]. Businesses can choose to host their SAP S/4HANA Cloud solution on SAP servers or via various hyperscalers, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud[2].
SAP Business Network
RISE with SAP also includes access to the SAP Business Network, which helps companies connect with trading partners involved in source-to-pay processes such as suppliers and carriers[3]. This network aids in managing inventory, tracking asset transfers, and enhancing customer transparency, leading to improved asset management and business performance[7].
Business Technology Platform
A significant component of RISE with SAP is the Business Technology Platform (BTP), which promotes rapid innovation and is built on a unified data model[3]. BTP provides integration capabilities with both SAP and non-SAP applications through APIs, supporting on-premise or cloud-based environments. This platform enables organizations to utilize advanced analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and other intelligent technologies to optimize their business processes[2].
Methodology and Transformation Process
RISE with SAP follows a structured methodology to assist businesses in their digital transformation journey. The transformation process from an SAP ECC system (SAP ERP 6.0) to RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud involves three main steps, with a strong emphasis on leveraging SAP Best Practices developed from decades of experience[3]. The process starts with analyzing and redesigning business processes, utilizing SAP’s tools for optimization and streamlining.
Each RISE with SAP customer is assigned an onboarding advisor who provides personalized support during the initial phase, ensuring a smooth transition and comprehensive understanding of the platform’s capabilities[8]. The overall aim is to make the cloud migration as straightforward as possible while fostering intelligent operations within the organization[3].
Advantages and Flexibility
One of the primary advantages of RISE with SAP is its bundled subscription package based on a service level agreement (SLA). This package includes various components and services at a uniform price, simplifying the digital transformation process for businesses[3]. Additionally, the solution offers a faster time to value by providing preconfigured solutions and integration with SAP BTP, which enhances operational efficiency through advanced analytics, AI, and ML capabilities[4].
RISE with SAP’s flexible licensing model allows businesses to use cloud credits across different areas of SAP BTP, catering to the unique needs of each organization. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for companies with smaller IT footprints or budgets, enabling them to implement SAP solutions without substantial disruption to their existing systems[2].
Features and Benefits
Comprehensive Access to SAP Solutions
As a qualified partner, users gain access to a shared demo landscape that includes various online and offline scenarios such as RISE with SAP, SAP Business Technology Platform, and SAP’s industry cloud solutions. This allows businesses to explore high-value services that aid in business growth, staff upskilling, and innovative selling strategies[6].
Enhanced Business Operations
RISE with SAP equips businesses with tools to streamline various operational processes. These tools enable users to qualify suppliers, manage asset transfers, inventory, and improve customer transparency. This leads to comprehensive asset management and maintenance processes, enhancing overall business performance[7].
Accelerated Time to Value
The solution offers faster time to value through preconfigured solutions that help businesses become operational quickly. The integration with SAP Business Technology Platform provides advanced analytics, AI, and machine learning capabilities, assisting businesses in making data-driven decisions and improving operational efficiency[4]. Furthermore, managed cloud services and a secure infrastructure provide a clear migration path to the cloud, supporting a smooth transition[4].
Methodology and Best Practices
The RISE with SAP Methodology serves as a comprehensive framework aimed at driving digital transformation and intelligent operations within organizations[8]. It includes a structured approach to cloud transformation through four distinct phases, supported by best practices, guidance, and tools[9]. The methodology’s conversational, chat-based experience helps accelerate implementation, providing access to best practice guidance[4].
Cloud-Native Development and Hybrid Strategy
RISE with SAP supports cloud-native development technologies such as microservices, containers, Kubernetes, and serverless computing, enabling developers to build once and deploy consistently across various environments, whether private, public, or on-premises[10].
Flexibility and Customization
SAP provides RISE with SAP license holders with cloud credits, offering flexibility to tailor solutions according to specific company needs rather than providing predefined tools. This is particularly advantageous for companies with smaller IT footprints, technical expertise, or budgets[2]. The flexibility extends to the choice of hosting options, whether on SAP servers or via hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud[2].
Business Network Integration
SAP Business Network facilitates connectivity with trading partners in the source-to-pay process. It offers functionalities to find and qualify suppliers, manage inventory, track assets, and enhance customer transparency, merging asset management with maintenance processes for improved business continuity and performance[2].
Implementation
The implementation of RISE with SAP involves a systematic approach to digital transformation, leveraging SAP’s extensive tools and best practices to ensure a smooth and effective transition to the cloud. The core of this methodology is the RISE with SAP framework, which encompasses a comprehensive set of strategies designed to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and drive innovation within organizations[8].
Steps in Implementation
1. Initial Assessment and Planning
The first step in the implementation process is conducting a thorough analysis of the current business processes using tools like the SAP Readiness Check for SAP S/4HANA[3]. This tool helps identify areas for optimization and provides insights into the required changes for a successful migration. During this phase, companies also evaluate their data structures and system configurations to align with standard processes and modern extensibility features[5].
2. Process Redesign and Optimization
Following the initial assessment, businesses proceed to redesign their processes based on SAP Best Practices. This step involves a detailed examination of existing workflows and identifying opportunities for streamlining and automation. SAP provides various tools and methodologies that facilitate faster and more accurate business process analysis, enabling quicker migration to SAP S/4HANA[3]. Furthermore, RISE with SAP offers industry-specific solutions and change management support to ensure that the redesigned processes align with business objectives and compliance requirements[5].
3. Migration and Transformation
The actual migration to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition involves several options, including shift and lift, selective data transition, and new implementation[5]. This phase is supported by SAP’s partner ecosystem, which offers value-added services like custom development and industry-specific solutions to help businesses achieve a tailored implementation. Additionally, the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) provides a unified data model and integration capabilities with both SAP and non-SAP applications, ensuring a seamless transition[3].
Tools and Resources
SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP)
The SAP BTP plays a critical role in the implementation process by enabling rapid innovation and providing a standardized data model. It allows businesses to connect solutions from SAP, partners, or third-party providers, and integrate on-premise or non-SAP applications via APIs[3]. The platform’s flexibility ensures that businesses can customize their transformation journey according to their unique needs and leverage intelligent technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning[2].
SAP Customer Evolution Kit
To support the evaluation and planning phases, SAP offers the Customer Evolution kit, which includes one-on-one sessions and detailed insights into the current system. This resource is particularly useful for businesses planning an upgrade as part of their transition, as it helps identify the best path to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition and ensures a comprehensive understanding of the necessary steps[5].
Support and Partnership
One of the primary benefits of RISE with SAP is the proactive partnership it offers to customers. This includes insight-driven recommendations, release guidance, targeted learning programs, and service level agreements (SLAs) for enhanced support[1][5]. Additionally, RISE with SAP provides access to a wide range of complementary solutions and services from partners and developers, enhancing the overall implementation experience[4].
Continuous Improvement and Adaptation
The RISE with SAP methodology emphasizes continuous improvement and adaptation throughout the transformation journey. Businesses are encouraged to leverage the benchmarking component to compare their performance against industry standards and identify areas for improvement[2].
Use Cases
RISE with SAP Solutions has been implemented across various industries, showcasing its versatility and efficiency in different business scenarios.
Fashion Industry
Iconic fashion brand HanesBrands has leveraged the integrated suite of cloud solutions offered by RISE with SAP to realize its full potential and stand apart from competitors[4]. This implementation highlights the capability of RISE with SAP to provide scalable and flexible solutions that meet the specific needs of the fashion industry.
Consumer Appliances
Versuni, a small appliance brand, has utilized RISE with SAP to create meaningful innovations that improve consumers’ lives while future-proofing its business[4]. This use case underscores the role of RISE with SAP in fostering innovation and ensuring long-term sustainability for companies in the consumer appliances sector.
Automotive Manufacturing
Automotive manufacturer Mahindra has experienced a 35% increase in development efficiency and a 15% improvement in the performance of high-computing transactions after integrating RISE with SAP into their operations[4]. This example demonstrates the significant impact of RISE with SAP on enhancing operational efficiency and performance in the automotive industry.
Business Process Optimization
The solution is centered around six key areas of business, selected after analyzing customer trends and other in-house analysis of SAP products[2]. These areas encompass lifecycle management, analytics, and support, among others, providing comprehensive services to facilitate a smooth transition to cloud ERP solutions like SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
Corporate Restructuring
RISE with SAP has also proven beneficial in scenarios involving corporate restructuring. It offers tools for ensuring business continuity, data consistency, and minimized user impact during mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other restructuring activities[11]. This capability is essential for companies aiming to achieve greater efficiency and financial stability through restructuring efforts[12].
Scalability and Flexibility
Larger companies, as well as those experiencing rapid growth, benefit from the scalability and flexibility offered by RISE with SAP. It allows for complete control over applications and infrastructure while only consuming what is needed, making it ideal for evolving business requirements[13].
Enhanced Support and Insights
RISE with SAP customers gain access to a proactive partnership that offers insight-driven recommendations, release guidance, targeted learning programs, and service level agreements (SLAs) for enhanced support[5]. This support system is crucial for ensuring a smooth and successful transformation journey, backed by a robust partner ecosystem that provides industry-specific solutions, custom development, and change management[5].
These use cases illustrate the diverse applications and benefits of RISE with SAP Solutions across various sectors, emphasizing its role in driving business efficiency, innovation, and growth.
Challenges and Considerations
The transition to RISE with SAP Solutions entails several significant challenges and considerations that organizations need to address to ensure a smooth and successful implementation. Managing such a project involves coordinating multiple key stakeholders, including IT management, business process owners, vendors, service providers, technology partners, employees, and end users, all of whom play critical roles in the process[1].
Data Management and Integration
One of the primary challenges is managing data consistency and integration across various SAP applications such as ECC, S/4HANA, and Cloud Solutions. This complexity is heightened during mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and corporate restructuring, where business continuity must be maintained while minimizing user impact[11]. The need for a comprehensive data transition tool to compare business data before and after upgrades is essential to ensure data integrity throughout the transformation journey[5].
Security Concerns
Security is another critical consideration. The cloud infrastructure supporting RISE with SAP must adhere to the latest cybersecurity standards to protect sensitive data. Built-in cybersecurity features, such as 24×7 surveillance and regular security updates, are crucial for maintaining a secure environment[4]. Additionally, the cloud provider’s primary security responsibilities include enforcing isolation and maintaining a secure virtualization infrastructure to prevent unauthorized access[14].
Compliance and Regulatory Adherence
Organizations must also navigate complex compliance and regulatory landscapes. RISE with SAP offers tools to improve risk and compliance transparency, ensuring adherence to both local and global regulations[4]. This is vital for avoiding legal complications and ensuring that business operations remain compliant with relevant standards.
Resource Allocation and Cost Management
Resource allocation and cost management pose another significant challenge. Deploying security agents and managing the underlying infrastructure can significantly increase processing overhead and costs. Organizations must carefully manage these aspects to avoid unnecessary expenses and ensure efficient use of resources[14].
Integration with Existing Systems
Integrating RISE with SAP with existing on-premise or non-SAP applications requires careful planning. The Business Technology Platform facilitates rapid innovation through a uniform data model, enabling seamless integration with solutions from SAP, partners, or third-party providers via APIs[3]. However, organizations must ensure that all systems are compatible and that integration processes do not disrupt ongoing operations.
Stakeholder Coordination and Communication
Effective communication and coordination among all stakeholders are critical to the success of the RISE with SAP implementation. This involves clear guidance from design phases to cutover and addressing business-related questions to ensure that all parties are aligned and informed[11].
Customer Success Stories
RISE with SAP Solutions has empowered numerous organizations to transform their operations and achieve significant business milestones. This section highlights a few exemplary success stories demonstrating the efficacy and broad applicability of the RISE with SAP platform.
Transformative Business Restructuring
Many companies have utilized RISE with SAP to navigate complex mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and corporate restructuring processes while ensuring business continuity and data consistency. One notable example involved a mid-sized enterprise undergoing a comprehensive corporate restructuring. The flexibility of RISE with SAP’s tools allowed the company to manage substantial data volumes effectively. Expert guidance was provided from the design phase through to the cutover, ensuring minimal user impact and smooth transition across all SAP applications, including ECC, S/4HANA, and Cloud Solutions[11]. As a result, the restructuring process concluded with more efficient production capabilities, aligning the company’s operations closely with its strategic goals[12].
Enhanced Customer Relationship Management
Another success story involves a company that leveraged the RISE with SAP platform to improve its customer relationship management (CRM) system. By integrating customer data from various sources into a unified system, the company was able to enhance customer insights and deliver more personalized services. A specific use case demonstrated how data about orders and customers were stored in two separate tables—Customers and Orders. Utilizing the Customer ID field, which formed the basis of a one-to-many relationship between the tables, the company created queries to return orders for customers in specific locations, such as Las Vegas[15]. This approach not only improved operational efficiency but also significantly enhanced customer satisfaction by providing targeted services.
Forensic Challenges in Cloud Environments
RISE with SAP has also proven invaluable in addressing the forensic challenges presented by cloud environments. In one instance, an organization faced complications in its incident response (IR) process due to the resource pooling and rapid elasticity characteristic of cloud services. Utilizing RISE with SAP, the company was able to carry out forensics in a highly dynamic environment, overcoming challenges related to establishing the scope of incidents, data collection, and maintaining evidence stability. This capability was crucial in preserving the semantic integrity of the data and ensuring effective incident analysis[14].
Onboarding and Support
A key component of RISE with SAP’s success is its robust support structure, including dedicated onboarding advisors for all customers. These advisors assist new clients with various RISE topics such as provisioning, entitlements, and overall system overview, ensuring a smooth and confident transformation process[8]. This hands-on support has been instrumental in helping organizations quickly adapt to and maximize the benefits of the RISE with SAP platform.
These stories underscore the transformative impact RISE with SAP has had across different industries, facilitating smoother operations, enhanced customer experiences, and robust incident management processes.
Future Directions
RISE with SAP is increasingly becoming a cornerstone in SAP’s strategic roadmap, especially as businesses pivot towards “as-a-service” models fueled by cloud technology[1]. Moving forward, RISE with SAP aims to further enhance its support for complex environments by facilitating thorough planning and alignment of infrastructure, platforms, third-party applications, governance, and security frameworks[1]. This is particularly relevant as the 2027 deadline to transition off SAP ECC approaches, making it imperative for businesses to evaluate their options against their unique goals and objectives[16].
One of the future goals for RISE with SAP is to strengthen its environmental sustainability offerings. By gaining visibility into the environmental impact of manufacturing and supply chain processes, businesses can leverage the platform to make more eco-friendly decisions[4]. Additionally, SAP plans to continue integrating advanced cybersecurity measures and compliance features to ensure data protection and regulatory adherence[4].
Innovation and agility remain at the forefront of RISE with SAP’s future. The platform’s methodology, which focuses on best practices, aims to bring predictability to implementations and make businesses cloud-ready while adhering to clean core principles[8]. This is complemented by the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), which enables rapid innovation through a uniform data model and easy integration of SAP, partner, and third-party solutions via APIs[3].
Furthermore, RISE with SAP will continue to offer flexible, tailored solutions through cloud credits, allowing businesses to select the tools and services that best meet their specific needs[2]. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for smaller companies or those with limited IT budgets, enabling them to modernize without breaking their existing systems or financial constraints[2].
In the coming years, SAP plans to enhance the partner ecosystem surrounding RISE with SAP, offering value-added services including industry-specific solutions, custom development, and change management[5]. This approach aims to ensure that customers have a smooth and successful transformation journey.
Lastly, SAP’s focus on customer support will remain strong. Through proactive partnerships offering insight-driven recommendations, release guidance, and targeted learning programs, SAP aims to provide comprehensive support that aligns with each business’s unique transformation objectives[5]. As a result, companies like HanesBrands and Mahindra have already experienced significant performance and efficiency improvements, showcasing the transformative potential of RISE with SAP[4].
References
[1] Oza, J. (2023, May 2). RISE with SAP: Key questions and considerations. Protera. https://www.protera.com/resource-center/rise-with-sap-key-questions-and-considerations
[2] Fesko, S. (2021, February 17). What is RISE with SAP? SAP Press Blog. https://blog.sap-press.com/what-is-rise-with-sap
[3] SAP. (2024). Partner program. SAP. https://www.sap.com/partners/partner-program.html
[4] Müller, M. (2024). Questions about RISE with SAP. Gambit Consulting. https://www.gambit.de/en/wiki/questions-about-rise-with-sap/
[5] Surety Systems. (2023, April 6). What is SAP RISE? Overview of the solution and its key features. Surety Systems. https://www.suretysystems.com/insights/what-is-sap-rise-overview-of-the-solution-and-its-key-features/
[6] SAP. (2024). Introducing the RISE with SAP methodology. SAP Learning. https://learning.sap.com/learning-journeys/applying-the-rise-with-sap-methodology/introducing-the-rise-with-sap-methodology_e92c0a43-08e2-4f1f-a4c6-e7179ab4007b
[7] SAP. (2024). RISE with SAP. SAP. https://www.sap.com/products/erp/rise.html
[8] SAP. (2024). Applying the RISE with SAP methodology. SAP Learning. https://learning.sap.com/learning-journeys/applying-the-rise-with-sap-methodology
[9] IBM. (2024). IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. IBM. https://www.ibm.com/topics/iaas-paas-saas
[10] SAP. (2024). On-premise to cloud migration. SAP. https://www.sap.com/products/erp/rise/migration/on-premise.html
[11] SAP. (2024). Sell, buy, and restructure. SAP. https://support.sap.com/en/offerings-programs/support-services/data-management-landscape-transformation/sell-buy-restructure.html
[12] Twin, A. (2024, June 14). Restructuring. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/restructuring.asp
[13] Raza, M. (2024, March 11). SaaS vs PaaS vs IaaS: What’s the difference and how to choose? BMC Blogs. https://www.bmc.com/blogs/saas-vs-paas-vs-iaas-whats-the-difference-and-how-to-choose/
[14] Jeevitha, T. P. (2023, October 5). CCSK exam: Sample questions. Whizlabs Blog. https://www.whizlabs.com/blog/ccsk-exam-sample-questions/
[15] Microsoft. (2024). Introduction to queries. Microsoft Support. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/introduction-to-queries-a9739a09-d3ff-4f36-8ac3-5760249fb65c
[16] Hanna, C. (2023, May 24). Making sense of SAP RISE: 4 key considerations. CIO. https://www.cio.com/article/480408/making-sense-of-sap-rise-4-key-considerations.html
AI and machine learning in ERP, Business process optimization, Cloud credits, Cloud ERP solutions, Cloud-based enterprises, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Hybrid cloud environments, Intelligent enterprise solutions, Real-time analytics, RISE with SAP, SAP Best Practices, SAP Business Network, SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), SAP ECC migration, SAP S/4HANA Cloud
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