Paved a secure path for SAP S/4HANA

The well-known CASTOR® casks from GNS are a safe bet. Spent fuel elements from nuclear power plants can be safely transported and stored in these casks - and are even protected from plane crashes inside.

Such extreme safety standards do not apply to the conversion to SAP S/4HANA - and yet dangers and possible risks should also be minimised in such a project. For this reason, the best basis for a secure conversion is thorough preparation and the development of an individually suitable roadmap.

For GNS from Essen, too - in view of the required replacement of SAP ECC due to the expiring maintenance - the question arose as to how best to convert the existing SAP ECC system to SAP S/4HANA. GNS therefore commissioned GAMBIT Consulting 2019 with a feasibility study, a preliminary study for SAP S/4HANA.

Definition of a roadmap for SAP S/4HANA

The aim of the preliminary project was to define a roadmap for the implementation of SAP S/4HANA 1909. In the course of the project, GAMBIT examined the existing system landscape, identified the required activities, the partners involved and the scope contents.

In addition, the experts evaluated the possibilities of standardising and reducing the existing non-SAP sub-systems as part of the conversion. "We have set ourselves the goal of increasingly establishing SAP as the leading system in the course of the changeover, as well as introducing further business processes in the system. We want to reduce the complexity of the IT landscape and build a contemporary, flexible technology platform with SAP S/4HANA," says Dr Andrea Eckelhoff, Head of Information Systems, Central Administration and Occupational Safety and one of the GNS project managers.

The company has been using an SAP ECC system 6.0 with EHP6 and has a two-tier system landscape consisting of a development and a productive system. In the course of the SAP S/4HANA implementation project, a three-tiered on-premise system landscape consisting of development, productive and a new test system is to be set up.

Far more than just an IT project

But the switch to SAP S/4HANA is never just a pure IT project. The software suite enables companies to take advantage of the growth opportunities of the future and the benefits of digitalisation - from real-time analyses and reporting to the use of new technology such as machine learning.

New business fields and better consideration of regulatory requirements were also on GNS's mind: The main drivers of the implementation project are therefore - in addition to the required SAP ERP replacement - the orientation of GNS towards international business as a new business field, the consideration of ASME requirements, international accounting and fast close, i.e. the accelerated preparation, auditing and publication of monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements.

The basis for successful implementation according to the greenfield approach was to be laid with the preliminary project. The GAMBIT consultants began the preliminary study - as part of GAMBIT's Activate Plus process model - with project preparation, including expert interviews and a document analysis.

Survey of the processes and initial conception

The preparation was followed by the process survey, the scope definition, a first rough conception, the evaluation of the "must changes" and - based on the results - the actual roadmap creation. The roadmap included a detailed schedule and a list of services for all project phases.

The consultants used the following tools in the pre-project: the SAP Readiness Check, a code scan to determine the Unicode adaptation needs, the Microsoft Teams project platform as well as a proven, proprietary GAMBIT tool to scan the systems by the GAMBIT migration team.

A special feature of the project at GNS was that - parallel to the preliminary project - two companies still had to be integrated commercially into the roadmap, in which GNS has been involved for some time: Höfer & Bechtel GmbH and Eisenwerk Bassum GmbH. The integration of these companies was still carried out in the SAP ECC legacy system and thus before the actual implementation project.

Furthermore, the experts had to consider other integrations in the roadmap: This applied to the replacement of the WM system with SAP EWM (Extended Warehouse Management), the re-implementation of SAP ESS (Employee Self-Services) and the technical modernisation (retrofit) of the high-bay warehouse. GNS had to find new partners for the ESS/HCM (Human Capital Management) and EWM modules and integrate them into the project team.

Implementation with GAMBIT

These various, additional projects and the necessary integration of the two companies led - in addition to the construction of a prototype in the SD/PS environment (Sales and Distribution/Project System) to evaluate new functionalities - to an extension of the pre-project phase and an adjustment of the target date of the implementation project to 01.01.2022. This project was also awarded to GAMBIT and is currently being implemented.

"We are pleased that we are also able to master the greenfield implementation with GNS. As a future-proof technology platform, SAP S/4HANA is an important step for the company to be able to achieve its strategic and operational goals," says Ralf Schoolmann, project manager and GAMBIT project manager for the GNS project.