SAP Value Starter Program – Why SAP S/4HANA now?
SAP has created a new “SAP Value Starter Program” which can be used to analyze and visualize the added value that an existing SAP customer can realize by changing to SAP S/4HANA. The program lasts for 1 week, during which time the customer is guided through the individual program areas with the SAP experts both in group sessions and in 1:1 sessions. Nagarro ES as an SAP partner offers to guide interested customers through this program while providing additional assistance with the relevant results and identifying concrete follow-up steps.
“Why should we invest a seven-digit figure for the technical upgrade? What added value does SAP S/4HANA offer?“
CFO‘s and CIO’s of existing SAP customers often inquire with SAP or its partners about making the change to SAP S/4HANA when contacted near the end of their service plans for an existing ECC system.
Even if such a line of questioning may be intentionally provocative, it does reveal a certain information gap. The choice of SAP S/4HANA is not just a technical upgrade, but is also a strategic decision about the future orientation of my digital processes as part of a larger digitization strategy.
SAP has recognized this information gap and taken some initial steps to close it with the Adoption Starter program. SAP’s Value Starter represents a consistent step forward in this effort. Currently SAP is working out the final concept as to how and with what sort of participation the partner of this program is to be used in the future at the customer’s company.
The Procedure Model:
Step 1:
Starting with the “Welcome Package”, which consists of the Business Scenario Recommendation (BSR), a possible Product Map and a Value Assessment, SAP considers in the following sessions the questions
- “Why SAP S/4HANA”
- “What are possible value drivers”
- “What does the possible customer-specific implementation strategy look like”.
Step 2:
Using the BSR powered with industry-specific data, SAP attempts to quantify the potential business benefit in monetary terms and to place it in comparison with the competition.
Step 3:
On this basis the processes that are considered high priority are identified as well as their KPI‘s (e.g. Financial Costs and Days in Inventory), which are then examined in more detail as “value drivers”.
Step 4:
Here the Transformation Navigator and the Value Lifecycle Manager are used to place the focus on the improvements that have been realized with SAP S/4HANA, and recurring (blue) and one-time benefits (orange) for these value drivers through SAP are calculated and presented.
Step 5:
Finally, using a multiple-choice survey as an indication for a technical conversion or a relaunch as part of the SAP S/4HANA implementation is calculated and explained.
Summary:
Even if SAP has yet to work out the future format of the SAP Value Starter Program and what method will be used to involve its partners, this engagement can serve as a starting point and can open doors for management at the CIO and CFO level. This offer is limited to existing customers and by not including the Z namespace is limited to customers with the fewest possible adaptations to the standard. In addition, it cannot be run independently by the partners, but only with the participation of SAP. Nagarro is in constant communication with SAP on the design of the program in order to generate the greatest possible value for mid-sized existing SAP customers.