What should I consider before migrating SAP to the cloud?

What is an ERP?

An ERP is a suite of integrated software applications that automate the operational and productive aspects of an organization. Why? To facilitate and centralize access to information. This simplifies administrative tasks and makes interaction between different areas of the organization more dynamic.

What types of ERP exist?

ERPs can be on-premise, meaning local in nature, or they can run in the cloud.. Are there contrasts between them? The answer is yes. In fact, there are a number of factors that differentiate ERPs according to their nature.

What are the differences between on-premise ERP and cloud ERP?

1. Availability. The main difference between on-premise ERPs and cloud ERPs lies in the ease of access to each of them. Why? Because on-premise solutions need to be installed on a physical server or computer to operate, while, on the other hand, cloud solutions do not require any installation and are accessible from anywhere.
2. Initial implementation and maintenance costs. On-premise ERP systems require a large initial investment because they use expensive hardware and demand a team of specialists for maintenance tasks. In contrast, cloud-based options are more economical because the provider takes on the task of hosting, maintaining, and ensuring the proper functioning and security of the system. Additionally, Cloud ERP systems allow you to direct your budget towards what you truly need.
3. Automatic updates. Operating an on-premise ERP has a major drawback. What is it? Updates can be a headache. This is because updating to a new software version requires IT experts to manage the operation. However, with cloud solutions, updates are performed periodically and automatically. The result? A functional and always up-to-date infrastructure.

SAP: your go-to ERP

SAP It is the number one company globally for ERP tools. SAP's ERP solutions allow you to design and structure all of an organization's processes in one place. Its tools help centralize your data and make it accessible to your various operational areas. This way, each area can easily and intuitively access all the information it needs, in real time.

SAP has a modular structure. What does this mean? That it is made up of different software components called modules. Each of them focuses on an essential function. For example, there are modules for tasks such as Finance and Accounting, human resources, or customer relationship management (CRM). What is the advantage of this type of structure? The answer to this question is simple: the advantage lies in organizations having the power to use any number of modules they wish and only pay for what they actually need.

Additionally, SAP provides the necessary tools to understand customers more deeply.. Through various tools, it allows linking operational data with emotional factors. The result? A better shopping experience and useful real-time feedback.

Why should I migrate my SAP systems to the cloud?

Here are some of the benefits of migrating SAP to the cloud:

More security If you're concerned about your data being lost due to any eventuality, don't worry. When SAP systems are in the cloud, data recovery, error analysis, and backup management are performed quickly and efficiently.

Greater automationOne of the main functions of SAP in the cloud is to reduce human error. To do this, cloud environments offer access to a large number of automated systems that are easy to implement and develop. This helps users to concentrate on the core of your business and boosts productivity and work efficiency.

Best prices SAP is the gateway to a scalable infrastructure where users pay based on the resources they use. Nothing more, nothing less.

Greater scalability Organizations are dynamic and often undergo transformations throughout their lives. Therefore, if at any point the user needs to modify the amount of contracted resources, SAP cloud systems adjust their infrastructure to the requested size.

What is needed to migrate SAP to the cloud?

Before implementing SAP in your organization, it is recommended that you consider a few things.

• Type of infrastructure

If you're thinking about making the leap to the cloud, it's essential that all your projects are integrated into a long-term cloud strategy. Whether your infrastructure is On-Premise or partially in the cloud, it's recommended to have a Cloud First mentality that prioritizes an interconnected and versatile ecosystem. This way, the infrastructure will be created and managed with interoperability between different systems in mind, and it will be optimized for the most complete interaction between them.

In this regard, organizations can adopt three approaches for migrating their SAP systems:

• Perform a direct lift and shift – that is, migrate an exact copy of an application or workload from an On-Premise environment to the cloud
• Create a new cloud infrastructure
• Build a hybrid infrastructure with some functions in the cloud

The right choice will depend on your needs

On the other hand, SAP systems affect all areas of an organization. Consequently, a successful migration requires precise mapping of all its processes. The vendor will need to work alongside all units of the organization and be very aligned with management to ensure the commitment of different areas to the migration strategy.

• Evaluation of available alternatives

A cloud migration involves significant changes within an organization, encompassing people, processes, and technology. Therefore, before starting the SAP migration to the cloud, it is necessary to understand the existing systems in the company and how the cloud can enhance them. In this way, the following points should be considered:

• To know the base version of SAP from which Behave.
• Define the appropriate target SAP architecture.
• Run all compatibility tests for databases and operating systems.
• Identify the appropriate integrations for the new infrastructure.
• To know perfectly how the different critical applications of the organization integrate with each other.
• To have the key processes clearly defined.
• Define the difficulty of the migration process.

Once this data is validated, the providers will be evaluated and the roadmap to create and configure SAP in the cloud will be defined.

System backups: Duplicating a database—especially a very large one—is a time-consuming task that requires planning. Therefore, before migrating SAP to the cloud, it's necessary to define the instances or systems that will be cloud-based and those that will operate On-Premise. On the other hand, the size of the information bases that will be part of the migration process must be precisely known. How? Through a process known as Sizing.

What is SAP sizing?

Sizing allows you to determine the number of hosts needed to support an SAP environment. It is a necessary process to ensure that the servers where the information will be hosted are the correct size. In other words, SAP Sizing is a detailed activity (and often a project in itself) that allocates the necessary requirements to build an adequate infrastructure.

• Security

Security is another very important aspect that will need to be analyzed carefully. The SAP cloud provider will have to offer SAP and its database backups to ensure service continuity and, above all, to protect the infrastructure against possible attacks. On the other hand, the provider must have previous experience with SAP, as this system is complex and requires high expertise.

Conclusions

To take advantage of the benefits that SAP offers, It is necessary to have an optimized migration plan. But above all, it is essential to have a deep understanding of an organization's infrastructure and, especially, the degree of connection between its different areas. Why? Because SAP will use this information to create a comprehensive management system that allows for more efficient decision-making.

This way, SAP offers you the opportunity to revolutionize the administration of your organizational processes and provides you with a more satisfying and versatile cloud experience. Ultimately, SAP in the cloud is synonymous with productivity and requires intelligent, planned migration to fully leverage all its benefits.

At Nublit, we are proud of having achieved excellent results implementing SAP in the cloud. Therefore, we offer you professionals with the I know how necessary to help you migrate your SAP infrastructure safely and in an orderly fashion.

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