SAP recommends SAP Activate and the 893+ tasks which it covers, as the right methodology for ECC to S/4HANA migration/conversion. SAP Activate supports the use of add-ons and extensions developed by SAP partners and enables a coherent, integrated experience even if you are customizing SAP S/4HANA for specific business processes. It is a modular and agile framework which ensures a reliable SAP S/4HANA conversion and is the heart of KTern, the product designed to automate, manage, and accelerate the transition from ECC to S/4HANA from start to finish. In addition, KTern helps overcome different migration challenges.

With SAP Activate methodology and KTern, you get a disciplined project management approach for SAP S/4HANA migration. The methodology aligns with best practices suggested by the Project Management Institute (PMI), assisting you to minimize risk, streamline and accelerate your project, and reduce the total cost of S/4HANA conversion. A standardized work breakdown structure encourages project managers to define and manage project work and concentrate on deliverables and outcomes. The methodology and in turn KTern, work based on the six phases of your migration project: discover, prepare, explore, realize, deploy, and run.

Phase I – Discover: The Discover phase is the ideal first step for any organization considering an ECC to S/4HANA migration through a system conversion. The activities covered in this stage by KTern and SAP Activate are as given below.

1. Strategic Planning
2. Application Value and Scoping
3. Trial System Provisioning

Phase II – Prepare: The Prepare phase is the next logical step after the Discover Phase. This phase involves initial planning, preparation, and definition of project governance to start the project off on the right foot. A high-level grouping of the different tasks covered in this stage by KTern and SAP Activate are:

1. Project Team Enablement
2. Prototyping
3. Transition Planning
4. Transition Preparation
5. Custom Code Cleanup and Improvement
6. Project Delivery Platform Setup
7. Project Initiation
8. Establish Project Governance
9. Project Plan
10. Project Kick-off and Onboarding
11. Project Standards and Infrastructure
12. Execution, Monitoring, and Controlling of Results
13. Organizational Change Management Roadmap
14. Phase Closures and Sign-off Deliverables

Phase 3 – Explore: This phase provides a review of the solution functionality in scope in a series of show-and-tell sessions to validate that business requirements can be met with standard SAP Best Practices. Solution design workshops and process-oriented documents illustrate how to run a business using SAP S/4HANA. It is recommended to capture, prioritize, and document requirements and gaps in a solution backlog document. A high-level grouping of the different tasks covered in this stage by KTern and SAP Activate are:

1. Phase Initiation
2. Learning Design
3. Activate Solution
4. Fit-gap/Delta Design: Introduction
5. Fit-gap/Delta Design: Finalize System Setup
6. Fit-gap/Delta Design: Fit/Gap Analysis – Solution validation
7. Fit-gap/Delta Design: Gap Identification
8. Fit-gap/Delta Design: Delta Scope Prioritization
9. GAP Validation
10. Fit-gap/Delta Design: Delta Design
11. Design Review
12. Fit-Gap / Delta Design: Verify and Accept
13. UX Activation and Design
14. Fit-Gap/Delta Design: Central Finance Design
15. Data Volume Planning
16. Data Volume Design
17. Custom Code Impact Analysis
18. Test Planning
19. Integration Setup
20. Integration Design
21. Sandbox (SBX) Run
22. Development (DEV) Run
23. Sizing
24. Technical Architecture Definition
25. IT Infrastructure Definition
26. Technical Design
27. Operations Impact Analysis
28. Execution/Monitoring/Controlling Results
29. Change Impact Analysis
30. Phase Closure and Sign-Off Deliverable

Phase IV – Realize: This phase is primarily to build and test a complete solution environment that is based on the business processes and requirements identified in the explore phase and captured in the backlog document. The activities covered in this stage by KTern and SAP Activate can be broadly enlisted as:

1. Phase Closure and Sign-Off Phase Deliverables
2. Phase Initiation
3. Plan Realize Phase
4. Learning Realization
5. Sprint Initiation (Iterative)
6. Execution Plan for Realize Phase
7. Configuration: Introduction
8. Configuration: Handover
9. Configuration: Main Configuration
10. Configuration: Unit Test
11. Configuration: String Test
12. Configuration: Solution Walk-Through
13. Configuration: Bug Fixing
14. Configuration: Documentation
15. Configuration- Central Finance Implementation
16. Product Enhancements
17. Sprint Closing
18. Cleanup / Archive
19. Data Aging Configuration
20. Security Implementation
21. Integration Validation
22. Analytics Configuration
23. Test Preparation
24. Test Execution
25. Integration Implementation
26. Quality (QAS) Run
27. Data Migration and Verification
28. Cutover Preparation
29. Sizing and Scalability Verification
30. IT Infrastructure Setup and Test
31. Operations Implementation
32. Execution, Monitoring and Controlling Results
33. OCM Alignment activities

Phase V – Deploy: This phase is to deploy SAP S/4HANA for release, move to a production environment, and conduct sustainment activities. At this point, you have everything you need to run your business. The activities covered in this phase by KTern and SAP Activate can be grouped together as given below:

1. Phase Initiation
2. Learning Realization
3. Integration Validation
4. Execution, Monitoring and Controlling Results
5. Dress Rehearsal
6. IT Infrastructure Service Finalization
7. Operations Readiness
8. Release Closing
9. Production (PRD) Run – Cutover
10. Hyper Care Support
11. Post Go-Live End User Training
12. Handover to Support Organization
13. Project Closure and Sign-Off Project Deliverables

Phase VI – Run: This is the final phase during any SAP S/4HANA conversion. The new S/4HANA system is ready to use and guide enterprises on their path to digital transformation with continuous innovation.

This is a relatively simple phase and involves activities which help to operate the solutions and to innovate and improve the solution.