1. Inventory

At the beginning, the timeliness and relevance of the data and documents should be checked to avoid migrating unnecessary or outdated information. Transformation offers the opportunity to consolidate data management and review it for regulatory requirements.

2. Integrate archiving into transformation

By integrating an archiving solution at an early stage, the volume of data can be reduced and the new system landscape streamlined. Intelligent archiving solutions such as tia® help to outsource redundant data from the SAP system.

3. Homogenization and simplification

The switch to SAP S/4HANA can be used to standardize heterogeneous archive landscapes and standardize processes — for greater efficiency and long-term maintainability.

4. Check data quality and relevance

The quality and business significance of the data to be migrated should be carefully examined. Archiving solutions such as tia® help you manage or control data that is no longer required in accordance with regulations.

5. Ensuring technological sustainability

As part of the migration, it should be checked whether it makes sense to switch from SAP ArchiveLink® to CMIS. CMIS is an open interface standard that supports modern, cloud-enabled integration scenarios and enables a future-proof connection to S/4HANA. Interaction between the two interfaces is also easily possible today.

6. Cloud compatibility and scalability

Archive solutions with cloud or hybrid architecture offer the necessary flexibility and scalability to keep pace with future requirements — regardless of whether S/4HANA is operated on-premise or in the cloud.

7. Ensure security and compliance

In order to meet data protection, access security and regulatory requirements, it is recommended to use encryption technologies and role-based access concepts. A central archiving instance also simplifies audits and verification requirements.

8. Cost reduction and efficiency improvement

By outsourcing archived data from the primary SAP infrastructure, operating costs can be reduced. Reducing the load on the S/4HANA system also results in more efficient use of available resources.

9. Relieve system performance

An intelligent archiving strategy ensures that large amounts of data do not burden the operational system. This helps to keep the performance of the SAP environment stable — even as data volumes grow.

10. Plan and implement migration

A well-thought-out archiving strategy at an early stage supports smooth migration. It ensures that all relevant data remains accessible even after the transformation — without unnecessarily burdening the new system.

The complete transformation checklist is available here.

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