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Case Study: S/4HANA as a Private Cloud Platform.

How we are guiding a global pharmaceutical and medical technology company through the worldwide rollout of S/4HANA as a private cloud platform - with a single, lean validation and project methodology built on a template approach.

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The problem

Fragmented IT, a methodology that didn't deliver.

Processes were not harmonized across the organization and could not be measured, consolidated, or reported on through a single system - a fragmented IT landscape full of manual handoffs. A methodology put in place earlier by another consultancy was unclear to the project team, delivered no dependable results, slipped its deadlines, and was applied inconsistently. As part of the move to global operations, the company therefore set out to:

Roll out S/4HANA as a private cloud platform globally
Define a single methodology for the project and its validation
Establish a template approach with central process owners
Harmonize the system landscape, with a rollout concept and worldwide planning
Standardize core processes through SAP Solution Manager and SAP GRC
Build SOX requirements into the standard methodology

Project execution

A methodology that puts the business first.

Working alongside the validation team - and staying within the customer's existing validation method - we defined a streamlined approach that meets the demands of a worldwide template while accounting for the specifics of a complex, global SAP system. Throughout, the emphasis stayed on business requirements rather than on the SAP standard:

A single, streamlined validation and project methodology - template-ready, with quality gates and status tracking

Dedicated procedures for change management, authorizations, audit trail review, configuration, and data migration

Redundant legacy templates consolidated into central documents; the project team trained and coached on an ongoing basis

Business-oriented design documentation - with the template kept clearly separate from local adaptations (namespaces)

A risk-based test strategy, using end-to-end integration tests as the foundation for regression testing

Electronic change management (SAP Solution Manager ChaRM) with electronic signatures

SAP GRC for SOX (Segregation of Duties, Sensitive Access); validation of the underlying systems (SAP PO, BW/4HANA)

An overarching Business Process Master List as the basis for GxP assessment and process ownership

Result & benefit

Leaner, clearer - and repeatable.

As things stand today, the methodology has been standardized and made markedly leaner. The template continues to take shape and will be rolled out worldwide with QFINITY support over the coming years, while validation of the underlying systems is already under way.

Methodology standardized and made markedly leaner than the previous approach

Project team trained and coached on an ongoing basis - now working to the project methodology

Clear, straightforward documentation; underlying systems validated on the agreed schedule

The methodology is being reused - earmarked for the legacy EMEA system as well, until it is retired

Result

A methodology that scales.

The methodology has been standardized and made markedly leaner, and the team trained and coached - the template is being rolled out worldwide with QFINITY, and the underlying systems are in validation.

SAP S/4HANA Quality Gates SOX Rollout

More case studies

A template program built to scale globally.

We bring the unified validation and project methodology from global S/4HANA rollout programs straight into your project - from template design to validating your underlying SAP systems. In a free intro call (about 30 minutes), we'll assess where your project stands and map out the next step.

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