The release of S/4HANA marked one of the most momentous shifts in SAP history, and one that has wide ranging ruminations for SAP customers, including many of you!

We hosted a webcast last year with SAP Analyst & Observer Shaun Snapp, during which we got to the facts to clarify confusion and suggested some key questions that organizations should be asking: How can S/4HANA help drive digital transformation and lower the cost of finance in practice? What is the new process and risk landscape? What will be the new normal around S/4HANA risk and control?

For SAP customers, the S/4HANA analysis, business case and decision process is no small endeavour. Many organizations have dozens of senior staff engaged on this over a protracted period.

Building a business case that poses and answers the right questions is critically important. Getting Smart Analytics on how your processes work today is a key plank in the migration strategy (and we can help there, by the way!)

In his latest blog, veteran SAP Implementation Leader David Lowson reports on his group’s intensive activity around S/4 and the emergence of projected paybacks of less than 12 months! He gives a number of reasons for this bold claim, but the key point he makes is the need for a compelling business event or “burning platform” on which to base the business case.

For those of you in the midst of just this process, you can read his thoughts and experiences on the topic here