SAP’s announcement that they would end maintenance on Business Suite 7 by 2027 had all SAP users — even those lagging on modernization plans — thinking about what their next steps would be once the traditional ERP system phased out. Since then, two SAP offerings have taken center stage: RISE with SAP and S/4HANA Cloud.
For many current and potential SAP customers, however, questions exist around exactly what each solution offers, how they’re different, and which one they should consider. In reality, though, RISE with SAP and S/4HANA don’t present an either/or scenario — companies can and do have both.
In this guide, we’ll sort out the confusion by defining both RISE with SAP and S/4HANA cloud, explaining how they’re related, discussing the benefits of each, and offering tips for how to choose the right solution for your business.
Let’s start with RISE with SAP, which launched in January 2021 and marked a new shift for SAP to a subscription business model.
This shift wasn’t totally surprising given the massive emergence of “as-a-service” models across every business sector. As companies move to the cloud and adopt remote modern workspaces at an increasing rate, they’re leveraging -aaS as an increasingly core part of how they operate.
RISE with SAP aligns with this trend, offering what SAP has named “business transformation as a service” (BaaS) and offering 6 bundled solutions to help companies transform:
SAP S/4HANA is not separate or competitive with RISE with SAP — as outlined above, it’s one of the six primary offerings included in RISE’s bundled solutions.
That said, users can and often do access S/4HANA as a standalone solution and choose one of two platforms:
For SAP users, S/4HANA provides the opportunity to migrate and modernize to the cloud and utilize the in-memory database technology. To access other solutions and services, however, (like those included in RISE), users would need to make separate purchases and subscriptions.
There’s a common misconception that RISE with SAP is for SAP beginners — those that need more guidance on moving and operating their SAP systems in modern environments. While RISE does help enterprises who need guided services, it wasn’t designed exclusively for that purpose.
RISE is meant to expand the value SAP offers beyond ERP functionality to holistic business value. It gives companies streamlined access to a wider range of SAP tools, services, and applications to enhance and modernize their business. SAP S/4HANA Cloud helps users do the same, but in a more singular way — by delivering SAP’s software products in a modern cloud environment.
If you’re looking to execute a full-scale modernization that includes the S/4HANA cloud but also aims to transform applications, processes, workflows, and culture, then RISE can be a valuable resource to help you do it. If your main focus is getting your current SAP systems onto the cloud, starting with S/4HANA may be the best route.
In the end there’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to deciding between RISE with SAP vs. S/4HANA — it’s all about deciding which solutions your business needs, and what fits within your strategy and budget.
Protera can help you evaluate your current SAP capabilities alongside your business needs and goals, then decide on the right next steps — including deciding between RISE with SAP vs. S/4HANA Cloud and other SAP solutions. And no matter which route you choose, Protera will be there with the SAP expertise, strategic guidance, and operational support you need to make the most out of your investment.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business transform.