As experienced SAP consultants, we understand the intricacies of complex business processes and system landscapes. While short-term measures often deliver quick but unstable results, sustainable SAP strategies create a stable foundation for long-term success.
A clearly structured SAP architecture and the targeted use of modules such as S/4HANA, Fiori, or integrated analytics solutions provide the basis for security and efficiency. With this stable foundation, companies can dare to be more innovative and invest specifically in digital transformation – because the processes are already built on solid ground.
That is precisely why Traniva supports its customers in developing and implementing future-proof SAP strategies that are geared towards stability, efficiency and growth.
Driving transformation across all industries
Discrete manufacturing
Food industry
Pharmaceutical industry
medical technology
Chemical industry
Energy & Electricity Industry
The successful implementation of an SAP transformation depends not only on technology, but also significantly on a clear strategic direction. Our analysis shows which areas of action have the greatest influence on a company’s success. While topics such as corporate strategy, process standardisation and change management are considered critical and determine ROI, cloud, data and compliance strategies act as indispensable success enhancers. Resource and sourcing issues also ensure operational feasibility. The following overview highlights where companies need to focus their efforts in order to create sustainable added value – and what risks arise if these factors are not consistently taken into account.
Example matrix: The figures are intended as guidelines and may vary depending on the country, customer and project scope.
| Strategie | Relevance (%) | Contribution to the company’s success | Source | Impact of non-compliance | Potential cost implications | Brief justification for classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate strategy alignment | 100 % | Links SAP S/4HANA transformation with business objectives, ensuring ROI and competitiveness | SAP Activate, Gartner CIO Agenda | Projects do not deliver ROI, remain IT initiatives | Misallocation of budgets; €10–50 million per major project | Critical (≥95%, here 100%) – Without a clear business IT focus, investments are wasted and no measurable added value is created. |
| Cloud & Platform Strategy | 89 % | Future-proof SAP landscape with RISE, BTP & hybrid scenarios. Enables time-to-market & innovation | Gartner „Future of Cloud ERP“ | Technical dead ends, high maintenance costs | Rising TCO, +20–30% operating costs/year, migration in the millions | High (85–94%, here 89%) – Determines flexibility, speed of innovation and long-term scalability |
| Data & Information Strategy | 89 % | Single source of truth via HANA, SAC & Datasphere. Reliable decisions, compliance & governance | SAP Analytics Cloud Whitepaper | Poor data quality, compliance violations | €1–5 million in rework; penalties (GDPR) up to 4% of turnover | High (85–94%, here 89%) – foundation for reporting, governance and data-based corporate management |
| Process & Standardisation | 100 % | Standardised processes through Signavio & best practices. Reduces custom code, lowers costs & creates efficiency | SAP Signavio, Deloitte SAP Studies | Incompatibility, high adaptation costs | Project cost increase +20–40%, delays >12 months | Critical (≥95%, here 100%) – Lack of standardisation leads to massive additional expenditure, inefficiency and cost explosion. |
| Resources & Sourcing | 78 % | Workforce planning via SuccessFactors, near/offshore models. Securing skills and capacities | McKinsey IT Talent Study | Delays, overloading of internal teams | Project delay 6–18 months, external costs >€2–5 million | Average (<85%, here 78%) – Important for meeting deadlines and budgets, but less directly decisive for ROI |
| Governance, Risk & Compliance | 89 % | Security and trust through SAP GRC and IAM. Reduces regulatory risks and protects reputation. | SAP GRC, PwC Compliance Reports | Audits, fines, damage to reputation | GDPR penalties of up to 4% of turnover, loss of reputation → millions in damages | High (85–94%, here 89%) – Essential for legal certainty, risk minimisation and stakeholder confidence |
| Change- & Innovation | 100 % | User acceptance through Fiori & Enable Now. Innovation via BTP Services & continuous releases | Prosci Change Study, SAP Activate | Departments reject systems, low usage | Productivity losses of 5–15%, project cancellations in the millions | Critical (≥95%, here 100%) – Without change management and a culture of innovation, projects fail despite good technology. |
Alignment with corporate strategy
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Consistently align IT and SAP landscape with business objectives
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Making future-proof architecture and platform decisions
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Develop roadmaps that synchronise business and IT
Cloud & platform strategy
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Deciding between on-premise, private cloud or RISE with SAP
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Integration hybrider Szenarien (Cloud + On-Premise)
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Ensuring scalability and innovation capability in the long term
Data & information strategy
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Establishment of a “single source of truth”
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Data quality and governance as the foundation for digital processes
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Use of analytics (Power BI, SAC) for data-driven decisions
Process & standardisation strategy
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Harmonise and standardise processes (fit-to-standard)
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Minimisation of individual in-house developments
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Nutzung von Referenzmodellen & Best Practices (SAP Activate
Ressourcen- & Sourcing-Strategie
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Make-or-buy decisions for project roles and services
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Use of nearshore/offshore models for SAP development
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Skill management and continuous training of employees
Governance, Risk & Compliance
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Ensure GDPR & local compliance requirements
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Establishment of IT governance structures (RACI, GRC tools)
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Risk management with clear escalation and control mechanisms
Change & Innovation Strategy
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Early involvement of specialist departments and key users
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Continuous innovation cycles (e.g. Fiori apps, AI, automation)
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Sustainable change instead of one-off project thinking
Strategies & Standard Operations - Internal, External & Licence/Infrastructure Costs
Example matrix: The figures are intended as guidelines and may vary depending on the country, customer and project scope.
| Field of action / module area | Project duration (months) | Internal costs (€) | External costs (€) | Licences & infrastructure (€ per annum) | Internal R&D (qualifications) | External R&D (qualifications) | Internal expenditure (%) | External expenditure (%) | Investment perspective (CapEx/OpEx) | Internal costs per FTE (€ per annum) | External FTE costs (€ per annum) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| corporate strategy | 36 | 480.000 | 320.000 | – | 6 × business analysts, IT strategists, project managers | 4 × Strategy Consultants, SAP Architects | 60 % | 40 % | CapEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | SAP Activate, Gartner |
| Cloud & Plattform | 24 | 300.000 | 450.000 | 250.000–400.000 | 4 × Basis-Admins, Security-Experten | 6 × BTP/cloud architects, DevOps | 40 % | 60 % | OpEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | SAP RISE, Cloud Benchmarks |
| Data & Information | 18 | 200.000 | 250.000 | 100.000–200.000 | 3 × Data Stewards, BI-Analysten | 4 × HANA/SAC consultants, data engineers | 45 % | 55 % | Mix | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | SAP Datasphere, Analytics |
| Processes & Standardisation | 20 | 350.000 | 300.000 | – | 5 × Process Manager, Key User, Specialist Department | 4 × Signavio-/Fit-to-Standard-Consultants | 55 % | 45 % | CapEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | SAP Signavio, Deloitte |
| Ressourcen & Sourcing | 12 | 150.000 | 180.000 | – | 2 × HR/resource planner | 3 × SuccessFactors/recruiting experts | 50 % | 50 % | OpEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | McKinsey IT Talent Study |
| Governance & Compliance | 15 | 120.000 | 200.000 | 50.000–100.000 | 2 × Compliance Officer, IT-Security | 4 × GRC/IAM consultants, auditors | 35 % | 65 % | OpEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | PwC, SAP GRC Reports |
| Change & Innovation | 18 | 250.000 | 350.000 | – | 3 × Change Managers, internal trainers | 5 × Fiori-/Enable Now-Berater, Innovations-Coaches | 42 % | 58 % | CapEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | Prosci, SAP Activate |
| Standard operation – PP | Running (Run) | 160.000 p.a. | 40.000 p.a. | 50.000–80.000 | 2 × PP in-house consultants, key users in manufacturing | 0.5 × APO/PP PI specialist | 80 % | 20 % | OpEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | DSAG, SAP Ops |
| Standard operation – MM | Running (Run) | 140.000 p.a. | 35.000 p.a. | 40.000–70.000 | 2 × MM in-house consultants, purchasers | 0.5 × EDI/interface consultant | 80 % | 20 % | OpEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | DSAG, SAP Ops |
| Standard operation – SD | Running (Run) | 120.000 p.a. | 30.000 p.a. | 40.000–70.000 | 1–2 × SD in-house consultants, sales controllers | 0.5 × external pricing/EDI consultant | 75 % | 25 % | OpEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | DSAG, SAP Ops |
| Standard operation – FI | Running (Run) | 140.000 p.a. | 35.000 p.a. | 50.000–80.000 | 1–2 × FI consultant, accountant, controller | 0.5 × external auditors | 80 % | 20 % | OpEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | DSAG, Finance Benchmarks |
| Standard operation – CO | Running (Run) | 80.000 p.a. | 20.000 p.a. | 20.000–40.000 | 1 × CO consultant, cost calculator | 0.5 × Calculation specialist | 80 % | 20 % | OpEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | DSAG, SAP Ops |
| Standard operation – PM | Running (Run) | 80.000 p.a. | 20.000 p.a. | 20.000–40.000 | 1 × PM in-house consultant, maintenance manager | 0.5 × external PM consultant | 80 % | 20 % | OpEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | DSAG, SAP Ops |
| Standard operation – Basic | Running (Run) | 160.000 p.a. | 80.000 p.a. | 100.000–200.000 | 2 × Basis-Admins, Security | 1 × external hosting/base partner | 67 % | 33 % | OpEx (Upgrades = CapEx) | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | DSAG, IT Ops Benchmarks |
| Standard operation – QM | Running (Run) | 60.000 p.a. | 20.000 p.a. | 20.000–40.000 | 0,5–1 × QM Key User | 0.5 × external QM/validation consultant | 75 % | 25 % | OpEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | DSAG, Pharma/Food QM |
| Standard operation – IT governance | Running (Run) | 80.000 p.a. | 20.000 p.a. | 30.000–50.000 | 1 × IT Manager, SAP Coordinator | 0.5 × Project Manager (ad hoc) | 80 % | 20 % | OpEx | ~120.000 | ~250.000 | DSAG, IT Management Benchmarks |
From vision to implementation – strategic roadmaps (SAP)
A clear strategy is the foundation for sustainable success. In the SAP environment, this means precisely defining business objectives, developing the right roadmap for S/4HANA transformations, and incorporating competitive and market analyses into planning. This involves evaluating company capabilities, process landscapes, and external influencing factors to ensure a future-proof orientation.
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Consistently integrate business strategy with IT and SAP landscape
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Incorporate market and competition analyses into the roadmap
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Identify innovation potential at an early stage (e.g. AI, cloud, automation)
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Consider risks and compliance requirements from the outset
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Creating transparency through clear targets and KPIs
The development of a strategic plan involves the concrete design of the defined strategy. This includes selecting the appropriate implementation approaches (greenfield, brownfield, hybrid), creating a realistic time and budget plan, and defining standards, methods and tools (e.g. SAP Activate, Signavio, JIRA). The aim is to create an actionable and implementable concept that optimises business processes and delivers measurable added value.
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Selection of the optimal transformation approach (greenfield, brownfield, hybrid)
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Use of SAP Activate and best practices for plan structuring
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Planning of resources (internal/external, FTE, skills) and budgets
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Creation of governance structures (e.g. RACI matrix, decision-making processes)
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Integration of relevant tools such as Signavio (process modelling), JIRA (agile PM), Power BI/SAC (reporting)
Even the best plan will be ineffective without proper implementation. Execution management in the SAP context means carrying out projects in a structured manner, actively managing risks, and ensuring progress and quality through continuous monitoring. Change management, governance, and the involvement of specialist departments play a crucial role here. This ensures that the strategy is successfully implemented, firmly anchored in operations, and further developed in the long term.
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Manage project implementation using agile and traditional methods
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Implement active risk management and escalation mechanisms
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Change and communication management for acceptance in the department
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Monitoring progress, quality and costs with KPIs and dashboards
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Sustainable integration into the company, including support, service and further development model
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Talent & Skills (skills gap analysis, further training, competence centre)
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Sourcing-Modelle (Make-or-Buy, Near-/Offshore, Wissensmanagement)
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Project organisation & role model (e.g. RACI, Centre of Excellence)
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Governance structures & decision-making processes
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Use of GRC tools for compliance and transparency
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Risk management, including escalation mechanisms
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Data protection & regulatory requirements (GDPR, local laws)
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TCO-Analysen (Total Cost of Ownership)
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ROI calculations (return on investment)
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Investment planning (licences, infrastructure, operating costs)
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Budgeting according to project phases (Prepare, Explore, Realise, Run)
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Harmonise processes & implement fit-to-standard
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Minimisation of in-house developments
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Use of reference models (e.g. SAP Activate)
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KPI-based process optimisation
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Agile methods (Scrum, SAFe, DevOps)
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Continuous innovation cycles (e.g. Fiori apps, AI, automation)
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Involvement of key users and specialist departments
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Innovationskultur fördern (Communities, Design Thinking, Co-Innovation)