Early adopter dilemma

Asked about the potential of S/4, SAP CEO Bill McDermott replies, "Huge!" In his opinion, SAP is at the beginning of a unique digital success that will eclipse everything that has gone before.

McDermott confirmed in a conference call in July this year that his interlocutors at global companies are asking for and welcoming SAP's "Run Simple" strategy. And he confirmed that existing S/4 customers are, by their very nature, early adopters - you're just at the beginning of this massive, successful digital transformation!

In the same press conference, SAP CFO Luka Mucic also defined the new ERP product "S/4" as a "baby" that will still grow big and bring SAP many successes.

The reverse conclusion to the euphoric S/4 and Hana growth forecast by CEO Bill McDermott and CFO Luka Mucic is sobering: what the SAP CEO called early adopters are, in lived ERP practice, the guinea pigs of the unfinished ERP suite S/4.

This disastrous picture is confirmed by numerous experts from the SAP community: SAP is developing new software and using existing customers as a test lab.

This disastrous picture is confirmed by numerous experts from the SAP community: SAP is developing new software and using existing customers as a test lab. The Hana database platform is said to come to a standstill two to three times a month on average - cause unknown.

S/4 runs similarly unstable, additionally missing many business functions due to an inconsistent "Simplification List". (SAP's Simplification List is supposed to enable existing customers to describe the delta of functions between Business Suite 7 and S/4).

There is nothing wrong with the vision and inventive spirit of Professor Hasso Plattner. His work at the Hasso Plattner Institute at the University of Potsdam in preparation for Hana was just right and perfect!

But at that time, SAP was in crisis. There was panic on the board. Success was needed and there was no time to let a very good idea mature. As a result, the Hana database and platform came onto the market far too early - existing customers became guinea pigs: Those who decided early on for SoH (S/7 on Hana 1) are now faced with the dilemma because there will probably be no migration path from Hana 1 to Hana 2 with regard to Business Suite 7.

The bitter realization: S/7 must be relaunched with Hana 2 when released by SAP - then a data transport from SoH 1 to SoH 2 can be initiated.

The bitter realization: S/7 must be restarted with Hana 2 when released by SAP - then a data transport from SoH 1 to SoH 2 can be initiated. Here, of course, the question arises: Why not wait for H 3, H 4 or H X right away?

Around 2025, many IT experts expect the first comprehensive and stable Hana version. Unfortunately, SAP's roadmaps do not provide any information about a future beyond Hana 2.

The fact is, however, that the early adopters have hit the wall with Hana 1 and SAP does not even deny this fact: McDermott thus rightly sees a huge potential still "ahead" - beyond 2025 - and his CFO Luka Mucic considers the current situation of S/4 and Hana as a "baby" that will still develop splendidly.

If existing customers had known that they were buying a kindergarten with Hana and S/4 and not fully trained academics, there would be fewer system crashes at the moment.