A challenge with huge dimensions: S/4HANA migration at BIT
A challenge with enormous dimensions: The Federal Administration processes up to 1.2 million transactions a year in its Enterprise Resource Planning system, and 48,000 people use it for time recording. As part of the SUPERB program, up to 500 people worked on the migration of the existing civilian SAP systems to the new SAP S/4HANA. In the largest project since inpeek was founded, we took on central tasks in various sub-areas.
THE CHALLENGES
For around 20 years, the civil federal administration had been using the standard SAP ECC software, particularly in the areas of finance, human resources, logistics, procurement and real estate. Following the announcement of the end of support for SAP ECC from the end of 2027, it was clear that the existing SAP solution of the civil federal administration would be end-of-life by 2027 and would have to be replaced. In the future, the new S/4HANA business suite was to be used.
As part of the SUPERB programme, up to 500 people worked in 20 to 25 scrum teams for more than four years to modernize the support processes of the civilian federal administration and initiate the technological generation change of the existing civilian SAP systems to the new SAP S/4HANA.
The requirement was a total migration; all data had to be transferred to the new system, as in some cases queries had to be answered decades in the past. The combination of cloud and on-premise created additional complexity.
SUPERB's main objectives:
- Ensuring the operationality of the support processes
- Harmonization and standardization of support processes
- Standardization of interfaces to ICT applications
- Possibility to increase efficiency
- Centralization of support process master data management
- Ensuring industrialized operation and its further development
THE CHALLENGES
For around 20 years, the civil federal administration had been using the standard SAP ECC software, particularly in the areas of finance, human resources, logistics, procurement and real estate. Following the announcement of the end of support for SAP ECC from the end of 2027, it was clear that the existing SAP solution of the civil federal administration would be end-of-life by 2027 and would have to be replaced. In the future, the new S/4HANA business suite was to be used.
As part of the SUPERB programme, up to 500 people worked in 20 to 25 scrum teams for more than four years to modernize the support processes of the civilian federal administration and initiate the technological generation change of the existing civilian SAP systems to the new SAP S/4HANA.
The requirement was a total migration; all data had to be transferred to the new system, as in some cases queries had to be answered decades in the past. The combination of cloud and on-premise created additional complexity.
SUPERB’s main objectives:
- Ensuring the operationality of the support processes
- Harmonization and standardization of support processes
- Standardization of interfaces to ICT applications
- Possibility to increase efficiency
- Centralization of support process master data management
- Ensuring industrialized operation and its further development
OUR APPROACH
As part of the overall project, we were responsible for various sub-areas and tasks, in some cases in a leading role, and thus contributed to the success of the overall project:
- S/4HANA migration, software development and module consulting
- Migration of existing customized software to S/4HANA
- Project management and product ownership, management of a Scrum team within SUPERB
- FI - VIM and accounts payable workflow: migration of processes
- PI / PO: Conversion of over 500 interfaces from old to new
- Development and implementation of a theme for the ERP based on the existing CD/CI
OUR APROACH
As part of the overall project, we were responsible for various sub-areas and tasks, in some cases in a leading role, and thus contributed to the success of the overall project:
- S/4HANA migration, software development and module consulting
- Migration of existing customized software to S/4HANA
- Project management and product ownership, management of a Scrum team within SUPERB
- FI – VIM and accounts payable workflow: migration of processes
- PI / PO: Conversion of over 500 interfaces from old to new
- Development and implementation of a theme for the ERP based on the existing CD/CI
THE RESULT
The time had come much earlier than planned in the roadmap (2025 was planned here) in mid-September 2023: the civil ERP systems of the Federal Administration with its 7 departments and the Federal Chancellery were migrated to SAP S/4HANA.
After a phase of “hypercares” in which we offered extended support to assist federal employees, another goal was also achieved at the end of the year: a clean annual financial statement for 2023.
THE RESULT
The time had come much earlier than planned in the roadmap (2025 was planned here) in mid-September 2023: the civil ERP systems of the Federal Administration with its 7 departments and the Federal Chancellery were migrated to SAP S/4HANA.
After a phase of “hypercares” in which we offered extended support to assist federal employees, another goal was also achieved at the end of the year: a clean annual financial statement for 2023.
ABOUT THE FEDERAL OFFICE FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS (BIT)
The Federal Office of Information Technology and Telecommunications (BIT) provides the Swiss Federal Administration with IT services. Around 1200 employees work together every day on behalf of Switzerland.
The BIT is responsible for the operation of data centers and over 400 specialist applications. It manages around 29,000 workstation systems and operates the data networks and the entire telecommunications infrastructure of the Federal Administration.
