Client Overview
Our client, a large global organization, faced rapid data growth within their SAP® ERP systems, resulting in performance degradation, increased risks, and higher operational costs. The client needed to adopt a robust SAP data archiving solution to manage data volumes more effectively, improve system performance, and ensure adherence to legal and compliance requirements.
Call for Change
As the client's databases continued to expand, managing the growing volume of data became more complex, causing slower system performance and escalating costs. Additionally, the organization's internal IT team struggled to maintain service level agreements (SLAs) due to the sheer size of the SAP system.
The client's decision to move their SAP S/4HANA® system to a cloud infrastructure created an opportunity to revamp their data archiving solution, enabling them to streamline processes, enhance system performance, and reduce total cost of ownership — all while adhering to data retention and compliance regulations.
Neev's Solution
Neev worked closely with the client's IT team to develop a comprehensive cloud-based SAP data archiving solution. Key aspects of the solution included:
- Migration to Cloud Architecture: Neev assisted in transitioning the client's SAP S/4HANA system from an on-premise content management system to a cloud-based solution, hosted on a secure, scalable cloud platform. This move was crucial in streamlining data management processes and reducing infrastructure costs.
- Targeted Data Archiving: The solution involved identifying high-growth areas of the client's SAP environment, such as finance, controlling, and personnel administration, and prioritizing these for archiving. Data was archived in key business functions, such as Time & Expense (T&E), Controlling (CO), Order-to-Cash (OTC), and Requisition-to-Pay (RTP).
- Enhanced Content Management: Neev implemented an advanced but lean business content management system that interfaces with the client's cloud storage platform. This ensured that archived data remained secure, accessible, and compliant with data retention laws.
- Performance Optimization: The solution focused on archiving data that was no longer needed for day-to-day operations, enabling the client to keep active data online while optimizing system performance.
When Tech Meets Human Ingenuity
Our team utilized leading SAP data archiving practices and collaborated with key cloud partners to create a cutting-edge solution tailored to the client's business needs. Neev's approach involved:
- Migrating legacy data and archiving attachments to a cloud-based system.
- Replacing outdated storage devices and enhancing strategic partnerships to ensure seamless integration.
- Developing a robust contingency plan to reload data quickly if necessary, ensuring minimal risk to critical business processes such as financial close.
A Valuable Difference
The new cloud-based SAP S/4HANA archiving solution delivered significant benefits to the client:
- Improved System Performance: By archiving data not required for daily operations, the client's system performance improved considerably. The batch cycle processing time was reduced by 250 hours, and end users experienced faster transaction processing and search times.
- Cost Savings: Moving from on-premise infrastructure to a cloud-based system significantly reduced memory and storage costs.
- Reduced Maintenance: The cloud solution required less ongoing maintenance, providing the IT team with more time to focus on strategic tasks.
- Compliance and Risk Mitigation: The archiving solution ensured full adherence to legal and compliance requirements, allowing the client to archive data on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis as needed.
Conclusion
Neev's cloud-based SAP data archiving solution helped the client reduce costs, improve system performance, and ensure compliance with data retention laws. By moving to the cloud, the client can now efficiently manage their data growth, maintain service level agreements, and optimize their SAP environment to meet the evolving needs of their global enterprise.