ORLANDO, Fla. — Companies in manufacturing and consumer goods are under growing pressure to modernize the aging software systems that help run their businesses.
Enterprise resource planning systems, often called ERP systems, help companies manage core operations such as inventory, finance, supply chains, sales and order processing. When those systems become outdated, they can slow down reporting, limit automation and make it harder for companies to adapt to changing business needs.
But replacing or upgrading those systems can be risky. A poorly planned migration can disrupt orders, inventory management and other business-critical operations.
That is why technology leaders are paying closer attention to how companies move from older ERP systems to more scalable platforms such as SAP S/4HANA.
Saurabh Pandey, a senior manager at Capgemini and senior IEEE member, has worked on complex ERP modernization projects involving large technical teams, strict timelines and limited room for downtime.
Pandey recently led cutover planning and execution for a multi-million dollar SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA brownfield migration that ran from 2022 to April 2024. The project involved moving a large enterprise environment to a more scalable system designed to support future automation, analytics and operational improvements.
“Managing technical dependencies across development, quality assurance and production while ensuring operational continuity required exhaustive planning and ongoing coordination,” Pandey said.
The team used multiple dry runs to reduce the expected cutover window from 136 hours to 31 hours, a 77% reduction. That helped protect key business workflows, including order-to-cash and inventory management, and helped avoid nearly $1 million in potential lost revenue.
ERP modernization has become a larger business priority as more companies look for systems that can support faster reporting, better data access and more connected operations. Industry forecasts project continued growth in the global ERP market as businesses invest in platforms designed to improve productivity and streamline operations.
For many companies, the challenge is not just adopting new software. It is making the transition without interrupting the business.
Pandey said the S/4HANA migration required careful coordination across technical teams and business users. The work included upgrading integration systems, improving data storage and supporting a more scalable architecture for future growth.
“This was more than an upgrade. It was a foundational investment enabling tomorrow’s innovations,” Pandey said.
After the migration, the system achieved more than 99.5% availability. The hypercare period, when teams closely monitor a system after launch, was shortened by two weeks, reducing support costs by about $300,000. The project also advanced the client’s return-on-investment timeline by three to four months and helped generate an estimated $1 million in annual productivity improvements.
“Our focus on user experience, including mobile accessibility, was critical to ensuring adoption and operational stability,” Pandey said.
The timing matters because SAP has announced plans to end mainstream maintenance for its ECC system in 2027, pushing many companies to plan migrations before older systems become harder and more expensive to support.
For executives, ERP modernization is no longer just an IT project. It can affect revenue, supply chains, customer service, compliance and long-term competitiveness.
Pandey said successful transformations require both technical planning and business awareness. Companies need to understand how systems connect across departments, where downtime would create the most risk and how new platforms can support future growth.
As businesses continue to modernize their digital infrastructure, ERP upgrades are likely to remain a major focus for companies trying to reduce risk while preparing for automation, analytics and more flexible operations.
For Pandey, the future of ERP depends on combining technical precision with strategic planning so companies can modernize without losing control of the operations they depend on every day.
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