RISE with SAP, GROW with SAP, and SAP S/4HANA: All You Need to Know

Enterprise technology is crucial for organizations’ daily operations and mission-critical functions. In an era of unprecedented acceleration, enterprises of all scales are leveraging technology to venture into uncharted territories, revamp their operations, and unleash their full capabilities. With global IT spending projected to reach a staggering $4.6 trillion in 2023, the demand for technology to facilitate digital business initiatives continues to surge. This makes it critical for organizations to make well-informed choices that align with their strategic goals and unique requirements.

SAP is a consistent pioneer in enterprise technology, offering solutions that enable businesses to flourish in the digital age. SAP, a prominent player in the market, provides an array of innovative solutions designed to empower businesses in their journey toward digital evolution. As organizations navigate the complex terrain of digital transformation, they often find themselves at a crossroads, faced with the pivotal decision of choosing the right solution to elevate their operations to the next level. SAP offers a range of options for businesses of all sizes looking to transform their operations with digital technology. Three of the most popular options are RISE with SAP, GROW with SAP, and SAP S/4HANA, each with distinct advantages and value propositions.

The Digital Transformation Landscape

Organizations today are confronted with a multitude of SAP offerings. However, this abundance of choices can often leave consumers confused, particularly those embarking on their ERP journey or looking to enhance their IT modernization efforts. In this blog, we aim to unravel the intricacies of these SAP offerings, providing you with the insights needed to make informed decisions that align with your organization’s aspirations.

What is RISE with SAP Offering?

RISE with SAP is a comprehensive and all-encompassing solution meticulously tailored for large and upper-mid-market businesses that aspire to transcend traditional technology solutions. It’s designed to simplify the digital transformation process, offering a comprehensive package of bundled products, all under one contract with SAP. This comprehensive approach is ideal for organizations that embrace transformation holistically, integrating technology, strategy, and sustainability into a single, unified package.

The RISE with SAP package includes access to the SAP S/4HANA Cloud suite, featuring finance, supply chain, sales, and R&D functionalities, SAP Business Network Starter Pack, SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) via consumption credits, and a range of embedded tools, services, and business process intelligence capabilities. This holistic approach makes RISE with SAP suitable for organizations embarking on comprehensive digital transformation journeys, particularly those that depend heavily on collaboration with partners, suppliers, and customers. The business network capabilities of RISE with SAP can significantly enhance transparency and efficiency in these collaborations. Additionally, for organizations committed to embedding sustainability into their operations, RISE with SAP’s focus on sustainability, provides the tools to measure, manage, and report on environmental and social impacts.

You may still wonder what is Rise with SAP S/4HANA? Rise with SAP S/4HANA goes with a tagline of Business Transformation as a Service and as mentioned above comprises SAP S/4HANA software, a foundational set of business network solutions to facilitate a seamless transition to the cloud for the customer. This comprehensive offering is consolidated into a single, unified package, simplifying the engagement through a sole contract with SAP.

Here are Reasons Why You Might Choose RISE with SAP if Your Organization

• Comprehensive Digital Transformation Journey: RISE with SAP is tailored for organizations embarking on a comprehensive digital transformation journey. RISE with SAP provides a robust framework if your organization seeks to evolve its entire operational landscape, encompassing various processes, networks, and sustainability initiatives. This solution allows you to tackle multiple aspects of your business in a unified manner. It integrates technology, strategy, and sustainability, offering a holistic approach to transformation that can be especially beneficial for businesses committed to making a fundamental shift in their operations.

• Emphasis on Collaboration: For organizations that heavily depend on collaboration with partners, suppliers, and customers, RISE with SAP’s business network capabilities come into play. This solution enhances transparency and efficiency in your collaborations, making it easier to manage and streamline interactions with external stakeholders. If fostering strong, collaborative relationships is crucial to your business, RISE with SAP can provide the necessary tools and features to achieve this goal.

• Sustainability Integration: Sustainability is an increasingly important aspect of business operations. If your organization aims to embed sustainability into its core operations, RISE with SAP is well-equipped to support your sustainability goals. It provides tools and capabilities to measure, manage, and report on environmental and social impacts. This focus on sustainability allows you to align your operations with a broader commitment to social and environmental responsibility, which is beneficial for the planet and can enhance your organization’s reputation and appeal to socially conscious consumers. RISE with SAP is optimal for organizations with ambitious digital transformation plans, a strong emphasis on collaboration, and a commitment to sustainability. This solution simplifies the digital transformation process and empowers you to achieve your broader business objectives by aligning technology, strategy, and sustainability in a unified package.

What is GROW with SAP?

GROW with SAP is the latest offering introduced in March 2023 is designed to help companies in transition achieve adoption through a combination of services, solutions, and learning resources. Powered by SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition, and employing artificial intelligence (AI) and five decades of industry best practices, GROW with SAP offers a preconfigured package of resources that enables companies to get up and running within four to eight weeks.

GROW with SAP is primarily designed for greenfield implementers looking to transition to the cloud. While its major target audience is midmarket, it also caters to scale-ups. This offering is particularly appealing to companies whose existing solutions cannot meet their requirements for expanding their business. GROW with SAP provides a straightforward and predictable onboarding approach for swift and effective adoption.

This contrasts with RISE with SAP, which is designed for SAP customers who are migrating their existing data to the cloud—a process known as a brownfield implementation. Those opting for RISE with SAP are usually looking for a steady journey as they move to the cloud with their existing assets. It offers a more tailored process with a comprehensive package of services to cater to larger or more complex requirements.

Smaller companies often need help to keep up with larger organizations, especially when they lack the same resources. Cloud ERP makes advanced technology accessible to midmarket companies, allowing them to compete on a level playing field with larger counterparts. When combined with GROW with SAP, these smaller companies can address immediate issues quickly and scale and grow their business over time.

GROW with SAP is available in two editions: base and premium. The base version is intended for those with budget constraints, fewer requirements, or minimal needs regarding SAP functionality. On the other hand, the premium edition offers enhanced capabilities in areas such as cash management, receivables management, and advanced financial close. Those who opt for a GROW with SAP license gain access to SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition, and SAP BTP.

GROW with SAP is firmly focused on customer engagement, business model innovation, and employee experience, making it an ideal choice for businesses looking to expand by optimizing their processes and adopting customer-centric strategies.

Reasons to Choose GROW with SAP if Your Organization

GROW with SAP is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of organizations in a growth phase with specific priorities. Some of the reasons why GROW with SAP may be the perfect choice for your organization are as below:

• Efficient Scaling with Greenfield SAP Project: If your organization is experiencing a growth phase and needs to scale its operations efficiently, GROW with SAP is well-suited. It is particularly advantageous for greenfield implementers who are transitioning to the cloud. Whether you’re a mid-sized business looking to expand your operations or a scale-up seeking to seize new opportunities, GROW with SAP offers a straightforward and predictable onboarding approach. This means you can swiftly and effectively adopt the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition, without the complexities associated with traditional ERP implementations. It allows you to address immediate operational challenges while providing the foundation to scale and grow your business over time.

• Enhancing CX: Customer satisfaction and loyalty are paramount in today’s business landscape. If your organization prioritizes enhancing customer experiences and nurturing lasting customer relationships, GROW with SAP is well-equipped to support your goals. It strongly emphasizes customer engagement and provides the tools to improve interactions, understand customer needs, and build lasting relationships. By utilizing GROW with SAP, you can create exceptional customer experiences that drive customer loyalty, which, in turn, can positively impact your business’s growth and profitability.

• Diversification and Business Model Innovation: Businesses must often adapt to changing market dynamics and explore new revenue streams. GROW with SAP is suited for organization looking to diversify its offerings or explore new business models. It aligns technology with your strategic goals, enabling you to identify new opportunities, innovate your business model, and effectively diversify your product or service portfolio. This can lead to revenue growth and business expansion, allowing your organization to stay competitive and adaptable in a rapidly evolving business environment.

What is SAP S/4HANA?

SAP S/4HANA, SAP’s current enterprise application suite, has redefined the enterprise technology landscape since its initial release in 2015. This transformative platform marks one of the most significant changes in SAP’s core offerings since introducing the revolutionary R/3 system in 1992.

Introduced initially as SAP Simple Finance at the 2014 SAPPHIRE NOW technology conference in Orlando, Florida, SAP S/4HANA was initially envisioned as a next-generation financial solution. However, its potential quickly became evident, and within nine months, SAP expanded the core capabilities of this solution, transforming it into a full-scale enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. The suite was aptly named SAP S/4HANA, with specific core lines of business appended to the end of the suite name, such as SAP S/4HANA Finance.

SAP S/4HANA introduced many innovations that set it apart from its predecessor. The new features included:

• Brand-New Code Base: SAP S/4HANA was developed on a completely fresh code base, offering increased agility and improved performance. This new foundation allowed for quicker adaptation to evolving business needs.

• SAP HANA’s In-Memory Computing: Leveraging the power of SAP HANA’s in-memory computing architecture, SAP S/4HANA provides users real-time access to business statistics and analytics. This technological leap enables organizations to make data-driven decisions instantaneously, enhancing their responsiveness and competitiveness.

• Convergence of Transactional and Analytical Systems: SAP S/4HANA brought together transactional and analytical systems under a single platform. This convergence simplifies data management and enables organizations to seamlessly transition from traditional business processes to more dynamic, data-centric operations.

With these advancements, SAP has empowered organizations to navigate the ever-changing business landscape with confidence and innovation.

SAP S/4HANA is highly versatile, catering to businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises to multinational conglomerates. When acquiring a license, you may choose between an on-premise version, where your organization hosts the system, or a cloud version, hosted by SAP. The decision between these options depends on your specific business requirements.

Consider Adopting SAP S/4HANA If

Streamlining Core Processes: Your primary objective is to optimize and streamline your core business processes, making an SAP S/4HANA license an ideal choice.

Modernization and Efficiency: If your ERP system is outdated and you’re searching for a more agile and efficient solution, SAP S/4HANA offers a contemporary technological foundation. This is particularly crucial if you’re currently using SAP ERP, as SAP’s maintenance of that solution is set to cease in the future, making a transition to SAP S/4HANA a timely decision.

Gradual Enhancement: If your organization isn’t yet prepared for a comprehensive transformation but aims to upgrade its ERP capabilities, choosing an SAP S/4HANA license can be a strategic and pragmatic choice.

Leverage Nsight Advantage in SAP solutions

If you are still uncertain about which SAP offerings would best cater to your specific needs, look no further. As a trusted strategic partner of SAP, our seasoned experts can offer support. They are well-equipped to thoroughly evaluate and pinpoint the ideal solution for your unique requirements. By connecting with us, you open the door to a comprehensive evaluation process, during which we will work closely with you to ensure your adoption of SAP aligns seamlessly with your goals and objectives.

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