Mechanical Engineer at a real estate/law firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Complicated and robust, this suite delivers a total solution with rigorous and exhaustive planning
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a very powerful, highly customizable tool."
  • "It requires a lot of planning to implement the product correctly."

What is our primary use case?

Our company analyzes material inventory and then processes the financial accounting which is handled by the system we created using the product.  

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is that the reporting is fast. We can see the results from that in that our commissions come in fast. That is the main advantage.  

What needs improvement?

This is an integrated system so it is very complex. It is not like Windows or like Microsoft products where you can use Word or you use Excel and it is familiar and easy to use. The interface is something that is very confusing from my point of view. It can and should be simplified. It needs some work on the front end to be more user-friendly and customizable to the user's needs.  

It is not a very good product from the perspective of ease-of-use. Trying to implement it is like you want to prepare some food. You have raw materials like spices in a pile but there is no recipe as to how to mix them. It is a recipe missing the proportion to mix the spices in.  

In the case of S/4HANA, that recipe depends on how the organization requires it to operate. A better result depends upon the implementation partner's decisions in handling the wide range of choices offered by the product. If these decisions are not good, once the product is already developed, you may come to know after years of using it that it was not implemented optimally. Then you end up making customizations and work-arounds because of this initial implementation. That is bad practice. Customization and work-arounds will only lead to more complexity. It is a very big product that can not be understood in a short span of time and implemented quickly. Meticulous planning is ultimately important.  

A lot depends on the implementation partner and if they understand your needs. An implementation partner who rushes in too quickly with a solution can get it wrong and that can cause major problems in the long run.  

For how long have I used the solution?

We started the implementation of S/4HANA in 2017.  

Buyer's Guide
SAP S/4HANA
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about SAP S/4HANA. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Any glitches and problems would all depend very strongly on the implementation, predominately. Our integration is very near perfect, but it needs a highly skilled team taking lots of time to understand and maintain it properly. Because implementation is less customized it is better than in most other industries. When it comes to our own industry and our own investment in our industry with our own company stressors, it has to be customized properly.  

One person will not be able to understand and manage all the processes of the modules. That is not practically possible to have that type of skill set. The product needs to be managed by a well-integrated team that can work together and separately with their own responsibility for maintenance and execution.  

Ultimately one person will need to have an in-depth knowledge of how the parts work together to orchestrate the result. All this has to come together at the time of designing. All of the team will be working with some lack of knowledge about the whole of the system or the in-depth knowledge of some other team member's roles. The integration of the team is as important as the integration of the product. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of S/4HANA is as good as it can be. The reason that we moved from our old ERP was a lack of scalability. That is exactly the reason. We moved to S/4HANA because we knew the scalability was good.  

We use it company-wide on a daily basis and across multiple websites now. If we need to it is possible to scale up from there in whatever way we need to.  

How are customer service and support?

Our specialized support team does sometimes work with SAP support. The support is good but it may depend on what you can provide. Sometimes we can trace volumes ourselves and we can get the solutions from that. It can often minimize the time it takes to get a solution. Using SAP to provide the solution takes more time. But sometimes we need them to keep moving ahead.  

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were having trouble with our other ERP solution which is a product that has not been very successful outside of Arab countries. That learning experience is why we are in a good position to implement S/4HANA as a better solution.  

How was the initial setup?

The installation setup requires specific knowledge of the system and how it works. I am not from the technical side myself but I know a lot of configuration is required. It is more-or-less complex depending on the scope of how the product will be modeled for use.  

What about the implementation team?

For the installation, we appointed a separate SAP IT partner. Along with that, our entire company was involved with implementing this project.  

It definitely requires maintenance from SAP support as well as our own specialized teams.  

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This is an expensive product.  

What other advice do I have?

My recommendation to people considering S/4HANA as an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is to invest in it if they can afford it and need it. But, I strongly recommend that the implementation should be considered very carefully. SAP software is a very capable solution but it is only worth it if you approach it knowing that you will be spending three, four, or five years just to be able to understand it fully. It is not just an investment in capital, it is an investment in learning and time.  

It is definitely a good product. It is costly and needs a quality team for maintaining and integrating the product.  

On a scale from one to ten where one is the worst and ten is the best, I would have a hard time making a rating of SAP S/4HANA that is useful for every user. If someone already has some expertise in ERP expertise, it is different than if they have none. The solution itself can be a ten for one aspect of its function and it can be a three or four in other aspects depending on what the user needs and understands. Cost-wise it can be anything from one to ten depending on the value it provides to the organization investing in it.  

Personally, from the functionality point, I think it is one of the best products. The integration is good and the SAP team helps with their continuous support to help users reap the fruit of their investment in the software system. We took the time to have the knowledge of business and how the product could work for us to make adopting this product a success. In our case, I think the solution is around a seven-and-a-half out of ten.  

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Associate IT Consultant at itcinfotech
MSP
Easy integration with other tools

What is our primary use case?

S/4HANA BASIS administration and technical architect solutions.

How has it helped my organization?

We have implemented for one of the customers and gone live recently, and its greenfield implementation. The customer was very happy as the implementation time took less than 6-8 months.

What is most valuable?

Easy integration with other tools.

What needs improvement?

  • S/4HANA 1610: We found very less Fiori apps — a few apps not working.
  • All module Fiori apps need to be tuned.

For how long have I used the solution?

One to three years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
SAP S/4HANA
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about SAP S/4HANA. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
768,857 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Virendra Rai - PeerSpot reviewer
Director- APAC at 2iSolutions
Real User
This is an extremely powerful and trouble-free product
Pros and Cons
  • "A user-friendly UI with good documentation."
  • "This is a costly solution."

What is our primary use case?

We are partners with SAP S4HANA and I'm company director. 

What is most valuable?

This is a very powerful solution with a user-friendly UI. They provide good documentation.

What needs improvement?

This is a very costly solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for nearly eight years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is highly scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

Nobody can match their customer service, it's very good. 

How was the initial setup?

This is an IT tool so the initial setup is somewhat complex. It's gradually becoming simpler over time and they're developing different tools to simplify implementation and maintenance.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Licensing costs are high.

What other advice do I have?

People are generally wary of SAP products but you can do everything in SAP in a very trouble-free manner. Customers need to be aware that this is a simple and powerful product.  

I rate the solution nine out of 10. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
IT Director at a wholesaler/distributor with 51-200 employees
Real User
Reliable, but scalability expensive
Pros and Cons
  • "SAP S4HANA is a stable solution."
  • "In an upcoming release of SAP S4HANA, chain management should be easier."

What is our primary use case?

We use SAP S4HANA for manufacturing and financials because we are a manufacturing firm.

What needs improvement?

In an upcoming release of SAP S4HANA, chain management should be easier.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SAP S4HANA for approximately four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

SAP S4HANA is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have found scalability difficult to achieve in SAP S4HANA because the license is quite expensive. The hardware requirement is quite high and can require a large investment for scalability.

We have approximately 200 users using the solution in my organization. We do not plan to increase the usage.

How are customer service and support?

We have internal support for SAP S4HANA but for the external technical support, we rarely use it. The system is quite stable and if we do follow the process, it should have no problems. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial configuration of SAP S4HANA is quite difficult. The time it took for the implementation took seven months.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation was done by a partner.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is an annual license for SAP S4HANA.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend this solution to others.

I rate SAP S4HANA a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
SAP Consultant at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Consultant
Strong financial and manufacturing integration
Pros and Cons
  • "S4HANA is a completely integrated solution. It's an end-to-end ERP system with strong manufacturing and financial integration, which is not common among ERPs. And it's a solution that's driven by industry best practices."
  • "Maybe its user interface and reporting can be improved across the board, but it is manageable."

What is our primary use case?

Mostly I have dealt with project-based manufacturing companies where they do custom product builds, like heavy equipment, compressors, steam turbines, and stuff like that.

What is most valuable?

S4HANA is a completely integrated solution. It's an end-to-end ERP system with strong manufacturing and financial integration, which is not common among ERPs. And it's a solution that's driven by industry best practices.

What needs improvement?

Maybe its user interface and reporting can be improved across the board, but it is manageable.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using S4HANA for about 16 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

S4HANA's stability is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

S4HANA is pretty scalable. We normally plan three to five years ahead and scale up accordingly. So as long as your sizing is done properly, you're good.

How are customer service and support?

I don't have much experience with SAP's tech support, but I have used the online support system. It's okay for a company the size of SAP. But from a customer perspective, it can be time consuming to get help from them.

How was the initial setup?

Setting up S4HANA is straightforward if you have a little bit of expertise, especially on the S4HANA side. You need to understand the appliances and hardware so you can set requirements for RAM as opposed to storage. If you have some experience in server administration, it's not like climbing a mountain; it's a small trip.

What was our ROI?

Most of the time, I've been able to quantify the soft savings, like savings in terms of time spent on processes and efficiencies that you gain. FDA reductions are generally difficult to establish over a finite period, but your soft savings are far more rewarding, and it's also more compliance related.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I have not dealt with licensing directly because our head office manages that. We only pay SAP to perform maintenance on the solution instead of doing it in-house. Given the size of an ERP system, you need some extra labor to maintain it, but it's justified if you look at the cost-benefit analysis. Some companies go overboard with hiring many people, and then they say it's too expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate S4HANA 10 out of 10. It's a good solution. I think some companies are penny wise and pound foolish. They invest a lot in other ERPs, and when they start to grow those systems, they create a lot of inefficiencies in the process. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Technical Lead / Solution Architecture / Software Development - SAP at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Easy-to-use, but could benefit from some theory-based adjustments
Pros and Cons
  • "The processes have been reduced from almost 10 steps to four or five steps. It's really been simplified."
  • "The theory-side of the solution needs to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for our manufacturing processes, sales, finance, pretty much everything.

What is most valuable?

They recently restructured the database and changed the table structures, which has made it much easier to manage the processes. The processes have been reduced from almost 10 steps to four or five steps. It's really been simplified.

What needs improvement?

The theory-side of the solution needs to be improved. They need to come up with a simple way to explain to their customers how to properly use it and perform analysis and move on from there.

In the next release, I would like to see more integration scenarios with the cloud, straight out of the box.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for almost two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good. We noticed some areas, such as health and safety that were not very stable, but the other areas are quite stable and work fine.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support helped us on almost every front.

It depends on what kind of agreement you have with SAP. We have a maximum attention agreement, so it's all good. For a maximum attention agreement, there are some extra charges, but I'm not aware of how much.

How was the initial setup?

The simplicity of the initial setup varies from customer to customer. For us, it was quite complicated because we needed a lot of customization, but in the end, it was ok.

What about the implementation team?

We had a detailed implementation plan that we followed step by step.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of seven.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Civil Engineer at gieco
Real User
Fast and stable, but is expensive and needs a lot of hardware
Pros and Cons
  • "It is really fast. It is also very stable."
  • "I'm not a big fan of SAP S/4HANA because it needs a lot of hardware. It is really fast, but it needs a lot of hardware. The hardware for S/4HANA is too expensive."

What is most valuable?

It is really fast. It is also very stable.

What needs improvement?

I'm not a big fan of SAP S/4HANA because it needs a lot of hardware. It is really fast, but it needs a lot of hardware. The hardware for S/4HANA is too expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using it for six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is working fine. It is really stable. We didn't find any issue, but we have been using it only for six months.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. We have around 100 users.

How are customer service and support?

We take the first level of support from a partner. They have not been very good. We are thinking of replacing the partner.

How was the initial setup?

It was not straightforward. I took a lot of time to set up S/4HANA. The installation, implementation, and analysis took more than one year.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is very expensive. It is not cheap.

What other advice do I have?

It is stable, but it is expensive, and it needs a lot of hardware. Next time, we would go for another vendor. In our experience, Oracle is better.

I would rate it a seven out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
AzimSyed - PeerSpot reviewer
Territory Manager at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Useful consolidation reports, reliable, and highly scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most useful features of SAP S4HANA are the consolidation reports. The BI is very strong and the manufacturing and finance sections we like a lot."
  • "The install can be difficult. There's something called secondary sales solutions that is not there in SAP. We need to have third-party tools to integrate to do the automatization. The two parts are missing on the secondary sales solution and automation."

What is most valuable?

The most useful features of SAP S4HANA are the consolidation reports. The BI is very strong and the manufacturing and finance sections we like a lot.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SAP S4HANA for approximately seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of SAP S4HANA is great.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is very good, this is the reason why people choose SAP S4HANA, You can implement the solution worldwide, in many of the countries.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is very good.

How was the initial setup?

The install can be difficult. There's something called secondary sales solutions that is not there in SAP. We need to have third-party tools to integrate to do the automatization. The two parts are missing on the secondary sales solution and automation.

What other advice do I have?

SAP S4HANA is a great product. It is a new product but it is not best suited for startup companies. It is for companies that have complex scenarios and who are looking to expand, SAP S4HANA is the best fit for this scenario.

I rate SAP S4HANA a ten out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
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Updated: March 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free SAP S/4HANA Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.