For most customers, the latest milestone is end‑2027 for broad mainstream support. EHP0-5 (Enhancement Package) users face an earlier expiration in 2025. Extended support is available only until 2030, with a narrow transition‑option window to stretch to 2033, but only under RISE with SAP Private Edition.
Your migration isn’t just about deadlines; it’s about securing modernization, avoiding risks, and taking control of your business technology roadmap.
- Updated Timeline & Implications
- Why Your Migration Costs Run High
- 6 Proven Strategies for a Successful S/4 HANA Migration
- Key Differences in SAP ECC to S/4 HANA Migration Outcomes
- Real-World Results for Fast, Affordable Migrations
- Expert Support from Stellium
Updated Timeline & Implications
SAP has clarified its ECC support timelines:
Mainstream support for SAP ECC 6.0 Enhancement Packages (EHP) 0–5 ends on December 31, 2025.
For EHP 6–8, mainstream support runs until December 31, 2027, with the option for paid extended support and maintenance until December 31, 2030.
SAP has also announced a new “SAP ERP, private edition, transition option.” Introduced as part of RISE with SAP, this offering is not an extension of maintenance, but a time-bound cloud subscription to support business continuity and migration starting in 2028, which extends support from 2031 to 2033 for select customers migrating to RISE with SAP.
These updates mean that the end of SAP ECC is no longer a distant milestone; it’s on the horizon.
With extended support offering only short-term relief, the time to migrate to SAP S/4 HANA is now! for organizations who’s main concern is high migration costs, there’s good news: Hundreds of companies have proven that migration can be a well-understood, structured, and repeatable journey.
Why Your Migration Costs Run High
When moving from ECC to S/4 HANA, costs often spiral not because of SAP licensing, but due to:
- Complex legacy processes
- Decades of customizations and technical debt
- Incomplete or messy master data
- “Analysis-paralysis” driven by fear of change
- The temptation to “lift and shift” everything
Your migration approach determines your project’s risk, timeline, and business value. As shown below, a traditional migration focused on heavy customization and legacy processes often results in longer timelines and higher risk. In contrast, a strategic cloud-ready migration leverages best practices, rapid deployment, and reduced customization to achieve faster, more sustainable results.
6 Proven Strategies for a Successful S/4 HANA Migration
Here are proven strategies to ensure your S/4 HANA migration is cost-effective, efficient, and future-ready:
Migrate to a Clean Core
Transform your SAP environment by eliminating technical debt and legacy custom code. The clean core principle encourages the adoption of standard SAP processes for long-term simplicity and success.
- Inventory all customizations and decommission those that no longer add value.
- Prioritize best-practice, out-of-the-box SAP processes to reduce risk and complexity.
Clean core slashes implementation costs and keeps upgrades easy and predictable.
Master Data First Approach
Poor master data is the most common source of migration headaches. By starting with high-quality, validated data, you avoid costly surprises mid-project.
- Launch early master data cleansing, standardization, and validation.
- Engage business teams to review, approve, and sign off on data readiness.
Learn more about ensuring data quality for business success with SAP Master Data Governance here.
High-quality master data keeps your S/4 HANA migration on time and budget.
Embrace Standard Processes and Be Pragmatic
SAP and industry research show that the majority of ECC customers can operate effectively with standard S/4 HANA Public Cloud processes, minimizing the need for custom code. Learn the difference between SAP S/4 HANA Cloud, Public Edition, and Private Edition for your industry and processes. However, if your organization has unique industry requirements or decades of customizations, assess each process critically:
- Start by mapping your current ECC processes to S/4 HANA standard functions. Solutions like SAP Signavio Process Intelligence make it easy to visualize, analyze, and optimize your business processes before moving to Cloud ERP. Only plan custom extensions for truly business-critical, differentiating workflows.
- Use SAP’s “clean core” and extensibility feature to deliver necessary customizations, without recreating legacy technical debt.
Don’t let rare exceptions dictate your entire system design. Stay as close as possible to the standard for faster deployment, lower costs, and easier future upgrades while selectively extending where it truly matters.
Avoid Over-Engineering (Fit-to-Standard Focus)
It’s tempting to replicate every workflow or report from ECC, but over-customization drives up costs and delays. Prioritize what truly matters to your business.
Review all custom processes and reports from ECC for necessity and business value.
Retain only the workflows that are business-critical or legally required.
Engage stakeholders to validate if a customization delivers value.
Only build customizations that directly deliver measurable business value and retire the rest for a leaner, more agile migration.
Use Rapid Deployment & Preconfigured Accelerators
Speed is a competitive advantage, using preconfigured solutions can help you avoid lengthy and expensive projects. Expert partners can further streamline the journey.
Partner with SAP migration specialists who have ready-to-go templates and accelerator tools. Get your free S/4 HANA Migration Assessment and start building your best-fit roadmap today.
Opt for a phased or modular rollout to see results sooner and minimize risk.
Leverage SAP’s best-practice deployment kits for smoother integration.
Go live in weeks, not months or years, while reducing billable hours and internal disruption.
Selective Data Migration
Don’t Move All Historical Data. Migrating all data from ECC increases costs and slows your project. SAP’s Selective Data Transition lets you move only the most business-relevant data, keeping the rest archived but accessible.
- Identify essential data for day-one operations; archive the rest for compliance.
- Use SAP’s official Selective Data Transition approach for S/4 HANA migrations to streamline the process.
Selective data migration saves time, reduces risk, and is fully SAP-endorsed.
Key Differences in SAP ECC to S/4 HANA Migration Outcomes
Highlights of the core differences between traditional and strategic cloud-ready migration approaches. Choosing a modern, cloud-ready path not only accelerates your timeline but also streamlines process mapping, data migration, and ongoing flexibility for your business.
Real-World Results for Fast, Affordable Migrations
The Biggest Wins Come When You Combine Strategic License Management and Proven S/4 HANA Migration Best Practices
Organizations that pursue both careful SAP license optimization and disciplined implementation strategies consistently achieve the fastest, most cost-effective S/4 HANA migrations with savings on both licensing and project delivery.
By following these principles, organizations have reported accelerated S/4 HANA migration timelines and significant cost savings, as demonstrated by recent case studies such as the U.S. manufacturer that achieved a 30% reduction in SAP license costs (see the full SAP license savings case study).
S/4 HANA Migration Planning: Building a Systematic Project Roadmap
Systematic S/4 HANA migration planning, combined with a structured project roadmap, is essential for organizations that want predictable, successful outcomes. Leading companies now view migration not as a one-off challenge, but as a repeatable process grounded in best practices and proven steps.
What separates successful migrations?
- Define clear business outcomes. Know what you want from the move.
- Deliberate step-by-step planning. Use a structured roadmap aligned to best practices.
- Leverage proven expertise. The fastest, lowest-risk migrations happen when you work with experienced partners who have successfully delivered S/4 HANA projects before. Talk to us to learn how our experts can help you avoid common pitfalls and accelerate your journey.
Expert Support from Stellium
Partner with Stellium for a proven, systematic S/4 HANA migration.
As a global leader in SAP digital transformation, Stellium brings hands-on experience, deep industry knowledge, and a results-driven approach, helping organizations like yours migrate faster, smarter, and with less risk. To take control of your S/4 HANA migration now, visit our Cloud ERP solutions for all migration services.
To accelerate your move to the cloud- See how SAP S/4 HANA Cloud, Public Edition enables faster go-lives with proven templates.
Prefer a personalized roadmap? Book a 1:1 S/4HANA migration strategy session with our experts!