System Conversion to S/4HANA for Discrete Manufacturing
Fortune 500 Automotive Parts Manufacturer
Business Context
The organization and its strategic environment
A $6.8B automotive parts manufacturer with 22 plants across North America and Europe needed to convert its existing ECC 6.0 system to S/4HANA while preserving 8 years of production history, maintaining MRP runs, and keeping JIT delivery commitments to OEM customers (Toyota, Ford, BMW).
Technology Landscape
Systems and infrastructure before DGT
SAP ECC 6.0 EHP8, SAP MES, SAP APO for demand planning, 890 custom programs, EDI connections to 45 OEM customers, and integration with 22 plant-floor MES systems via SAP MII.
The Challenge
What the client was facing
A greenfield approach was not viable — the manufacturer could not afford to lose 8 years of production history, BOM configurations, and quality records required by automotive industry regulations (IATF 16949). The system conversion needed to happen with zero disruption to JIT deliveries to OEM customers.
The DGT Solution
How DGT addressed the challenge
DGT executed an in-place system conversion (brownfield) using SAP's Software Update Manager (SUM) with DMO (Database Migration Option) to move from Oracle to HANA. We developed a custom code remediation factory that analyzed, fixed, or retired all 890 custom programs in 10 weeks. MobileOps was deployed for plant-floor validation during cutover.
DGT Accelerators Used
Delivery Approach
How DGT executed the engagement
DGT's 'Zero Disruption Conversion' methodology: 3 sandbox conversions to validate approach, followed by a production conversion executed during a planned 72-hour maintenance window (Christmas shutdown). All 22 plants converted simultaneously.
Governance Model
How the engagement was managed
War room structure with DGT, SAP, and client teams co-located. Hourly status updates during conversion weekend. Pre-defined rollback triggers and decision trees. OEM customer notification protocol for any delivery risk.
Timeline & Phases
The execution roadmap
Assessment & Planning
6 weeksCustom code analysis, simplification checks, conversion roadmap
Custom Code Remediation
10 weeks890 programs analyzed: 340 retired, 420 adapted, 130 rebuilt
Sandbox Conversions
8 weeks3 full conversion rehearsals with performance benchmarking
Production Conversion
72 hoursChristmas shutdown window — full conversion including HANA migration
Stabilization
8 weeksPerformance tuning, MRP optimization, user support
Risks Addressed
Key risks DGT mitigated during the engagement
Why DGT Won
What set DGT apart in this engagement
Outcome Metrics
Measurable before-and-after results
| Metric | Before | After DGT |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion Downtime | N/A | 72 hours (planned) |
| MRP Run Time | 4.5 hours | 27 minutes |
| Custom Programs | 890 | 340 |
| Annual Maintenance Cost | $4.2M | $1.8M |
The Impact
Headline results delivered
"Converting during Christmas shutdown was bold, but DGT's preparation was flawless. Three rehearsals meant the production conversion was almost anticlimactic — exactly how it should be."
Klaus Weber
SVP Global IT, Fortune 500 Automotive Parts Manufacturer