{"id":22327,"date":"2024-12-09T15:53:28","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T14:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/?p=22327"},"modified":"2024-12-09T15:56:54","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T14:56:54","slug":"warburtons-s-4-hana-brownfield-implementation-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/warburtons-s-4-hana-brownfield-implementation-journey.html","title":{"rendered":"Warburtons’ S\/4 HANA Brownfield Implementation Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
At UKSUG Connect 2024, Simon Green, Hitesh Patel, and Elizabeth Green covered Warburton’s move to S\/4 HANA. The project was especially interesting because of the extremely short downtime involved for key operations — just 4.5 hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overview of Warburtons:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Warburtons is a fifth-generation family business transitioning to the sixth, renowned as the most chosen brand in Great Britain. Baking over 2 million products daily and delivering them to 18,000 stores by 4:00 am, the business operates with near-zero downtime. SAP ECC 6 served as their “central nervous system,” making uninterrupted operations a critical necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Project Objectives:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The implementation of S\/4 HANA was essential for Warburtons to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Future-proof their IT core with minimal downtime.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Complete the upgrade within 24\u201336 hours over Easter, leveraging reduced operational activity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Minimize resource usage and impact on business processes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Business Benefits:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
Migrating early avoids the 2027 support deadline rush and retains in-house SAP expertise.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
S\/4 HANA provides a foundation for enhanced business processes and user interfaces.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The project was timed to align with necessary hardware upgrades, ensuring sustainability until 2040.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Implementation Highlights:<\/h4>\n\n\n\nTimeline of Warburtons transition to S\/4HANA<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The two-year project encompassed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Hardware Upgrades:<\/strong> Concurrent system and hardware updates streamlined processes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Global Collaboration:<\/strong> Partnering with NTT\u2019s UK and Indian teams ensured robust support.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
System B Creation:<\/strong> A backup system allowed core functions to operate during migration, limiting SAP downtime to just 4.5 hours for bakeries and distribution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Proactive Planning:<\/strong> Early customer order management and production scheduling prevented disruptions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Change Management:<\/strong> Utilizing a 250-strong super-user network facilitated training, engagement, and communication across all sites.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Lessons Learned:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
People:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\n
Utilize a Change Network:<\/strong> Leveraging Warburtons\u2019 super-user network streamlined communication and reduced complexity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Manage Expectations:<\/strong> Framing the migration as a foundational upgrade minimized resistance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Early Preparation:<\/strong> Implement changes progressively to reduce go-live stress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Process:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\n
Simplification List Preparation:<\/strong> Starting early with Customer\/Vendor Integration (CVI) and similar tasks avoids last-minute challenges.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Conversion Cycles:<\/strong> Conduct dry runs with the same resources as live migration to refine processes and timelines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Late Locking:<\/strong> Necessary for high-volume material movements to mitigate performance hits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Technology:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\n
Performance Testing:<\/strong> Uptime migration was resource-intensive, requiring careful performance tuning to manage peaks and troughs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Cross-Team System Access:<\/strong> Allocating time for both functional and technical testing is crucial, covering aspects like AV, firewalls, and disaster recovery.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Iterative Approach:<\/strong> Multiple test iterations increased confidence, optimized playbooks, and resolved technical bottlenecks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Results:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Warburtons successfully transitioned to S\/4 HANA over Easter weekend with minimal business disruption, handing back a fully operational system by Sunday. The migration positions the company for sustained growth and innovation, with SAP support secured until 2040.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quote:<\/em> “We now have a product that is fit for the future and will support the next five years of business.”<\/p>\n\n\n\nKey lessons learned from Warburton’s S\/4HANA brownfield project<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Change Management and People Aspects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
My favorite part of the presentation came from Elizabeth Griffin, IT Org Change and Training Manager at Warburtons, who emphasized the extensive efforts undertaken around people and change management.<\/p>\n\n\n\nElizabeth Griffin of Warburtons covered the change management key lessons learned<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Overview:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Elizabeth Griffin highlighted the pivotal role of change management in ensuring the success of Warburtons’ S\/4 HANA migration. The project emphasized clear communication, early engagement, and leveraging existing internal networks to minimize resistance and ensure smooth adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key Strategies:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n
Leveraging the Super-User Network:<\/strong> Warburtons\u2019 250-strong super-user network, spread across all sites, played a vital role in communication, training, and testing. These individuals were the primary points of contact for their respective teams, driving change from within. Quote:<\/em> “Having this super-user network meant that something complex like S\/4 felt straightforward.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Tailored Communication Plans:<\/strong> Separate communication plans were developed for each of Warburtons’ 26 sites, tailored to the specific needs and preferences of each function. Quote:<\/em> “We ensured everyone knew exactly what was happening by go-live weekend\u2014no surprises, no confusion.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Minimized End-User Impact:<\/strong> Changes were rolled out progressively. Many transactions already existed in ECC, allowing users to familiarize themselves with new processes months before the actual migration. Quote:<\/em> “We ensured changes were incremental, so by go-live, it felt natural to users.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Expectation Management:<\/strong> The project was framed as a technical upgrade rather than a transformational change, setting realistic expectations among employees. Quote:<\/em> “This was about creating a platform for future benefit\u2014not introducing sweeping changes today.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Proactive Engagement:<\/strong> Detailed change impact assessments were conducted at organizational, team, and individual levels. Plans were created to guide individuals from their current state to the desired state post-migration. Quote:<\/em> “We mapped the journey for individuals\u2014where they were and where they needed to be.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Comprehensive Enablement Plan:<\/strong> Training and support for new processes began months in advance. During the go-live weekend, super-users provided on-the-ground support, working late and even coming in during holidays to ensure a smooth transition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Sustaining Change Post-Go-Live:<\/strong> Post-migration, Warburtons focused on supporting users to ensure changes stuck and systems were used effectively.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Lessons Learned:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n
Build and Empower a Change Network:<\/strong> Super-user networks are invaluable for cascading information, fostering local ownership, and reducing resistance to change.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Manage Expectations:<\/strong> Clearly communicate the nature of the change to prevent disappointment or misaligned expectations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Start Early:<\/strong> Implement incremental changes to reduce the impact at go-live, giving users time to adapt.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Individualized Impact Assessment:<\/strong> Breaking change management into organizational, team, and individual levels ensures tailored support and higher adoption rates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Support Sustained Adoption:<\/strong> Continued post-go-live activities are essential to embed changes fully and address lingering challenges.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Quote:<\/em> “Change management wasn\u2019t revolutionary, but it was essential\u2014supporting the team every step of the way ensured success.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This structured and people-centered approach was critical to the project’s overall success, turning a potentially disruptive migration into a seamless experience for the organization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At UKSUG Connect 2024, Simon Green, Hitesh Patel, and Elizabeth Green covered Warburton’s move to S\/4 HANA. The project was especially interesting because of the extremely short downtime involved for key operations — just 4.5 hours. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[903],"class_list":["post-22327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-deployments","tag-s4hana"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/elizabeth-griffin-of-warburtons.jpg?fit=1500%2C1378&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3X9RF-5O7","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22327"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22332,"href":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22327\/revisions\/22332"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Timeline](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/warburtons-timeline.jpg?resize=1024%2C544&ssl=1\")
![\"Key](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/warburtons-lessons-learned.jpg?resize=1024%2C563&ssl=1\")
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/timoelliott.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/elizabeth-griffin-of-warburtons.jpg?resize=1024%2C941&ssl=1\")