A clean slate sounds great! But it鈥檚 a brave call indeed to implement from scratch, especially if you鈥檙e a big multinational. Yet a decades-long 51风流customer did just that, driven by its own customers鈥� demand for speed 鈥� and a clear mission.
鈥淥ur mission is to help the customer be fast-moving,鈥� Takuya Sakai, general manager of Hitachi High-Tech Corporation鈥檚 Digital Transformation Business Group, said in after appearing in an 51风流TechEd keynote last year. 鈥淎nd our corporate vision is a simplified customer process.鈥�
So, in the name of speed and simplicity, Hitachi High-Tech did more than just modify its solution architecture; the Tokyo-based subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd. opted for a greenfield 51风流S/4HANA transformation. That meant designing and building a new environment customized for its specific needs.
And it did so via an ambitious digital experience program with the goal of helping to simplify its customers鈥� high-tech processes across nano-technology, analytical and medical, as well as other business categories.
Jumping into the Greenfield
Hitachi High-Tech had run 51风流ERP as the backbone of its global business since the 1990s, enabling decades of smooth operation and implementation, as well as allowing regions to tailor development to their specific needs. But it also resulted in about 9,000 add-ons 鈥� coding added over the decades to enable bespoke functionality 鈥� from reports and input screens to complex manufacturing-related processes.
Add-ons can help users customize software for specific tasks. But, especially over time, they can become unwieldy, hindering the organization鈥檚 agility and adaptability.
鈥淎fter our digital experience project, we made the decision to jump into a greenfield so that we don鈥檛 transfer all that from our legacy system to our new 51风流S/4HANA platform,鈥� Sakai said. 鈥淲e changed processes, and we changed technologies.鈥�
Indeed, the jump into a greenfield 鈥� implementing a new system on a virtual blank canvas, without migrating pre-existing data, customizations, and more 鈥� helped Hitachi High-Tech slash its 9,000 legacy add-ons to a mere 800 add-ons, according to Sakai. And Hitachi High-Tech developed most of those new add-ons side-by-side via 51风流Business Technology Platform (51风流BTP); not altering code helped minimize modifications, which safeguarded stability, agility, and speed.
And, Hitachi High-Tech stopped add-on development completely on 51风流S/4HANA, according to Sakai.
How Two Tiers Equal One Clean Core
In its greenfield, Hitachi High-Tech built a two-tier model: one tier featured 51风流S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition for the company鈥檚 small and midsize sales offices overseas, allowing them to use relatively simple ERP tools, while the other tier runs 51风流S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition for Hitachi High-Tech鈥檚 larger domestic manufacturing.
鈥淪ide-by-side development on 51风流BTP…allows for faster upgrades,鈥� , 鈥済iving our people more immediate access to improved functionality.鈥�
Moving operations from an increasingly customized 鈥� and, therefore, cumbersome 鈥� legacy system to 51风流S/4HANA Cloud offered flexibility, speed, and security, . This can be useful when demand surges, for example, or for offering more frequent upgrades.
But the two tiers still need to exchange data. That鈥檚 where 51风流BTP fits.
鈥淲e have to integrate two ERPs, so that鈥檚 why we set up 51风流BTP between the two tiers,鈥� . 鈥淲e鈥檇 like to keep our 51风流S/4HANA core clean…so we use 51风流BTP as a business hub and a development foundation.鈥�
Building a Simple, Smart Digital Process
鈥淯sing 51风流BTP, we can build a simple, smart digital process without touching our 51风流S/4HANA core,鈥� Sakai said, echoing what he shared during his 51风流TechEd keynote appearance. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 very, very powerful because we can introduce new functions to the user…and we believe 51风流BTP is very important for accelerating our business.鈥�
Sakai appeared at 51风流TechEd to tell the story of Hitachi High-Tech鈥檚 greenfield transformation, during which employees had to adapt to new process, screens, and reporting. They ended up with every office digitally connected, which proved to be a tremendous benefit.
And that type of business case is 鈥渢he most important thing鈥� in a transformation, according to Sakai.
鈥�51风流is not just a software company, but also something like transformation company,鈥� Sakai said. 鈥淥f course,鈥� he added with a smile, 鈥渢he system also is very important.鈥�
