SAP S/4HANA Service

From SAP Customer Service to SAP S/4HANA Service − make your service fit for the future and offer your customers real added value with digitized end-to-end processes

Core components of SAP S/4HANA Service

Elements of the SAP service strategy

End-to-end expertise for your service transformation

What is SAP S/4HANA Service?

SAP S/4HANA Service is an ERP software solution that helps companies automate and optimize business processes. It offers a wide range of functions tailored to the needs of service organizations – including customer service, contract management, and service processing. By leveraging real-time data, SAP S/4HANA Service accelerates decision making and improves efficiency.

From SAP Customer Service to SAP S/4HANA Service

In SAP ERP, SAP Customer Service (CS) is the central module when it comes to handling all customer service processes efficiently and professionally. However, its time is coming to an end. Until the end of 2030, SAP Customer Service will still be supported by SAP S/4HANA in compatibility mode. After that, it will no longer be possible to use SAP CS under SAP S/4HANA.

This raises the question for companies of a suitable alternative with which they can digitally map their service processes beyond 2030. The task of service transformation gains additional relevance and urgency due to the fact that the fast and efficient processing of service requests contributes significantly to high customer satisfaction and thus represents an important competitive advantage for companies.

 

Core components of SAP S/4HANA Service

SAP S/4HANA Service is not to be understood as a successor product to SAP Customer Service. It is a stand-alone solution. From a strategic perspective, SAP S/4HANA Service focuses on four core components.
Technical Service

Processes around the execution of technical service operations – from planning to completion of the service activity

Example scenarios:
  • In-house repair

  • Field service management

Commercial Service

Commercial processing of holistic services, which include, for example, service contracts as well as their processing and billing

Example scenarios:
  • Service contract management

  • Subscription management

Service Business Planning

Overview of the existing service portfolio – with the possibility of deriving new service offerings from the insights gained

Example scenarios:
  • Service strategy

  • Service performance management

Service analytics

Extensive analytical functions make it possible to evaluate and continuously improve the performance of your own service processes.

Example scenarios:
  • Service management overview

  • Key user analytics

Kernbereiche von SAP S/4HANA Service | IBsolution

How to meet the increased expectations of your customers

Customer expectations of the quality of service provided by companies are rising, as customers are increasingly transferring many of the conveniences they know and appreciate as consumers in the private sphere to the B2B sector and, for example, want to find the same user or customer experience in the business world. Accordingly, companies need to meet these higher expectations with suitable software solutions.

In addition, the technological requirements for mapping service processes are also changing. The advance of cloud technologies is making business departments more independent of IT to a certain extent, as they can independently use cloud technologies for CRM and service. In the course of digitization, many companies are currently making decisions about strategic investments in (cloud) platforms in order to digitize business processes. Innovative technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence and virtual reality must be combined with existing SAP systems.

In short, companies are faced with the challenging task of reconciling the innovative power of new technologies with the existing stable IT systems in which companies handle their core processes.

The time to act is now. SAP Customer Service can only be used in compatibility mode with SAP S/4HANA until the end of 2030. For the time after that, a flexible service landscape with SAP S/4HANA Service is needed to cope with the increasing demands on customer service.

 

SAP service strategy: Interaction of SAP Service Cloud, SAP S/4HANA and SAP Field Service Management

SAP Service Grafik v02The SAP service strategy combines various solutions into a powerful service landscape. With SAP S/4HANA Service, there is a stable core in which the back-end processes run. Little innovation takes place here, as the processes are similar in most companies and they therefore offer little potential to differentiate themselves from the competition.

Various flexible cloud applications are arranged around the core SAP S/4HANA Service. These include SAP Service Cloud, which provides omnichannel and ticketing functionality, and SAP Field Service Management for planning and executing service calls. Asset management – managing complex assets and installations, predictive maintenance and the Internet of Things – is covered by SAP Intelligent Asset Management. With cloud solutions like these, companies are able to respond quickly to occurring changes and evolving requirements. They are highly innovative, enabling them to stand out from the competition and gain a competitive edge.

The features of SAP S/4HANA Service at a glance

IBsolution_Customer_Service

Interaction center & ticket management

IBsolution_Offer

Quotation management

workingContract

Service contract management

IBsolution_Wiederkehrende_Services

Recurring services

IBsolution_Business_Model

Subscription order management

IBsolution_Factory

Asset management

IBsolution_preparation

In-house repair

IBsolution_Products_and_Packages

Spare parts distribution

IBsolution_roadmap

Field service

IBsolution_Report

Monitoring and analytics

Strategies for replacing the SAP Customer Service (CS) module

Until 2030, there is the option of continuing to use SAP Customer Service (CS) in SAP S/4HANA in compatibility mode (option 1). Functionalities that will no longer exist in SAP S/4HANA Service will be mapped with a product from the SAP CX portfolio and coupled with SAP CS. By 2030 at the latest, SAP Customer Service must be replaced by SAP S/4HANA Service (option 2).
Our recommendation is to switch directly to SAP S/4HANA Service, as the compatibility mode of SAP CS is only a temporary solution.

Option 1: SAP Customer Service (compatibility mode)

  • Continuity of existing processes and functionalities

  • Lower initial investment, as no extensive migration and customization is required

  • Shorter implementation time due to limited customization

Option 2: SAP S/4HANA Service

  • Proven processes in a consolidated system landscape

  • Maximum innovation for CS customers

  • Process in SAP S/4HANA Service with the same functionalities as in SAP CS

  • Justification of the higher migration effort through resulting innovations and benefits

  • PM orders as shadow objects (not visible, but necessary for integration)

  • No interruption of ongoing customer service operations during migration and changeover

Abloesung SAP CS durch SAP S/4HANA Service | IBsolution

 

 

End-to-end expertise for your service transformation

We make your service processes fit for the future and ensure that you stand out from the competition in the service environment. In doing so, we advise you holistically with our process knowledge and our technology know-how – always with a view to the state-of-the-art solutions from SAP.

We accompany your service transformation from SAP Customer Service to SAP S/4HANA Service as a competent expert who not only designs and implements the appropriate service processes, but also ensures the seamless integration of the various solutions into your SAP S/4HANA system landscape.

In order to provide a suitable solution for your service process requirements and technological integration, we offer an end-to-end consulting approach that includes not only the analysis of your requirements as well as conceptual design and project implementation, but also support during operation.

Your contact person

Jana-Murrweis-IBsolution
Jana Murrweiss

jana.murrweiss@ibsolution.com

+49 7131 2711-3000

How we proceed: Your path to SAP S/4HANA Service

Activities:

  • Developing a common understanding of your requirements

  • Deriving a rough scope that encompasses your requirements

  • Preparation of an application demo with focus on SAP S/4HANA Service

  • Planning of the next steps

Results:

  • Evaluation and recommendation of a future-proof service solution

  • Rough effort estimate for your SAP S/4HANA service transformation or for the adaptation of your existing SAP S/4HANA service solution

  • Rough project plan for your SAP S/4HANA service implementation

  • Project quote

SAP S/4HANA Service | Discover | IBsolution

Activities:

  • Analysis of your service processes and your system landscape

  • Conducting fit-gap workshops with a focus on the SAP standard

  • Derivation of detailed requirements

  • Elaboration of your transformation project

Results:

  • Solution documentation (target architecture and technical requirements description)

  • Definition of work packages

  • Detailed project plan

  • Detailed effort/effort validation

SAP S/4HANA Service | Explore & Design | IBsolution

Activities:

  • Start of the implementation phase

  • (Agile) implementation of the previously defined work packages

  • Functional test, integration test and UAT

  • Implementation of training

Results:

  • Transformation of your service processes

  • Enablement of key users and end users 

SAP S/4HANA Service | Realization | IBsolution

Activities:

  • Preparation for the go-live

  • Cut-over

  • Execution of the go-live

  • Hypercare

  • Handover to support

Results:

  • Transformed service processes in productive use

  • Planning of further innovations

SAP S/4HANA Service | Deploy & Run | IBsolution

Discover more topics from the SAP service portfolio

Integration SAP CX and SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA | IBsolution
For optimal customer and service management

Integration of SAP CX solutions with ERP systems

With the connection of SAP Customer Experience to the on-premise solutions of SAP CRM, SAP ERP, and SAP S/4HANA, you benefit from uni-/bi-directional synchronization of your master data, full integration of transactional scenarios, and integration of field service and support

Learn more
SAP Service Cloud | IBsolution
Ensure smooth service processes

SAP Service Cloud

From omnichannel communication to a 360° view of your customers and intelligent ticket management, SAP Service Cloud has what it takes to help you increase the efficiency of your service processes and deliver great service experiences to your customers.

Learn more
SAP Field Service Management | IBsolution
Completely without Excel and media breaks

SAP Field Service Management

No more headaches scheduling your service technicians and executing on-site calls. SAP Field Service Management is a powerful tool for managing all aspects and challenges of your mobile workforce.

Learn more
Integration of SAP FSM in SAP systems | IBsolution
Blog

How to integrate SAP FSM with existing SAP systems

Holistic service requires the seamless integration of SAP Field Service Management into the existing system landscape. We present four scenarios of how SAP Field Service Management interacts with SAP S/4HANA, SAP ECC and SAP Service Cloud (C4C).

Read more
Automated customer service | IBsolution
Blog

Automated customer service with SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA

Automated service processes provide companies with benefits in many respects. The speed of processing customer concerns increases, as does process efficiency. At the same time, companies reduce their costs and relieve the burden on service staff.

Read more
Omnichannel communication in service | IBsolution
Bundle requests on a uniform platform

Standardized customer communication in service

The goal of customer service is to guarantee maximum availability of your machine at the customer’s site. A critical success factor for this is the efficient and professional handling of customer inquiries.

Learn more

Want to learn more about SAP S/4HANA Service and get more information on how to make your service transformation successful?

Simply complete the form and submit it. We will get back to you as soon as possible.