Featured Journey
Your SAP investment
deserves a future.
SAP ECC mainstream maintenance ends in 2027. That deadline is fixed. But what happens next - and how well it goes - is entirely determined by the choices you make now. Whether you're migrating to S/4HANA in the cloud or on-premise, moving for the first time, or growing into SAP for the first time, the right path depends on where you are today, not where SAP wants you to go.
SAP ECC mainstream maintenance ends 31 December 2027. Extended maintenance options are available but carry significant cost premiums. The window to plan a structured, low-risk migration is narrowing now.
DEADLINE URGENCY
75%
of SAP ECC customers will have started or completed their migration to S/4HANA by 2027. Question is how well-prepared they'll be when they do.
CLOUD ERP GROWTH
30%
year-on-year growth in SAP Cloud ERP Suite revenue in Q1 2026 - the market momentum behind GROW and RISE is accelerating, not slowing.
REPORTING SPEED
50%
reduction in finance close cycles within the first year post-go-live after migrating to S/4HANA.
TCO REDUCTION
30%
reduction in total cost of ownership over five years for organisations migrating to S/4HANA, through simplified landscapes and lower infrastructure overhead.
Why every SAP customer is making a decision right now
The 2027 deadline has made the status quo unsustainable for every organisation running SAP ECC. The question is no longer whether to act - it's which path is right for your business, your budget and your timeline. Getting that decision wrong is expensive. Getting it right, with the right partner, unlocks a platform that pays back for years.
Recognised by SAP. Delivered by Melon.
Options
Two programmes. Different starting points.
SAP offers two distinct commercial programmes for organisations modernising their ERP - GROW with SAP and RISE with SAP (now formally known as SAP Cloud ERP, Private Edition). They are not competing alternatives. They are designed for different situations. Choosing the right one starts with understanding where your business sits today.
GROW with SAP
SAP S/4HANA CLOUD - PUBLIC EDITION
The entry point for organisations coming to SAP for the first time, or those ready to modernise on a standardised, AI-powered cloud platform. Designed for speed, simplicity and scale — go live in weeks, not years.
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition as the core system
- Pre-configured industry best practices across 25+ industries
- Joule AI assistant embedded from day one
- Finance, supply chain and HR covered on one platform
- BTP credits included for extensions and integrations
- SAP Activate implementation methodology included
- Subscription pricing — predictable, scalable costs
- Continuous innovation — SAP manages all updates
RISE with SAP
SAP CLOUD ERP - PRIVATE EDITION
The migration path for existing SAP customers transitioning from ECC to a private cloud S/4HANA environment. More flexibility for customisation, more control over the migration path, and a single subscription covering infrastructure, software and support.
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition - more customisation flexibility
- Greenfield, brownfield or selective data transition options
- Cloud infrastructure managed by SAP (on hyperscalers or SAP DC)
- Business Technology Platform (BTP) included
- Single contract - one accountable vendor
- SAP Business Network included for supplier collaboration
- Joule AI capabilities included in base
- Existing licence conversion credits available
MIGRATION APPROACHES
Three paths to S/4HANA.
For organisations moving from ECC, the approach to migration matters as much as the destination. There are three established paths — each with different implications for time, cost, risk and how much of your existing environment you preserve.
Greenfield
A clean-slate implementation - new system, new processes, built on SAP best practices. Highest disruption, highest reward. Best for organisations ready to step away from legacy customisations and redesign how they work. Typically the fastest path to a modern, clean-core S/4HANA environment.
Brownfield
A system conversion - your existing ECC system is migrated to S/4HANA, preserving your data, configuration and custom code. Lower disruption, faster timeline for the transition itself, but requires significant technical preparation and custom code remediation. Best for organisations needing continuity.
Selective Data Transition
A hybrid approach - selective migration of data and processes from ECC into a new S/4HANA environment. Takes the best of both greenfield and brownfield: new system design where it adds value, data preservation where continuity matters. More complex to plan but often the most pragmatic outcome.
How Melon Helps
We guide the full journey - not just the technical migration.
A successful S/4HANA migration isn't a technology project. It's a business transformation that happens to involve technology. The organisations that get it right invest as much in process design, data quality, change management and people readiness as they do in the technical build. We bring all of that under one roof.
We assess your current landscape honestly, recommend the right path for your business - GROW or RISE, greenfield, brownfield or selective - and then lead the delivery end to end. From roadmap through to go-live and post-migration support.
Change Management & Training
ADKAR-based change programmes and ADDIE-designed training that bring your people to go-live ready, not go-live reluctant.
End-to-End Implementation & Go-Live
Expert-led delivery from first blueprint through to hypercare - on time, on scope and with outcomes that hold up after the project closes.
Post-Migration Support
Our Run, Advise, Change, Enable support model keeps your new environment stable, improving and well-governed from go-live onwards.
Data Migration & Cleansing
Structured data preparation - quality, governance and migration - that prevents the most common cause of go-live problems.
GROW vs RISE Evaluation
Independent guidance on which programme and deployment model suits your business - without the vendor bias of a direct SAP sales conversation.
SAP Roadmap & Readiness Assessment
An honest view of where you are, what path makes sense, and what it will realistically take - before any commitments are made.
Not sure which path is right for you?
That's exactly the right place to start a conversation. We'll give you an honest assessment of your options - without the commercial pressure of a vendor pitch.
Why Melon Consulting?
19+
Years of delivery experience
Nearly two decades of hands-on SAP delivery with in-depth experience across all modules that extend and connect your SAP landscape.
99%
Client satisfaction rating
Not a vanity metric - a reflection of what happens when certified consultants take genuine accountability for outcomes.
100+
Programmes delivered
From focused engagements to multi-year enterprise transformations - each one completed, each one owned.