03 December 2025
SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA: finding the right migration path before the 2025 deadline
With SAP ECC support deadlines looming, companies worldwide are accelerating migration to SAP S/4HANA. The shift is more than a technical upgrade—it’s a strategic opportunity to modernise operations, cut complexity, and unlock new levels of agility and innovation.
On December 31, 2025, most on-premise customers will lose access to Compatibility Packs, intensifying pressure to move from ECC to S/4HANA. The expiration marks a turning point, reshaping migration strategies across industries.
As organisations weigh their options, three migration approaches dominate the conversation. From technical upgrades to complete rebuilds or hybrid smart transformations, the choice will define how businesses modernise for the future.
As SAP ECC approaches its end of life, organisations in every industry are fast-tracking their shift to SAP S/4HANA. The transition isn’t just a technical upgrade, it’s a strategic opportunity to modernise operations, reduce complexity, and drive new levels of efficiency, agility, and business innovation.
Before diving into the various migration approaches available, Brownfield, Greenfield, and BLUEFIELD, let’s briefly revisit the deadlines driving this urgency.
December 31, 2025, the first major SAP deadline is less than two months away. That’s when most on-premise customers will lose access to Compatibility Packs (CPs), the bridge that’s allowed SAP ECC functionality to run within SAP S/4HANA.
And while many organisations are already aware of the the end of mainstream maintenance scheduled for 2027, the 2025 CP expiration changes the game. Staying on-premise means facing steeper costs, tighter windows, and greater migration pressure.
Defining migration approaches and finding the right fit
Migrating from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA cannot be approached with a single, standardised method. Your strategy should reflect your technical landscape, business goals, and timeline.
Let’s break down the three main migration approaches: Brownfield, Greenfield, and BLUEFIELD and how they fit into your transformation journey.
Brownfield migration: the technical upgrade
A Brownfield migration involves converting your existing SAP ECC system into SAP S/4HANA, preserving most of your configurations, data, and business processes.
It’s often chosen by companies looking to accelerate their transition, reduce operational disruption, and preserve existing system logic.
Advantages:
- Faster transition compared to a full rebuild
- Lower initial cost and risk
- Retains historical data and configurations
However, Brownfield migrations may also carry forward legacy complexity, making them less ideal if your organisation wants to modernise business processes or streamline data.
At SEIDOR, we enhance the Brownfield approach with AI-powered migration accelerators and strong partnership with MIGNOW delivering faster results and reducing manual effort.
With the help of AI, 80% of the migration process is automated. “By leveraging AI in your migration from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA, human errors, often caused by repetitive or complex tasks are minimised”, Christopher Hesch, CTO at SEIDOR NA explained.
Read about Migrate now, transform at your own pace migration approach
Greenfield migration: the complete rebuild
A Greenfield migration means starting fresh, designing a new SAP S/4HANA environment from the ground up. This approach is ideal for organisations that want to transform their business processes, streamline operations, and eliminate legacy constraints.
Advantages:
- Clean slate reengineer processes for efficiency and growth
- Eliminate technical debt and old customisations
- Aligns with best practices in SAP S/4HANA
However, Greenfield projects can demand substantial time, extensive resources, and higher costs, making them less practical when deadlines like 2025 and 2027 are closing in.
BLUEFIELD migration: the best of both worlds
The BLUEFIELD approach, developed by our partners at SNP, combines the best aspects of Brownfield and Greenfield migrations. It allows organisations to selectively migrate the data, processes, and configurations they want to keep while redesigning what they need to improve.
Steele Arbeeny, NA CTO at SNP explained, “think of BLUEFIELD® as “smart transformation.” You don’t rebuild everything, and you don’t just lift and shift. Instead, you modernise strategically focusing on what truly matters to your business”.
Key Benefits:
- Up to 60% faster than traditional migration methods
- Minimal downtime during go-live
- Selective transformation: keep what works, modernise what doesn’t
- Predictable outcomes using automated data transformation tools
Ideal for complex business scenarios like:
- Mergers & Acquisitions: integrate new entities quickly into your SAP environment
- Carve-Outs & Divestitures: execute carve-outs efficiently and avoid TSA penalties
- TSA Compliance: complete ERP separations under tight timelines
- Lean Transformation: reduce total cost of ownership with a smaller data footprint using SNP Kyano DataFridge.
Where SEIDOR Can Help
With 150+ successful migration projects and over 70 years of combined SAP expertise, SEIDOR in partnership with MIGNOW and SNP brings together the tools, talent, and methodology to make your SAP transformation faster, safer, and smarter.
Whether you need to meet the 2025 Compatibility Pack deadline or prepare for the 2027 support phase-out, SEIDOR can help you accelerate your path to SAP S/4HANA Cloud with confidence.
To help you get started, request a complimentary custom code analysis for your company. It’s a simple way to understand your current SAP ECC environment and plan your migration with confidence.
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