Nordwerk Automotive AG · Automotive
Brownfield conversion to S/4HANA in 14 months — without a production stop
- months to go-live
- 14
- custom developments removed
- −38 %
- hours of production downtime
- 0
Situation
An automotive supplier with nine plants had to choose between two integrator proposals: a greenfield re-implementation and a brownfield conversion. The proposals differed by a factor of two, and the business was divided.
Role and approach
The readiness check assessed 4,200 custom developments. Around 38 % were no longer in use or could be replaced by standard functionality. On this basis the decision was made for brownfield with an upfront clean-up.
As lead architect and quality gate I accompanied the programme through to go-live: four quality gates, three cutover dress rehearsals and a cutover weekend without a production stop.
Outcome
Go-live after 14 months, on budget, without downtime in the plants. The cleaned-up custom code significantly reduces the cost of future upgrades.
Fact sheet
- Client
- Nordwerk Automotive AG
- Industry
- Automotive
- Role
- Lead architect & quality gate
- Duration
- 2023–2024, 14 months
- System landscape
- ECC 6.0 EHP8 → S/4HANA 2023, 9 plants
- Team
- approx. 60 people, integrator + internal
Related serviceS/4HANA transformation & ECC exit
Without the independent assessment we would have put twice the effort into a greenfield project.