SAP S/4HANA migration at Domo Chemicals: Do it like Mendeleev

SAP ECC 6 is a robust application that has earned its stripes at DOMO. The business rationale for switching to SAP S/4HANA was therefore to accelerate innovation and digitalization in addition to proven reliability. At industrial companies like DOMO, profitability is inversely proportional to any kind of business disruption. The Mendeleev project was delivered in nine months, without the 600 Belgian, Italian and German SAP users experiencing a single day of system downtime.

9 months from start to finish without a single day of business disruption requires a certain rigorous 'Mendeleev' discipline. For instance, the scope of the project was deliberately sharp and defined. After all, a modern ERP system is never 'finished', and the team focused on key capabilities before the migration. Both the internal SAP team at DOMO and implementation partner Expertum kept the list of incidents and issues to be resolved ultra-short. This kept the project on track at all times without delays.

There is a temptation in some IT departments to tackle a technical migration with minimal interference from business in order to move forward quickly. The Mendeleev team always kept its finger on the business pulse. It first conducted a thorough inventory of which third-party applications and key processes were impacted. That analysis showed that one key system needed to be upgraded and that a number of additional developments were needed that were beyond the scope of a rigid and clean move to SAP S/4HANA. These were prime opportunities to see how such adjustments and upgrades could also add value to business. For instance, the integration of customer and supplier data was re-thought in order to set up a more efficient master data management structure. In other words: a clear win-win situation.

The Mendeleev team did not start without a solid business case for the migration. How could DOMO develop digitally in the next few years? And what would be the efforts and costs of the alternatives to SAP S/4HANA. With a clear 'why' in the mind of all stakeholders, it is also easier to clearly formulate and implement new projects.

Just like a periodic table, SAP S/4HANA is becoming the cornerstone of digitalization at DOMO. Meanwhile, four new factories have been accelerated to the platform and new projects such as Category buying and Closing cockpit have been launched and delivered.