From ERP 6.0 to Business Suite 7

In this article, we reveal what the new SAP ERP 6.0, Enhancement Package 4, and SAP Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM) 7.0 can do and provide upgrade tips.

In the first installment of our SAP Updates guide, we gave you an advance look at EHP 5. This second article will tell you how you can upgrade to SAP ERP 6.0 and what it costs.

Let’s start by talking about upgrading to SAP Business Suite 7, SAP’s software for large enterprises. (For a more detailed report, also check out our article “One for All: 365 Days of SAP Business Suite.”) This package covers all the key business processes of major companies, comprising industry-specific functions, a foundation in the SAP NetWeaver technology platform, and a stable core of the following software releases:

Upgrading to the latest versions not only gives you access to a greater variety of functions; it also secures support for new hardware, operating systems, and compliance with current legal requirements. To take advantage of SAP Business Suite 7, you will first need to update your applications to the current releases.

SAP follows a synchronized release strategy to spare customers repeat efforts and long waits. The company’s newest software also supports in-memory technology and contains business intelligence functions and collaboration tools such as SAP StreamWork.

You can view the current release schedule for all of SAP’s components and applications here on SAP Service Marketplace. Please inquire here if you need access to the portal.

Strategy: EHPs instead of updates

SAP has indicated that SAP Business Suite 7 will be the company’s stable, long-term IT platform for large enterprises until 2015. Instead of expensive, complex release upgrades, SAP has been focusing on Enhancement Packages (EHPs) since the end of 2006. EHPs give customers the freedom to decide which specific functions they will install and when. The current EHP4 for SAP ERP 6.0, for example, offers talent management functions for human resources departments and production processes that support outsourced manufacturing.

Wanting to provide its customers with planning security while not pressuring them to upgrade, SAP plans to release a new EHP every one to two years.

Surveys conducted by the German-speaking SAP User Group (DSAG) and RAAD Research show that EHPs are resonating with SAP’s customer base: Around 7,000 clients are currently using at least one EHP.

So far, four EHPs have been released for SAP ERP 6.0, along with one for SAP NetWeaver. They are also planned for SAP CRM 7.0, SAP Supply Chain Management (SAP SCM) 7.0, and SAP SRM 7.0. EHPs are cumulative, meaning that customers who install EHP4 will also receive all of the upgrades from the previous three packages.

In doing so, you can choose to install only the functions you really need. Carrying out the upgrade will not affect your existing user interface, processes, or other core functions.

Next Page: Plan Technical Upgrades