SAP PI/PO Users Prepare for Major Migration to Integration Suite
SAP PI/PO users are gearing up for a major migration to Integration Suite, with a critical planning stage now underway. This phase is crucial, as it sets the foundation for a successful transition while mitigating risks and ensuring budget and time compliance.
The planning stage, as outlined in a new guide, comprises seven key phases. These include defining the migration's scope and business case, assessing the current landscape, ensuring data and compliance readiness, choosing the right migration approach, planning resources and skills, preparing for cutover and runbook, and managing risks and governance. These principles apply not only to SAP PI/PO to Integration Suite migrations but also to other SAP transitions, such as ECC to S/4HANA.
Industry research highlights the importance of planning, with only around 36% of SAP migration projects staying within budget and less than 46% finishing on schedule. Delays can lead to compliance gaps, security risks, and talent shortages. However, project management and planning activities typically represent less than 10% of the total migration effort, indicating a significant opportunity for improvement.
Leading system integrators specialize in SAP migration projects, offering expertise in data migration, integration with legacy systems, and SAP-certified integration tools. Successful SAP implementations in Germany often involve experienced partners adhering to SAP Activate methodology and quality assurance practices. Despite this, data management issues and skills shortages remain the most common roadblocks in SAP migrations.
Reframing migration planning as a strategic phase can help reduce uncertainty, align stakeholders, and transform what is often feared as a complex IT project into a controlled, value-driven transformation. With SAP ending mainstream maintenance for PI/PO in 2027, the urgency for migration is increasing. Given that planning is the #1 success factor in SAP migrations, businesses must invest wisely in this critical stage to ensure a smooth transition to Integration Suite.
