As the 2027 deadline for the migration away from SAP ECC looms, organisations need to urgently determine their optimal route to S/4HANA. From public versus private cloud to the option of hyperscaler preference, implementation partner and the value of greenfield deployment versus migrating legacy data, organisations face an array of choices.
SAP offers two enablement packages that simplify your journey to SAP S/4HANA. With the distinction between RISE and GROW, your cloud migration path is clear and your implementation partners can create a more specific set of services to meet your needs before, during and after S/4HANA migration.
So which one is the right for you?
GROW vs RISE: Technical Context
What is your IT systems situation?
GROW
GROW focuses on deploying S/4HANA in the public cloud, enabling companies to achieve a fresh start without legacy system constraints.Â
It’s aimed at companies who are new to SAP and are looking for a system that will help them transform and stream their operations, and drive continuous innovations and sustainable growth.
The system is pre-configured, which means it’s easy and fast to deploy, however at the same time its customisability is limited. It also comes with a level of technical system support from SAP, access to new and innovative features and system upgrades every six months.
GROW with SAP is implemented with the Greenfield method, which is a standard approach to a new S/4HANA implementation.
RISE
SAP with RISE is designed for organisations with existing SAP systems looking to transition to S/4HANA.
It can be deployed in both, Public or Private Cloud, depending on your goals and needs. Furthermore, in the Private Cloud, you can choose your hosting platform (typically Google Cloud, Azure or AWS).
With SAP with RISE, you have the option of Greenfield, Brownfield or Yellowfield implementation method. Greenfield is suitable if you want to start fresh and do not want to copy your previous ECC infrastructure. The Brownfield route is best if you want to retain the existing configuration and data (a great option for customers with optimal business processes and data structure). If you choose Private Cloud, you can also decide to combine these two approaches (Yellowfield) throughout different business areas (Finance, Supply Chain, etc.).
GROW vs RISE: Business Context
The paths share the same finish line – SAP S/4HANA, which provides businesses with tools and solutions to improve their customer experience, optimise business operations, gain business intelligence and complete visibility.
But they are not the same. Which one is the right for your business?
GROW
GROW is aiming to deploy S/4HANA for Small to Medium Enterprises to allow them to embark on their digital transformation journey, full of innovation and growth.
Hosted on Public Cloud, GROW is a pre-configured solution with standardised processes, ideal for SMEs who don’t have multilevel IT teams on site and need easy-to-adopt systems. Without complex system customisation, your team can be trained faster and has access to many standardised resources.
For organisations looking at the GROW model, the Digital Discovery Assessment (DDA) simplifies the evaluation of business needs and quickly provides an overview of both the implementation Bill of Materials and associated licensing requirements.
RISE
RISE is a S/4HANA pathway for larger enterprises, that have an existing SAP system.
As previously mentioned, it offers more flexibility than GROW (hosting options etc.), allowing enterprises to opt in for a customisable bespoke system, but at the same time, it requires a larger up-front investment.
With a direct hosting contract with SAP (as opposed to a hyperscaler) the business needs to take into consideration the associated Service Level Agreement, including the non-standard components of the service. The contract includes around 1,200 line items, around 60 of which – including monitoring and some aspects of security patching – incur an additional cost. That’s when it can be worthwhile to consider a third-party support partner.
Your journey: Where does your business fit in on the pathway diagram? 
Post-Implementation: Role of a third-party support partner
Whether you embark on the GROW or RISE journey, you might be looking for a system support partner – while SAP provides a certain level of support, many service items come with extra cost.
A proactive support partner will review system updates and innovations, evaluate the
most relevant new features, identify those that are not relevant and highlight specific testing requirements –Â maximising your investment.
Are you still unsure which option is the best for your business?
Contact our team of experts, who can run an initial pathway assessment and consultation to address your implementation concerns and business challenges.
