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SAP Cloud ERP Private, I would strongly recommend making change management a central part of the strategy. Another recommendation is to think about your reporting/analytics strategy during your migration and not leave it to the end. I would also encourage or- ganizations to reassess existing business processes rather than migrating every customization forward. Modern tools such as SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) make it easier to extend functionality while keeping the ERP core clean. Lastly, leverage things like CDS views and Fiori that S/4 HANA brings. Don’t use your new SAP S/4 HANA system like an SAP ECC environment.
exception from SAP so we could continue operating it within SAP Cloud ERP Private. These were unique to our landscape, but they were manageable with the right planning.
SAPinsider: Did user adop- tion create any obstacles?
Balasubramanian: User adop- tion is always a challenge, but it was far more significant during our SAP ECC-to-SAP S/4HANA migration. Moving from on- premises SAP S/4HANA to SAP Cloud ERP Private didn’t dramatically change the user experience — employees were still interacting with familiar screens — which helped mini- mize adoption challenges. However, the experience re-
Srinivas Balasubramanian
SAPinsider: After a year live on SAP Cloud ERP Private, what stands out as the biggest benefit? Balasubramanian: From a contractual standpoint, the subscription model has been a game changer. Under the old licensing approach, you purchased li- censes upfront whether you used it or not. If the business situation changed, you could not really return those li- censes. With SAP Cloud ERP Private, we have far greater flexibility. If our business needs change we can swap licenses for capabilities that better support our op- erations. Financially, we’re paying about the same as before but now we’re paying for what we use. This Q&A gives SAP leaders, IT teams, and ERP program stakeholders a prac- tical look at how Kyocera International approached its move to SAP Cloud ERP Private as an operating model shift. In- terested readers can hear Srinivas Bal- asubramanian share additional insights during his session at SAPinsider Las Ve- gas 2026.
a proactive customer delivery manager makes a significant difference in how smoothly issues are resolved. SAPinsider: What lessons emerged from working within the RISE sup- port model? Balasubramanian: Everything must go through structured processes. It’s very different from calling someone in- ternally to make a change, but it creates a more controlled environment. We did request a change in our ini- tial support resource when expecta- tions weren’t met, and SAP responded
inforced that change management is something many organizations under- estimate. Training and change manage- ment for your end users can ultimately make or break a project. SAPinsider: How does the operating model change in a managed cloud environment? Balasubramanian: One of the biggest adjustments is that you no longer have the same level of control. Previously, an internal team member could make pa- rameter changes directly in the system. Now, you rely on a cloud support team
quickly. That experience rein- forced the importance of ac- countability and partnership when operating in a managed model. SAPinsider: Looking back, what would you do differ- ently? Balasubramanian: If I were advising customers moving from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA or
— in our case, SAP Enterprise Cloud Services — and every- thing runs through tickets and service requests. However, those guardrails exist for a reason: they help ensure system stability and prevent shortcuts that could introduce risk. Additionally, establishing a strong relationship with your cloud support contacts is critical. To this end, having
“Those guardrails exist for a reason — they help ensure system stability and prevent shortcuts.”
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