Migrating from SAP ECC to S/4HANA: timing and options
For a company running SAP ECC, the calendar is already a senior-leadership decision: standard maintenance ends on December 31, 2027, and, as of October 2026, just over fourteen months remain.
SAP ECC (part of SAP Business Suite 7, with SAP ERP 6.0 at its core) is the ERP many mid-sized and large Latin American companies run on. SAP S/4HANA is its successor. The debate is no longer whether to migrate, but when, how and at what cost.
A disclosure before we continue: Cyrrus is not a partner or reseller of SAP or its alternatives. That's why we can lay out the options without preferences.
What dates has SAP set for ECC?
The official dates haven't changed since SAP's 2020 announcement, and SAP restated them in October 2026.
| Stage | Date | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Standard maintenance | Through December 31, 2027 | Full support of the Business Suite 7 core applications, including SAP ERP 6.0 |
| Extended maintenance (optional) | January 1, 2028 to December 31, 2030 | Two-percentage-point surcharge on the maintenance basis |
| Customer-specific maintenance | From 2031, or without extended maintenance | SAP doesn't recommend it as a long-term model for business-critical systems |
| SAP S/4HANA | At least one release in maintenance through 2040 | SAP's innovation commitment announced in 2020 |
Running SAP ECC without a route decided?
We evaluate the alternatives, the total cost and a realistic calendar with you, with no vendor or integrator commissions.
- Comparison of routes and alternatives
- Business case for the board
What happens if I don't migrate in time?
The system doesn't switch off on January 1, 2028: it keeps running. What changes is the vendor's backing and the cost of staying where you are. There is also a critical date for those on third-party databases: according to SAP, converting a Business Suite 7 system with a third-party database to S/4HANA or SAP Cloud ERP is only possible until the end of 2030; after that only a new implementation remains. That's why it pays to define the route early.
What routes exist?
| Route | What it involves | What to evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Convert the current system | Move the existing system, with its history and configuration, to S/4HANA | How much custom code and old data it carries; how much of today's design is worth keeping |
| Implement from scratch | Redesign processes in a clean system and migrate only what's needed | Greater organizational-change effort; a chance to simplify |
| Extend and decide later | Buy extended maintenance through 2030 | Additional annual cost and the risk of leaving the decision for when there is less slack |
| Change ERP | Evaluate a platform other than SAP | Five-year total cost, data migration and the team's capacity |
Keep the project on track
A project of this size needs client-side management and change management from day one.
- Project management and scope control
- Change management and training
What should leadership decide before requesting quotes?
First, the route and the business goal: what you want to simplify or enable, not just meet a date. Second, the scope of customizations: each one you keep is paid for in the migration and in every future update. Third, sponsorship and who manages the project on the company side. Fourth, the total budget, which must include internal team time, training and change management on top of licenses and services; our article on what it costs to implement an ERP details those blocks. And fifth, a calendar with slack against 2027 and 2030. Ignoring the human side is the costliest mistake: our organizational change management guide explains how to avoid it.
How we can help
At Cyrrus we compare routes and alternatives with no commissions, build the business case for the board and manage the project and the change on the company side. Learn about our software selection and project management.
If you run SAP ECC and don't have a route defined yet, request a free diagnostic session with our team.
30 years in strategy and IT: Oracle consultant, IT leader at PepsiCo Latin America, Covidien and Coremar, and founder of Cyrrus in 2017. MBA, Universidad del Norte.
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