SAP Business Suite: SAP ECC, ERP and S/4HANA Explained

When a potential client starts looking solution for an all-in-one application to transform their business, SAP Business Suite is usually one of the top products they explore. SAP Business Suite has all the applications necessary to perform essential business functions. Read more to understand the differences in these solutions and how S/4HANA will change them.

What is SAP Business Suite? 

When a potential client looks for solutions for an all-in-one application to transform their business, SAP Business Suite is one of the top products they explore.

SAP Business Suite includes all the applications necessary to perform essential business functions, including:

  • Supply Chain Management.
  • Procurement
  • Information Technology Management
  • Finance
  • Human Resources
  • Sales
  • Services
  • Product Development
  • Marketing

SAP ECC and ERP

One of industries most important technologies, SAP ECC is an acronym for SAP ERP Central Component.

SAP is short for Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing.

ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning, which simply means a system that manages and integrates all the core resources needed to run a company. While this article deals with SAP’s technology, other software solution companies, such as OracleAcumatica and others, also use the term ERP.

ECC is the ERP solution that’s specifically offered by SAP and is the foundation of SAP’s software package. It includes these commonly used modules:

  • Human Resources Management
  • Warehousing
  • Logistics
  • Financial Accounting and Controlling (often referred to as FICO)
  • Plant Maintenance
  • Materials Management
  • Production Planning
  • Quality Management
  • Customer Service

SAP Business Suite adds more modules to that core, such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supplier Relationship Management (SRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Product Lifestyle Management (PLM).

In other words, ERP is the overall management and control of the modules. ECC is a component of ERP.

SAP S/4HANA

SAP HANA uses in-memory database technology that is designed to handle transactions and analytics in real time. The in-memory computing engine allows HANA to process data stored in RAM as opposed to reading it from a disk. That enables personnel to collect, analyze, and react to current data as opposed to waiting for weekly or quarterly reports.

It can be deployed on-premise, in the cloud, or as a hybrid of the two, something we explain in greater detail in Greenfield, Brownfield or Hybrid? Options for Conversion to S/4HANA.

This is the latest and greatest version of SAP’s ERP and is also referred to as Business Suite 4 SAP HANA. It’s SAP’s intention for all their customers to migrate to S/4HANA in the next few years, so they’ll be ending their support for Business Suite on ECC in 2027.

Making that move is a fairly complex process that can take two or more years to accomplish, That’s why most Ariba Consulting and Service Partners recommend making plans now. We explain that in greater detail in our post: Why You Should Upgrade to S/4HANA Now!

SAP S/4HANA logo

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