Why Data archiving is essential after an SAP S/4HANA migration?
By Emanuel Böminghaus, Legacy Systems Expert and Managing Director, AvenDATA
Emanuel Böminghaus
Legacy Systems Expert and
Managing Director, AvenDATA
Transitioning from the ECC world to an S/4HANA migration.
For many Organisations, the migration from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA is an essential step to remain fit for the future. The drivers include the end of maintenance for classic SAP systems, technological advancements and the need for simplified Data models. In practice, however, such projects often focus solely on the technical and functional migration.
Historical datasets, legacy systems and long-standing structures are frequently overlooked, even though they remain legally, tax-wise and economically relevant.
How historical Data can expose Organisations to risks post‑migration?
Even after a successful S/4HANA migration, large volumes of Data remain stored in decommissioned or only passively used SAP legacy systems. These SAP systems continue to generate costs for operation, maintenance and IT security. At the same time, the risk increases because knowledge is lost, users are no longer available and systems are also no longer technically reliable. Without a clean archiving strategy, shadow IT emerges, compliance risks grow and audits by financial authorities or external auditors become more complex.
Archiving as the strategic extension of the S/4HANA transformation
The structured archiving of historical SAP data is therefore not an optional step but the logical continuation of every S/4HANA migration. The goal is to keep relevant legacy data AuditProof, complete and accessible independently of the system, without having to operate the original SAP systems any longer. Professional archiving reduces complexity, lowers ongoing costs and ensures that Disclosure, Documentation and Retention requirements are met in the long term.
Why AvenDATA is essential after the migration?
This is precisely where AvenDATA comes in. After the SAP S/4HANA migration, AvenDATA provides legally compliant archiving of legacy systems and historical data, regardless of version, release or individual system customisation.
Companies gain full transparency over their historical data, can finally decommission old systems and create a sustainable, auditready IT landscape. S/4HANA migration and archiving belong together. AvenDATA closes this gap consistently.