In this episode of iT2 DX Talks, we welcome Matt Farmer, a seasoned technology expert and long-time Texan with nearly 15 years of experience with SaaS solutions, including four years directly with SAP.
Matt specializes in helping businesses navigate their digital transformation journeys, with a focus on finding the right fit for their unique needs. During the conversation, Matt shares valuable insights on RISE with SAP and GROW with SAP, and how these solutions can simplify ERP implementation for companies of all sizes.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the two solutions, leveraging Matt’s insight to help our readers determine which solution is better for their needs and business goals.
What is RISE with SAP?
RISE with SAP is designed for businesses looking to transition from on-premise systems to the cloud, offering a complete, guided pathway to cloud-based operations. Whether you’re currently using SAP ERP, SAP SAP ERP Central Component (ECC), or SAP S/4HANA on-premise, RISE with SAP helps streamline your migration by bundling essential cloud services, tools, and infrastructure into a single package.
As Matt Farmer explains in this episode, RISE with SAP is all about flexibility and helping businesses reduce their total cost of ownership during a cloud migration. It provides customers with new interfaces, like Fiori, and offers extensive customization options using SAP BTP tools– that keep the system core clean–to meet the specific needs of their business processes.
Matt emphasized that RISE with SAP is ideal for organizations that have unique requirements that don’t fit into a standard business framework. This solution allows these businesses to take advantage of cloud technology while still retaining the customizations they need to operate effectively.
Businesses with complex needs, including Nestle – a global organization with over 275k employees, managing 2,000+ brands in over 188 countries – are finding immense success with RISE with SAP.
What is GROW with SAP?
GROW with SAP is designed for companies looking to adopt a cloud ERP solution without having an on-premise system already in place. It offers an easy-to-implement, scalable, cloud-based ERP platform, making it an ideal choice for small to medium-sized businesses that want to accelerate their digital transformation.
With preconfigured processes and standardized best practices, GROW with SAP helps businesses quickly adopt cloud ERP, simplifying operations and reducing the time to value.
As Matt Farmer explains in this episode, GROW with SAP “is more of a template-based approach for customers that don’t require a significant amount of customization.” It’s an ideal solution for businesses that aren’t as complex and nuanced as a global enterprise to enjoy the same benefits of a SAP system.
It’s designed to minimize the complexity of cloud ERP adoption by offering pre-built templates that can be deployed rapidly, often within four to six weeks.
This makes GROW with SAP perfect for companies that need to scale efficiently without getting bogged down in lengthy implementations. Unlike RISE with SAP, which supports extensive customization, GROW with SAP focuses on providing a streamlined, ready-to-run solution for businesses that can leverage standardized processes
Matt emphasizes that GROW with SAP is especially well-suited for businesses in industries like professional services, where workflows are often more uniform and don’t require heavy customization. By using GROW with SAP, these companies can adopt cloud ERP technology with minimal disruption and start seeing results faster.
Fast-growing companies, such as La Moderna, a food producer that simplified its IT infrastructure and reduced its database size, are finding significant success with GROW with SAP.
RISE with SAP vs GROW with SAP: Where’s the Confusion?
With a little research into the two solutions, it’s easy to see that RISE with SAP and GROW with SAP are quite different from one another. Yet, many people are often confused between the two. Why?
One of the main reasons for this confusion, as Matt Farmer explains in our interview, is that both solutions are part of SAP’s larger cloud ERP strategy. For instance, they share similar goals: enabling businesses to modernize their operations and move to the cloud.
Additionally, both offerings include SAP S/4HANA Cloud, leverage the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), and are designed to help companies grow and scale. However, they serve different business needs, which can be easily overlooked without a deeper understanding of their specific use cases
Matt also points out that GROW with SAP was developed as an offshoot of RISE with SAP, which likely adds to the confusion.
While RISE with SAP was originally designed for businesses transitioning from on-premise systems and needing customization and flexibility, GROW with SAP focuses on rapid deployment with preconfigured processes for businesses that can operate with standardized workflows.
This can make GROW with SAP seem like a simplified version of RISE with SAP when, in fact, it is tailored to a different audience.
Another contributing factor to the confusion is that both solutions include bundled services, tools, and access to SAP’s partner ecosystem.
Matt emphasized that this similarity can lead businesses to assume the offerings are interchangeable, when in reality, RISE with SAP is more customizable, while GROW with SAP is optimized for speed and simplicity in public cloud adoption.
Expert Tips for Choosing Between RISE with SAP and GROW with SAP
Making the right choice between RISE with SAP and GROW with SAP requires a careful evaluation of your business’s specific needs and future goals. Here are some expert tips, inspired by Matt Farmer’s insights, to help guide your decision.
- Evaluate Your Customization Needs
If your business requires extensive customization to accommodate unique workflows or processes, RISE with SAP may be the better choice. It offers the flexibility and customization options that businesses with complex needs demand.
However, if your business can operate with standardized processes, GROW with SAP provides a faster, more cost-effective solution with ready-to-run cloud ERP templates.
- Consider Your Existing Infrastructure
Are you transitioning from an on-premise system? RISE with SAP was designed specifically for this scenario, offering a complete pathway to migrate your existing ERP to the cloud while retaining the flexibility to customize as needed.
On the other hand, if you’re starting fresh without an existing ERP system, GROW with SAP’s preconfigured processes and streamlined public cloud focus make it an ideal choice.
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- Plan for Adoption and Governance
Regardless of which solution you choose, strong governance over customizations and an emphasis on change management are critical to success. MAlign IT and business goals, ensuring that any changes truly meet business demands.
With RISE with SAP, the ability to customize requires tight governance to avoid creating technical debt, while GROW with SAP’s standardized approach simplifies this process.
- Think About Future Growth
Both RISE with SAP and GROW with SAP support business growth, but the pathway differs. RISE with SAP provides a more flexible infrastructure for businesses with complex, evolving needs, making it ideal for organizations that expect to scale and diversify.
GROW with SAP, while focused on rapid deployment, also supports growth by enabling businesses to expand operations and adopt new processes quickly.
- Align with Your Budget and Timeline
Consider the cost and timeline for implementation. RISE with SAP often involves a longer, more complex rollout due to its customization capabilities, while GROW with SAP is designed for rapid deployment within four to six weeks.
If your priority is speed and simplicity, GROW with SAP’s ready-to-run approach might be more suitable. However, if your business needs a tailored solution and can invest in a longer timeline, RISE with SAP offers the depth and flexibility to meet those needs.
Harness Your Complete SAP Potential with iT Services 2
Choosing between RISE with SAP and GROW with SAP is just the beginning of your digital transformation journey.
Whether your business needs the flexibility of RISE with SAP or the streamlined approach of GROW with SAP, iT Services 2 is here to guide you every step of the way. Our team of experts will help you navigate your SAP implementation, ensuring that your business harnesses its full potential while meeting your unique goals.
Ready to take the next step? Reach out today for a free consultation. We’re here to support your success, from initial planning to ongoing optimization.
Let’s get into the power of SAP together.