With the end of support for SAP Business Suite scheduled for 2027 (with an extension until 2030), companies must begin planning their transition to SAP S/4HANA and modern cloud solutions.
This transition is not only essential to ensure business continuity but also presents an opportunity to innovate business processes and adopt a modular approach, such as the one proposed by the Composable Enterprise. If you would like to learn more, please refer to our previous blog.
Among the various required changes, one of the key topics is warehouse management. With the discontinuation of support for SAP ECC and SAP WM, companies using these solutions face a crucial strategic decision. SAP WM, which has effectively supported SAP ECC customers' logistics operations for many years, will be available in SAP S/4HANA only until the second half of 2025 (SAP Note 2270211 – S4TWL – Warehouse Management). After that, it will be replaced by SAP EWM (Extended Warehouse Management) and Stock Room Management. This evolution is crucial to maintaining operational efficiency and embracing a more flexible and advanced logistics management approach.
Stock Room Management provides a continuity solution for SAP WM on SAP S/4HANA, albeit with some limitations. However, SAP’s future investment will be exclusively focused on SAP EWM, considering Stock Room Management as a transitional solution within the digital transformation journey. While it is suitable for organizations that do not require advanced warehouse management capabilities, companies seeking a more modern and flexible platform fully integrated with SAP S/4HANA should strategically opt for SAP EWM Basic or Advanced. This version of SAP Extended Warehouse Management enables sophisticated logistics management, designed to meet the needs of complex, large-scale, and highly automated warehouses.
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Basic Warehouse Management Embedded in SAP S/4HANA (SAP EWM Basic): Designed for companies requiring a modern and flexible solution without the need for the full suite of advanced functionalities. Additionally, it offers a user-friendly interface accessible via a web browser through SAP Fiori.
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Stock Room Management: Ideal for managing low-complexity warehouse processes and ensuring continuity with the existing LE-WM solution (albeit with some limitations). It features an SAP GUI interface and, for organizations transitioning from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA via a brownfield approach, it serves as an equivalent to SAP WM, made available automatically.
The migration to SAP S/4HANA and the transition to SAP EWM may seem complex, challenging, and even daunting. The scope of change extends beyond a simple technological upgrade; it requires a fundamental reassessment of logistics strategies and internal processes. However, by strategically planning the migration, organizations can transform this challenge into an opportunity to modernize and optimize their business operations.
Thus, migrating to SAP EWM is a strategic choice to ensure continuity, efficiency, and innovation in warehouse management. But what are the key differences between SAP EWM Basic and SAP EWM Advanced? And what migration scenarios can companies adopt for an effective transition?
In our next blog, we will delve into these two versions of SAP EWM and analyze four possible migration strategies to help you identify the best solution for your company’s needs. Stay tuned for our next deep dive!
Simone Nivoli
Simone Nivoli, Logistic Execution Practice Leader, is a seasoned expert in optimizing distribution logistics processes. He supports companies in enhancing efficiency and making operations more scalable and sustainable over the long term.
