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With the end of SAP AFS support in 2027, many companies, including retailers and wholesalers, face the challenge of migrating their systems to a more modern platform. SAP S/4 Fashion is SAP’s latest ERP solution, specifically designed for the fashion industry.
The migration from SAP Apparel and Footwear Solution (AFS) to SAP S/4 Fashion is a significant step for companies in the fashion industry looking to digitalize and optimize their business processes. This transformation offers numerous benefits, including a unified platform for all business areas, real-time processes, and advanced analytics. SAP AFS, the Apparel and Footwear Solution, is a specialized ERP solution developed to meet the specific needs of the fashion industry. With the end of SAP AFS support in 2027, many companies, including retailers and wholesalers, must migrate their systems to a more modern platform. SAP S/4 Fashion is SAP’s latest ERP solution, designed specifically for the fashion industry. The solution is built on the SAP S/4HANA platform and provides real-time processes, advanced analytics, and high agility.
The primary reasons for migrating from SAP AFS to SAP S/4 Fashion are modernization and business process optimization. SAP S/4 Fashion provides a unified platform, real-time processes, and advanced analytics, enabling deeper insights and better decision-making. Additionally, Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) optimizes warehouse management and enhances logistics efficiency. The system offers real-time tracking of inventory movements, allowing for more precise inventory control while avoiding overstock and stockouts. It also integrates complex supply chain logistics with warehouse and distribution processes, ensuring maximum visibility and control. Features such as material inspection and the automated creation of follow-up documents, such as deliveries and goods receipt postings, further contribute to increased efficiency. These benefits are particularly relevant for distributors and suppliers.
The migration from SAP AFS to SAP S/4 Fashion can take anywhere from six months to two years, depending on the complexity of the project. Companies can choose from various migration approaches: Greenfield (new implementation), Brownfield (system conversion), and Bluefield (hybrid approach). SAP provides a predefined roadmap and the RISE with SAP program to support the migration process. Additionally, SAP offers tools such as the SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit to facilitate the migration of master data and open transactional data. Before migration, data cleansing and adjustments must be performed to ensure data quality. This is particularly important for data migration in procurement and inventory management.
Some of the biggest challenges with SAP AFS include complex system architecture, lack of real-time data, difficulties in warehouse management, inefficient returns processing, and a less user-friendly interface. SAP S/4 Fashion addresses these issues with a modern, in-memory-based architecture, real-time analytics and processes, integrated Extended Warehouse Management (EWM), optimized returns processing, and a user-friendly interface. These technological improvements are based on an entirely new system architecture, which marks a crucial difference between SAP AFS and SAP S/4 Fashion. SAP S/4 Fashion leverages the SAP S/4HANA platform, benefiting from a high-performance, in-memory-based technology. A successful implementation requires comprehensive training, both for end users and project teams, to cover the technical and functional aspects of the new solution. This also applies to system landscapes and the integration of e-commerce and production.
With the end of SAP AFS support, the shift to SAP S/4 Fashion is inevitable. XEPTUM has extensive experience with data migration and SAP AFS, and we are ready to support you in taking the next step with SAP S/4 Fashion.