The transition to SAP S/4HANA is one of the most significant digital transformation initiatives many organisations will undertake this decade. With SAP announcing the end of mainstream support for ECC by December 31, 2027, companies are now under pressure to ensure a successful and timely migration. But while much of the focus is placed on system architecture and implementation, the quality of your product and material data can make or break your SAP S/4HANA project.
This is where AICA plays a critical role. As a specialist in product data cleansing, enrichment, classification, creation, and comparison, AICA helps companies prepare their data foundation—accelerating migration timelines, reducing risk, and ensuring operational success post-go-live.
The Hidden Barrier to SAP Success: Dirty Product Data
Migrating to SAP S/4HANA is not a simple software upgrade. It demands a clean, standardised, and enriched dataset that aligns with the new system’s architecture. Unfortunately, most ERP data—particularly in asset-intensive industries like manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, and utilities—is riddled with problems:
- Duplicate material records
- Inconsistent naming conventions
- Missing specifications, UNSPSC codes, or units of measure
- Poorly structured legacy descriptions
These issues don’t just slow down migration—they compromise searchability, procurement efficiency, inventory control, and overall ERP performance.
How AICA Supports Your SAP S/4HANA Migration
AICA provides an AI-powered product data intelligence platform that automates the heavy lifting of preparing your material and service data for S/4HANA. Here’s how:
1. AI-Driven Product Data Cleansing
AICA removes duplicate records, standardises descriptions, and corrects inconsistent formats using domain-specific algorithms trained on millions of MRO and industrial product records.
– 70–90% of the work is automated
– Remaining 10–30% is completed by expert cataloguers for accuracy
– Reduces time and cost of manual data remediation
2. UNSPSC Classification for Spend and Procurement
SAP S/4HANA relies on structured classification for reporting and procurement. AICA classifies items into UNSPSC or GS1 GPC taxonomies with over 90% accuracy, enabling:
- Enhanced spend visibility
- Easier supplier consolidation
- Better inventory insights
3. Product Data Enrichment
AICA fills in missing data like material specs, manufacturer names, part numbers, and more—ensuring your ERP system doesn’t rely on vague or incomplete inputs.
4. Data Governance and Schema Mapping
We restructure your data to align with SAP’s requirements, including mapping legacy fields to S/4HANA-compatible schemas and ensuring consistency across business units.
5. API Integration or Pre-Migration Processing
Whether you want AICA’s platform connected via API or prefer a one-time data transformation prior to go-live, we offer flexibility for both ongoing and project-based support.
The ROI of Clean Data in Your S/4HANA Landscape
Organisations that invest in data quality ahead of migration see tangible benefits:
- Shorter migration timelines
- Fewer delays caused by data errors
- Higher ERP adoption by users
- More reliable procurement and inventory planning
- Reduced operational costs post-go-live
By addressing product data quality early, AICA helps you de-risk your ERP project and unlock the full value of your SAP S/4HANA investment.
Beat the 2027 Deadline with Confidence
With the countdown to SAP ECC end-of-life ticking, the time to act is now. Partnering with AICA ensures your product and service data is migration-ready, governed, and optimized for performance—freeing your internal teams to focus on process transformation rather than data firefighting.
Contact AICA today to start preparing your data for a smooth, scalable transition to SAP S/4HANA.
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