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Avoid These 7 Costly Mistakes During Your SAP GTS E4H Migration


The migration to SAP Global Trade Services, Edition for SAP HANA (GTS E4H) is not just another IT upgrade — it's a strategic business shift. With the mainstream maintenance for SAP GTS 11 ending December 31, 2025, time is running out.


But a rushed or poorly planned move can result in technical debt, compliance gaps, or costly rework. Based on field experience and SAP documentation, here are seven critical mistakes to avoid — and what to do instead.

 


1. Choosing the Wrong Migration Strategy

The Mistake: Jumping into a brownfield migration without assessing current customizations, legal content, and integration complexity.

Why It Hurts: You may carry over obsolete or incompatible objects, risking performance issues and compliance failure.

What to Do:

  • Conduct a Readiness Assessment: Identify modules in use, impacted areas, and object dependencies.

  • Choose the right strategy:

    • Brownfield for reusing configurations.

    • Greenfield for a clean slate and process redesign.

    • Hybrid when reuse is partial with selective redesign.

 

2. Overlooking HANA Sizing Requirements

The Mistake: Reusing old infrastructure assumptions from ECC-based GTS 11.x systems.

Why It Hurts: Undersized HANA databases will bottleneck performance, while oversized ones inflate costs.

What to Do:

  • Perform HANA Sizing based on:

    • Number of declarations per month.

    • Compliance screening volume.

    • Real-time analytics with CDS views.

  • Use SAP Quick Sizer or consult SAP’s HANA Sizing Guide for GTS E4H.

 

3. Skipping Pre-Migration Data Archiving

The Mistake: Migrating full historical transactional and master data into E4H.

Why It Hurts: Leads to bloated databases, longer conversion times, and higher storage costs.

What to Do:

  • Archive outdated customs documents, declarations, SPL logs.

  • Follow SAP's Data Archiving Strategy for SAP GTS using ILM (Information Lifecycle Management).

  • Confirm retention policies before archiving legal data.


4. Ignoring SID Compatibility in SAP RISE Environments

The Mistake: Migrating to a RISE-based S/4HANA backend with a new system ID (SID) that breaks integration links.

Why It Hurts: Impacts communication between GTS and backend systems (e.g., S/4HANA, TM, or EWM).

What to Do:

  • Keep the SID consistent between ECC/S/4HANA and GTS if using Brownfield in RISE.

  • Validate RFC destinations and ALE configurations post-migration.

 

5. Weak Testing Strategy

The Mistake: Relying on standard test scripts without covering real-world trade scenarios.

Why It Hurts: Misses business-critical edge cases like dual-use license checks, customs logic, and partner screening failures.

What to Do:

  • Build a comprehensive testing framework:

    • Legal control simulation

    • SPL blocks/releases

    • Preference determination

    • Custom declaration flows

  • Include unit tests, integration tests, and user acceptance tests (UAT).

 
6. Underestimating Downtime in RISE Conversions

The Mistake: Not planning for realistic cutover and downtime windows, especially with multiple systems in scope.

Why It Hurts: Leads to disruptions in import/export operations, delayed shipments, and regulatory breaches.

What to Do:

  • Engage SAP BASIS and SAP RISE migration teams early.

  • Simulate downtime using test conversions in sandboxes.

  • Consider weekend cutovers and phased go-lives for minimal impact.

 

7. Misunderstanding GTS E4H Licensing

The Mistake: Assuming your existing GTS 11.x licenses automatically cover GTS E4H.

Why It Hurts: Licensing gaps can delay your project or result in non-compliance.

What to Do:

  • Review SAP's GTS E4H Licensing Guidelines:

    • User-based and engine-based license models

    • Consider new modules such as Advanced Legal Control or CDS Analytics

  • Coordinate with SAP Account Execs for an updated license entitlement.

 


Final Thoughts: Make 2025 Count


The shift to GTS E4H is not optional — it’s a business continuity imperative. But with proper planning and awareness of the common pitfalls, your team can avoid costly mistakes and accelerate value realization.

Don’t wait for Q4 panic — act now to:

✔ Define the right strategy

✔ Optimize your infrastructure

✔ Ensure compliance continuity

✔ Enable smoother customs and license operations

 


Need help planning your GTS E4H migration?

Let our SAP GTS experts help you navigate the complexity.

 

 
 
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