SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud and SMEs
As SMEs grow, they often need more robust systems to support their operations without adding unnecessary complexity.
A useful way to think about this challenge is to compare it to moving into a new office space.
Depending on your priorities, you might consider one of the following approaches:
Option 1: You design the workspace, define security systems, implement compliance controls, hire contractors, and manage timelines. You have full control, but you also carry the responsibility for safety standards, regulatory compliance, security audits, and ongoing maintenance. It can take months (or years) before teams can move in and work productively.
Option 2: The space is already set up by someone else – with desks, meeting rooms, internet, physical security, access controls, and compliance certifications. The building meets standard regulations by default, security is centrally managed, and regular checks are handled for you, allowing you to move in quickly and focus on your work, not the building.
This scenario is similar to how businesses make decisions when adopting ERP systems.
Traditional ERP implementations are similar to building your office – powerful and flexible, but slow to implement, expensive to maintain, and complex to manage.
SAP S/4HANA Public Edition, however, is comparable to renting a modern, fully equipped office space. It provides a ready-to-use, cloud-based ERP solution that businesses can adopt quickly without starting from scratch.
In short, your focus can remain on running your business rather than managing software.
SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud primarily serves small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) because it offers a cost-effective, scalable, and low-maintenance way to run business systems – without heavy upfront investment. Instead of purchasing and managing their own infrastructure, SMEs can access enterprise-grade capabilities – such as ERP, analytics, and AI – through the SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud subscription model.
This reduces the need for in-house IT expertise and allows companies to scale usage up or down as their business evolves. Additionally, the cloud platforms provide faster deployment, regular automatic updates, and built-in security, enabling smaller organisations to stay competitive and focus their resources on growth rather than system management.
Pathways to SAP S/4HANA Cloud: RISE and SAP GROW
SAP offers two distinct journeys to help customers move to the cloud, depending on where they are in their ERP lifecycle.
RISE with SAP is positioned as the standard transformation journey for existing SAP ERP customers (ECC or on‑premise S/4HANA) moving to the cloud.
SAP GROW is for new customers and greenfield implementations, especially in the SME/mid‑market segment, built on S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition.
Understanding SAP GROW Fast
SAP GROW Fast is a key delivery approach within SAP GROW which focuses on implementing an MVS (Minimum Viable Scope). It prescribes starting with the essential processes required to run the business, going live quickly, and then growing at your own pace.
Instead of trying to implement everything upfront, customers establish a stable core and progressively extend functionality as business needs evolve. This phased approach enables faster time to value, easier change management, and continuous improvement – making ERP adoption more manageable, especially for fast‑growing organisations.
Built-In AI
AI is natively embedded into SAP GROW, enabling fast-growing companies to automate processes, gain real-time insights, and scale operations without adding complexity. By integrating intelligent capabilities directly into core business workflows, SAP GROW allows organisations to move from reactive decision-making to proactive, data-driven execution. This built-in AI helps streamline everything from finance to supply chain, reducing manual effort while improving accuracy and speed.
For example, Joule AI can orchestrate multiple specialised agents to tackle a sudden spike in product demand. When demand surges, Joule can coordinate a forecasting agent to analyse sales trends, a supply chain agent to check inventory and supplier capacity, and a procurement agent to automatically source additional materials. At the same time, a logistics agent can optimise delivery routes while a finance agent evaluates cost impacts. By synchronising these agents in real time, Joule ensures the business responds quickly – restocking efficiently, avoiding stockouts, and maintaining customer satisfaction without human teams having to manually manage each step.
Key Components of SAP GROW Fast
- Minimum Viable Solution (MVS) Approach: A core principle of SAP GROW Fast is the Minimum Viable Solution (MVS) concept. Instead of trying to implement every feature at once, businesses go live with the most essential functionalities needed to run operations. This allows companies to start realising value quickly while keeping implementation simple and cost-effective. Additional features and enhancements can be added gradually, in phases, reducing risk and ensuring continuous improvement without disrupting business operations.
- Pre-configured Best Practices: SAP GROW Fast leverages industry-specific templates and workflows that are already optimised. This means businesses don’t have to start from scratch – they can adopt proven processes right away.
- Cloud-First Approach: The solution is built around cloud ERP systems, allowing companies to:
- Reduce infrastructure costs
- Access real-time data from anywhere
- Scale operations easily
- Guided Implementation: SAP provides structured onboarding tools, tutorials, and automation to simplify deployment. This reduces the need for extensive technical expertise and minimises risks.
- Continuous Innovation: As a cloud-based solution, updates and new features are delivered regularly, without disrupting operations, ensuring businesses stay competitive.
Benefits of SAP GROW Fast
- Faster Time-to-Value: Traditional ERP implementations can take years. SAP GROW Fast drastically shortens this timeline, enabling businesses to see results quickly.
- Lower and Predictable Implementation Costs: With standardised processes and reduced customisation, companies spend less on deployment and maintenance. On Device offers a fixed-price implementation for the fixed MVS scope.
- Scalability: As your business grows, the system grows with you – no need for major overhauls.
- Improved Efficiency: Automated workflows and integrated systems help eliminate manual tasks and reduce errors.
- Better Decision-Making: Real-time analytics and insights empower leaders to make data-driven decisions.
Challenges to Consider
While SAP GROW Fast offers many advantages, it may not be ideal for every organisation:
- Limited customisation compared to on-premise solutions
- Businesses must adapt to standardised processes
A Real-World Example of SAP GROW Fast Adoption
RIHO, a European manufacturer of bathroom products, is a great real-world example of the SAP GROW Fast approach. As the company expanded across multiple markets, it faced challenges with fragmented systems, limited visibility into operations, and inefficiencies in managing inventory and pricing.
By adopting SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition through SAP’s GROW with SAP (SAP GROW Fast) approach, RIHO was able to quickly implement a standardised, cloud-based ERP system without lengthy customisation. This enabled the company to unify its data and processes across regions.
RIHO gained real-time insights into stock levels, pricing, and customer demand, allowing for faster and more accurate decision-making. Operational efficiency improved significantly, with better coordination between sales, supply chain, and finance functions.
Most importantly, the scalable cloud infrastructure positioned RIHO to support future growth seamlessly, building a strong foundation for expansion.
Reference: RIHO: Creating Barbie-pink bathtubs with integrated cloud ERP solutions
ODS’s Grow Fast Offering: MVS+ with FSM and Mobile Accelerators
On Device Solutions Ltd is a trusted SAP Gold Partner and the only specialist in the UK and Ireland with SAP Advanced Competency, recognising our field service expertise.
Our solutions equip technicians at the point of work, seamlessly connecting field and back-office operations. Leveraging SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud ERP and Field Service Management (FSM) offerings, we have created a turnkey solution accessible to small and mid-sized companies.
ODS has also built mobile solutions, myWarehouse and myAsset, providing frontline workers with a mobile app interface to SAP S/4HANA that they enjoy using. Both products are included in our turnkey offering for SME organisations with a field workforce.
This combined “Grow Fast MVS” package delivers a fully integrated solution with embedded accelerators and best practices that can be deployed in weeks.
It is not an all-or-nothing package. Customers have the flexibility to adopt S/4HANA Public Cloud on its own or selectively add one, two, or all of the additional components based on their specific needs.
In summary, SAP GROW Fast creates meaningful opportunities not just for SMEs looking to modernise, but also for smaller IT companies like ODS to innovate and compete at scale.
For SMEs, it lowers the barrier to adopting enterprise-grade technology – enabling faster growth with less risk and complexity. At the same time, SAP GROW Fast empowers partners like ODS to package their expertise into repeatable, scalable solutions that can be deployed quickly and deliver immediate value.
This combination fosters a more agile ecosystem where both customers and partners can grow together, unlocking new possibilities for innovation, collaboration, and long-term success.
Ready to explore SAP GROW Fast?
Contact On Device Solutions today to discuss your needs and discover how quickly your organisation could be up and running with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition.
