GROW with SAP · RISE with SAP · SAP Activate
Two Offerings. One Proven Methodology. One Goal: Faster Growth.
Every business at some point faces the same crossroads: its current systems are holding growth back, but replacing them feels like a bigger risk than staying put.
SAP has built two complementary offerings, supported by the SAP Activate methodology, to remove that friction – making cloud ERP adoption faster, more predictable, and more clearly tied to business outcomes.
This blog explores both SAP offerings, with a special focus on GROW with SAP and the MVP scoping approach that enables faster go-lives, helping business leaders make informed decisions and move forward with confidence.
GROW with SAP: The Fast Path to Cloud ERP
GROW with SAP is SAP’s purpose-built offering for mid-market and fast-growing businesses.
It delivers SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition – a cloud-native ERP – with everything needed to go live quickly: pre-configured processes, adoption acceleration services, and built-in AI. No large IT team required. No multi-year implementation timeline.
What is SAP GROW Fast?
SAP GROW Fast is an accelerated implementation approach within the GROW with SAP offering, designed to help businesses adopt SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition quickly and predictably.
It leverages predefined best-practice business processes, a focused scope, and the SAP Activate methodology to enable faster go-lives and reduce implementation complexity.
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SAP GROW Fast — Key Characteristics
SAP GROW Fast is built around a predefined scope based on SAP Best Practices, enabling organisations to accelerate their cloud ERP journey with confidence. Leveraging the SAP Activate methodology, it combines streamlined implementation processes, proven business workflows, and expert delivery through SAP and certified partners. Supported by tools such as Digital Discovery Assessment, SAP Central Business Configuration, and SAP Cloud ALM, SAP GROW Fast simplifies scoping, configuration, and project management, helping businesses achieve faster time-to-value while reducing implementation complexity and risk. |
SAP GROW Fast – The Implementation Model
In simple words, it is a structured, pre-defined way of implementing SAP Public Cloud fast.
It means:
- Scope is already defined
- Methodology is simplified
- Go-live is expected in weeks, not many months
- Implementation is predictable
Unlike traditional ERP projects – where months are spent in workshops debating how every process should work, GROW Fast starts with SAP’s proven best-practice processes already built in. The question is no longer “how should this work?” but “does this fit?”
Think of it like moving into a fully furnished apartment. You don’t design the layout from scratch – you check if it works for you and make small adjustments where needed.
That’s GROW Fast.
How is This Different from Normal Public Cloud Projects?
Traditional Public Cloud Projects:
- Long blueprint phase
- Many workshops
- Scope keeps expanding
- Customers ask for many additions
SAP GROW Fast Projects:
- Start with the prescribed scope
- Clear boundaries
- Fit-to-standard workshops
- Clean core enforcement
- Faster go-live
Example:
Before: 8–10 months implementation.
After: 3–4 months structured deployment.
SAP GROW Fast helps businesses go live with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition quickly by using a predefined scope, SAP best-practice processes, and a streamlined implementation approach. By focusing on what is needed for day-one operations, it simplifies decision-making, reduces implementation risk, and enables faster, more predictable deployments. This allows organisations to establish a strong cloud ERP foundation and expand capabilities as their business grows.
What Mindset Shift is Required?
The mindset shift is simple: stop trying to build the perfect system before go-live, and start by running your business on a stable, proven core.
Most traditional ERP projects stall because teams want to solve everything upfront, every edge case, every custom workflow, every department wish list. GROW Fast asks a different question: what does the business genuinely need on day one?
| Old Way | GROW Fast Way |
| Capture every requirement before starting | Stabilise the core first, expand later |
| Heavy customisation to match existing processes | Adopt SAP best-practice processes as standard |
| Months of blueprinting workshops | Fit-to-standard sessions with predefined scope |
The MVP Scoping Approach: Why It Changes Everything
One of the most common causes of ERP implementation overruns is trying to solve every business problem at once. Organisations spend months documenting edge cases, customising workflows, and configuring capabilities they may not use for years, all before the system has gone live and generated a single insight.
The MVP (Minimum Viable Product) approach flips this. The goal is to define the core set of capabilities that allow the business to run and go live with exactly that, nothing more. Once users are on the system and generating real feedback, the roadmap expands based on experience rather than theoretical requirements.
What MVP Means in an SAP GROW Context
In the context of GROW with SAP, an MVP scope means deploying only the business processes that are essential to day-one operations. SAP’s pre-configured best practices make this significantly easier than it sounds because most of what a growing business needs is already built in and ready to activate.
| Core Principle
An MVP deployment is not a compromise — it is a strategy. It reduces implementation risk, shortens the go-live timeline, and ensures that users are working with a stable, trusted system before additional complexity is introduced. |
What is Minimum Viable Scope (MVS)?
This is the heart of SAP GROW Fast. SAP studied how 1500+ customers used the system in the first 3–6 months after go-live.
They discovered something interesting – most customers use only core functionality in the beginning.
So, SAP created:
✔ 70 industry-agnostic scope items
✔ 54 essential (prescribed) scope items
✔ 16 baseline activation items
The idea is simple: Deliver what is truly necessary for a stable go-live. Add advanced features later.
SAP GROW Fast: Minimum Viable Scope Approach
Note: There are 70 industry-agnostic Minimum Viable Scope items. The above-mentioned are the MVS scope items relevant to the Procurement and Supply Chain module.
The one highlighted in orange (BMD) corresponds to a Scope item that is not a part of MVS but is activated by Default, as the minimum bundle required for CBC Activation. There are 16 such Scope items across Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance, Sales and EPPM modules.
Business Outcomes: What GROW with SAP Delivers
1. Real-Time Financial Visibility
Finance, procurement, and operations on one platform, giving leadership accurate numbers to act on instantly.
2. Scalability Without IT Bottlenecks
Expand into new markets or add product lines with a configuration change, not an IT project.
3. Continuous Innovation Without Upgrade Projects
SAP delivers quarterly updates and 200+ AI capabilities automatically, with no internal upgrade work required.
| SAP Joule and Business AI
SAP currently has over 200 AI use cases embedded across its cloud solutions, with 400+ planned. These span finance, supply chain, manufacturing, HR, and customer experience and are available to GROW with SAP customers as part of the platform, not as separate licensed add-ons. |
RISE with SAP: Enterprise Transformation at Scale
RISE with SAP takes your existing SAP system and moves it to the cloud – SAP manages the process; you focus on the business.
If your business is already running on SAP ECC and needs to move to the cloud without disrupting operations, RISE with SAP is the answer.
A good example: a manufacturer running SAP across 10 plants cannot switch systems overnight. RISE with SAP lets them migrate gradually, plant by plant, while the business keeps running – with SAP managing the entire transition under one subscription.
The 2027 SAP ECC Deadline: Why Organisations Need a Plan Now
| Critical Timeline
Many organisations continue to run SAP ECC successfully today, but the transition timeline to SAP S/4HANA is becoming increasingly important.
SAP has announced that mainstream maintenance for SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) will end in 2027. After this date, organisations will no longer receive standard maintenance services, innovation updates, or regular support under mainstream maintenance agreements.
For customers who require additional time, SAP offers Extended Maintenance options beyond 2027. However, extended maintenance typically involves additional support fees and should be viewed as a temporary bridge rather than a long-term strategy. Organisations that delay planning may face increased operating costs due to running ageing ERP landscapes.
Beyond support considerations, remaining on ECC can create additional challenges:
This is why many organisations are already evaluating transformation programs through RISE with SAP. By combining migration tools, cloud infrastructure, and SAP S/4HANA Cloud under a single contract, RISE with SAP provides a structured path for ECC customers to modernise while reducing migration risk.
The key question is no longer whether organisations will move to SAP S/4HANA, but how and when. The earlier planning begins, the more flexibility businesses have to define scope, sequence migrations, and realise value from the new platform. |
Industry Use Cases: GROW vs. RISE in the Real World
The right offering depends heavily on industry context. Here is how organisations across sectors have applied each:
| Industry | GROW with SAP | RISE with SAP |
| Manufacturing | Phoenix Global (metals and mining) replaced fragmented legacy systems with GROW with SAP, adopting SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition to unify operations and drive continuous innovation.
Source: SAP News |
Mercedes-Benz adopted RISE with SAP in 2024 to modernise over 1,200 SAP systems, prioritising the most essential systems first using a structured, phased migration approach.
Source: SAP Sapphire 2025 / Lopez Research |
| Retail and Consumer Goods | OAKBERRY (a fast-growing global retail brand) chose GROW with SAP to build a scalable cloud ERP foundation to support its rapid international expansion.
Source: SAP Investor Relations Q1 2026 |
Twining’s Ovaltine used RISE with SAP to migrate seven different ERP platforms to the cloud, unifying siloed data and streamlining global operations across 100+ countries.
Source: SAP UK News, June 2024 |
| Healthcare and Nonprofits | PureTech Scientific (life sciences/speciality chemicals) selected GROW with SAP to adopt a ready-to-run cloud ERP meeting both current requirements and future growth ambitions.
Source: SAP News, Oct 2023 |
Chiesi (global pharmaceutical company) chose RISE with SAP to drive patient-centric innovation, migrating to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition for large-scale business transformation.
Source: SAP Customer Stories |
| Energy and Utilities | CMS Energy (US utility company) selected GROW with SAP to modernise its cloud ERP operations and support business growth with a scalable, ready-to-run platform.
Source: SAP Investor Relations Q1 2026 |
Spirit Energy (a UK-based energy producer) completed its RISE with SAP migration in just four months, moving to the cloud to support its strategic shift towards carbon capture and energy transition – recognised with a 2024 SAP UK Customer Success Award.
Source: SAP UK News, April 2025 |
| Professional Services | Adesso (global IT and professional services firm) chose GROW with SAP to build a scalable cloud ERP foundation to support its growing operations.
Source: SAP Investor Relations Q1 2026 |
Thales (a global defence and technology group) chose RISE with SAP to standardise and modernise enterprise operations at scale across its international business.
Source: SAP Investor Relations Q1 2026 |
Which Offering Is Right for Your Business?
Use this as a quick reference guide. The right choice usually comes down to where your organisation is on its SAP journey and how much complexity your current environment carries.
| GROW with SAP | RISE with SAP | |
| Best suited for | Mid-market, fast-growing, or first-time SAP businesses | Large enterprises with complex or multi-entity operations |
| Primary goal | Rapid cloud ERP adoption with minimal complexity | End-to-end transformation, including ECC to S/4HANA migration |
| Deployment model | SAP GROW Fast: MVP-first, live in weeks | Phased, structured transformation – months to years depending on scope |
| Cloud model | SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition only | Private or public cloud – including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud |
| Customisation | Standardised best practices; limited deep customisation | Flexible – complex process redesign and custom code supported |
| Cost model | Predictable subscription – 50% lower implementation costs | Single bundled subscription – software, infra, support, and migration tooling |
| MVP approach | Core of the GROW Fast delivery model | Phased transformation with staged scope expansion |
| Key pressure point | Speed and cost efficiency for a growing business | 2027 ECC end-of-maintenance deadline |
| Delivered via | SAP Activate Methodology | SAP Activate Methodology |
Getting Started: A Practical First Step
The biggest risk in any SAP transformation is not moving too fast – it is spending too long planning and not enough time learning from an actual system. The MVP approach within GROW with SAP is specifically designed to close that gap. Start with what the business needs today, go live, and build from there.
For organisations on ECC with the 2027 deadline approaching, the calculus is different – the urgency, however, is the same. RISE with SAP provides the structured path with SAP managing the complexity, but the planning cycle for a successful RISE transformation typically spans 12–18 months. Starting now is already later than ideal.
Why Choose On Device Solutions?
| The Common Thread Across Both Paths
Whether you are a mid-market business deploying GROW Fast with an MVP scope or a global enterprise executing a RISE transformation, the SAP Activate methodology is the structure that makes it work. Defined phases, signed-off scope, quality gates, and a clear path from Discover to Run – the same framework that has delivered thousands of successful SAP implementations worldwide. |
Whether you’re scoping an SAP GROW Fast MVP or planning an enterprise-wide RISE transformation, On Device Solutions can help your organisation accelerate SAP adoption with proven expertise in GROW with SAP, RISE with SAP, and SAP Activate – talk to our SAP Experts.
Not sure whether GROW with SAP or RISE with SAP is the right fit?
Our SAP experts can assess your current landscape, define the right transformation path, and build a roadmap aligned to your business goals.
Schedule a free SAP transformation assessment today.
