SAP S/4HANA Phase Zero Deliverables List
A checklist of the 16 deliverables a phase zero (SAP Activate Discover phase) should produce before an SAP S/4HANA programme is mobilised: what each one answers, who owns it, and the exit criteria for the investment decision.
What is phase zero in SAP S/4HANA?
Phase zero is the work done before delivery starts, corresponding to the Discover phase of SAP Activate. Its purpose is a well-founded decision: whether to move to SAP S/4HANA, with which transition approach, at what scope, cost and timeline, and with which partner. Programmes that skip it usually make the same decisions later, in Explore or Realize, when changing course is far more expensive.
It sits immediately before Prepare in the SAP S/4HANA implementation roadmap.
S/4HANA phase zero deliverables list
Use the list as a checklist. Not every item weighs the same in every programme: the Readiness Check and custom code analysis matter most for a brownfield conversion, while a greenfield programme puts more weight on scope and data.
| Deliverable | Question it answers | Typical owner |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy and value | ||
| 1. Vision and business case | Why move, what value, at what cost and payback? | Executive sponsor, finance |
| 2. Current-state assessment | How do today's processes, systems and pain points look? | Business process owners |
| 3. Value drivers and KPIs | Which measurable outcomes will the programme be judged on? | Executive sponsor, business process owners |
| Technical assessment | ||
| 4. SAP Readiness Check report | Which simplification items, add-ons and business functions affect the move? (essential for brownfield) | Solution architect |
| 5. Custom code analysis | How much custom code is used, obsolete or needs remediation? | Technical lead |
| 6. Data assessment | What data volume, quality issues and archiving candidates exist? | Data migration lead |
| 7. Integration and interface inventory | Which systems connect to the ERP today, and how? | Solution architect |
| Scope and approach | ||
| 8. Transition approach decision | Greenfield, brownfield (system conversion) or selective data transition? | Steering committee |
| 9. Deployment model | RISE with SAP private cloud, SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition or on-premise? | Solution architect, IT leadership |
| 10. High-level scope and target organisational structure | Which processes, company codes, plants and countries are in scope? | Business process owners |
| 11. Release and rollout plan | Big bang or waves, and in which order? | Programme manager |
| Plan and commercials | ||
| 12. Budget and resource estimate | What will delivery cost, internally and externally? | Programme manager, finance |
| 13. Draft governance model | Who sponsors, who decides, how is the steering committee composed? | Executive sponsor |
| 14. Implementation partner selection | Which system integrator, on which contract model? | Procurement, steering committee |
| 15. Risk assessment and key assumptions | What could derail the programme and what are we assuming? | Programme manager |
| 16. Stakeholder map and change impact (high level) | Who is affected, and how much change will they absorb? | Change lead |
Owners are typical; in many organisations the implementation partner prepares several of these on behalf of the named role, but the role remains accountable for the content.
Phase zero exit criteria
Phase zero ends with an investment decision by the executive sponsor or steering committee. Before that meeting, check that:
- the business case is approved by Finance, with benefits tied to KPIs that will be measured after go-live;
- the transition approach and deployment model are decided and the reasoning is documented;
- scope is defined at the level of processes, organisational units and countries, with explicit exclusions;
- the budget includes contingency and internal effort, not just partner fees;
- the release plan respects fixed external dates such as e-invoicing mandates, contract expiries and the end of mainstream maintenance for the current ERP;
- the executive sponsor, business process owners and programme manager are named and have the time to do the job.
How long does phase zero take, and who is involved?
Six to twelve weeks is typical. A small core team does the work: a programme manager or PMO lead, a solution architect, a technical lead for the readiness and code checks, the main business process owners (finance, procurement, sales, supply chain) and someone from Finance for the business case. External advisors often help with the assessments; independence from the eventual implementation partner is an advantage here.
Common phase zero mistakes
- Choosing the partner before the approach. The partner's preferred method then decides greenfield versus brownfield.
- A business case built only on IT cost. End of maintenance is a reason to move, but it does not make a case for process change.
- Ignoring data until Realize. Data quality is the most common cause of delay in mock loads; assess it now.
- Scope without exclusions. Unstated assumptions return as change requests.
- No named business owners. Without them, design sign-off in Explore stalls.
What happens after phase zero
The Prepare phase turns the decision into a running programme: charter, governance, the integrated plan and the RACI. Our SAP S/4HANA RACI matrix covers who does what from Prepare to Run, and the Modern PMO guide covers PMO set-up in more depth.
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