The Challenge
A regional healthcare provider serving 2.5 million patients across 15 hospitals was operating on an aging SAP BW 7.5 system that couldn’t keep pace with growing data volumes and regulatory reporting requirements. The system struggled to process daily patient admission data, and critical operational reports required overnight batch processing.
Business Pressures
- Patient Care Delays: Bed utilization reports took 12+ hours to generate, impacting patient placement
- Compliance Risk: Inability to generate real-time regulatory reports on-demand
- Scalability Limits: System performance degraded significantly as data volumes grew 40% year-over-year
- Innovation Blocked: No capacity for advanced analytics like readmission prediction or resource optimization
- High Operating Costs: Legacy hardware and maintenance consumed $1.2M annually
Our Solution
We executed a structured migration from SAP BW 7.5 to BW/4HANA, modernizing data models and optimizing performance while maintaining zero downtime during the transition.
Migration Methodology
Phase 1: Technical Assessment (4 weeks)
- Analyzed 600+ BW objects for BW/4HANA compatibility
- Identified 75 non-compatible objects requiring redesign
- Benchmarked current system performance across 50 critical reports
- Created detailed migration roadmap with risk mitigation strategies
Phase 2: System Preparation (5 weeks)
- Provisioned BW/4HANA 2.0 environment on HANA Enterprise Cloud
- Established secure connectivity to on-premise S/4HANA and ancillary systems
- Configured system parameters optimized for healthcare data volumes
- Implemented backup and rollback procedures
Phase 3: Data Model Optimization (10 weeks)
- Converted 450 InfoCubes to advanced DataStore Objects (aDSOs)
- Redesigned 75 incompatible objects leveraging native HANA capabilities
- Implemented composite providers for streamlined reporting
- Eliminated 85% of aggregates through HANA’s in-memory processing
Phase 4: Data Migration & Validation (8 weeks)
- Migrated 8 years of historical data (15TB compressed)
- Performed comprehensive data reconciliation (99.9% accuracy)
- Validated report outputs against legacy system
- Conducted user acceptance testing with clinical and financial stakeholders
Phase 5: Performance Tuning (4 weeks)
- Optimized HANA database indexes and partitioning
- Fine-tuned BW queries leveraging HANA-specific features
- Implemented data tiering strategy (hot/warm/cold data)
- Load-tested system with peak-hour transaction volumes
Phase 6: SAC Integration (6 weeks)
- Built 25 new SAC dashboards for clinical operations, finance, and quality teams
- Enabled live connections from SAC to BW/4HANA
- Developed mobile-friendly dashboards for C-suite executives
- Implemented predictive models for patient readmission risk
Technical Architecture
Source Systems BW/4HANA Layer Analytics Layer
• SAP S/4HANA → • aDSOs → • SAC Dashboards
• EMR System → • CompositeProviders→ • Ad-hoc Queries
• Billing System → • Hybrid Providers → • Regulatory Reports
• Lab Systems → • Predictive Models → • Mobile Analytics
The Results
Performance Breakthroughs
- 60% Faster Reporting: Average report runtime reduced from 45 minutes to 18 minutes
- Real-Time Bed Management: Bed utilization reports now available in under 2 minutes (vs. 12 hours)
- 10x Data Loading Speed: Daily data loads completed in 90 minutes (previously 15 hours)
- 85% Simplified Models: Reduced complexity by eliminating redundant aggregates
Business Outcomes
- Improved Patient Flow: Real-time bed availability enabled faster patient admissions
- Regulatory Compliance: On-demand generation of CMS and state reporting requirements
- Predictive Capabilities: Readmission risk models reduced 30-day readmissions by 12%
- Cost Savings: $400K annual reduction in infrastructure and operational costs
Operational Impact
- Clinician Satisfaction: Doctors gained faster access to patient census and resource availability
- Finance Team Efficiency: Revenue cycle reports now available daily instead of weekly
- Quality Improvement: Real-time dashboards enabled proactive identification of care gaps
Technologies Used
- SAP BW/4HANA 2.0
- SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud
- SAP Analytics Cloud
- Advanced DataStore Objects (aDSOs)
- HANA Live Connections
- Predictive Analytics Library (PAL)
Client Testimonial
“Varnika’s expertise in BW/4HANA migration was exceptional. They not only completed the technical migration flawlessly but also helped us reimagine our analytics strategy. The performance improvements have been transformational - our clinical teams now have real-time insights that directly impact patient care.”
— Chief Information Officer, Regional Healthcare System
Key Takeaways
- Data Model Simplification: Moving to aDSOs and eliminating aggregates reduced complexity while improving performance
- HANA Native Features: Leveraging HANA’s in-memory capabilities eliminated the need for traditional BW optimization techniques
- Zero Downtime: Careful planning and parallel run strategy ensured continuous operations during migration
- Beyond Migration: SAC integration and predictive analytics unlocked new use cases previously impossible
- Healthcare-Specific Considerations: HIPAA compliance, data encryption, and audit trails were built into the solution architecture
Lessons Learned
- Test Performance Early: Early benchmarking helped set realistic expectations and identify optimization opportunities.
- Clinical Involvement Critical: Engaging doctors and nurses in dashboard design ensured tools matched actual workflows.
- Data Governance Matters: Establishing clear data ownership and quality processes prevented post-migration issues.
- Training Investment: Comprehensive training for IT and business users accelerated adoption and ROI.
Ready to modernize your BW environment? Contact us to discuss your BW/4HANA migration journey.