BPX finds 15% automation potential in pre-S/4HANA assessment

Business Process Xperts completed a pre-migration AI and automation assessment for a 2,500-employee German specialty chemicals group ahead of SAP’s 2027 ECC support cutoff. The work mapped 175 processes, flagged 45 manual activities and gave the manufacturer a baseline for its S/4HANA program.

Why it matters: - The assessment gives a specialty chemicals maker a documented process baseline before SAP S/4HANA migration. - BPX identified 15% of 175 end-to-end processes as high-impact AI and automation candidates. - The findings could help the company avoid carrying manual inefficiencies into a new system. - SAP mainstream support for ECC ends on Dec. 31, 2027, creating pressure to move before the deadline. - McKinsey estimates automation could absorb 31% of manufacturing work hours by 2030, making process redesign a strategic issue for the sector.

What happened: - Business Process Xperts completed a pre-migration AI and automation readiness assessment for a German specialty chemicals group. - The manufacturer has about 2,500 employees and operates across five legal entities. - BPX documented 175 end-to-end processes in BPMN 2.0. - The assessment isolated 45 high-risk manual activities for redesign. - BPX linked every finding to a named owner across the five legal entities. - The work created a central process repository for all owners.

The details: - BPX mapped the company’s process landscape before the SAP S/4HANA program advances further. - The assessment included a RACI matrix to assign process ownership. - An IT system usage matrix linked applications to all 175 documented processes. - Documentation now covers four key value chains: P2P, O2C, PTP and R2R. - The process baseline standardizes operations across the corporation’s five entities. - The company also got a structured view of which processes to keep, fix or retire before cutover. - BPX said more information is available through its contact page.

Between the lines: - SAP migration projects often reproduce old manual work if companies do not clean up processes first. - Pre-migration process mining shifts the S/4HANA deadline from a technology project to an operating-model reset. - The chemicals sector still faces a broader ECC transition backlog, so early redesign can reduce pressure later. - BPX’s framing suggests automation is being used not just for efficiency, but to reduce migration risk.

What’s next: - The specialty chemicals group can use the assessment to prioritize automation and redesign work before migration. - The company’s S/4HANA program now has a process inventory, ownership map and system landscape to guide cutover planning. - The broader SAP ECC cutoff in 2027 means similar assessments may become more common across manufacturing.