Successful SAP S/4HANA brownfield conversion at Printus

25th August 2026

In collaboration with Printus Technologie, consenso carried out the brownfield conversion for Printus GmbH from the existing on-premises SAP ECC system to SAP S/4HANA. The focus was on a low-risk transformation that was as rapid and resource-efficient as possible, as well as a smooth transition to live operation.

Since its foundation in 1977, Printus has evolved from a specialist in commercial office supplies into a comprehensive provider for the modern working day. In addition to traditional office supplies, Printus now offers a diverse range of products, including everything that businesses and employees need for their daily work and for an efficient and pleasant working environment. With over 100,000 products, more than 1,800 employees and over 4 million customers, Printus is one of the largest online and mail-order retailers for commercial supplies in Europe.

Initial Situation

The aim of the project was to migrate the existing SAP ECC system to SAP S/4HANA as part of a brownfield conversion. The existing business processes and user interfaces were to be retained as far as possible. Process optimisations and innovations were deliberately planned for a later phase.
The project planning was based on the results of a previously conducted consenso ReadinessCheck, as well as experience gained from comparable transformation projects.

Challenge

The key challenge was to implement the technical transformation to SAP S/4HANA whilst taking into account the numerous business and technical dependencies within the existing system landscape.
In addition to necessary adjustments in areas such as master data, procurement, sales, the supply chain and finance, the integration with SAP CRM also had to be taken into account. In particular, the changed data model of SAP S/4HANA required careful review and quality assurance of the financial and transaction data.
At the same time, the aim was to minimise the impact on day-to-day operations and users as much as possible.

Implementation

The project was implemented in just under a year. The transformation took place in several iterations and, in addition to the technical conversion, also encompassed project, test and cut-over management, as well as providing specialist support to the relevant business units.
The relevant findings identified in the ReadinessCheck were addressed in a structured manner in collaboration with Printus, and the necessary adjustments for SAP S/4HANA compatibility were implemented. It is worth emphasising here that all development and infrastructure-related activities in the project were carried out entirely independently by the Printus SAP teams. Furthermore, a coaching approach was deliberately prioritised in the various business departments mentioned above, as it was intended that Printus Technology should continue to provide support to business users even after the system migration.
For the first time at Printus, project management relied entirely on SAP Cloud ALM. For the go-live, a detailed cut-over plan comprising more than 350 activities was additionally drawn up in Microsoft Project. The management of these activities was partly semi-automated using n8n.

Result

The main activities of the cut-over began on Friday afternoon, and by Sunday lunchtime the SAP S/4HANA production system had been approved by the auditor, as well as by Printus’s specialist departments and management, following a successful brownfield conversion.
The cut-over went according to plan and, in some respects, was even completed significantly faster than forecast during the dress rehearsal. The transition into the subsequent hypercare phase also proceeded smoothly. The transformation project was thus successfully implemented within the planned timeframe, budget and quality parameters.
With the brownfield conversion, Printus now has an SAP S/4HANA-based ERP landscape and, with it, the technological foundation for the further optimisation and development of its existing processes

We look forward to continuing to support Printus GmbH on its journey with SAP S/4HANA and would like to thank them for their trust and cooperation.

Photo: courtesy of Printus GmbH, Offenburg