Staffing an S/4HANA Greenfield vs. Brownfield Implementation

Implementing SAP S/4HANA is a major undertaking, and one of the most critical elements to get right is staffing. Whether your organization is pursuing a Greenfield or Brownfield approach, your project team will significantly influence the success of your initiative. While the ultimate goal of transforming your business processes and modernizing your ERP is the same, the staffing needs and skillsets differ between the two paths. 

Below, we break down the unique staffing requirements for SAP S/4HANA Greenfield vs. Brownfield implementations and outline the key considerations for building an effective team for both. 

Understanding an S/4HANA Greenfield vs. Brownfield Approach

Greenfield Implementation

A Greenfield implementation is a net-new deployment of SAP S/4HANA. It’s typically chosen by organizations looking to reimagine and redesign their processes from the ground up. This approach allows for clean-slate architecture with modernized and standardized business processes and the removal of legacy customizations and inefficiencies. However, this level of transformation also means significant change management and process design from scratch. It’s a strategic choice that opens the door to innovation but also increases complexity. 

Brownfield Implementation

A Brownfield approach is a technical migration from an existing SAP ECC system to S/4HANA. It retains much of the legacy configuration and custom code, with selective redesign where necessary. Organizations often choose this path to minimize disruption to their core business processes and preserve historical data. While there is less opportunity for end-to-end redesign, the focus shifts to careful system conversion and ensuring continuity of operations. 

Key Staffing Considerations

Project Leadership and Governance

Greenfield implementations require strong leadership with experience in transformation programs. Because you’re building a new system from the ground up, your project manager and leadership must be capable of handling end-to-end implementation cycles, overseeing large-scale process redesign, maintaining communication across end-users and stakeholders, and managing enterprise-level change. 

In contrast, Brownfield projects require project managers who are deeply familiar with SAP’s technical landscape and system conversion intricacies. The emphasis is on minimizing business disruption and navigating the complexity of migrating to the new system. Governance in Brownfield implementations is more technically focused, involving frequent checkpoints to manage risk and continuous testing. 

Functional Consultants

In a Greenfield project, functional consultants are instrumental in designing and building new business processes using S/4HANA capabilities. They work closely with business stakeholders to understand future-state requirements and align system functionality with strategic goals. That said, these consultants need a deep understanding of both SAP modules and industry-specific best practices to ensure the new solution supports innovation and growth. 

For Brownfield, the role of functional consultants shifts. Rather than designing from scratch, they focus on assessing current-state processes and identifying gaps or conflicts with S/4HANA functionality to validate what can be retained. Their expertise lies in translating existing configurations into the S/4HANA landscape while identifying opportunities for improvement with minimal disruption. 

Technical Experts and Developers

A Greenfield implementation relies heavily on technical experts who can architect new systems and build custom developments while ensuring seamless integration with other enterprise platforms. Developers experienced in SAP Fiori, ABAP, and BTP are essential to deliver a modern, extensible solution, and integration architects are key to designing efficient connections between S/4HANA and third-party systems. 

In Brownfield scenarios, the need for technical specialists centers around system conversion. These team members ensure the technical readiness of the system, resolve code conflicts, maintain data quality, and help move custom developments to the new environment. 

Data Migration and Data Governance

Greenfield projects involve a full data migration effort. Legacy data must be extracted, cleansed, transformed, and loaded into the new S/4HANA system. This process is typically more complex and requires a well-staffed data migration team, along with business data owners who can validate and map information to the new data models. Strong data governance is also vital to ensure long-term quality and usability. 

In Brownfield, data migration is often more streamlined, as much of the data is retained in place. However, technical teams must still conduct careful validation to ensure that the data aligns with the S/4HANA structure, and that obsolete or redundant data is addressed. The focus is more on data compatibility and integrity than redesign. 

Change Management and Training

Because Greenfield projects introduce new processes and interfaces, a robust change management and training program is essential. Organizational Change Management (OCM) leads and communications experts play a central role in preparing users for the shift. Training is more extensive, often involving workshops and role-based learning. 

While Brownfield implementations bring less process disruption, change management remains important. Users must still be informed of updates to the user interface (such as Fiori adoption), any changed workflows, and new reporting tools. The training effort may be lighter, but it must be targeted and clear to avoid confusion post-go-live. 

Cutover and Hypercare Support

Both approaches require detailed planning for cutover and post-go-live support, but the focus differs. In a Greenfield project, the cutover often includes moving data, enabling new integrations, and activating processes for the first time. System readiness and user preparedness are critical, so post-go-live support must include a broad network of experts to assist users and fine-tune processes. 

In a Brownfield migration, the cutover must be highly orchestrated, as it involves converting the production system in a short downtime window. Hypercare support focuses more on technical troubleshooting, ensuring that converted programs run as expected and addressing regressions. Testing, especially regression testing, is crucial to a smooth transition. 

S/4HANA Greenfield vs. Brownfield: Matching Talent to Strategy

Greenfield implementations demand creative thinkers and problem-solvers who thrive in ambiguous, transformative environments, whereas Brownfield implementations require methodical professionals who can manage complexity and technical precision without disrupting the business. 

Regardless of the approach, working with a staffing partner that understands SAP ecosystems can dramatically improve your hiring success. With access to specialized SAP talent, you can build a high-performing team tailored to your project’s unique needs. 

Need help staffing your S/4HANA project? Whether you’re going Greenfield or Brownfield, we can connect you with the experienced professionals you need to succeed. Reach out to learn more about our SAP Staffing solutions.