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Limelight Beams

RISE with SAP. Done properly.

RISE with SAP is SAP's enterprise cloud transformation bundle — S/4HANA, infrastructure, managed services, and BTP. The technology is complex. The programme governance is harder. That is where Limelight comes in.

What is RISE with SAP?

RISE bundles S/4HANA Cloud, infrastructure from a hyperscaler of your choice, SAP Business Technology Platform, process intelligence tools and managed services, all under a single contract and subscription model.

 

SAP RISE
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RISE handles the platform. Limelight handles the programme.

RISE with SAP provides the platform and the commercial framework. What it does not provide is the programme leadership, business change, governance, process redesign, and sustained benefits realisation that determines whether the investment actually lands.

Limelight has extensive delivery experience over many industries and sectors. We understand the difference between a RISE programme that delivers and one that drifts — and we know which decisions made at the outset determine which it becomes.

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RISE with SAP benefits.

Flexible cloud deployment

Choose between public or private editions of SAP S/4HANA Cloud to match your organisation’s complexity, level of customisation, and control requirements.

Managed hyperscaler infrastructure

Run SAP in the cloud on leading platforms with infrastructure managed by SAP under one agreement.

Integration and innovation built in

Access integration, extension, and analytics through the SAP Business Technology Platform, enabling organisations to connect systems and build new digital capabilities.

Process intelligence and readiness tools

Visibility into existing processes and enterprise architecture using SAP tools, helping organisations identify improvements and guide transformation.

RISE with SAP vs GROW with SAP

Not sure which is right for your organisation? Here's how the two paths compare.
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GROW with SAP

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RISE with SAP

Factor
Target organisation

Mid-market, growth stage businesses

Large enterprise, FTSE-scale

Deployment edition

S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition

S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition (more flexible)

Migration approach

Greenfield only – new implementation

Brownfield, Bluefield (selective data) or Greenfield

Customisation

Low, designed to adopt SAP best practice processes

Extensive – can mirror existing processes

Programme complexity

Moderate, structured accelerators, faster time to value

High, multi-year, geography, high governance

Typical duration

6–9 months

Typically 9-12 months for simple release strategy

Primary risk

Adoption, change management, benefits realisation

Business change, scope creep, governance gaps

Limelight role

Business Integrator, delivery, change and benefits

Programme governance, delivery oversight, change leadership, benefits

What success looks like on a RISE programme
Large enterprise migrations touch every part of your business. The organisations that get the most from RISE are those that invest as much in the business side as the technical side.
A clear migration strategy, chosen early
Brownfield, greenfield or bluefield - with a rationale grounded in your business rather than your timeline. The right approach set early, shapes everything that follows.
Business change given the same weight as technology
The most successful RISE programmes treat people, process and technology with equal importance from day one. Your organisation needs to be ready, not just your systems.
A board-level business case built to deliver results
The business case that gets board sign-off should be the same one used to track outcomes throughout and after the programme. Benefits realisation starts at the beginning.
Independent governance alongside your SI

Your delivery partner delivers the technical migration. An independent Business Integrator alongside you ensures the programme stays aligned to your business objectives at every stage.

Senior leadership at the programme level
RISE programmes that succeed have experienced, hands-on programme leadership. People who have navigated complexity like yours before and know where to focus attention.
A clean core strategy from the outset
Decisions about BTP architecture, custom code, data migration and the RISE commercial model are best made before the SI starts the clock. Good preparation is good investment.
How Limelight works on a RISE programme.

1

RunFast Launchpad™

Our RunFast Launchpad™ structures your programme in weeks: establishing governance, defining and protecting scope, agreeing the business case, building the change plan, and ensuring every stakeholder understands what they're accountable for.

Find out more

2

Change & Benefits Delivery

The real work is in adoption and benefits realisation. We deliver structured change management, readiness tracking, benefit ownership plans and post go-live action planning to ensure your teams are confident, engaged and delivering measurable value long after the project team has moved on.

Find out more

3

Prism Transformation Platform

Our unique platform gives your programme a single, live picture of change impacts, people readiness, benefit delivery and go-live confidence. Leaders get real-time insight. Boards get transparency. One version of the truth, always visible to the right people.

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Looking for a different starting point?

Whether you are planning your first SAP programme, managing an ongoing transformation or looking to get more from an existing implementation — there is a Limelight service built for where you are.

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GROW with SAP

For mid-market organisations or those starting fresh with SAP, GROW may be a better fit than RISE. Standardised, faster, and built for a different scale of transformation.

Learn about GROW
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RunFast Launchpad™

Not ready to commit to a RISE programme yet? RunFast Launchpad™ gets you transformation-ready in eight to twelve weeks — business case, scope, governance, and a clear view of whether RISE is the right path.

Learn about Launchpad™
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RunHealthy Assessment™

Already in a RISE programme and concerned it's not on track? An independent RunHealthy Assessment™ gives you an honest picture in four to six weeks — no ongoing commitment required.

Learn about RunHealthy
This first success wouldn’t have been possible without the competence, team spirit and engagement of the Limelight team. I am hugely grateful to Brian and his team for helping us pass this first milestone with flying colours

Philipe Mazas
CIO, Mundipharma

Mundipharma
Questions we get asked.
What is RISE with SAP and what does it include?

RISE with SAP is SAP's cloud subscription bundle that packages S/4HANA Cloud software, cloud infrastructure, and SAP-managed services under a single contract. It simplifies the move from on-premise SAP ECC to cloud ERP, combining the software licence, hosting, technical operations, and transformation tools in one commercial arrangement with SAP.

Understanding exactly what is — and is not — included before you sign is critical. The bundle evolved significantly in 2025, with SAP discontinuing the Premium Plus tier and unbundling advanced AI capabilities as optional add-ons. Independent advice before contract signature protects your commercial position.

  • SAP S/4HANA Cloud (private or public edition)
  • Cloud infrastructure on Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud
  • SAP Business Technology Platform credits
  • Signavio process intelligence tools
  • SAP-managed technical operations and updates 
Is RISE with SAP right for our organisation?

RISE with SAP suits organisations that want a cloud-hosted SAP environment under a single subscription and are prepared to adopt a relatively clean, standard configuration. It is not right for every organisation — particularly those with complex customisations, specific data sovereignty requirements, or stable ECC systems not near end-of-support.

The decision is more nuanced than SAP's account teams typically present. Key factors are your ECC enhancement pack and deadline exposure, degree of customisation, readiness for cloud migration, and whether the commercial terms genuinely serve your interests. Limelight provides independent evaluation without the conflict of SAP partnership status.

  • Stronger fit: on ECC EHP 6-8 with clear 2027 migration timeline
  • Stronger fit: processes are relatively standard and customisation is limited
  • Stronger fit: you want SAP to manage technical operations
  • Weaker fit: significant customisations that create clean core challenges
  • Weaker fit: data sovereignty requirements restrict cloud hosting options 
What is the difference between RISE with SAP and a traditional S/4HANA on-premise implementation?

RISE with SAP is a cloud subscription bundling software, infrastructure, and managed services in one SAP contract. A traditional S/4HANA on-premise implementation involves perpetual licences, self-managed infrastructure, and a separate SI for delivery. RISE shifts operational management to SAP; on-premise keeps control and flexibility with your organisation.

Neither is universally better. RISE offers managed operations and a single contract; on-premise retains more customisation control and avoids subscription lock-in. The right choice depends on your specific requirements, long-term strategy, and risk appetite — assessed independently, not by SAP's account team.
Our SAP ECC mainstream support ends in 2027 — what are our options and how do we choose?

SAP ECC EHP 6-8 mainstream support ends 31 December 2027, with extended maintenance available at a premium until 2030. Your three substantive options are: migrate to RISE with SAP, implement S/4HANA on-premise, or use third-party support to extend ECC life while you plan. Each has different cost, risk, and timeline implications.

The 2027 deadline is driving organisations to rush decisions that benefit SAP's commercial targets rather than their own strategy. The average RISE migration takes 18–36 months — meaning the planning window is already narrowing. Limelight recommends establishing your independent strategic position before any SAP contract is signed.

What is SAP Joule and should it influence our RISE with SAP decision?

SAP Joule is SAP's embedded AI assistant, integrated across S/4HANA and the broader SAP suite. It is available to organisations on RISE with SAP and represents one of the compelling arguments for cloud migration. However, Joule's value depends on having a clean, well-configured SAP landscape — making programme governance a prerequisite for AI benefit, not an alternative to it.

SAP positions Joule as a core reason to migrate to RISE — and there is substance to this for organisations that are ready. Joule can automate routine tasks, surface insights, and reduce manual work across finance, procurement, and HR. But organisations that rush migration to access Joule and arrive with poor data quality and weak processes will not realise that value.
What are the risks of moving to RISE with SAP?

The key risks are: vendor lock-in through multi-year subscriptions replacing perpetual licences; loss of customisation flexibility in a cleaner cloud model; unpredictable future pricing as SAP evolves the product; and implementation complexity that SAP's pre-sales process typically underrepresents.

SAP's commercial incentive is to convert ECC customers to RISE subscriptions. Once you are in a RISE subscription, renegotiating is structurally harder and price increases at renewal are difficult to resist. Independent advice before signing is essential.

  • Commercial lock-in through multi-year subscription commitments
  • Higher long-term total cost of ownership than perpetual licensing for some organisations
  • Loss of customisation control under clean core requirements
  • Implementation complexity greater than pre-sales suggests
  • Dependency on SAP's update schedule for system changes 
How do we negotiate RISE with SAP contracts to protect our interests?

RISE with SAP contracts favour SAP commercially if negotiated without independent advice. Key areas to negotiate are: contract duration and break clauses; pricing mechanisms at renewal; what the base bundle actually includes; the definition of managed service obligations; and flexibility to change cloud provider. Independent commercial benchmarking significantly strengthens your position.

SAP account teams are incentivised to close long-term subscription deals on SAP's standard terms. Most organisations sign without fully understanding long-term pricing exposure or the limitations of what the managed service covers.
How long does a RISE with SAP migration typically take?

A RISE with SAP migration typically takes 18 to 36 months from the start of programme planning to go-live, depending on your current SAP estate, degree of customisation, and chosen migration approach. Greenfield is at the shorter end; complex brownfield or bluefield migrations with significant data and integration work are at the longer end.

The timescale is consistently underestimated in SAP's pre-sales process. Organisations that rush planning to meet the 2027 deadline encounter scope creep, resource shortages, and quality issues that extend timelines further.
What is 'clean core' and why does it matter for RISE with SAP?

Clean core means minimising custom code and modifications to SAP's standard system, extending it instead through the Business Technology Platform. RISE with SAP strongly encourages clean core because it enables SAP to manage and update the system without customer code blocking upgrades. For organisations with years of customisation, clean core is a significant business change — not just a technical one.

Processes built around custom code need to be redesigned to SAP standard. This requires honest assessment of which customisations genuinely add business value. Limelight's process assessment work addresses this during the Launchpad phase, before the migration commits to a design.
What happens to our customisations when we move to RISE with SAP?

Customisations must be assessed, redesigned, or retired as part of a RISE migration. SAP's clean core model does not accommodate the level of custom code typical in mature ECC systems. Each modification must be evaluated for business value, then rebuilt as a standard BTP extension or replaced with standard SAP functionality.

Custom code assessment is one of the most underestimated workstreams in RISE migrations. Mature ECC systems can have hundreds of modifications, each requiring a business decision. Organisations that skip or rush this work find their migration takes significantly longer and costs significantly more than planned.
Do we need a Business Integrator to manage a RISE with SAP migration?

A RISE with SAP migration carries the same client-side governance risks as any major SAP transformation — plus specific commercial risks related to contracting directly with SAP. A Business Integrator ensures you make the RISE decision on your terms, negotiate the contract in your interests, and govern the migration programme independently of both SAP and your implementation partner.

Many organisations assume that because RISE bundles managed services, they need less governance. In practice, RISE creates more complexity in the commercial and planning phases. Limelight's role is to ensure the decision is made with full information, the contract protects your interests, and the programme is governed for your benefit.
What is the first step to working with Limelight?

The first step is a structured consultation — typically sixty to ninety minutes — in which we understand your programme's current position, objectives, and the specific challenge you are trying to solve. We will be direct about whether and how Limelight can help. There is no commitment required and no proposal pushed before that conversation.

Most engagements begin with RunFast Launchpad for organisations at the start of their journey, or a RunHealthy Assessment for programmes already running. We will tell you clearly which starting point fits your situation — including if neither is right for you.
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Ready to start your RISE programme on the right terms?
RISE is a significant commercial and strategic commitment. The decisions made before you sign with SAP are the ones that matter most. Start the conversation now.
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