SAP S/4HANA and MES Integration – 7 Benefits for Manufacturers

Author Sticky

Joe Gerstl

Director, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) Software

GE Vernova’s Proficy® Software & Services

Joe Gerstl has worked in the software and manufacturing industries for more than 30 years spending time in various roles including engineering, sales, services and product management for large global companies. Joe has partnered with hundreds of companies to improve their operations solutions and processes – spanning nearly every manufacturing industry including food and beverage, aerospace, consumer-packaged goods and automotive.

Jun 11, 2025 Last Updated
3 Minutes

If you’re a manufacturer, chances are that your organization is planning its migration to SAP S/4HANA. And while this migration might seem like a headache — it’s a big investment and initiative — there are actually a few things you can do to get more out of the move.

For many, SAP S/4HANA is a major priority and effort. But should your organization ignore the possibility of doing more?

SAP S/4HANA is Just a Part of a Digital Transformation Journey

When companies migrate to SAP S/4HANA, they do so with cost, risk, and security in mind.
Divers for Modernizing core systems
But by opening the scope to adjacent systems, the benefits become even greater. In this blog, I’ll break down seven benefits of doing more with your migration — and then explain why it could be the perfect time to upgrade your Manufacturing Execution System (MES).
  1. Aligning Digital Transformation

    SAP S/4HANA modernizes core ERP functions, but its full potential is realized when integrated with modernized IT ecosystems (including Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Finite Capacity Schedulers, etc.). Upgrading complementary systems ensures a stronger digital foundation rather than just modernizing a single component.
  2. Avoiding Costly Rework Later

    Upgrading SAP alone might create integration challenges with other systems, requiring future upgrades anyway. But by conducting multiple system upgrades in parallel, you can reduce long-term costs and prevent redundant IT efforts.
  3. Enhancing Data Connectivity & AI Capabilities

    SAP S/4HANA’s real-time data processing capabilities are best leveraged when other systems support modern APIs, cloud architectures, and AI/ML — otherwise keeping outdated systems can limit the benefits of predictive analytics, automation, and digital twins.
  4. Improving System Performance & User Experience

    Legacy systems may not handle the speed and efficiency of SAP S/4HANA, leading to bottlenecks in workflows, reporting, and analytics. If you upgrade surrounding applications, you can support a consistent and modern user experience across the enterprise.
  5. Regulatory Compliance & Security

    Many companies upgrade SAP for better compliance, but outdated connected systems can still expose them to security risks, audit failures, and operational inefficiencies. A broader upgrade ensures end-to-end compliance and cybersecurity alignment.
  6. Leveraging Cloud & SaaS Modernization

    Many companies move SAP S/4HANA to the cloud — upgrading other applications at the same time allows them to fully embrace SaaS, microservices, and flexible deployments. This future-proofs your IT ecosystem and avoids vendor lock-in with outdated, on-prem solutions.
  7. Enabling Business Process Transformation

    SAP S/4HANA changes how businesses operate, so other systems must often evolve to support new workflows, automation, and AI-driven decision-making. Companies that upgrade holistically can fully realize efficiency gains and competitive advantages.

Why Upgrade MES Alongside an SAP S/4HANA Migration?

When migrating to SAP S/4HANA, manufacturers could also consider upgrading their MES systems. While SAP modernizes enterprise resource planning (ERP), to truly optimize production operations, businesses need a modern MES solution that integrates seamlessly with their new SAP environment.

Upgrading your MES systems is the key to:
  1. Unlocking the Full Value of Efficiency Programs

    SAP S/4HANA enhances asset tracking and work order management, but increasing shop floor efficiency drive productivity and throughput requires a modern MES with AI/ML-powered capabilities like predictive downtime enables proactive actions, reducing downtime and unplanned failures.
  2. Supporting Data Integration & Visibility

    Legacy MESs often rely on outdated data models and rigid integrations that may not work well with SAP S/4HANA’s modern architecture. Upgrading MES ensures near real-time data sharing across planning, operations and supply chain systems.
  3. Eliminating Integration Bottlenecks

    SAP S/4HANA introduces new ways to manage financials, procurement, and logistics—but if an outdated MES system can’t sync work orders, costs, and performance data in real-time, operations suffer. Upgrading MES helps with a fluid data exchange for better decision-making and production tracking.
  4. Supporting Cloud & SaaS Modernization

    Many companies migrate SAP S/4HANA to the cloud but still run on-premises MES solutions with monolithic architectures. A cloud MES system with APIs and microservices aligns with SAP’s modernization goals, enabling scalability and cost savings.
  5. Enabling 'Bring Your Own Analytics'

    A modern MES system allows companies to bring their own analytics and combine SAP data with AI/ML models, IoT sensor data, and real-time operational KPIs. This flexibility supports and evolves asset strategies along with business needs and technological advancements.
  6. Driving Financial and Operational Synergies

    MES upgrades help organizations link operations directly to financial outcomes, enabling better capital planning and ROI calculations. SAP S/4HANA’s improved financial analytics become even more valuable when paired with an MES that quantifies the cost of waste, unplanned downtime, and overall production operations.
  7. Maintaining Compliance & Sustainability Alignment

    Many organizations adopt SAP S/4HANA for regulatory compliance and sustainability tracking, but an outdated MES system might not support ESG reporting and sustainability management. A modern MES provides granular tracking of energy usage in context of asset, production run, and other key events tracked in the system—helping organizations stay compliant and meet sustainability goals.

Key Integration Points Between GE Vernova’s MES and SAP S/4HANA

MES plays a critical role in helping enterprises move beyond traditional downtime & overall efficiency tracking by integrating predictive analytics, AI-driven insights, and near real-time operations monitoring into SAP S/4HANA’s modernized environment. Upgrading to SAP S/4HANA presents an opportunity to align MES with the new data model, automation capabilities, and cloud infrastructure.

Here's what SAP S/4HANA & MES integration looks like.

Integration Area

How it works with SAP S/4HANA

MES Benefits

Work Order download
SAP S/4HANA production module downloads orders directly to the MES
Near real time access to planned work on the shop floor
Finite Capacity Scheduling
SAP S/4HANA Advance Planning Module drives a high level plan
Integration to finite capacity scheduling using inputs beyond what the ERP can provide as well as monitoring of the detailed schedule
Work Order Consumption
SAP S/4HANA needs accurate information on what has been consumed, status of the work order and when the work order is complete
Tracking of all genealogy and machine traceability to know where product was run and what was actually consumed during the process
Conclusion
Upgrading to SAP S/4HANA is a major step forward in digital transformation, but its full potential is only realized when manufacturers also modernize their MES strategy.

By upgrading MES systems in parallel, businesses can gain:
  • Predictive & prescriptive unplanned downtime predictions with AI/ML
  • Better data integration between SAP and MES
  • Cloud-ready, scalable architectures
  • Financial alignment with operations on the shop floor
  • Better compliance & sustainability tracking
By including MES as part of an S/4HANA migration, organizations can combine resources in a single project, that can dramatically reduce potential costly rework.

GE Vernova’s solutions are built to integrate with SAP S/4HANA, providing manufacturing enterprises with an AI-powered, ecosystem that enables real-time efficiency insights, predictive analytics, and operational excellence.

1 Strategies for Enterprise Applications Modernization Success , 25 November 2024, By Enterprise Applications Research Team

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Author Section

Author

Joe Gerstl

Director, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) Software
GE Vernova’s Proficy® Software & Services

Joe Gerstl has worked in the software and manufacturing industries for more than 30 years spending time in various roles including engineering, sales, services and product management for large global companies. Joe has partnered with hundreds of companies to improve their operations solutions and processes – spanning nearly every manufacturing industry including food and beverage, aerospace, consumer-packaged goods and automotive.