BHP - Best Tech Awards 2025 Intelligent ERP
S/4HANA Upgrade – BHP, Accenture and SAP Download the DocumentSAP Australia and New
Zealand Best Tech Awards
2025
Zealand Best Tech Awards
2025
Best Tech SAP
Industry WebsiteProduct and Services Featured SAP Solutions
Mining www.bhp.com
www.accenture.com
S/4HANA, BW/4HANA, H4S4,
Group Reporting, IS-Oil, Cash
Management
DMLT – SDT and LTVF, Fiori-based UX,
NewGL + JVA in one step
BHP is a world-leading resources company, operating across more than 90 global locations. It produces essential commodities that power infrastructure and enable the energy
transition—iron ore and metallurgical coal for steel production, copper for renewables, and moving into potash for sustainable farming.
In partnership with Accenture, a global leader in strategy, technology, and operations, and SAP, a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, BHP embarked on
one of the most ambitious digital transformations in the mining sector.
On April 20, 2024, BHP achieved a major milestone in its digital journey: the successful upgrade of its 1SAP ERP landscape from ECC to SAP S/4HANA. This was not a typical
transformation—it was a first-of-its-kind shell conversion that simultaneously upgraded BHP’s ECC system to New General Ledger (NewGL) and Joint Venture Accounting
(JVA) on S/4HANA in a single step. This pioneering approach is now being closely observed by global enterprises for its innovation and execution excellence.
The program encompassed the migration and conversion of more than two decades of historical data, alongside the implementation of several key capabilities. These included
Cash Management, Human Capital Management (HCM) on S/4HANA (H4S4), a transition from IS-Mining to IS-Oil, the introduction of Group Reporting to replace the legacy
BCS consolidation system, and an upgrade to BW/4HANA.
With nearly 500 functional and technical requirements, the complexity of the program was immense.
A dedicated team of approximately 450 Accenture professionals, over 100 BHP team members, and nearly 50 SAP consultants worked collaboratively over 18 months.
Together, we navigated detailed design, build, testing, automation, service transition, and multiple cutover rehearsals to deliver a seamless and successful go-live—setting
a new benchmark for ERP transformation at scale.
S/4HANA Upgrade – BHP, Accenture and SAP
Best Tech SAP Intelligent ERP
Industry WebsiteProduct and Services Featured SAP Solutions
Mining www.bhp.com
www.accenture.com
S/4HANA, BW/4HANA, H4S4,
Group Reporting, IS-Oil, Cash
Management
DMLT – SDT and LTVF, Fiori-based UX,
NewGL + JVA in one step
BHP is a world-leading resources company, operating across more than 90 global locations. It produces essential commodities that power infrastructure and enable the energy
transition—iron ore and metallurgical coal for steel production, copper for renewables, and moving into potash for sustainable farming.
In partnership with Accenture, a global leader in strategy, technology, and operations, and SAP, a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, BHP embarked on
one of the most ambitious digital transformations in the mining sector.
On April 20, 2024, BHP achieved a major milestone in its digital journey: the successful upgrade of its 1SAP ERP landscape from ECC to SAP S/4HANA. This was not a typical
transformation—it was a first-of-its-kind shell conversion that simultaneously upgraded BHP’s ECC system to New General Ledger (NewGL) and Joint Venture Accounting
(JVA) on S/4HANA in a single step. This pioneering approach is now being closely observed by global enterprises for its innovation and execution excellence.
The program encompassed the migration and conversion of more than two decades of historical data, alongside the implementation of several key capabilities. These included
Cash Management, Human Capital Management (HCM) on S/4HANA (H4S4), a transition from IS-Mining to IS-Oil, the introduction of Group Reporting to replace the legacy
BCS consolidation system, and an upgrade to BW/4HANA.
With nearly 500 functional and technical requirements, the complexity of the program was immense.
A dedicated team of approximately 450 Accenture professionals, over 100 BHP team members, and nearly 50 SAP consultants worked collaboratively over 18 months.
Together, we navigated detailed design, build, testing, automation, service transition, and multiple cutover rehearsals to deliver a seamless and successful go-live—setting
a new benchmark for ERP transformation at scale.
S/4HANA Upgrade – BHP, Accenture and SAP
Best Tech SAP Intelligent ERP
Challenges
In 2022, BHP faced a critical inflection point in its digital strategy. With SAP ECC support ending in 2027 and
the Business-critical Compatibility Pack expiring in December 2025, the company was at risk of having an
unsupported system and of falling behind on regulatory, legal, and cybersecurity compliance. Continuing on ECC
would have necessitated a disruptive and costly greenfield or big bang S/4HANA implementation.
The urgency was compounded by SAP’s roadmap, which required NewGL activation in ECC—a complex,
enterprise-wide transformation that had to align with the start of a new fiscal year. This left a short timeframe to
achieve a highly complex conversion on a mission critical system for BHP.
BHP responded with bold ambition, launching its first major SAP upgrade—a transformation distinguished by
several global firsts:
• First-ever “NewGL on the fly” migration, combining NewGL activation (including Joint Venture Companies) and
S/4HANA conversion in a single step.
• One of the few "CVI on the fly" (Customer Vendor Integration) conversions globally.
• First deployment of H4S4 for HCM-Payroll on S/4HANA.
• Largest Letter of Credit data migration to date.
The program’s complexity was immense: over 20 years of historical data (6+ TB of data, 69+ billion records
migrated), multiple simultaneous conversions across Finance, Procurement, HR, Commercial, and Reporting
processes, and nearly 500 functional and technical requirements.
Despite the challenges, the team maintained a high governance standard, completed four in-flight stage gate
reviews and achieved SOX compliance without deficiency.
Reference: BHP photography
In 2022, BHP faced a critical inflection point in its digital strategy. With SAP ECC support ending in 2027 and
the Business-critical Compatibility Pack expiring in December 2025, the company was at risk of having an
unsupported system and of falling behind on regulatory, legal, and cybersecurity compliance. Continuing on ECC
would have necessitated a disruptive and costly greenfield or big bang S/4HANA implementation.
The urgency was compounded by SAP’s roadmap, which required NewGL activation in ECC—a complex,
enterprise-wide transformation that had to align with the start of a new fiscal year. This left a short timeframe to
achieve a highly complex conversion on a mission critical system for BHP.
BHP responded with bold ambition, launching its first major SAP upgrade—a transformation distinguished by
several global firsts:
• First-ever “NewGL on the fly” migration, combining NewGL activation (including Joint Venture Companies) and
S/4HANA conversion in a single step.
• One of the few "CVI on the fly" (Customer Vendor Integration) conversions globally.
• First deployment of H4S4 for HCM-Payroll on S/4HANA.
• Largest Letter of Credit data migration to date.
The program’s complexity was immense: over 20 years of historical data (6+ TB of data, 69+ billion records
migrated), multiple simultaneous conversions across Finance, Procurement, HR, Commercial, and Reporting
processes, and nearly 500 functional and technical requirements.
Despite the challenges, the team maintained a high governance standard, completed four in-flight stage gate
reviews and achieved SOX compliance without deficiency.
Reference: BHP photography
Solution
To meet the urgent need for a future-ready ERP platform, BHP partnered with Accenture and SAP to upgrade its
SAP ERP landscape from ECC to S/4HANA. This strategic transformation aimed to unlock long-term value,
enhance agility, and reduce enterprise risk across global operations.
Over 18 months, around 450 Accenture professionals, over 100 BHP team members, and nearly 50 SAP
consultants collaborated on one of the mining sector’s most complex SAP transformations. They migrated and
converted over 20 years of historical data, delivered new centralised capabilities across 90 global locations,
implemented updated systems for global payroll, cash flow management, and group-level financial reporting,
and rolled out changes across 14 countries with ~45 train-the-trainer and ~130 end-user training sessions.
The program achieved several industry firsts, including a Shell Conversion that transitioned BHP’s 1SAP ERP
landscape to NewGL with Joint Venture Accounting on S/4HANA—in a single step; one of the few live CVI
(Customer Vendor Integration) conversions globally; the first H4S4 deployment for HCM-Payroll on S/4HANA;
and the largest Letter of Credit data migration attempted to date.
Cutover was executed over seven days with 500+ personnel working around the clock. The program exited
Hypercare smoothly, setting a new benchmark for ERP transformation at scale.
BHP chose SAP S/4HANA for its ability to support complex joint venture accounting, global scalability, and
future-ready digital roadmap. SAP’s integrated architecture, real-time processing, and robust compliance
framework were key differentiators.
Change Management was a key focus, with tailored interventions for all 80,000+ employees and contractors,
including cheat sheets, web-based and classroom training. Communication and coordination were managed
through a comprehensive plan.
Today, the upgraded platform empowers over 80,000 BHP employees and contractors with advanced digital
tools, laying the foundation for innovation, process optimisation, and sustained competitive advantage—
demonstrating the impact of strategic partnership, deep industry expertise, and flawless execution.
Reference: BHP photography
To meet the urgent need for a future-ready ERP platform, BHP partnered with Accenture and SAP to upgrade its
SAP ERP landscape from ECC to S/4HANA. This strategic transformation aimed to unlock long-term value,
enhance agility, and reduce enterprise risk across global operations.
Over 18 months, around 450 Accenture professionals, over 100 BHP team members, and nearly 50 SAP
consultants collaborated on one of the mining sector’s most complex SAP transformations. They migrated and
converted over 20 years of historical data, delivered new centralised capabilities across 90 global locations,
implemented updated systems for global payroll, cash flow management, and group-level financial reporting,
and rolled out changes across 14 countries with ~45 train-the-trainer and ~130 end-user training sessions.
The program achieved several industry firsts, including a Shell Conversion that transitioned BHP’s 1SAP ERP
landscape to NewGL with Joint Venture Accounting on S/4HANA—in a single step; one of the few live CVI
(Customer Vendor Integration) conversions globally; the first H4S4 deployment for HCM-Payroll on S/4HANA;
and the largest Letter of Credit data migration attempted to date.
Cutover was executed over seven days with 500+ personnel working around the clock. The program exited
Hypercare smoothly, setting a new benchmark for ERP transformation at scale.
BHP chose SAP S/4HANA for its ability to support complex joint venture accounting, global scalability, and
future-ready digital roadmap. SAP’s integrated architecture, real-time processing, and robust compliance
framework were key differentiators.
Change Management was a key focus, with tailored interventions for all 80,000+ employees and contractors,
including cheat sheets, web-based and classroom training. Communication and coordination were managed
through a comprehensive plan.
Today, the upgraded platform empowers over 80,000 BHP employees and contractors with advanced digital
tools, laying the foundation for innovation, process optimisation, and sustained competitive advantage—
demonstrating the impact of strategic partnership, deep industry expertise, and flawless execution.
Reference: BHP photography
Impact
The S4U program delivered exceptional results—launched on time, within budget, and deployed seamlessly across BHP’s global operations.
Despite its scale and complexity, the go-live was executed with zero disruption to business operations, reflecting world-class planning, precision,
and execution.
The transformation generated tangible business value: $25 million in cost savings over 12 months through a one-step migration to NewGL and
S/4HANA; an average 20% reduction in system processing time across the end-to-end period-end cycle, significantly improving operational
efficiency; an automated solution to value $1.5 billion of Port Blending inventory per month, eliminating manual work; and $1 million in capital cost
savings via ARIBA CIG migration.
The impact was immediate and far-reaching: employees experienced a smoother, more intuitive system with enhanced performance and high
quality; improved user experience and efficiency in Finance and R2A, such as improved drilldown capabilities to understand underlying
transactions, reduced manual work and improved overall month end close experience; customers and partners benefited from uninterrupted
service and faster processing times; the program met 100% compliance against BHP's program delivery controls and achieved SOX requirements
without deficiency; and automated Regression Testing covering 1400+ test scripts with Tricentis TOSCA integration with S4HANA, reducing overall
test cycle time by ~50%.
Beyond meeting its business case, S4U has set a new global benchmark for SAP Intelligent ERP transformation. Its innovative tools, integrated
architecture, and flawless execution are now being studied by other enterprises as a showcase model for future SAP upgrades. This achievement
underscores the power of strategic vision, deep collaboration, and cutting-edge technology—positioning BHP, Accenture, and SAP as leaders in
intelligent enterprise transformation.
80,000
Business Users
$25M USD
Project Cost Savings
2,823
Business Processes
The S4U program delivered exceptional results—launched on time, within budget, and deployed seamlessly across BHP’s global operations.
Despite its scale and complexity, the go-live was executed with zero disruption to business operations, reflecting world-class planning, precision,
and execution.
The transformation generated tangible business value: $25 million in cost savings over 12 months through a one-step migration to NewGL and
S/4HANA; an average 20% reduction in system processing time across the end-to-end period-end cycle, significantly improving operational
efficiency; an automated solution to value $1.5 billion of Port Blending inventory per month, eliminating manual work; and $1 million in capital cost
savings via ARIBA CIG migration.
The impact was immediate and far-reaching: employees experienced a smoother, more intuitive system with enhanced performance and high
quality; improved user experience and efficiency in Finance and R2A, such as improved drilldown capabilities to understand underlying
transactions, reduced manual work and improved overall month end close experience; customers and partners benefited from uninterrupted
service and faster processing times; the program met 100% compliance against BHP's program delivery controls and achieved SOX requirements
without deficiency; and automated Regression Testing covering 1400+ test scripts with Tricentis TOSCA integration with S4HANA, reducing overall
test cycle time by ~50%.
Beyond meeting its business case, S4U has set a new global benchmark for SAP Intelligent ERP transformation. Its innovative tools, integrated
architecture, and flawless execution are now being studied by other enterprises as a showcase model for future SAP upgrades. This achievement
underscores the power of strategic vision, deep collaboration, and cutting-edge technology—positioning BHP, Accenture, and SAP as leaders in
intelligent enterprise transformation.
80,000
Business Users
$25M USD
Project Cost Savings
2,823
Business Processes
“”“BHP’s SAP S/4 transformation is a key driver of its digital transformation journey, laying the
foundation for a future-ready business that can swiftly adapt to evolving market dynamics
and unlock the power of advanced technologies like AI and analytics. By setting a new
benchmark in delivery excellence and user experience, this initiative has redefined what’s
possible.
This success was driven by a pioneering partnership with Accenture and SAP.”
Ganesh Muthusamy
Head of Corporate Functions and GBS
foundation for a future-ready business that can swiftly adapt to evolving market dynamics
and unlock the power of advanced technologies like AI and analytics. By setting a new
benchmark in delivery excellence and user experience, this initiative has redefined what’s
possible.
This success was driven by a pioneering partnership with Accenture and SAP.”
Ganesh Muthusamy
Head of Corporate Functions and GBS