S/4HANA Migration: Finding Staff, Roles & Timeline

The 2027 deadline for the end of SAP ECC mainstream support is drawing closer — and with it, the staffing bottleneck is growing dramatically. 41% of companies are under major pressure to complete their S/4HANA migration in time. At the same time, only 23% of SAP consultants have practical S/4HANA experience. The consequence: demand far exceeds supply, and every month of delay in hiring reduces the available talent pool even further.

This recruiting guide focuses on what most S/4HANA articles leave out: the staffing bottleneck as the primary project risk. You will learn which roles your migration project needs, how to develop the right staffing strategy, and how Nova Search — with 8,000+ IT and tech professionals and our 5-day candidate guarantee — helps you set up your S/4HANA team in time. From timeline planning to cost comparisons and practical implementation: everything you need for your S/4HANA staffing strategy.

2027 Deadline: Why the S/4HANA talent search is becoming critical now

SAP is ending mainstream support for ECC 6.0 in 2027. Companies that have not migrated to S/4HANA by then risk security vulnerabilities, a lack of regulatory updates, and limited capacity for innovation. What looks like a technical date at first glance is actually a staffing bottleneck issue.

The figures illustrate the urgency:

• 41% of companies are under major pressure to act regarding their S/4HANA migration

• Only 23% of SAP consultants already have practical S/4HANA experience — the rest are still working on ECC systems

• The average migration duration is 12 to 24 months, depending on complexity and the chosen approach (Brownfield vs. Greenfield)

For your resource planning, this means a simple calculation: anyone who wants to go live in 2027 must have their S/4HANA team fully assembled by early 2026 at the latest. But this is exactly where the problem begins. Many companies have planned the technical migration but postponed the staffing plan — assuming that qualified consultants would be available at short notice.

The reality is different: the talent pool is dramatically smaller than the demand, and it is not growing fast enough. SAP training programmes take months, experienced S/4HANA consultants are tied up in long-term commitments, and competition for the remaining specialists gets fiercer with each quarter. Recruiting is not a side task of your migration — it is the critical path.

Which roles does an S/4HANA migration project need?

An S/4HANA migration is not a one-person endeavour. Depending on company size, SAP landscape, and the chosen migration approach, you will need a team of 8 to 15 specialists for a typical mid-sized project. An overview of the core roles:

Functional Consultants (module-specific):

• FI/CO (Finance & Controlling): Financial processes form the backbone of every S/4HANA migration. FI/CO consultants are the most highly sought-after role

• MM (Materials Management): Indispensable for manufacturing companies and retail businesses with complex procurement processes

• SD (Sales & Distribution): Relevant for all companies with sales processes in their SAP system

Technical Roles:

• ABAP Developers: For custom code adjustments, clean core migration, and connection to the SAP BTP. Particularly in demand: experience with the new ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model (RAP)

• SAP Basis Administrators: For the technical migration, system configuration, and operation of the new landscape — especially in cloud or hybrid scenarios

Management Roles:

• SAP Project Manager: Overall responsibility for scope, timeline, budget, and stakeholder management. Ideally with S/4HANA migration experience

• Change Manager: Accompanies the organisational change, trains end users, and ensures acceptance of the new processes

Not every role has to be filled from day 1. You will need Basis Administrators and Functional Consultants right from the start, while Change Managers are only required from the realisation phase onwards. The exact composition depends on your project plan — Nova Search is happy to advise you on role-specific resource planning in a free consultation.

The skills shortage in figures: supply vs. demand

To understand the scale of the S/4HANA staffing bottleneck, it is worth looking at actual market data. The gap between supply and demand has reached its temporary peak in 2026.

The demand side:

• Thousands of companies in the DACH region are in the migration or planning phase at the same time

• 41% of companies report major pressure to act regarding their S/4HANA migration

• Each migration project requires an average of 8 to 15 SAP specialists for 12 to 24 months

• The overall demand for S/4HANA specialists exceeds the available supply many times over

The supply side:

• Only 23% of SAP consultants already have practical S/4HANA project experience

• SAP training programmes (e.g. SAP Learning Hub) train new S/4HANA consultants, but not at the required speed

• Experienced S/4HANA consultants are tied up in ongoing projects and will only become available after their project ends at the earliest

• Around 70% of qualified candidates are passive specialists — not actively looking for a job and only reachable through direct outreach

The consequences for your recruitment:

The time-to-hire for S/4HANA specialists through traditional channels is currently 60 to 120 days. For some niche roles (e.g. SAP BW/4HANA, Treasury), it is even higher. At the same time, salary demands and daily rates are rising with every quarter because demand exceeds supply. For your project planning, this means: factor recruitment lead times firmly into your project plan — and start looking for staff as early as possible. Use our SAP Salary Calculator to check current market values for your positions.

Build vs. Buy: build your own team or bring in external experts?

One of the most strategic decisions for your S/4HANA migration is the question: do you train existing employees (Build) or do you bring in external experts (Buy)? Both approaches have clear advantages and disadvantages.

Build — building an internal team:

• Advantage: Long-term knowledge building within the company, less dependence on external parties after the migration, stronger identification with business processes

• Disadvantage: Training takes 6 to 12 months, ties up existing resources during training, and does not provide immediate project capacity

• Risk: If the migration is under time pressure, internal qualification alone is not enough

Buy — engaging external experts:

• Advantage: Immediate availability of S/4HANA experience, proven methodology, no training time

• Disadvantage: Higher daily costs, limited knowledge transfer if not actively managed, dependence during the migration

• Risk: If the external team leaves after the migration, a knowledge gap remains

The recommendation: Mixed-Team Strategy

For most mid-sized companies, a combination of both approaches is ideal. The model looks like this:

1. Internal Core Team: 2 to 4 employees who undergo training parallel to the migration and will support the SAP landscape in the long term

2. External Specialists: Experienced S/4HANA consultants (freelance or permanent) who lead the migration from a technical perspective and actively transfer knowledge to the internal team

3. Knowledge transfer as an obligation: Anchor knowledge transfer contractually and make it a fixed part of the project — not an optional extra

Nova Search supports you with both sides: we place permanent staff for your core team as well as freelancers for peak migration periods and specialist topics.

Freelancers, permanent employment or mixed team — the right staffing strategy

The choice of the right employment model is not a minor detail for S/4HANA migration projects — it is a strategic decision with a direct impact on project speed, costs, and knowledge retention.

Permanent Employment:

• Ideal for roles that will still be needed after the migration: SAP Administrators, internal FI/CO Consultants, SAP Team Leads

• Recruiting lead time: 4 to 8 weeks through specialized recruitment consultancies

• Advantage: Long-term commitment and knowledge retention within the company

• Challenge: Higher overall costs for short-term needs, longer onboarding phase

Freelance / Contracting:

• Ideal for temporary migration roles: project-specific Functional Consultants, ABAP Developers for custom code remediation, Change Managers

• Recruiting lead time: 1 to 3 weeks through specialized networks

• Advantage: Immediate availability, no long-term commitment, scalable according to project phase

• Challenge: Higher daily rates, knowledge transfer must be actively managed

Mixed Team — the recommended strategy:

Most successful S/4HANA projects in mid-sized businesses rely on a combination of permanent staff and freelancing. A typical composition for a mid-market migration project looks like this:

• Permanent staff (3-5 roles): Project Management, SAP Basis Administration, 1-2 Functional Consultants close to key users

• Freelance (4-8 roles): Module-specific consultants for peak migration periods, ABAP development, change management, niche modules

Nova Search places both models from a single network of 8,000+ IT and tech professionals. This means: one point of contact, one quality assurance process, flexible team composition. Discuss your optimal staffing strategy in a free consultation.

Timeline planning: when you need to have which roles on board

A common mistake in S/4HANA migration planning is not integrating recruitment into the project timeline. The result is staffing bottlenecks in critical phases that jeopardise the entire project plan. Here is a phase-based recruitment timeline for a typical mid-market migration project:

Phase 1 — Discover & Prepare (Month 1-3):

• Roles needed: SAP Project Manager, SAP Basis Administrator, Lead Functional Consultant (FI/CO or key module)

• Recruiting lead time: Plan 4-8 weeks before project start

• Tip: These roles are the hardest to fill — start recruiting for them first

Phase 2 — Explore & Design (Month 3-6):

• Roles needed: Module-specific Functional Consultants (MM, SD, others), ABAP Developers

• Recruiting lead time: 3-6 weeks for freelancers, 6-8 weeks for permanent staff

• Tip: This is when the highest staffing demand occurs — the team must be fully assembled

Phase 3 — Realize & Test (Month 6-15):

• Roles needed: Full team plus potentially additional ABAP Developers for custom code remediation and Test Manager

• Recruiting lead time: 2-4 weeks for supporting freelancers

• Tip: Project peaks are common in this phase — plan for flexible capacities

Phase 4 — Deploy & Run (Month 15-18+):

• Roles needed: Change Manager, Hypercare support team, SAP Basis for go-live support

• Recruiting lead time: Recruit Change Manager 4-6 weeks before the deploy phase

• Tip: Start transferring knowledge to the internal team here for ongoing operations

Key message: Add recruitment lead times to your project milestones. If your design phase starts in month 3, recruiting for Functional Consultants must begin in month 1.

How the 5-day candidate guarantee works for S/4HANA projects

With time-critical S/4HANA migration projects, every day counts. The 5-day candidate guarantee from Nova Search was developed specifically for this situation: you will receive initial qualified candidates for your S/4HANA roles within five working days.

The process in detail:

1. Briefing (Day 1): In a structured call, we gather your requirements — role, S/4HANA experience level, module knowledge, project context (Brownfield/Greenfield), employment model (permanent/freelance), and start date

2. Network Activation (Day 1-3): Our team of 7 recruitment specialists searches our network of 8,000+ IT and tech professionals specifically for suitable candidates and contacts them directly

3. Technical Qualification (Day 2-4): We conduct in-depth interviews with potential candidates, checking S/4HANA experience, module expertise, and availability

4. Presentation (Day 5): You receive pre-qualified candidate profiles with our technical assessment, availability details, and recommendation

Why this speed is particularly important for S/4HANA roles:

Migration projects have fixed deadlines and interdependent work packages. If an FI/CO Functional Consultant starts two months late, it shifts not just the design phase — but the entire migration. The typical time-to-hire through traditional channels is 60 to 120 days. With the 5-day candidate guarantee, you shorten the most critical phase — the time to the first qualified candidate profile — to a fraction.

The founder-led team at Nova Search brings real technical understanding: Morten Laufer (IT & FinTech expertise) and his team understand the difference between a Brownfield and Greenfield migration and can assess candidates technically, rather than just passing on CVs. Talk to us about your project plan.

Costs of a delayed migration vs. costs of the right recruitment

Many companies hesitate to invest in specialized SAP recruitment — without considering the overall costs of a delayed migration. A sober comparison shows why fast, qualified recruitment is the more economical decision.

Costs of a delayed S/4HANA migration:

• Extended Maintenance Fees: SAP offers extended support after 2027 — at significantly higher licensing costs. These additional costs are incurred annually as long as the ECC system remains in operation

• Security and Compliance Risks: Without mainstream support, the risk of security vulnerabilities and missing regulatory updates rises — potential costs from data breaches or audit findings are hard to quantify but are substantial

• Opportunity Costs: Every month without S/4HANA means a lack of access to innovations (AI integration, real-time analytics, SAP BTP) that competitors are already using

• Rising Recruitment Costs: The closer the 2027 deadline gets, the higher the salary demands and daily rates for S/4HANA specialists — those who recruit earlier pay less

Costs of the right recruitment:

• Specialised Recruitment Consultancy: Nova Search operates on a success-based fee structure — you only pay upon successful placement, with no upfront costs

• Freelance Daily Rates: External S/4HANA specialists cost more per day than internal employees — but they deliver immediately and bring proven migration experience with them

• Internal Training: Less expensive per person, but time-consuming (6-12 months) and only sensible as a supplement

The math is clear: the cost of a migration delayed by 6 to 12 months — extended maintenance fees, compliance risks, opportunity costs — exceeds the investment in specialized recruitment many times over. Fast, qualified recruitment is not a cost centre — it is an investment in project success and on-time delivery.

Checklist: how to successfully plan and implement S/4HANA recruitment

Use this checklist to approach your S/4HANA recruitment systematically and avoid overlooking any critical steps:

1. Conduct a role analysis: Define all required roles for your migration project — from Functional Consultants and ABAP Developers to Change Managers. Typical for the mid-market: 8 to 15 positions

2. Determine staffing strategy: Decide for each role whether permanent employment, freelance/contracting, or a combination makes sense. Rule of thumb: long-term roles internally, migration peaks externally

3. Plan recruitment lead times: Add 4 to 8 weeks (permanent) or 1 to 3 weeks (freelance) to your project milestones. Start recruiting before the project begins

4. Define budget parameters: Check current market salaries and daily rates with the Nova Search Salary Calculator. Plan realistically — offering below-market rates significantly extends the time to fill roles

5. Engage specialized recruitment partners: For S/4HANA roles, generic recruiting is not enough. Work with an SAP-specialized recruitment consultancy that knows the talent pool and can evaluate candidates technically

6. Anchor knowledge transfer: Ensure that external specialists are contractually obligated to transfer knowledge to your internal team. Define specific hand-over documentation and training dates

7. Accelerate onboarding: Prepare system access, project documentation, and contact points so that new team members can work productively from day 1

8. Develop a backup strategy: Identify a backup option for every critical role (e.g. a freelancer as a bridge if the permanent search takes longer)

This checklist forms the basis for structured S/4HANA recruitment. The Nova Search team is at your disposal for individual advice on your specific migration project — arrange a consultation.

Conclusion: successfully staffing S/4HANA migration — staffing strategy as a critical success factor

The S/4HANA migration is one of the largest IT projects that mid-sized companies are implementing this decade. The technical challenges are significant — but the greatest project risk lies not in the technology, but in the staffing bottleneck. With only 23% of consultants experienced in S/4HANA while 41% of companies are under migration pressure, the specialist market is the limiting factor.

The most important recommendations:

• Treat recruitment as a critical path: Integrate recruitment lead times into your project plan — not as an afterthought, but as a fixed component

• Rely on a mixed team: Combine an internal core team (long-term knowledge retention) with external specialists (immediate capacity and experience)

• Start now: Every month of delay reduces the available talent pool and increases costs. Anyone wanting to go live in 2027 must have the team assembled in 2026

• Work with specialists: Generic recruitment is not enough for S/4HANA roles — only SAP-specialised partners can assess candidates technically and reach passive talent

As a founder-led recruitment consultancy from Hamburg with a focus on Tech & SAP, Nova Search is specialized precisely in this challenge. Our team of 7 recruitment specialists, a network of 8,000+ IT and tech professionals, and our 5-day candidate guarantee give your S/4HANA project the staffing headstart it needs.

Book your consultation now — we will discuss your project plan and show you how we can set up your S/4HANA team. You can find current S/4HANA positions on our Job Board, and market values for your positions in our SAP Salary Calculator.

Other useful links

• Find Java Developers 2026 | Nova Search

• Backend Developer Salary Germany 2026 – All Languages

• Find SAP Consultants for Mid-sized Businesses – Recruiting Guide 2026

Further reading

• Staffing a Product Team: Roles, Order & Timeline

• S/4HANA Greenfield vs. Brownfield: who you need and when

• SAP ECC End of Maintenance 2027: Staffing Requirements for S/4HANA