After examining the project, specialists from Natuvion’s Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) division identified that the ABAP and BASIS versions used by Lanco Anpara were outdated (7.01) and had not been supported by SAP for several years. This created a compatibility limitation that restricted the functionality of Natuvion’s Data Conversion Suite (DCS) when used directly on the source system. At the same time, the underlying SAP environment was extensive and complex, consisting of SAP ECC6 running on HP-UX with Oracle and a 1.6 TB production server database serving all company codes, as well as a broad set of modules including FICO, MM, SD, PP, PS, QM, PM, and HCM, with approximately 300 user licenses.
In addition to the technical complexity, Natuvion and Neovatic faced a significant time constraint because Anpara’s SAP hardware maintenance contract was close to expiration, making it necessary to complete the carve-out, system upgrade, and data transformation within a tight six-month timeframe.
Designing a technically robust and controlled SAP carve-out framework
Undeterred by the compatibility issue, the Natuvion team decided to create a more recent SAP shell (SAP Basis 740) and install Natuvion DCS on it instead of the source system. This was achieved by adjusting their carve-out project template so that all contents could be extracted from the remote database.
Despite the additional step required by this approach, Natuvion transferred the data efficiently and securely to the temporary system and then conducted a detailed analysis of Anpara’s database using DCS Analyze. The tool provided comprehensive insights into the system landscape and enabled the team to fully understand the data before the transformation began. Based on the findings from DCS Analyze, the team then used DCS Migrate to remove irrelevant data and records from the system and prepare it for the carve-out process, customizing the selection criteria, extraction, and deletion rules to fit Anpara’s specific system requirements.
While Neovatic focused on implementing SAP S/4HANA RISE in a private cloud environment, Natuvion continued preparing the final carve-out and data transformation. To address the challenge posed by the size of the SOFFCONT1 table, the Natuvion team pre-populated it during the week leading up to the migration. This approach minimized downtime by ensuring that only delta records needed to be transferred on the migration day, saving approximately 16 hours of work for both the team and the customer during the go-live weekend, even though system limitations and connectivity issues had to be managed.
Successful execution of a complex SAP carve-out with accelerated follow-up transformation
After two test cycles and one dress rehearsal, the new system went live successfully, meeting the required deadlines and staying within budget.
Natuvion, together with Neovatic Technology, impressed Lanco with their professionalism and the advanced tools used for data analysis, extraction, and transfer.
Subbu Pulakam, VP IT & SAP at Lanco, expressed strong satisfaction with the outcome and highlighted the team’s commitment to excellence, thorough understanding of Lanco’s unique requirements, proactive problem-solving, and adherence to timelines.
Two years later, when Lanco initiated the second carve-out and data transformation for Lanco Amarkantak, Pulakam naturally turned again to Natuvion and Neovatic for support.
The second project was completed even faster than the first due to the experience gained during the Anpara initiative, supported by daily sprints and standups that ensured milestones were reached quickly. Shortly after completion of the carve-outs, both Anpara and Amarkantak were acquired by other enterprises, providing a satisfactory conclusion to both transformation initiatives.
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