SAP PI/PO to Integration Suite: More Than a Migration
- Alina Ioana Furtuna
- Nov 7
- 3 min read
Over the past several months, I’ve had the opportunity to manage projects focused on migrating from SAP Process Integration/Process Orchestration (PI/PO) to SAP Integration Suite. What started as a technical challenge quickly revealed itself as something much bigger: a transformation journey.
These projects test more than the technologies powering your solution - they test how well you plan, communicate, and adapt. As SAP retires its traditional on-premise integration tools, many organizations are using this moment to modernize their integration landscape, reduce maintenance costs, and embrace more agile, API-driven connectivity.
But from a project management perspective, this is far more than a technical upgrade. It’s a complex, cross-functional effort that touches business processes, integrations, and teams across the enterprise.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far.
Key Lessons from the Migration Frontline
1. Early Assessment and Scoping Are Crucial
A successful migration starts with understanding your current PI/PO landscape. Catalog every interface, adapter, and dependency. Tools like SAP’s Migration Assessment Tool can help estimate complexity and prioritize migration waves.
Lesson: Don’t rush into design. Invest time upfront – it will save weeks of rework.
2. Unified teams deliver better results
Integration extends across key operational areas—from finance to supply chain, and more. We found that regular syncs between technical, functional, and business teams helped catch issues early and kept everyone aligned.
Lesson: Treat integration as a cross-functional effort. Speak the same language early.
3. Connectivity and Security Take Longer Than Expected
Cloud connectivity is rarely “plug and play.” Certificates, VPNs, and firewalls require coordination across teams. Involving security and infrastructure experts from day one helped us avoid last-minute delays.
Lesson: Start connectivity planning early. It’s never “just a quick setup.”
4. Testing Is the Heart of the Project
Migrating live interfaces means stepping directly into the flow of everyday business operations. We implemented a phased approach - unit, integration, and end-to-end testing - ensuring early and ongoing involvement from business users.
Lesson: Testing isn’t a phase. It’s a mindset.
5. Effective communication and change management are just as critical as the technical solution.
Many stakeholders view the migration as purely a technical task. But, in reality, it impacts processes, timelines, and people. Regular updates, demos, and celebrating small wins helped maintain momentum and trust.
Lesson: Communicate frequently and clearly. Make progress visible.
6. Stay Curious
I began this journey without deep expertise in SAP integration. But by learning the fundamentals - adapters, mappings, iFlows - I was able to engage more effectively with the technical team, ask better questions, and make better-informed decisions.
Lesson: Curiosity fosters credibility and strengthens collaboration.
Common Challenges to Avoid
Underestimating interface complexity
Starting testing too late or with incomplete data
Forgetting dependencies with third-party systems
Delayed involvement of security and network teams
Skipping cleanup of obsolete integrations
Each of these can derail timelines—but all are avoidable with early visibility and planning.
What Makes Migrations Succeed
The most successful projects I’ve seen share these traits:
Early, detailed assessment and scoping
Strong collaboration across technical and business teams
Moving in stages, with clear points to pause and review
Structured testing strategy with early business involvement
Transparent, consistent communication
These aren’t just best practices- they’re habits that shape a high-performing project culture.
Final Thoughts
Managing SAP PI/PO to Integration Suite migrations has been one of the most rewarding challenges of my career. It’s taught me that success in these projects is about more than technology - it’s about people, process, and perspective.
If your organization is planning its migration, start early, bring the right people together, and treat it as an opportunity to modernize not just what you use - but how you work.
