Everyone talks about automation.
In the rush to automate SAP cloud migrations, it’s easy to assume that fast scripts and powerful tools are enough to get the job done. But the reality is, automation without orchestration leads to missed dependencies, stalled cutovers, and costly surprises. Actually, automation alone doesn’t deliver success. Orchestration does.
The truth is that migrations rarely fail because of missing automation. They fail because of poor coordination, fragile assumptions, and a lack of visibility across systems. In this post, we’ll explore why orchestration is the difference-maker in modern SAP migrations. Using an experience we had with a large-scale SAP to AWS migration, we’ll show how an orchestrated execution turned a high-risk transformation into a success story.
The Hidden Danger in “Automation-First” Migration
An “automation-first” migration is exactly what it sounds like: a strategy that leans heavily on scripts and templates to drive the entire cutover process. The thinking is simple. If you can automate infrastructure provisioning, system deployments, and data transfers, the migration will be faster, cheaper, and less error-prone. However, automation without orchestration assumes the whole process is perfectly predictable, and migrations, especially SAP migrations, are anything but..
The idea of automation-first sounds great, until the first script misfires because of a missing dependency or a task runs out of sequence and locks a job critical to production.
That’s because:
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Automation assumes perfect inputs. If your inventory is outdated or your dependency map is wrong, the scripts will break faster.
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Automation by itself ignores operational logic. Manual triggers and multi-system interlocks, for example, don’t show up in dashboards, but they’ll take down a migration in seconds.
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No context. It doesn’t know why a task failed or what the ripple effect might be downstream.
Migrations don’t fail because the tools are broken. They fail because they’re used in isolation. Without orchestration, it’s like flying by yourself in a nice cockpit without a flight plan and air traffic controller.
What Orchestration Really Means?
In SAP cloud migrations, orchestration is the control layer that transforms isolated automation tasks into a coordinated, reliable outcome. While automation performs individual steps, orchestration understands the why, when, and what‑if behind those steps. It’s the brain and nervous system that guide the body of automation.
Related blog post: Cloud Orchestration 101: How it Works and How IT-Conductor Fits in
The Layers Orchestration Connects
Sequence
It dictates execution order, what runs first, and what must wait. Orchestration makes sure that jobs finish before dependent systems move, avoiding misfires and lockups.
Dependencies
It maps inter-system links across applications, services, database jobs, and integrations. Orchestration uncovers hidden chains, such as an unexpected job or a shared resource, that automation tools sometimes overlook.
Error Handling & Escalation
Rather than leaving failure resolution ad hoc, orchestration embeds structured retry logic, rollback procedures, and alert-and-escalation protocols, including automated ticketing and/or ITSM integration. It guides remediation decisions and keeps key stakeholders informed.
Timing & Downtime Windows
It aligns all activity with real-world constraints, using telemetry, historical runtime data, and dry-run results to validate that each step fits within defined cutover windows.
IT-Conductor enables true orchestration in SAP cloud migrations by going beyond task automation and delivering a unified control layer that connects discovery, execution, monitoring, and recovery. It starts by automatically mapping systems, dependencies, and job flows to create a real-time blueprint of the SAP landscape. This foundation is guided by our proven 5Ds methodology: (Discover, Distill, Design, Develop, Deploy), ensuring every step is coordinated, visible, and repeatable.
Figure 1: 5Ds of IT-Conductor’s Cloud Migration Strategy
Automation-First vs. Orchestration-Led
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|
Automation-First |
Orchestration-Led |
|---|---|---|
|
Focus |
Task execution (scripts, templates, tools) |
End-to-end coordination of systems, tasks, and timing |
|
Assumes |
Known inputs, clean environments, no surprises |
Real-world complexity, interlocks, and change |
|
Risk |
High – breaks easily with missing context |
Lower – detects, adapts, and escalates in real time |
|
Visibility |
Low – script-by-script view |
High–centralized control and telemetry-driven insights |
|
Recovery |
Manual or fragmented |
Built-in escalation and rollback paths |
Unlike automation, orchestration is dynamic. It adapts to real-time telemetry, not assumptions. It models and simulates, not just executes.
It’s the difference between launching scripts and launching a successful go-live.
A Real-World Example
One of our previous success stories narrates an undertaking of migrating a broad set of SAP systems, including ECC, S/4HANA, SCM, MDG, PI/PO, and Fiori to AWS. Using IT-Conductor, they performed automated discovery to map their SAP environment, collecting real-time telemetry and dependency data to inform every step of the migration.
With orchestration at the core, the team built blueprint-driven workflows that governed both infrastructure provisioning (via AWS CloudFormation) and SAP deployment sequences. These blueprints allowed them to simulate cutovers through dry runs, validate job chains under load, and identify bottlenecks early. As a result, even parallel migrations across multiple environments were executed in a controlled and coordinated manner.
The migration was completed with minimal disruption, largely because the team treated orchestration as a foundation, not an afterthought.
Read Success Story: Under Armour Leverages Automated Migration of SAP to AWS
How to Build Orchestration into Your Migration Plan
Whether you're moving three systems or thirty, here’s how to build orchestration into the fabric of your migration:
1. Start with live discovery. Don’t trust spreadsheets. Use real-time telemetry to understand your landscape.
2. Map dependencies. Build visual diagrams of upstream/downstream relationships, job flows, and interlocks.
Figure 2: Expanded Service Grid of Systems in IT-Conductor
3. Simulate execution. Validate timelines with actual workload simulations—not just theoretical downtime.
4. Design exception paths. Build escalation and rollback logic before you need it.
5. Run with real-time visibility. Use orchestration platforms that provide dashboards, alerts, and automation flow control.
Figure 3: IT-Conductor’s SAP on AWS Migration Dashboard
6. Leverage IT-Conductor’s Migration Orchestrator: Automate end-to-end migration workflows with pre-built blueprints for SAP, AWS, and hybrid cloud environments, reducing manual scripting and ensuring consistency across systems.
Figure 4: IT-Conductor’s Migration Orchestrator
7. Use SUMMon for SAP Upgrades and Migrations: IT-Conductor’s SUMMon integration automates and monitors SAP Software Update Manager (SUM) processes, providing better visibility, error handling, and orchestration of complex upgrades. Related post: Webinar recap: IT-Conductor Lights the Way with SUMMon.
Related post: Webinar recap: IT-Conductor Lights the Way with SUMMon
Final Takeaways
Orchestration isn’t about adding complexity. It’s about controlling complexity.
Successful SAP cloud migrations aren’t just about getting the technology right. They’re about managing operational complexity with clarity and structure. Migrations require more than just automation. They require coordination.
That’s where orchestration plays a key role. For organizations moving SAP to the cloud, investing in orchestration isn’t just helpful, it’s a practical step toward smoother, more predictable outcomes.
