A Global Manufacturer
Industry
Manufacturing
Year
2026
Stack
Azure, SAP Rise
⸻ Business Impact
Controlled Migration at Scale, and a Foundation for Cloud-Native Operations
MobiLab helped a manufacturer with a global on-prem footprint transform a highly complex, infrastructure landscape supporting business-critical, production-grade SAP and non-SAP workloads into a scalable, Cloud-ready operating model on Microsoft Azure.
Instead of approaching Cloud Migration as a lift-and-shift exercise, we established a structured Cloud foundation that enables SAP and non-SAP workloads to operate cohesively across on-premises and Cloud environments.
We achieved:
Allowing SAP and non-SAP workloads to operate within a unified, governed Cloud Infrastructure.
Identification of 80% of infrastructure as Cloud-migratable or optimizable, significantly reducing long-term on-prem footprint
A projected IRR in the 30–35% range over 5 years, supporting a strong business case for transformation
Successful enablement of SAP RISE integration, unblocking SAP migration in less than one month
Rather than executing a one-time migration, we established a repeatable model for migrating and operating complex enterprise workloads in the Cloud.
⸻ STARTING POINT
A Highly Integrated SAP Landscape Limiting Cloud Agility
Our customer operated a large, globally distributed infrastructure with thousands of active servers across multiple regions and business units. The landscape was deeply integrated, with SAP systems tightly connected to production processes and other enterprise applications.
While our customer had initiated its Cloud journey, the organization faced several structural challenges. Cloud maturity was still developing, internal alignment on migration strategy was challenging, and responsibilities across teams were fragmented. At the same time, parallel initiatives, including SAP RISE and other Cloud efforts, increased complexity and created uncertainty in decision-making.
The core challenge was not simply migrating workloads, but enabling a coherent Cloud strategy for a SAP-centric environment. SAP alone did not provide a complete Cloud operating model, leaving gaps in governance, connectivity, and infrastructure standardization.
⸻ SETTING THE FOUNDATION
Building a Cloud Architecture That Connects SAP and Enterprise Workloads
MobiLab began with a comprehensive Cloud assessment to evaluate the infrastructure, define migration pathways, and establish a business case for transformation.
The analysis revealed that a large portion of the infrastructure could be migrated, replaced, or consolidated, while a smaller segment would remain on-premises due to latency and production dependencies.
Based on these insights, MobiLab designed a global Cloud architecture spanning EMEA, APAC, and AMER regions, ensuring optimal performance and minimal latency for users.
A critical component of the solution was the implementation of a hub-and-spoke architecture, enabling seamless connectivity between on-premises systems, Azure environments, and the SAP RISE landscape. This created a unified operational layer where SAP and non-SAP workloads could interact reliably and securely.
Instead of treating SAP as an isolated system, it was embedded into a broader Cloud operating model that ensured consistency, governance, and scalability across the entire environment.
In SAP-centric environments, Cloud migration is not just about moving workloads. SAP systems are deeply integrated with production processes, data flows, and enterprise applications, making isolated migration approaches risky and inefficient.
Without a unified Cloud foundation, organizations often face fragmented architectures, increased cost, and operational instability.
⸻ SOLUTION
A Scalable Azure Foundation Enabling SAP and Enterprise Migration
MobiLab implemented a Cloud foundation on Microsoft Azure that enables our customers to migrate and operate workloads at scale while maintaining control over their SAP landscape.
This included:
- Deployment of standardized Azure landing zones across regions
- Implementation of a global hub-and-spoke network architecture
- Integration of SAP RISE into the Azure environment
- Establishment of secure and reliable connectivity between on-premises, cloud, and SAP systems
To validate the approach, MobiLab conducted a pilot migration, successfully migrating initial workloads to Azure using a lift-and-shift strategy. This allowed the customer to refine migration planning, test assumptions, and reduce risk before scaling.
Following this, MobiLab designed and executed a structured, wave-based migration strategy covering more than 1,000 servers across multiple phases. The migration combined lift-and-shift approaches with data migration and selective modernization, ensuring that both legacy and evolving workloads could be supported within the same architecture.
With the new Cloud foundation in place:
➞ SAP and non-SAP workloads operate within a unified, governed architecture
➞ Migration can be executed in structured waves with predictable outcomes
➞ Infrastructure provisioning and operations are standardized across regions
➞ Internal teams gain clarity and alignment on Cloud strategy and execution
➞ The organization can progressively modernize workloads without disrupting core operations
The environment is no longer constrained by tightly coupled on-premises systems. Instead, it enables a controlled transition toward a hybrid and Cloud native future.
⸻ CONCLUSION
A Foundation for Sustainable, SAP-Centric Cloud Transformation
This project demonstrates that successful Cloud transformation in SAP-heavy environments requires more than migrating systems. It requires building a foundation that connects infrastructure, applications, and governance into a single, scalable model.
By establishing this foundation, we helped reduce complexity, create a clear path for large-scale migration, and unlock measurable cost and efficiency gains.
Most importantly, the organization is now equipped to evolve its infrastructure continuously, extending beyond migration toward long-term Cloud native operations and modernization.
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