Host: Annik Sobing
Guests: Christine Tully and Robert Wieczorek
Published: June 2026
Length: ~45 minutes
Episode is Sponsored by: CBS (Corporate Business Solutions)

CBS provides global business process solutions for international industrial companies.

THIS PODCAST IS PRESENTED BY GLOBAL TRAINING CENTER

SAP GTS 11 to E4H: How to Convert Without Surprises

Annik Sobing welcomes Christine Tully and Robert Wieczorek to the Simply Trade Roundup for a conversation about one of the biggest transitions facing global trade teams right now: moving from SAP GTS 11 to SAP GTS Edition for S/4HANA (E4H). Sponsored by CBS (Corporate Business Solutions), this episode explores why the move is much more than a technical upgrade and what companies need to think about if they want to avoid surprises along the way. Christine and Robert break down the real-world challenges of a GTS conversion, including conversion approaches, system landscape design, downtime planning, testing, governance, and compliance stability.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why SAP GTS 11 needs to be replaced
Christine and Robert explain why SAP GTS 11 is no longer the long-term answer and what changes with GTS E4H. They discuss how SAP’s roadmap, support timelines, and the shift to S/4HANA are pushing companies to act now rather than later.

Why this is a conversion, not just an upgrade
The episode makes clear that GTS E4H is not a simple version jump. It involves functional, structural, and process changes that affect how teams work day to day, from user experience in Fiori to redesigning authorizations and reviewing custom developments.

What conversion approaches companies can take
Christine and Robert walk through the main conversion options, including brownfield, parallel landscape, sandbox, greenfield, and selective approaches. They explain the trade-offs of each path and why choosing the right one depends heavily on system complexity and business needs.

How to reduce risk during the transition
One of the key themes is preparation. The conversation highlights the importance of clean master data, realistic timelines, end-to-end testing, cutover planning, and strong governance to reduce the chance of issues during go-live.

Why the ecosystem matters
The episode also looks beyond the core SAP system to the broader landscape, including customs brokers, logistics providers, screening content providers, and middleware. Christine and Robert explain why a successful conversion depends on every connected part being ready, not just the internal system.

What day-to-day compliance users need to know
The discussion covers how the move to E4H affects trade compliance teams in practical ways, including new workflows, dashboard-driven monitoring, training needs, and changes to processes like preference management and blocked document handling.

Who this episode is for
This episode is especially valuable for IT leaders, global trade and compliance professionals, SAP users, and anyone responsible for planning or executing a move from GTS 11 to E4H. It is also a helpful listen for companies that want a realistic view of what a successful conversion actually takes.

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