TOYOTA

Toyota Germany and Toyota Austria are part of Toyota Motor Corporation, one of the world's largest automotive manufacturers. Together, they are responsible for sales, aftersales, dealer operations and other core business processes across the German and Austrian markets. As part of a global organization that sells more than nine million vehicles annually, both entities operate in a highly integrated automotive environment characterized by complex process, data and system landscapes.

Client

TOYOTA

Scope

SAP S/4HANA, SAP VMS, SAP Fiori, SAP BTP and the integration of core Toyota systems.

Challenge

Transformation of a complex automotive system landscape and consolidation of core business processes on a shared platform for Germany and Austria.

SAP S/4HANA as the foundation for a shared automotive platform across Germany and Austria

Toyota Germany and Toyota Austria went live with SAP S/4HANA in April 2026, marking the completion of a transformational program that spanned two and a half years and was considered by Toyota to be one of the largest transformation initiatives across both organizations.

Together with Hicron as the implementation partner, Toyota replaced its legacy SAP ECC landscape through a greenfield approach designed to address both current and future business requirements. Rather than simply migrating existing solutions, the project team used the transition to SAP S/4HANA as an opportunity to rethink processes and extend the system only where a clear business benefit could be achieved.

Starting from Toyota’s complex and highly customized legacy landscape, the project resulted in a more modern and standardized system foundation. At the same time, it supported the transition toward a process-oriented organization. The outcome is a shared platform for Germany and Austria, supported by modern integrations and a browser-based dealer portal built on SAP Fiori.

Today, more than 900 internal and external dealer users work with the Toyota SAP S/4HANA system on a daily basis via SAP Fiori. Together with the surrounding data and middleware technologies, the new landscape provides a scalable foundation for future business requirements.

year timeline for Toyota's internal SAP S/4HANA transformation

internal and external dealer users work daily on the shared SAP S/4HANA platform

vehicle orders have already been processed in the new system

vehicles are already being managed within SAP VMS

01 Case study

Cross-border transformation: Toyota sets the course for the future

Read Case Study

Initial situation

Toyota operated in a mature automotive environment with high demands for process stability, transparency, system integration and support of its dealer network across multiple markets.

As part of replacing its complex and highly customized SAP ECC landscape, Toyota required a modern and more standardized system and process foundation capable of harmonizing core business processes across Germany and Austria.

A greenfield approach was deliberately chosen to reduce complexity and build a solution aligned with actual business requirements. The goal was to create a process-oriented foundation that consistently brings together processes, data, roles and system logic across Germany and Austria.

Solution

Together with Hicron, Toyota implemented SAP S/4HANA as a new, harmonized platform for core automotive processes.

The scope of the project included:

Greenfield implementation of SAP S/4HANA, including SAP VMS (Vehicle Management System), replacing the existing SAP ECC landscape
Extensive customizations to optimize standard processes and address Toyota-specific requirements
More than 150 interfaces integrating SAP S/4HANA with core Toyota systems and additional applications
A unified system for Germany and Austria to support cross-border process harmonization
A browser-based HICRON dealer portal for SAP VMS built on SAP Fiori, featuring an intuitive user experience
Custom-built vehicle applications, including Vehicle Search, Availability Search and Order Management, enabling efficient operational use of SAP VMS through the Fiori front end
A Fiori-first approach for internal and external users
Internet-based access with two-factor authentication
Vehicle master data creation via interfaces
A modern integration and data architecture based on E2E Bridge and Snowflake
Flexible bonus applications built on SAP cloud technologies to support key Toyota business activities

The objective was to create a scalable SAP S/4HANA foundation that supports Toyota’s business today while providing the flexibility needed for future growth and development.

Project timeline

Analysis of existing SAP ECC processes and future business requirements
Design of the target SAP S/4HANA architecture, including SAP VMS and harmonized cross-border processes
Implementation of SAP S/4HANA, including customizations and interfaces
Joint development of the HICRON dealer portal as a SAP Fiori front end for SAP VMS
Implementation of a bonus and incentive solution as a side-by-side application using SAP cloud technologies
Testing, migration, go-live preparation, stabilization and support

Results

Migration from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA, including SAP VMS, through a greenfield implementation completed within 2.5 years
Simultaneous rollout of the new platform across Germany and Austria
Operational synergies between both countries, including the shared use of vehicle inventories
More than 900 internal and external dealer users work on a shared SAP S/4HANA platform every day
More than 330,000 vehicles are already managed through SAP VMS
More than 15,000 vehicle orders have already been processed through the new system
Greater standardization and a stronger process-oriented approach across countries
A future-ready foundation for the ongoing development of business processes, data flows and digital dealer services
Successful transition from project delivery into day-to-day operations following the hypercare phase

For Toyota, this project was about much more than a technical migration from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA. The real value was created through the greenfield approach: processes were fundamentally redesigned, Germany and Austria were brought together on a shared platform, and dealers were provided with a modern SAP Fiori-based working environment through the HICRON Dealer Portal. With more than 600 customizations and over 150 interfaces, the solution demonstrates the depth to which it was tailored to Toyota’s business requirements.

Remigiusz Efinowicz

CEO Hicron

Six key success factors

A greenfield implementation approach focused on business value, bringing Germany and Austria together on a single SAP S/4HANA platform
Deep expertise in automotive, vehicle inventory, sales, aftersales, finance and dealer processes
Use of SAP industry solutions such as SAP VMS instead of custom development within the SD and MM modules
Future-oriented architecture leveraging SAP cloud technologies for areas requiring custom development, such as bonus and incentive processes
A Fiori-first approach adopted by more than 900 internal and external dealer users, supported by a browser-based SAP Fiori dealer portal
Strong collaboration and a shared commitment to success between Toyota, Hicron and all project partners throughout the entire transformation journey

Together with Hicron, we chose not to simply migrate our existing SAP ECC landscape. Instead, we used SAP S/4HANA as an opportunity to challenge established structures and harmonize processes across Germany and Austria on a shared platform. The result is a future-ready solution that sustainably supports both our business and our dealer network. The successful go-live reflects the dedication, close collaboration and shared commitment that defined the project from start to finish.

Leopold Koenigs

Operational Excellence Manager, Toyota Germany

Why Hicron?

Proven SAP S/4HANA expertise in automotive and dealer environments
Experience delivering large-scale international SAP programs and integrated system landscapes
Strong delivery capabilities across customization, SAP BTP, integrations, migration and stabilization
A combination of process transformation expertise and user-centric SAP Fiori solutions
Extensive experience with Fiori-first scenarios
Strong competencies in modern data and middleware architectures, including E2E Bridge and Snowflake
Deep expertise in custom vehicle applications that extend SAP VMS to support specific dealer and vehicle management processes
Proven ability to successfully deliver complex, multi-year transformation programs in close collaboration with customers and partners through go-live and hypercare phases

S/4HANA Conversion?

#askHicron

Would you like to see how a greenfield SAP S/4HANA implementation can harmonize operations across markets, modernize dealer processes and deliver value far beyond a technical migration? Let’s discuss your specific requirements — from replacing complex legacy landscapes and implementing Fiori-first processes to building modern data and integration architectures.

Contact