Key points
- End of maintenance: Mainstream maintenance for SAP ECC 6.0 ends on 31 December 2027.
- Extension: SAP offers extended maintenance until 31 December 2030. SAP charges a surcharge on the maintenance fee for it.
- After that: Without the extension, customer-specific maintenance remains. It no longer delivers new legal changes.
- Cost driver: Custom developments and Z programs determine the scope of every migration.
- Clean core: We move custom developments out of the ERP and build them as software next to it. Your ERP remains the leading system. The migration gets smaller.
What ends in 2027
SAP has defined the maintenance for the core applications of SAP Business Suite 7. This includes SAP ECC 6.0. Mainstream maintenance runs until 31 December 2027.
Companies can extend maintenance until 31 December 2030. SAP charges a surcharge on the existing maintenance fee for this. The extension buys time. It does not solve the migration.
Without the extension, ECC moves to customer-specific maintenance from 2028. SAP continues to solve known problems. However, SAP no longer delivers new legal changes. This affects tax rules, statutory reporting and e-invoicing, for example. You then have to implement every new requirement in the system yourself.
Your options
Mid-sized companies have four paths. Each path has its own risks.
S/4HANA as a new system
You build S/4HANA from scratch and transfer only the data you really need. Legacy issues stay behind. The effort for processes and training is high.
S/4HANA as a system conversion
You convert your existing system to S/4HANA. Processes and custom developments move with it. You have to check and adapt every custom development.
Extended maintenance until 2030
You gain three years and pay a higher maintenance fee. Use the time for preparation. Otherwise you face the same decision in 2030.
Switching to another ERP
You choose a different ERP system. Your custom developments have to move here as well. The more logic sits in the old ERP, the bigger the switch.
Custom developments determine the effort
Many SAP systems in mid-sized companies have grown over years. Custom reports, Z programs, user exits and adapted screens map processes that the standard did not know. This knowledge sits in the ERP today.
Every migration requires you to check these custom developments. Some no longer run because S/4HANA changed tables and data models. Others are no longer used at all. The rest is business-critical.
Clarify these questions first:
- Which custom developments do your teams actually use?
- Which tasks does today's standard cover?
- Which logic sets your company apart from the competition?
- Which data does each custom development need from the ERP?
Clean core: the ERP stays standard
Clean core means: the core of the ERP stays close to the standard. Extensions run outside and access the ERP via released interfaces. SAP itself recommends this approach for S/4HANA.
How we implement clean core:
- Unused custom developments are dropped.
- Tasks that the standard covers move to the standard.
- We build business-critical logic as a separate application next to the ERP.
- The application reads and writes via interfaces. Your ERP remains the leading system.
What you gain:
- The migration gets smaller because less code sits in the ERP.
- Your custom developments also survive the next upgrade.
- Your logic no longer depends on one ERP vendor.
- We implement new requirements in the separate application, without touching the ERP.
How we proceed
1. Current-state analysis
We record your custom developments and check their usage. For each one, you decide with us: drop it, use the standard or build a separate application.
2. Target picture
We describe which applications will run next to the ERP. We define interfaces, data flows and responsibilities.
3. Implementation before the migration
We build the applications and connect them to your current ERP. Your teams already work with them before the migration starts.
4. Migration with a smaller core
Your ERP partner migrates a leaner system. We then connect the separate applications to the new ERP.
The current-state analysis is the first step. Afterwards you know how big your migration really is. We clarify the scope of the analysis in the initial consultation.
Sources
- SAP News Center, 4 February 2020: SAP Extends Maintenance Commitment for SAP S/4HANA, Provides Choice and Clarity to Customers
- SAP: clean core as the guideline for extensions in SAP S/4HANA
Frequently asked questions
When does maintenance for SAP ECC end?
Mainstream maintenance for SAP ECC 6.0 ends on 31 December 2027. For a surcharge, SAP extends maintenance until 31 December 2030.
What happens if we have not migrated by the end of 2027?
Without the extension, ECC moves to customer-specific maintenance. SAP then no longer delivers new legal changes. You implement new requirements yourself.
What happens to our Z programs when migrating to S/4HANA?
Every Z program has to be checked. Some no longer run because of changed data models. We move business-critical custom developments out of the ERP and build them as a separate application next to it. This makes the migration smaller.
What does clean core mean?
Clean core means: the core of the ERP stays close to the standard. Extensions run outside and use released interfaces. This makes upgrades and migrations easier.
Where do we start?
With a current-state analysis of your custom developments. It shows what can be dropped, what the standard covers and what runs as a separate application next to the ERP.