TL;DR
SAP modernization is a coordinated program that moves an SAP estate’s ERP core, custom code, integrations, data and reporting onto supported platforms. An S/4HANA migration is the biggest workstream, but it is not the whole job. Mainstream maintenance for ECC ends in 2027, optional extended maintenance runs to 2030, and a paid transition option reaches 2033 under strict conditions. BW 7.5 and BusinessObjects 4.3 have their own end dates, so map every system to its own horizon. Treat the migration method, the deployment model and the commercial offer as three separate decisions. Then modernize data and reporting alongside the ERP, and gate each move on evidence such as SAP Readiness Check results and reconciled reports.
Key Takeaways SAP modernization covers five workstreams, namely the ERP core, custom code, integration, data and reporting, and operations. The 2027, 2030 and 2033 dates apply per system, and the 2033 option centers on ECC with firm prerequisites. Greenfield, brownfield and selective data transition are methods, while RISE with SAP and SAP GROW are commercial offers. Reporting and BW can move to a governed platform before or alongside the ERP cutover. Plan backward from each system’s support date so the point of no return shows up early. Gate every wave on evidence, from SAP Readiness Check output to reconciled finance reports. Watch on YouTube
Enterprise Data Migration Failure: 5 Causes That Derail Modernization
Kanerika walks through the five causes that stall modernization programs, from unclear ownership to untested data, the same traps that catch SAP estates moving off ECC.
SAP’s Own Results Show Where the Money Is Going
On October 21, 2026, SAP reported that its Cloud ERP Suite revenue grew 29% in the third quarter . Current cloud backlog also rose 28%, to €24.1 billion. These are SAP’s own revenue lines, not a market total, and the backlog covers all of SAP’s cloud business. Still, they show customers signing cloud ERP contracts now rather than waiting for the 2027 date.
In the same release, CEO Christian Klein says customers are investing “from the cloud and data foundation to our Business AI.” So the money is not going to the ERP alone. It also reaches the data foundation underneath and the AI on top. That is why data, integration and AI readiness belong in an SAP modernization plan.
Still, the ERP contract is the easy part to sign. The hard part is the order of work. The ERP, BW and reporting clocks all run on different schedules, and the business usually feels the reporting pain first.
What Is SAP Modernization?
SAP modernization is the coordinated work of moving an SAP estate off aging, heavily customized systems. The target is a supported, upgrade-stable core with governed data around it. It usually includes a move to SAP S/4HANA, yet it also covers the code, interfaces, data warehouse and reports that depend on the old ERP. So the unit of planning is the estate, not the server.
The term overlaps with general legacy system modernization , which deals with replacement patterns for any old platform. SAP adds its own constraints, though, because maintenance horizons, migration methods and data extraction rights are all set by one vendor.
The Five Workstreams in an SAP Modernization Program
Because each workstream changes something different, none of them fixes the others on its own. The table below shows what each one covers and where it stops.
Workstream Example change What it does not solve alone ERP core ECC to S/4HANA, on-premise or private cloud Inconsistent reports, brittle interfaces Custom code Retire, remediate or move Z-objects to clean extensions Process design and master data quality Integration Point-to-point links replaced with APIs and events Data meaning across systems Data and reporting BW and BusinessObjects moved to a governed platform Transaction processing and posting logic Operations and AI readiness Monitoring, test automation, permissions for AI assistants Missing or untrusted data
Of these, the ERP core is the largest and most expensive piece, and it gets most of the attention. But a program that moves only the core often lands a clean new ERP beside the same old reporting problems.
SAP Modernization vs S/4HANA Migration vs Upgrade
First, an upgrade keeps you on the same product line and moves to a newer release. By contrast, an S/4HANA migration changes the ERP product itself, with a new data model and a simplified set of functions. SAP modernization is the wider program that sequences that migration together with code, integration, data and reporting changes.
So a team can complete an S/4HANA migration and still not be modernized. That happens when the old warehouse, the hand-built extracts and the spreadsheets that finance trusts all carry on unchanged.
Signs Your SAP Estate Is Due
Some signals show up long before any deadline. For instance, each support pack takes weeks of regression testing because of custom modifications. Also, interfaces break whenever a field changes, and month-end depends on manual reconciliation between SAP and the BI layer.
Other signals are dated. For example, SAP BW 7.5 and BusinessObjects BI 4.3 each reach the end of mainstream maintenance on their own schedule. Those dates often arrive before anyone decides on the ERP.
The SAP ERP Timeline: 2027, 2030 and 2033
SAP set the main dates in a 2020 maintenance announcement . Mainstream maintenance for the core applications of SAP Business Suite 7, which includes ECC, runs until the end of 2027. SAP S/4HANA, by contrast, carries a maintenance commitment until the end of 2040.
What Ends in 2027 and What Extended Maintenance Costs
From 2028 through 2030, customers can buy optional extended maintenance for Business Suite 7. As reported by SAPinsider , that extension carries a premium of two percentage points on the maintenance basis. Customers who stay on Business Suite 7 without choosing extended maintenance by the end of 2027 move automatically to the customer-specific maintenance model.
The 2033 Transition Option and Its Conditions
SAP has also published a later horizon, which SAPinsider summarizes as SAP ERP, private edition, transition option. Customers can buy it from 2028 and use it from 2031 to 2033. SAP states that it is not a maintenance extension.
The prerequisites are strict, as reported by SAPinsider. First, systems must move to SAP ERP, private edition on SAP HANA before December 31, 2030. They must also be at least 2 TB in size and pair with the separately charged max success plan. Timing changes the price too. Customers who committed to the private edition by the end of 2025 can switch on equivalent terms, but 2026 sign-ups face a standard 20% uplift.
The option also centers on ECC. CRM, SCM and SRM need separate eligibility checks against the SAP note that lists eligible products, and otherwise 2030 is their last planned date.
Map Each System to Its Horizon
A single “2027 deadline” hides the real plan. Each system in the estate reaches its own last-supported year, and a few of them come before the ERP.
Date What happens Applies to Condition Dec 31, 2026 Mainstream maintenance ends BusinessObjects BI Platform 4.3 Includes Crystal Server 2020 End of 2027 Mainstream maintenance ends ECC and Business Suite 7 core, BW 7.5 No decision means customer-specific maintenance 2028 to 2030 Optional extended maintenance Business Suite 7 core, BW 7.5 Premium of 2 points (Business Suite 7) 2030 Last planned date CRM, SCM, SRM Unless a separate eligibility check passes 2031 to 2033 Transition option in use ECC on SAP ERP, private edition HANA move by 2030, 2 TB, max success plan 2040 Maintenance commitment ends SAP S/4HANA Also BW/4HANA
The reporting line deserves a close look. SAP’s knowledge base article 3763590 sets the end of mainstream maintenance for BI Platform 4.3 at December 31, 2026. That date lands a full year before the ECC date, so the reporting estate often needs a decision first.
None of this means every SAP system must migrate by 2027. It means each system needs a dated decision, and the plan should follow those dates rather than one headline.
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A material handling services company moved its Crystal Reports estate to Power BI on its Oracle Cloud ERP data, with 90% logic accuracy and a 95% reduction in reporting time.
Read the Case Study → Choose Your SAP Modernization Path
Three different choices hide behind the word “path.” The method decides how the ERP moves, and the deployment model decides where it runs. Then the commercial offer decides how you buy it. When teams mix them into one list, they end up comparing RISE with SAP against brownfield. That is a bit like comparing a lease with a moving truck.
Method: Greenfield, Brownfield or Selective Data Transition
First comes the method, which is the technical route from ECC to S/4HANA. SAP PRESS describes selective data transition as the alternative to a new implementation or a system conversion. Consultants sometimes call it “bluefield,” but that is industry slang rather than an SAP term.
Method What moves Fits when Watch for New implementation (greenfield) Processes are redesigned, selected data is loaded Old processes no longer fit the business History and change effort System conversion (brownfield) The existing system converts with its history Processes still work and history matters Carrying old custom code forward Selective data transition Chosen configuration, master and transaction data Consolidating systems or keeping some history Tooling and specialist services
Selective data transition builds the target through shell conversion or a mix-and-match approach, with data moved by SAP’s Data Management and Landscape Transformation tools. Complex consolidations involve SAP Services and Support. For less complex cases, SAP Business Transformation Center comes without additional subscriptions.
Deployment: Cloud ERP Private, Public Edition or On-Premise
Next, the deployment model is a separate decision. SAP’s S/4HANA page describes the Public Edition as a highly standardized public cloud solution. The Private Edition, which SAP now sells as SAP Cloud ERP Private, keeps the extensibility of on-premise S/4HANA in a private cloud.
Meanwhile, on-premise S/4HANA remains an option for firms that need full control of the stack. There is also an infrastructure-led route, where the ERP stays as it is for now and moves to a hyperscaler. Microsoft’s guide to replatforming SAP workloads on Azure covers capacity planning, network design and migration with tools such as SAP DMO. Our post on data center modernization covers the facilities side of that move.
Commercial Wrappers: RISE With SAP and SAP GROW
RISE with SAP and SAP GROW are ways to buy, not ways to migrate. SAP pitches RISE with SAP as the way to “transform your on-premises ERP to the cloud.” It now also bundles AI assistants for system analysis, custom code, data management, configuration, testing, rollout and project management. It also includes activation of up to three Joule Assistants at no additional cost on SAP Cloud ERP Private.
SAP GROW is SAP’s entry point to cloud ERP, built on the Public Edition with preconfigured best practices. So it suits organizations outgrowing entry-level systems more than large ECC estates.
Staying put is also a choice, at least for a while. Some firms replace SAP maintenance with third-party support, an approach Rimini Street markets in partner content as modernizing without migrating . That buys time and budget, but it gives up SAP’s roadmap, and an S/4HANA move still waits at the end.
Match the Path to the Business Outcome
The right starting point depends on what hurts. The four scenarios below are illustrative and anonymized, not client stories.
Finance reporting first. A CFO needs one version of margin before the ERP decision, so the reporting layer moves first on governed SAP extracts.A heavily customized estate. Thousands of Z-objects make conversion risky, so code triage starts a year ahead of the method choice.Infrastructure resilience. An aging data center forces a hyperscaler move now, while the S/4HANA program follows later.AI blocked by data access. Assistants cannot answer because SAP data is locked in BW, so the data lane leads.In each case the ERP still has to move. What changes is which workstream goes first and which one waits.
Assess Readiness Before You Pick Tools
Readiness means evidence you can show. Before anyone compares platforms, the team needs a list of what exists, what it depends on and what would block a move.
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Forest River Case Study: Microsoft Fabric Readiness Assessment Before ERP Migration
See how a readiness assessment ran ahead of an ERP go-live, so the data platform and reports were ready before the new system switched on.
Inventory Systems, Interfaces, Custom Code and Reports
Start with four inventories, because each one feeds a later decision. List every SAP and non-SAP system with its version, and every interface with its owner. Then add every custom object with its usage and every report that a business process depends on. Usage data matters most, because code and reports nobody runs can simply retire.
Run SAP Readiness Check and a Custom Code Analysis
After the inventories, SAP’s own tool is the first evidence artifact. According to SAP’s Readiness Check overview , it covers simplification items, add-on compatibility, active business functions, sizing, custom code analysis, integration and data volume. Also, it is available on SAP for Me and SAP Cloud ALM, and it is included for customers with an active SAP maintenance agreement.
Data access also belongs on the same list. SAPinsider reports that SAP Note 3255746 restricts the ODP-RFC modules to data transfer between SAP applications. Since June 2026, a security patch also blocks unauthorized calls. So any third-party extractor built on that API is a readiness risk, and our guide to SAP data integration options compares the supported routes.
Classify Each Area as Ready, Conditional or Blocked
Area Evidence required Owner Blocking condition ERP core Readiness Check results, simplification items SAP program lead Unsupported add-ons with no replacement Custom code Usage-based code inventory Development lead Critical objects with no owner Integration Interface register with volumes Integration architect Extraction routes SAP no longer permits Data and reporting Report catalog, metric definitions, BW flows BI owner and finance No agreed definition for core metrics Security Role and authorization map Security lead Row-level rules that exist only in BW
Some teams then roll these findings into one readiness score. That is fine for a steering deck, as long as a single blocked item can stop the wave. A high average can still hide the one interface that halts invoicing.
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AI-Powered SAP ABAP Development Services
Kanerika analyzes and refactors legacy ABAP, prepares systems for S/4HANA and moves custom modifications to clean-core extensions with ABAP Cloud and RAP.
Explore SAP ABAP Services Modernize Custom Code and the Core
Custom code is where the past decade of SAP decisions lives. Every Z-report and user exit solved a real problem once, so the job is to sort them, not to delete them on principle.
Clean Core in One Paragraph
SAP states the goal in its clean core guidance , which says to “keep the core clean, standard, and upgrade-stable while still enabling business-specific differentiation where it counts.” It then grades extensions in four levels. Level A uses SAP Build and only released, stable interfaces, while Level B uses classic APIs. Level C touches internal objects, and Level D covers modifications SAP does not recommend. So clean core is not a ban on custom code, and our explainer on what a clean core requires in practice walks through each level.
Remediate, Retire or Move Z-Objects
Triage each object into one of three buckets. Unused code retires. Code the business still needs gets remediated for S/4HANA. But when it should not sit in the core, it moves side by side to SAP BTP or ABAP Cloud.
That work, however, needs developers who know both classic and modern ABAP. Our guide to modern ABAP development explains where that skill set is heading, while the RISE Custom Code assistant can speed up the analysis. Test automation pays off here too, because every remediated object needs a regression run before each wave.
Modernize SAP Data, BW and Reporting in Parallel
Reporting is where users judge the whole program. If the numbers in Monday’s sales review change after cutover, nobody remembers that the ERP went live on time.
The BW 7.5 Decision: BW/4HANA, Business Data Cloud or a Lakehouse
Analyst firm BARC sets out three options for BW 7.5 owners. The SAP-only route moves to BW/4HANA, maintained until 2040, or adopts SAP Business Data Cloud. A non-SAP route gives more flexibility, but BARC names access to SAP data as its main challenge.
The hybrid route uses Business Data Cloud for central semantics and a partner platform such as Databricks, Snowflake, Microsoft Fabric or Google BigQuery. BARC calls that concept new, with technical maturity still developing, and it advises a proof of concept before any commitment.
SAP Business Data Cloud packages curated data products built on SAP’s own process definitions, alongside Datasphere, SAP Analytics Cloud, BW and SAP Databricks. For more detail, our post on how SAP Business Data Cloud packages BW and Datasphere goes deeper.
Getting SAP Data Into Fabric, Power BI or Databricks
Microsoft documents mirroring SAP into Fabric through SAP Datasphere replication flows, and it supports S/4HANA, ECC, BW and BW/4HANA as sources. Fabric compute for replication is free. However, SAP Datasphere Premium Outbound Integration pricing applies. That cost line belongs in the business case from day one.
SAP and Microsoft have also announced Business Data Cloud Connect for Microsoft Fabric , with zero-copy sharing of SAP data products. General availability was planned for the third quarter of 2026, so check its current status before you design around it. Either way, Microsoft Fabric , Power BI and Databricks sit downstream of the extraction decision, not in place of it.
Keep Reports Trustworthy Through the Cutover
BusinessObjects shows why reporting is part of SAP modernization and not an afterthought. With BI 4.3 mainstream maintenance ending on December 31, 2026, many teams will move SAP BusinessObjects reports before their ERP moves at all. The forces pushing those reports toward Power BI, from rising costs to self-service demand and Fabric fit, are summarized in the BusinessObjects to Power BI infographic .
So write a reporting continuity contract before any report moves. It lists the critical reports and the metric definitions behind them. It also sets the history each one needs, the reconciliation tolerance per figure and the person who signs off. Then rebuild security early, since row-level security in Power BI rarely maps one to one from BW authorizations.
Run old and new reports side by side for at least one full close, and compare them with data reconciliation tools rather than by eye. Our broader guide to enterprise data modernization covers the platform choices, while the SAP-specific risk sits in semantics and extraction rights.
Build the SAP Modernization Roadmap
A good roadmap starts at the end. Take each system’s support horizon from the timeline above, then work backward through cutover, testing and build to find the latest safe start date. Planning forward from a kickoff date tends to discover the point of no return too late.
Migration ROI Calculator
Estimate the Return on Your SAP Reporting Migration
Model the effort and savings of moving SAP-era reports and data pipelines to a modern platform before you commit a budget line.
Calculate Migration ROI → Phase Deliverable Exit criterion Decision owner 0. Baseline Inventories, horizon map, value register Every system has a dated decision CIO and CFO 1. Pilot Proof of the riskiest assumption Assumption confirmed or plan changed Program lead 2. Foundations Target system, integration layer, data platform, security model Shared services pass their tests Enterprise architect 3. Waves ERP, code and reporting releases per wave Reconciled reports, signed test cycles Business process owners 4. Cutover and hypercare Go-live, support, legacy retirement Old system read-only, then switched off Steering committee
Phase 0: Baseline and Value Register
First, the baseline phase turns the inventories into a horizon map and a value register. The register records what each wave should improve, such as close duration, report latency or upgrade effort, with today’s measured value next to it. Otherwise, nobody can prove the program worked.
Phase 1: Pilot the Riskiest Assumption
Next, pick the assumption that would sink the plan if it were wrong. For example, it might be extraction throughput from ECC, a complex pricing extension, or a finance report that must match to the cent. Then test that one thing first, because a pilot that only proves the easy parts gives false comfort.
Phase 2: Foundations, Then Waves
Shared foundations then come before the waves that depend on them. That means the target system design, the integration layer, the data platform and the security model. After that, each wave bundles an ERP release with the code, interface and report changes it needs. So the three teams ship together instead of in sequence.
Our cloud migration roadmap covers wave planning for general workloads. SAP adds one rule, though, which is that ERP, integration and analytics releases share a calendar and a change freeze.
Cutover, Hypercare and Retiring Legacy
Before go-live, name the point of no return in writing. It is the moment after which rolling back costs more than fixing forward, and it usually falls days before go-live, not at it. Then rehearse cutover at least twice with production-sized data, and plan data migration testing for each rehearsal.
AI readiness also belongs in the same gate. Joule Assistants and SAP agents depend on governed data and clear permissions, so they work only as well as the data foundation beneath them. Our view of AI in ERP explains why assistants follow data readiness rather than replace it.
What Drives SAP Modernization Cost
No honest article can give you one price for SAP modernization, because the drivers vary so much between estates. So a worksheet helps more than a range.
Cost type What drives it One-time Number of systems, custom code volume, interfaces, data volume and history, report count Recurring Subscriptions, hosting, success plans, data platform compute, outbound integration licenses Coexistence Running old and new systems in parallel, dual maintenance, extended maintenance premiums Risk and control Availability targets, regulatory controls, audit evidence, test cycles
Still, a few cost levers are dated and public. Extended maintenance adds two percentage points, and the 2033 transition option adds a 20% uplift for 2026 private edition sign-ups. Also, SAP data in Fabric carries Datasphere Premium Outbound Integration charges. SAPinsider also reports that SAP has not yet disclosed the uplift for private edition sign-ups in 2027 or later. Waiting adds uncertainty as well as cost.
Even so, coexistence is the line teams underestimate most often. Each month that ECC, BW and the new platform run side by side adds licenses, hosting and two sets of support.
Mistakes That Derail SAP Modernization
The expensive failures in SAP programs tend to come from sequencing rather than technology. The table pairs each one with the early signal that shows it coming.
Checklist
Enterprise Data Modernization Checklist
A step-by-step checklist for scoping, sequencing and validating a data modernization program, from inventory to reconciliation and sign-off.
Get the Checklist → Failure Early warning Prevention Owner Custom code lifted as is No usage data in the code inventory Triage before the method choice Development lead Trusted reports break Metric definitions live in report formulas Continuity contract and parallel runs BI owner BW or BusinessObjects left until late No dated decision for either system Put both on the horizon map Program lead Coexistence underestimated Dual running missing from the budget Cost coexistence per wave Finance AI used to skip data work Assistant pilots on ungoverned extracts Gate AI on the data foundation Data governance lead
In particular, two of these failures share a cause. When reporting and BW sit outside the ERP plan, the go-live date arrives with no tested way to produce the numbers the business runs on.
The fix is ownership. Give each failure mode a named owner and a review date, and many of the common data migration risks shrink before they reach cutover.
How Kanerika Approaches SAP Modernization
Kanerika works on the parts of SAP modernization where data, code and reporting meet the ERP. On the reporting side, its published BusinessObjects migration framework runs in five steps. The team assesses the estate, rationalizes reports and converts them with FLIP. It then validates outputs against the source, cuts over in waves and retires the old platform.
On the code side, Kanerika’s SAP ABAP development services cover legacy code modernization, clean core adoption with ABAP Cloud and RAP, and AI-assisted development. For data, the team builds SAP pipelines with data integration services and a governed medallion architecture . Then data governance covers metric definitions and access.
Where FLIP Fits in an SAP Program
Reporting is also often the first wave. For SAP BusinessObjects migration to Power BI and Fabric , Kanerika uses FLIP-assisted automation to convert WebI reports and universes, then validates outputs before cutover. FLIP works on the reporting layer only, covering BusinessObjects and Crystal Reports, and it does not convert ECC, S/4HANA or ABAP.
Kanerika Service
SAP BusinessObjects Migration to Power BI and Microsoft Fabric
Convert WebI reports, universes and calculations with FLIP-assisted automation, rebuild them as governed semantic models and validate outputs before BI 4.3 support ends.
Explore BusinessObjects Migration Crystal Reports is an SAP product, so the same reporting-first work applies outside SAP ERP estates too. In one engagement, a material handling service provider running Oracle Cloud ERP moved its long-standing Crystal Reports estate to Power BI. It reached 90% logic accuracy in migration and a 95% reduction in reporting time. Our Crystal Reports to Power BI migration guide explains the method.
On credentials, Kanerika is a Microsoft Solutions Partner and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001, ISO 27701:2019, SOC 2 Type II and CMMI Level 3. If you are comparing partners, our roundup of application modernization companies lists the criteria worth asking about. To scope your own estate, book a call with our SAP and data team for an SAP estate and reporting assessment.
Wrapping Up
SAP modernization is a sequence, not a single migration. First, map every system to its 2027, 2030 or 2033 horizon. Then choose the method, deployment and commercial offer separately, and modernize data and reporting while the ERP work runs. Finally, gate each move on evidence, so the new core arrives with numbers the business already trusts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SAP modernization?
SAP modernization is a coordinated program that moves an SAP estate onto supported, upgrade-stable platforms. It covers the ERP core, custom code, integrations, data and reporting, and the operating model around them. An S/4HANA migration is usually the largest part, but the program also sequences BW, BusinessObjects and interface changes against their own support dates.
Is SAP modernization the same as an S/4HANA migration?
No. An S/4HANA migration changes the ERP product, while SAP modernization is the wider program around it. A company can finish the migration and still run the same brittle interfaces, old warehouse and hand-built reports. Modernization plans those workstreams together so the new core arrives with trusted data and supported reporting.
When does SAP ECC support end?
Mainstream maintenance for SAP Business Suite 7, including ECC, ends at the end of 2027. Optional extended maintenance runs from 2028 to 2030 at a premium. A paid transition option can extend ECC use from 2031 to 2033, but only for systems on SAP ERP, private edition on HANA that meet SAP’s published conditions.
Can we modernize SAP analytics before migrating the ERP?
Yes, and many teams should. Reporting can move to a governed platform such as Microsoft Fabric or Databricks while ECC still runs, provided the extraction route is permitted by SAP and the metric definitions are agreed first. With BusinessObjects 4.3 mainstream maintenance ending in December 2026, reporting often needs a decision before the ERP does.
What is the difference between greenfield, brownfield and selective data transition?
Greenfield is a new implementation with redesigned processes and selected data. Brownfield is a system conversion that keeps existing processes and history. Selective data transition builds a new S/4HANA system and moves chosen configuration, master and transaction data into it, which suits consolidations or estates that need some history but not all of it.
Does SAP modernization require moving to the cloud?
No. S/4HANA still runs on-premise, and some firms keep it there for control or regulatory reasons. The cloud choices are S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition and SAP Cloud ERP Private, often bought through RISE with SAP. A hyperscaler replatform is a further option that moves infrastructure first and the ERP product later.
How long does SAP modernization take?
There is no universal duration, because the timeline depends on the number of systems, the volume of custom code, interface count, data history and how many reports must be rebuilt. The safer approach is to plan backward from each system’s support date, add rehearsals and parallel runs, and find the latest safe start date.
How much does SAP modernization cost?
Cost depends on the estate rather than a standard range. One-time drivers include systems, custom code, interfaces, data volume and reports. Recurring costs cover subscriptions, hosting and data platform compute. Coexistence costs grow while old and new systems run side by side, and extended maintenance premiums add up for every year a decision waits.
What role does clean core play in SAP modernization?
Clean core keeps the ERP standard and upgrade-stable while extensions sit outside it on released interfaces. SAP grades extensions from Level A, which uses only released APIs, to Level D, which covers modifications it does not recommend. Clean core does not ban custom code. It moves differentiation to places that survive upgrades.
Do we need to modernize SAP BW?
If you run SAP BW 7.5, yes, because mainstream maintenance ends in 2027 with extended maintenance to 2030. The options are BW/4HANA, SAP Business Data Cloud, a non-SAP lakehouse, or a hybrid of Business Data Cloud semantics with a partner platform. Analysts advise a proof of concept before committing to the hybrid route.
