Don't Lose Your Capability, Check Your SAP Compatibility
Read the blog from Jon Gregory as he reveals why maintaining compatibility within your SAP S/4HANA systems is critical.
Maintaining Compatibility within your SAP S/4HANA Systems is Critical
As the landscape of enterprise technology continues to evolve, maintaining compatibility within your SAP S/4HANA systems is critical. Many businesses, particularly early adopters of SAP S/4HANA, have benefited from specific functional capabilities termed ‘in compatibility’. These allow the continued use of legacy SAP ECC ERP application code, facilitating a smoother transition to the newer S/4HANA suite.
Understanding Compatibility Use Rights
It’s crucial to note that these compatibility capabilities are not indefinite. According to the SAP Use Rights agreement, the permission to use these legacy ECC components expires on December 31, 2025. This expiration is a legal cutoff—it does not signify an end of support but a deadline after which the use of these functionalities will no longer be legally compliant.
For SAP S/4HANA systems under a RISE with SAP agreement, the Compatibility Pack use right will expire Dec 31, 2030.
To assist the SAP community in navigating this transition, NTT DATA Business Solutions is offering new customers a complimentary service to help identify any potential risks associated with the use of Compatibility Packages within your S/4HANA environment. This is an essential step to ensure continued legal and functional alignment with SAP’s current offerings.
Our Approach to Ensuring Your Compliance
Our process begins with supporting you to undertake a review of your Early Watch reports in order to identify any Compatibility Packages currently in use. This analysis will be followed by a detailed review of application usage, ensuring that every aspect of your SAP deployment is accounted for.
Initial Assessment: Supporting you to undertake a review of available Early Watch reports to pinpoint active Compatibility Packages.
Usage Verification: Verifying actual application usage against deployed capabilities.
Strategic Meeting: Scheduling a discussion to validate findings and explore implications for your business.
Roadmap Development: Offering alternative strategies and developing a tailored roadmap to align with SAP’s modern solutions well before the December 2025 deadline.
Stay Ahead of the Curve
Transitioning away from these compatibility features requires careful planning and execution. By taking proactive steps now, you can ensure that your SAP systems do not just remain compliant, but also fully leverage the advanced capabilities of S/4HANA.
For more detailed information on the affected application components and to understand how this may impact your business operations, please refer to SAP Note 2269324 and the Compatibility Scope Matrix.
At NTT DATA Business Solutions, we are committed to supporting your journey towards a modern, efficient, and compliant SAP environment. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you in maintaining the integrity and performance of your SAP systems.
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What Steps Should I Take?
As enterprise technology evolves, maintaining compatibility within your SAP S/4HANA systems is more critical than ever. Early adopters of SAP S/4HANA have benefited from Compatibility Use Rights, allowing them to continue using legacy SAP ECC ERP application code. However, these rights are set to expire on December 31, 2025. Watch as Jon Gregory and Stephen Jerram discuss what steps you should be taking.