Keep the Core Clean

Updates, Best Practices, & Tools

25.02.2025
Steffen Pietsch
Vice President,
Head of BTP Product Management
SAP

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 Clean Core and the

Rope

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Keep the Core Clean

What is Clean Core?

Clean means up-to-date,

documented, unmodified,
consistent, efficient, and
cloud compliant.
CLEAN
Clean core is relevant and applicable for CORE
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition is
clean per definition.
Capabilities of the core depend on
the implemented software stack.

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Keep the Core Clean

Two sides of the coin

BE UP-TO-DATE BE ADAPTABLE
Keep your SAP products UPGRADE RUN Keep your system agile
up-to-date to leverage the to react proactive and fast
READINESS AGILE
latest Innovations from SAP on chaning market- and
and gain competitve edge. customer demands

STANDARDIZATION vs DIFFERENTIATION

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Keep the Core Clean

Two sides of the coin

BE UP-TO-DATE BE ADAPTABLE
Keep your SAP products UPGRADE RUN Keep your system agile
up-to-date to leverage the to react proactive and fast
READINESS AGILE
latest Innovations from SAP on chaning market- and
and gain competitve edge. customer demands

STANDARDIZATION & DIFFERENTIATION

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Keep the Core Clean

Clean Core

How to keep the core clean

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Addressing clean core and the individual dimensions

BUSINESS PROCESSES Keep competitiveness while reducing complexity. 1

EXTENSIBILITY Decouple extensions from standard. 2

DATA Control data according to latest standards. 3

INTEGRATION Keep the landscape reliable and flexible. 4

OPERATIONS Keep the operations effective and efficient. 5

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Keep the Core Clean

Extensibility model for SAP S/4HANA – Decoupling SAP and custom code is key

On-stack Side-by-side
SAP S/4HANA Cloud SAP BTP

SAP S/4HANA Cloud

TIER 1 TIER 1
Public ABAP Cloud SAP Build
Edition (key user and developer extensibility) (ABAP Cloud, Java, JavaScript, and Clean
low-code/no-code capabilities)
Renovate
or
Core
innovate

SAP S/4HANA Cloud

TIER 2
Cloud API enablement
Private Not
Edition Clean
TIER 3
Classical ABAP development Core

Retire
Adapt
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Keep the Core Clean

When to use which extensibility option?

SIDE-BY-SIDE EXTENSIBILITY ON SAP BTP
ON-STACK
ON-STACK Can or should be decoupled (loosely coupled) from SAP S/4HANA core
KEY USER
KEY USER OR
OR DEVELOPER
DEVELOPER
EXTENSIBILITY
EXTENSIBILITY Is a hub scenario (that is, integrates with SAP and third-party solutions and services)

Part of a highly integrated business process of the Is a partner solution or partner innovation (partner-led)
SAP S/4HANA core (such as a custom process extension)

Extending an existing SAP S/4HANA core app Requires heavy mobile usage or to be used in offline scenarios
(such as custom fields)

Requires process automation for SAP S/4HANA proc. or across multiple systems
Depends on fast SQL access to SAP data, heavy data exchange
to SAP BTP would increase TCO or performance

Is intended for users without access to SAP S/4HANA system

Strong consistency with SAP transactions
(such as updates in the same logical unit of work)

Requires scalability/elasticity in peak load scenarios

Custom remote API to drive side-by-side extension

Benefits from frequent shipments and changes (CI/CD) of the extension

Benefits from a broad spectrum of developers with different skill sets

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Keep the Core Clean

Extensibility model for SAP S/4HANA – Decoupling SAP and custom code is key

#11,554 total APIs for Clean Core

On-stack Side-by-side
SAP S/4HANA Cloud SAP BTP
#8,887 publicly
SAP S/4HANA Cloud available APIs
TIER 1 TIER 1
Public ABAP Cloud SAP Build
Edition (key user and developer extensibility) (ABAP Cloud, Java, JavaScript, and Clean
low-code/no-code capabilities)
Renovate
or
Core
innovate

SAP S/4HANA Cloud

TIER 2 #2,667
Cloud API enablement nominated APIs
Private Not
Edition Clean
TIER 3
Classical ABAP development Core

Retire
Adapt
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Keep the Core Clean

Consuming nominated APIs within Build Code

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Keep the Core Clean

Identify APIs for SAP S/4HANA

1 2 3

Discover Tier 1 APIs on Discover Tier 2 nominated classic APIs on Request new APIs on the
SAP Business Accelerator Hub Cloudification Repository Viewer & check out the announcement blog post Customer Influence Portal

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Keep the Core Clean

Clean Core

Latest Product Innovations

to support Clean Core Execution

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Extensibility Portfolio for SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Low-code SAP Build

Low-code applications SAP Build Apps

Key user Extensions for Workflows and SAP Build Process
extensibility for SAP applications automations Automation
SAP S/4HANA
Digital workspaces SAP Build Work Zone

Joule copilot

Side-by-side extensibility
On-stack extensibility
Prebuilt content
and templates
Full-stack applications
Full-stack applications
Cloud developer Integrations SAP Build Code
Integrations
extensibility for Partner multitenant SAP BTP, ABAP
Extensions for
SAP S/4HANA SaaS applications and environment
SAP applications
add-ons

Pro-code

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Accelerate your development with Joule in ABAP development tools

Generate accurate cloud compliant code

Generate (unit) tests for ABAP & CDS objects

Explain ABAP Cloud Code

Create your own intelligent ABAP scenarios

Check out
more details in
our blog post!

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Turbocharge your application development with generative AI in SAP Build Code

Automated generation by Joule of data

models, app logic, and UIs for SAP Fiori

Automated generative-AI unit test coverage

Contextual application-logic code

generation based on prompts

Automatic sample-data generation

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RISE with SAP Methodology Dashboard
Demo

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Keep the Core Clean

Keep the Core Clean

RISE Methodology – supports your

journey towards a Clean Core

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Keep the Core Clean

RISE with SAP Methodology

Transformation and continuous

innovation at your own pace

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Keep the Core Clean

RISE with SAP Methodology

Standardized Framework
The standardized framework features an enhanced SAP Activate project road map tailored specifically for
RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition. It includes task descriptors and accelerators, the clean core success
plan, and quality gates to ensure adherence to clean core principles at every stage of the journey.

Project roadmap

Discover Prepare Explore Realize Deploy Run

Analyze your existing Onboard enablement, Explore and plan Realize value with Deploy the configured Run operational
IT architecture, project preparation, business process fit- solution adoption, productive system. excellence and user
business processes, and setup. to-standard analysis, configuration, test support.
AI activation and final
and operations. extension, integration, preparation, and
Implement clean core test execution. Achieve continuous
and data and execution according
Discover the target strategy and success innovation and
analytics. to a business
scope and value plan setup. business process
transformation road
proposition. Establish a necessary transformation
map.
governance model focused on
opportunities' for
growth.

Quality gate Quality gate Quality gate Quality gate

+ additional QGs on request

The project milestones for the clean core quality gates ensure adherence to the clean core success plan and project KPI’s.

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 RISE with SAP Methodology

Discover Prepare Explore Realize Deploy Run

Contract start Go-Live

Embedded Launch Activities (EMLA)

1st Welcome & 1:1

2nd Project 1:m 3rd Project 4th Project 1:m
5th Go-Live 1:m
1:m
Introduction Readiness Guidance Progress Preparation
1:1 calls with customer project team 1:many live webinar with recordings

1:1 introduction and enablement sessions

• RISE entitlements
• SAP ACTIVATE and Delivered by
Clean Core Success Plan SAP Onboarding
• Cloud ALM
Team
• Clean Core Quality Gate and Report
• Transformation Incentive request Tools SAP ACTIVATE

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Keep the Core Clean

Where are you on your Clean Core Journey?

Greenfield
- Unique opportunity to follow Clean Core principles right from the beginning by establishing a strong governance
RISE
Brownfield*
Journey - Establish Clean Core governance and drive for every NEW development
- Plan your journey towards a clean core and follow an iterative approach

1
Understand
2
Define
3
Analyze
4
Adopt
5
Build
6Operate
Clean core customer specific existing Governance clean core continuous
concepts clean objectives & custom code* extension extensions governance and
core strategy guidelines and clean core
methodologies extensions

RISE with SAP A standardized methodology & framework to transform your business
Methodology and enable continuous innovation

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Keep the Core Clean

Your Path to Clean Core

Tools & Assets
Path to Clean Core

1 2 3 4 5 6
Clean Core concept Create customer specific Analyze existing Adopt extension guidelines Build Clean Core
and definition Clean Core strategy custom code and methodologies Extensions operations

a) Introduction to a) Application of Clean Core a) Classify to clusters a) Fit gap analysis resulting a) Use the 3-Tier model a) Document technical debt
Clean Core concepts concepts to customer and prioritize in Gap list (RICEFW) (Extensibility guidelines)
specific requirements b) Establish Clean Core
b) Retire unused objects b) Fit to standard including b) Adopt ABAP Development governance
validating gaps against Tools (ADT) for
c) Create Re-design / future product roadmap development c) Embed in Business
Re-platform list Transformation Journey
c) Design clean extensions c) Use SAP Business
following Application Technology Platform (BTP)
Extension Methodology for re-platforming
(AEM) and Integration
Solution Advisory
Methodology (ISAM)

TOOLS & LEARNINGS

→ PoV ERP Clean Core strategy → Transformation with a → Intelligent Custom Code → SAP Signavio Fit-to-Standard → ABAP development tool → SAP4ME Clean Core
Clean Core – Overview Management (iCCM) Analysis dashboard
→ Clean Core extensibility – → Develop Clean Core
Overview → Extensibility options for Clean → ABAP test cockpit → SAP BTP Guidance extensions → ABAP test cockpit
Core Framework
→ ABAP Call Monitor – SCMON → BTP Overview → BTP Overview
→ Clean Core Extensibility – → Extensibility Explorer
Deep Dive → Discovery Center → Cloud ALM
→ SAP Application Extension
Methodology (AEM) → API reference guide → ERP Transformation using
LeanIX
→ SAP Integration Solution → ABAP Cloud technical use
Advisory Methodology (ISAM) cases reference guide

→ ABAP extensibility guide

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Operations Guide for S/4HANA and S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition 2023

Key Insights on:

• Step-by-Step Guideline to set up the 3-Tier

Extensibility Model in S/4HANA Cloud Private Ed.

• Recommended Read: Chapter 4.7

• References ABAP Platform in SAP Help Portal

Check out Operations Guide at:

https://url.sap/v1m1pg

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 Learn more about Clean Core Extensibility
Clean Core Whitepaper

Key Insights on:

• Clean core strategy for SAP S/4HANA Cloud

extensibility

• The evolution of SAP Build into a unified, AI-

enabled clean-core extensibility solution

• Guidance on when to use what

Check out Clean core extensibility for

SAP S/4HANA Cloud at:
https://url.sap/bc5e0h

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 Learn more about Clean Core Business Processes
Clean Core Whitepaper

Key Insights on:

• Clean core strategy for SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Business Processes

• SAP Activate Methodology & Business Process

Management

• Fit to Standard in S/4HANA Cloud

Check out Clean core Business

Processes for SAP S/4HANA Cloud at:
https://url.sap/bqs7mm

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 Thank you!

Connect with
me on LinkedIn!
Steffen Pietsch
steffen.pietsch01@sap.com

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