In today's digital business world, companies need to make their IT infrastructures lean, efficient and future-proof. One promising strategy is the clean core approach for ERP systems. But what exactly does clean core mean and what advantages does this strategy offer?
This article provides you with a comprehensive introduction to the SAP Clean Core strategy. We explain why it is so important for optimizing your business processes and what benefits it offers you.
What is Clean Core?
SAP Clean Core is a strategy in which the SAP S/4HANA system is freed from unnecessary adjustments or prepared for them. The aim is to keep the core processes standardized and efficient. The system remains lean and complexity is reduced. Only essential adjustments and enhancements are made.
Clean Core advantages
- Reduction in maintenance costs: A clean core means fewer customizations that need to be maintained. This leads to considerable cost savings in IT maintenance.
- Increased system stability: Fewer adjustments minimize the risk of system failures and errors. This increases the reliability and stability of the SAP S/4HANA system.
- Faster updates and upgrades: A clean core enables faster and simpler updates and upgrades, as fewer user-defined customizations need to be taken into account.
- Automation and increased efficiency: A standardized system promotes the automation of business processes, which leads to higher efficiency gains and lower error rates.
- Flexibility and scalability: A lean ERP system is easier to adapt and scale to new business requirements, which increases the agility of the company.
The path to a clean core
The implementation of a clean core strategy requires careful planning and execution. The following steps are essential and serve to ensure the successful implementation of this strategy.
- Inventory of current customizations: Start with a comprehensive analysis of your existing ERP system to identify all customizations and in-house developments.
- Evaluate the need for customizations: Check which customizations are actually necessary and which can be eliminated or replaced by standard functions.
- Clean-up and optimization: Remove unnecessary adjustments and optimize the remaining ones to reduce complexity.
- Standardization of processes: Implement standardized business processes to promote efficiency and automation.
- Continuous monitoring and improvement: Implement a continuous improvement process to ensure that your ERP system is always running optimally and meets current business requirements.
A clean core approach offers numerous advantages for companies that want to make their ERP systems lean, efficient and future-proof. By reducing customization and standardizing processes, companies can achieve significant cost savings while increasing the flexibility and agility of their IT infrastructure.
Especially in the context of the S/4HANA transformation, the Clean Core strategy is crucial as it simplifies and accelerates the transition to S/4HANA by reducing system complexity and minimizing adaptation costs.
Companies that are still facing the brownfield transformation will benefit from implementing the clean core strategy at an early stage, as this will enable them to ensure the efficiency and stability of their future system.
After a brownfield transformation, companies should think about clean core in order to eliminate existing inefficiencies and improve the performance of their system in the long term.
Secure the benefits of the Clean Core strategy
Are you ready to embark on the path to a clean core in your company? Our SAP Clean Core Assessment at objective partner offers you a comprehensive evaluation of your current SAP ERP landscape and tailored recommendations for optimizing your systems. Contact us today to find out more and to arrange an appointment for your personal assessment.
