SAP Clean Core Practice Guide: How to leverage Neptune to shed the burden of customization and accelerate S/4HANA transformation?
by NTT DATA
SAP Clean Core practices focus on S/4HANA transformation, extracting customized logic from the SAP core through the Neptune DX Platform. This reduces technical debt, accelerates upgrades, strengthens mobile and AI applications, and helps enterprises achieve stable and sustainable ERP modernization.
In the wave of digital transformation, many companies face the same anxiety: when SAP officially announces that ECC will soon be discontinued, how should companies deal with the thousands of customized programs accumulated over the past two decades?
According to statistics, up to 95% of SAP customers have deeply customized their systems. While these complex programs met past business needs, they also became a heavy “technical debt” when upgrading to S/4HANA .
How can a company retain its unique competitive advantage (customized processes) while also having a stable and easily upgradeable ” Clean Core “? This is precisely the core pain point that NTT DATA, in collaboration with Neptune Software, aims to solve for businesses.
Why is “Clean Core” the key to S/4HANA’s transformation?
In the past, companies were accustomed to writing ABAP programs directly within the SAP Core . Over time, the core system became bloated, and each small patch or version upgrade required months of compatibility testing.
The core concept of ” Clean Core ” is not “non-customization,” but rather a ” Side-by-Side ” extension strategy.
Its goal is to extract customization logic from the core ERP and execute it on an external development platform. In this way:
- Zero-barrier upgrades: The core system remains standardized, making upgrades as simple as updating a mobile app .
- Reduced maintenance costs: By reducing reliance on the core underlying layer, IT teams can focus more on business innovation.
- Response to market demands: External platforms enable faster development and quick integration with mobile devices and AI applications.
Neptune DX Platform: The Best Tool for Implementing Clean Core
Among the many low -code platforms, why is Neptune the preferred choice for SAP customers?
Because it is the only development platform in the world that has been certified by SAP and can be directly embedded into the SAP architecture.
1. No middleware required, instant data integration: Neptune’s greatest advantage lies in its direct installation within SAP’s NetWeaver layer. This means developers can directly call existing BAPIs, RFCs, or OData without purchasing expensive middleware or migrating SAP data to the cloud. This maximizes development efficiency while ensuring data security and privacy.
2. Overcoming the Bottleneck of High Reliance on ABAP Talent:
Traditional SAP customization relies heavily on ABAP personnel. Neptune, through its low-code development model, allows web developers (Java, JavaScript) to quickly engage in SAP application development. This not only significantly reduces reliance on ABAP manpower but also shortens the time from requirement to deployment, enabling IT teams to respond to business needs more quickly.
3. Cross-system integration and mobile experience:
Neptune offers highly flexible integration capabilities, not only for SAP, but also seamlessly connecting to Oracle, Microsoft, and other third-party systems. Saint-Gobain Advanced Materials Inc. has used Neptune to reduce its previously time-consuming and cumbersome procurement and forecasting processes from two weeks to two days, and it is perfectly adapted to the usage scenarios of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
The future is here: Deep integration of generative AI and SAP
With the rise of AI, Neptune has launched its AI assistant, Naia. Built on the Clean Core architecture, Naia can help developers automatically generate code, optimize process logic, and even enable non-technical personnel (Citizen Developers) within enterprises to quickly produce Fiori interface apps that meet specifications by describing their requirements in natural language.
This not only improves development efficiency, but also empowers SAP systems with the ability to make “real-time decisions”.
NTT DATA: Your SAP Modernization and Transformation Expert
Implementing Clean Core is an architectural transformation that requires professional consultants with a deep understanding of SAP standard functions and enterprise business processes.
As a global strategic partner of SAP, NTT DATA has the following advantages:
- Deep technical expertise: We have extensive experience migrating from ECC to S/4HANA , enabling us to accurately assess which custom add-ons should be removed and which should be modernized through Neptune .
- Neptune’s deployment capabilities: From system architecture design to UI/UX development, we assist enterprises in quickly establishing a side-by-side development model, ensuring that the transformation process does not affect the operation of the production environment.
- Global success stories: Combining international case studies with local Taiwanese industry knowledge, we provide tailored transformation paths for manufacturing, retail, and high-tech industries.
Start your Clean Core test now.
Don’t let yesterday’s customized programs become obstacles to tomorrow’s innovation. Through the powerful collaboration between NTT DATA and Neptune, you can gracefully shed technical debt and move towards an agile, modern S/4HANA era.
Want to know how much “technical debt” your SAP system has that can be converted into modern applications? Contact NTT DATA experts today to schedule a Clean Core fitness assessment consultation.
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