The Foundation of Clean Core
SAP Clean Core represents a fundamental shift in how organizations approach SAP system extensions and modifications. This architectural principle ensures that your SAP landscape remains flexible, upgradeable, and ready to adopt new innovations without compromising system integrity.
What is Clean Core?
Clean Core is an architectural approach that preserves the integrity of your SAP standard system while enabling necessary business-specific extensions. Rather than modifying standard SAP code directly, Clean Core advocates for building extensions using modern, cloud-based technologies that sit alongside your core SAP system.
This separation of concerns ensures that SAP can deliver updates and innovations without breaking your custom functionality. It also reduces technical debt and simplifies system maintenance over time.
Key Principles
The Clean Core methodology rests on several fundamental principles. First, avoid modifications to standard SAP code whenever possible. Instead, use extension points and APIs provided by SAP. Second, build custom functionality using side-by-side extensions on SAP Business Technology Platform rather than in-app modifications.
Third, leverage SAP-provided tools and services for integration and extension development. Finally, maintain clear documentation and governance around all extensions to ensure long-term maintainability.
Implementation Strategies
Implementing Clean Core requires a strategic approach. Begin by assessing your current modifications and custom code. Categorize these enhancements by business criticality and technical complexity. This assessment helps prioritize which modifications to remediate first.
For new development, establish clear guidelines that mandate Clean Core principles. This includes using SAP Business Technology Platform for extensions, leveraging standard APIs, and avoiding direct database modifications.
Benefits of Clean Core
Organizations that adopt Clean Core principles experience numerous benefits. System upgrades become faster and less risky since custom code doesn't interfere with standard SAP functionality. The total cost of ownership decreases as system complexity reduces.
Additionally, Clean Core enables faster innovation adoption. When SAP releases new features or capabilities, organizations can implement them without extensive compatibility testing or code remediation.
Overcoming Challenges
Transitioning to Clean Core can be challenging, especially for organizations with extensive custom code. Change management is crucial, as development teams must adopt new practices and tools. Initial implementation may require significant effort to remediate existing modifications.
However, the long-term benefits far outweigh these initial challenges. Organizations that commit to Clean Core position themselves for sustained success with SAP technology.