Clean Core Strategy: Building Sustainable SAP Implementations

Clean Core Strategy: Building Sustainable SAP Implementations

Clean Core is a philosophy that emphasizes using SAP solutions as delivered, with minimal customizations. This approach delivers significant long-term benefits.

What is Clean Core?

Clean Core means:

- Using standard functionality before customizing

- Minimizing code modifications

- Leveraging configuration instead of development

- Adopting SAP's best practices

Why Clean Core Matters

Lower Total Cost of Ownership

- Fewer customizations to maintain

- Easier system updates and patches

- Reduced developer resource needs

Faster Upgrades

- Standard functionality updates smoothly

- Fewer regressions to test

- Quicker time to new features

Better Sustainability

- Simpler systems are easier to support

- Less technical debt

- Better knowledge transfer

Implementation Principles

1. **Adopt Standard Processes**: Use SAP's industry best practices

2. **Configure, Don't Customize**: Use configuration tables and settings first

3. **Limit Custom Code**: Only develop when standard functionality cannot meet needs

4. **Modular Design**: Use enhancements and extensions to isolate customizations

5. **Continuous Improvement**: Regularly review and reduce customizations

Practical Steps

- Assess current customizations

- Evaluate which customizations add real business value

- Plan remediation for non-critical customizations

- Establish governance for future changes

- Build team skills in standard functionality

Expected Outcomes

- 30-40% reduction in custom code

- Faster system upgrades

- Lower support costs

- Better system stability

- Improved team agility

Clean Core is not about eliminating all customization but about being intentional and disciplined in extending standard systems.