Exploring the Clean Core Concept​

A system with a clean core has the following characteristics:

• Minimalism: The clean core promotes simplicity by identifying and eliminating redundant or obsolete functionalities, ensuring only essential components remain.
• Modularity: It facilitates dividing a complex ERP system into modular components that are loosely coupled, enabling easier maintenance and adaptability.
• Scalability: A clean core architecture allows the ERP system to accommodate growth and change without sacrificing performance or stability.
• Maintainability: By removing unnecessary complexities, it streamlines the code base, making it easier for developers to understand, modify, or enhance the ERP system.
• Stability and Reliability: A clean core fosters stability by reducing dependencies and making it less prone to bugs and inconsistencies, and improving the system's reliability.

By "Core" we are referring to several "dimensions" (or "pillars" if you prefer), each one of which represents a different way that a customer can think about and analyze their ERP system. Those dimensions are:

• Processes: Actions presented in an end-to-end sequence
• Extensions: Added functionality beyond the standard ERP software
• Data: Configuration, master, and transactional data
• Integrations: Communication between solutions
• Operations: Ongoing governance and monitoring

By "Clean" we mean that for each dimension listed above, a set of best practices, methodologies, and tools exist. If these are used, they allow the customer to consider that dimension to be "clean". These best practices, methodologies, and tools are specific for each dimension.

Guidance in how to address each dimension over the course of an implementation project can be found in the relevant SAP Activate Methodology roadmap that accompanies the product to be implemented. The roadmap includes a list of tasks and deliverables that need to be completed to successfully implement the solution, along with resources ("accelerators") to support the implementation team in completing each task.

A clean core is a system that adheres closely to standards, maintains high-quality master data, and features optimal process design, while supporting cloud-compliant extensions and integrations. It allows you to adapt your system to changing business requirements and to adopt new capabilities.

• The best case scenario describes an up-to-date system on the latest release, with cloud-compliant extensions and integrations, excellent master data quality, and perfect process design. A newly provisioned SAP S/4HANA Cloud (Public or Private Edition) system using standard business processes from SAP Signavio Process Navigator is "clean" by definition. The goal is to continue to keep the system clean moving forward as extensions and integrations are built, and as data is migrated into the system.
• For example, rather than building complex extensions directly in the SAP S/4HANA Cloud system, they can be hosted in SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) to separate the extension from the core ERP software. SAP BTP can be used again to build and host an integration that connects the extension to the target system. There are services on SAP BTP that support low/no-code development (SAP Build Apps, Process Automation) and services that support pro-code development (Business Application Studio, ABAP environment, SAP Build Code) along with integration services (Integration Suite, Connectivity Service) described in the SAP Discovery Center.
• For ongoing operations, customers should establish a Customer Center of Expertise as a governing body to stay up-to-date with future release upgrades and connect different areas of the business with the IT team to make critical decisions, such as whether or not to activate new functionality that has just become available. The customer's IT team should use the SAP Cloud ALM Operations apps that are included in their Enterprise Support for cloud editions at no additional cost to maintain the health of their entire landscape of systems.
• *Greenfield**: The clean core strategy summarizes all necessary activities to stay clean (to keep a system updated) and achieve efficient standard processes, including modern extensibility and integration options, as well as data governance.
• *Brownfield**: The clean core strategy summarizes all needed activities to "get clean" and "stay clean" (achieve and maintain a clean core) and bring a system closer to efficient standard processes. That includes the transformation from traditional custom code to modern extensibility, integration capabilities, and data cleansing.
• A concrete clean core roadmap depends on the implementation type (greenfield or brownfield) and the target architecture (private cloud, public cloud, or hybrid solutions).

*Greenfield: New implementation that includes starting afresh with SAP S/4HANA Box, complete re-engineering of process with required process simplification.

*Brownfield: Reusing existing (as-is) processes with minimum business disruption, System Conversion with required SAP S/4HANA simplification/mandatory innovations.

** This also applies to selective data transition as a third migration technique which combines the greenfield and brownfield approach.

Maintaining a clean core is essential for ensuring the integrity and efficiency of our system. Below are the guiding principles for maintaining a clean core.

1. Avoid
   • Avoid extensions where not necessary
   • Stay as close as possible to SAP standard
2. Be Aware
   • Know your technical debts and evaluate them on a regular basis
   • Establish a binding governance framework
3. Cloud Ready
   • Extend and Integrate in a stable and transparent manner
   • Apply a zero-modification policy
4. Decouple
   • Leverage BTP as a platform to innovate for additional differentiation
   • Automate with standard APIs and Events

Watch the following video to learn more about the five key dimensions of Clean Core and their benefits.

The concepts of clean core play a pivotal role in achieving efficiency, scalability, and reduced technical debt.

By eliminating unnecessary complexities and focusing on essential functions, developers can streamline ERP systems, leading to improved performance, stability, and maintainability.

Understanding the business needs for a clean core underscores its significance in ERP implementation. By embracing minimalism, modularity, scalability, and maintainability, developers can build ERP systems that align with business objectives, enhance productivity, and position organizations for growth in a dynamic market.