Organisations implementing or upgrading SAP face a critical decision:
Should they customise the system to fit their processes, or focus on configuration and standard apps from SAP and third parties?
Customisation has its merits, allowing solutions to align closely with existing processes.
However, by restricting customisation to essential areas and prioritising configuration and standard solutions, businesses can mitigate risk, control costs, and simplify long-term maintenance.
The Pitfalls of Customisation
Customisation is often pursued to maintain legacy business practices that may be perceived as unique. However, these processes are frequently outdated and based on old technology, leading to inefficiencies rather than improvements.
Custom ERP projects frequently exceed budgets and timelines due to poor requirements definition, unforeseen complexity, integration challenges, and extensive testing demands.
Additionally, customisation introduces major obstacles when upgrading, particularly due to reliance on custom code that requires continuous maintenance, making future scalability more difficult.
Why Configuration and SAP Apps Win
SAP’s powerful configuration options allow businesses to tailor their systems effectively while avoiding unnecessary customisation.
SAP Fiori and third-party applications enhance SAP functionality while maintaining flexibility and ease of integration. Although they may not perfectly match every internal process, a gap analysis can determine where workflow adjustments are more beneficial than costly modifications.
This ensures faster implementation, lower costs, and easier upgrades.
Conclusion
Configuration and standard applications provide tried-and-tested solutions that reduce risk, improve maintainability, and allow businesses to leverage vendor-supported updates without heavy reliance on in-house development teams.
Rather than forcing SAP to accommodate outdated processes, businesses should leverage modern solutions – such as SAP Fiori and third-party applications – to optimise efficiency and fuel long-term growth.
📩 Contact us today to learn more about our standard apps.
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