BTP Credit Points

Cloud is complex and expensive

SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) is a cloud product and is therefore subject to a subscription model. There are credit points that can be used for various BTP services. Because there are so many different tools and services on the BTP, this license model can also have advantages.

At the end of the year, however, the BTP license balance is reset to zero. This means that existing SAP customers lose their unused credit points. This license model is somewhat reminiscent of old mobile phone provider contracts: What has not been used up expires! This concept can perhaps be tolerated in the context of an ongoing cell phone contract, but there should be better solutions in the B2B license area for cloud applications.

The end of NetWeaver PI/PO in 2027

The migration from SAP PI/PO by 2027 will be a major challenge for many existing mid-sized SAP customers: for an optimal migration, there is usually not only a lack of personnel and technical resources, but also the necessary expertise. A migration check and subsequent system support from an external provider can help here.

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PI/PO migration check

When implementing a NetWeaver conversion, it is possible to manually migrate the configurations from SAP PI/PO to the SAP Integration Suite. SAP also provides the Migration Assessment tool, which creates a list of the configuration objects and the expected migration complexity.

However, a thorough review of the results provided is recommended, as the simple automated migration with the SAP Migration Tool has its weaknesses. For example, it is possible that legacy data is transferred to the new landscape and complex scenarios or functional gaps are not considered in the necessary depth. The opportunity for a significant streamlining of processes and the associated cost reduction would therefore be wasted. In addition, certain scenarios cannot be adopted without customization. SAP's tools cannot completely replace the know-how and manual work of IT experts, meaning that human resources with the appropriate qualifications are required in any case.

SAP Business Technology Platform

The migration path envisaged by SAP is clearly defined and leads to the SAP Integration Suite, a cloud service within BTP. However, switching to a cloud architecture is not a simple system change, but rather a realignment of the system design, for which there is a lot to consider. The complexity and existing functional gaps in the successor solution add to the complexity.

It may therefore be advisable to first carry out an in-depth system and risk analysis as part of a migration check, which also allows individual scope for considering possible alternatives such as a change of operating model.

BTP alternatives

The Conceto CIS/4 cloud operating model combines a cloud platform architecture with human manpower, so that an internal SAP Basis team (CCC or CCoE) is supported and relieved. Instead of having to operate the SAP Integration Suite themselves at great expense, existing SAP customers can rely on experts such as Conceto or Confluent with extensive SAP ERP and integration expertise.

However, switching to a new integration environment can have numerous positive aspects. For example, existing SAP customers benefit from current compliance and security standards as well as modern API scenarios, which, in addition to cost-reducing consolidation of the existing interface architecture, also form the basis for the simple use of future requirements.

There are various middleware platforms to choose from for the migration, but the SAP Integration Suite is the logical successor system for SAP PI/PO users. For them, the changeover offers the opportunity to rethink the integration landscape of the existing on-prem system and exploit the potential of the cloud-based solution. However, if existing SAP customers only have limited IT resources, the changeover can also pose major challenges - be it due to a lack of personnel, a lack of knowledge or limited financial resources.

Uncertain S/4 BTP future

According to a recent survey conducted by Precisely together with the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG), 57 percent of existing SAP customers have multiple environments depending on the different use cases. With multiple SAP clients in different departments, the user experience can be complex and resource-intensive. These companies face challenges in optimizing data creation, capture and management, which slows down process automation across the organization and hinders progress in S/4 and BTP migration.