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In today’s world, customers have a nearly limitless array of services and products choose from. With this abundance of choice, customers now expect companies to consistently deliver the products or services –and if they don’t, the customer can always find another supplier. 53% of customers believe that in a few years, they will prefer interacting with AI-powered agents due to lack of human error.
What is “Clean Core” Strategy?
Enterprises must therefore be proactive about adapting a business core system with the technology to foster agility and flexibility to deliver value faster, more efficiently and adapt new business needs. RISE with SAP S/4 HANA methodology cultivates “Clean Core” strategy which enables core with the capabilities which can consume latest innovation and AI features, have smoother future upgrades.
So, in a Nutshell, “Core Core” refers to an ERP system in the latest release with cloud compliant extension and Integration, with standardize business process and quality, consistent data. It is not only important to keep the “Core” clean but also “Lean”. Here “Lean” refers to taking out the extensions that are not required so that upgrades will be easier and faster.
’CLEAN CORE’ is an approach to get and keep the organizations core enterprise management systems clean for better ‘maintainability’ and lower total cost of ownership (TCO). More information: ERP Clean Core Strategy | Move to cloud ERP and run on the core (sap.com)
What are Clean Core Dimensions?
The various dimensions of “Clean Core” Approach are –
- Business Process
- Extensibility
- Data
- Integration
- Operations
In this blog, I would profoundly explain main aspects and adherence principles for making business processes clean core compliant.
Business Process as a dimension of “Clean Core” dimension-
- Establish state-of-the-art business process governance, including proper requirement management and transparent organizational structures.
- Proper requirement management includes a S4H_783 SAP_S4HANA_Cloud_EX_SSB_White_Paper.pdf or a similar deciding structure, a suitable methodology , and proper documentation and tooling support such as the Requirement Management or the Focused Build for SAP Solution Manager.
- A Business Transformation Management structure is established and transparent across relevant organizations, including process owners and related contact persons.
- Use recommended SAP Reference Solution Architecture to leverage SAP solutions such as SAP S/4HANA and others.
- The solution architecture can be based on the SAP Enterprise Architecture Framework - SAP Community methodology. Supporting resources can be leveraged using SAP Signavio Process Explorer , SAP Signavio Process Manager - Best-practice process modeling, SAP Signavio Process Collaboration Hub - Process collaboration and transparency , and the SAP LeanIX | Enterprise Architecture Transformation.
- Implement respective SAP Best Practices where available and applicable.
- SAP Best Practices can, in general, be compared to SAP Signavio Process Explorer, the Process Navigator - SAP for Me, SAP Signavio Process Manager, or SAP Signavio Process Collaboration Hub. Find more general guidance in the Transaction List | SAP Help Portal
- Tailor or enhance standard solutions from SAP only where competitive advantages can be created.
- For non-differentiating processes, SAP standard is strictly applied; for differentiating processes, SAP standard solutions are tailored to business needs and enhanced where needed.
- A focus on mandatory and key process variants helps avoid unnecessary customizing and process complexity.
- For required extensions the recommendations for “clean extensions” are followed.
- Achieve business process management excellence by documenting processes and continuously monitoring process flow as well as process performance and efficiency.
- Customer-specific process design is documented (SAP Signavio Process Manager and SAP Signavio Process Collaboration Hub).
- As-is process execution can be measured (SAP Signavio Process Insights - The fastest path to process improvements, SAP Signavio Process Intelligence - Unleash the power in your process data).
- Business processes are efficiently executed based on measurable process performance indicators (SAP Signavio Process Insights and SAP Signavio Process Intelligence).
RISE with SAP- “Clean Core” success plan-
Roadmap to RISE with SAP S/4HANA has been upscaled with the ‘clean core’ success plan and quality gates at the end of each project phase. RISE customers get feedback and recommendations from SAP during the “clean core quality gates” at the end of each project phase which includes milestones and KPIs that customers should achieve to run a clean core. These tasks are based on best practices that we have gathered from thousands of successful RISE with SAP S/4HANA implementations. Each task comes with a clear description and is complimented with additional accelerators for further guidance. These gates ensure customers implement in alignment with best practice.
Roadmap Viewer (sap.com) allows immediate web browser access to the “RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition” project roadmap.
Outlook-
When it comes to “Clean Core” compliant business process, the goal here to wipe out inefficient process and leveraging SAP recommended best practices. It is agreed that companies can’t get rid of some of the business processes and extensions from day one of the implementation. Therefore, it would be essential to identify the business processes which are eligible for a “Clean Core” Journey and follow an iterative step-by-step approach for every new deployment.
“Clean Core doesn’t happen overnight rather it’s a journey”.
Swadhinata Mudali
Business Process Consultant
Digital Supply Chain Management -Cloud ERP Team
