SAP Cloud ERP Private: A Smarter Way to Simulate and Plan FUE-Based Licensing

[Siarhei]

Introduction

SAP offers the free STAR service to help customers analyze their existing SAP ECC system data and estimate the required Full Usage Equivalents (FUEs) for transitioning to an SAP Cloud ERP Private Edition (formerly known as RISE with SAP). This service provides an initial overview of licensing needs based on technical analysis and user classification.

The Problem

While the STAR service is a helpful starting point, its output is limited to a static PDF report. Many customers quickly realize the need for more dynamic tools to simulate different licensing scenarios, optimize FUE usage, and align recommendations with their internal understanding of user roles and authorizations. Without such capabilities, license planning becomes a one-time snapshot rather than a flexible, iterative process.

Our Approach

The Accelerator for SAM4U Adoption, available on the SAP Store, provides an enhanced and hands-on alternative. It includes:

• SAP SAM4U – SAP’s official Software Asset Management tool designed for evaluating consolidated SAP system landscapes. It uses the same rule sets applied in the STAR service to analyze data from customer systems.

• Extended Simulation and Reporting Tool – A powerful add-on built with SAP technologies that enables customers to run multiple STAR-like simulations themselves. By leveraging real usage data extracted via the SAM4U extractor, organizations gain control over licensing insights and optimization strategies without relying solely on a static report.

How It Works

Start by requesting access to the Accelerator for SAM4U Adoption via the SAP Store, or use the public demo tenant for a hands-on introduction.

Once data from the SAP Customer's system is uploaded into SAM4U (see the excellent official documentation or our previous blog posts for guidance), customers can create multiple consolidation scenarios. For example:

• Deep Simulation – where more roles are reviewed and potentially optimized

• Light Simulation – where minimal changes are applied

These simulations represent different levels of role adjustment to evaluate how they impact the projected Full Usage Equivalents (FUEs).

 Pic. 1 – SAM4U Consolidations for Deep and Light Simulations

After creating the consolidations in SAM4U, the data is automatically transferred to the Extended Reporting and Simulation Solution, typically within a few minutes.

When you open the extended simulation tool, you'll find the newly created consolidations ready for review:

 Pic. 2 – Consolidations in SAM4U Extended Reporting & Simulation Solution

As seen above, both consolidations start with the same baseline: 631 FUEs, calculated by the SAM4U engine.

Let’s now dive into the Deep Simulation scenario and evaluate the roles we might adjust—either by removing them from certain users or downgrading their classification levels.

 Pic. 3 – Choose Consolidation for Deep Simulation

Navigate to the Authorizations Analysis section to identify roles and profiles that are strong candidates for optimization:

 Pic. 4 – Deep Simulation Roles Selection

Here’s where our approach diverges from SAP’s STAR service. Customers typically know which roles are critical to their operations—even those that technically fall under the "Professional" category based on just 1–2 key authorization objects. These are often not realistic candidates for removal, despite what static analysis suggests.

And this is where our tool shines: it enables customers to make optimization decisions based on their own knowledge of business processes—something no external service can replicate.

For instance, in the Deep Simulation, let’s assume the customer chooses to optimize all high-potential roles, even though one of them, Z:SAP_MM_IM_GOODS_MOVEMENTS, is known to be widely used. While this role may be required for many users, not all fully leverage its professional-level authorizations—making it a valid candidate for deeper analysis.

 Pic. 5 – Deep Simulation Role Optimization

(For a detailed walkthrough on how to optimize roles using this solution, see our previous blog posts.)

Now, let’s look at the result after applying changes—such as removing unused authorizations or adjusting ACTVT values (e.g., from 01 - Create to 03 - Display):

 Pic. 6 – Deep Simulation Results

The result: a significant drop from 631 to 306 FUEs. This represents the lowest theoretical licensing footprint under the current authorization model—valuable for contract negotiations or long-term license planning.

Next, we switch to the Light Simulation, this time excluding Z:SAP_MM_IM_GOODS_MOVEMENTS from optimization:

 Pic. 7 – Light Simulation Roles Selection

Let’s review the outcome:

 Pic. 8 – Light Simulation Results

Here, the FUE count drops from 631 to 534 FUEs—illustrating the impact of selectively optimizing only lower-risk roles.

Conclusion

By using the Accelerator for SAM4U Adoption available on the SAP Store, customers can take a proactive and flexible approach to FUE planning. The tool allows you to:

• Establish a baseline FUE projection (e.g., 631 FUEs)

• Explore deep optimization scenarios that can potentially reduce FUEs to the lowest theoretical licensing footprint under the current authorization model (e.g., 306 FUEs)

• Evaluate lighter optimization strategies that offer meaningful reductions (e.g., 534 FUEs) by safely adjusting underutilized authorizations

• Collaborate effectively with internal authorization teams who best understand business needs and SAP usage patterns

This simulation-driven approach turns licensing analysis from a one-time event into a continuous, data-informed process—giving SAP customers more control, accuracy, and confidence in their transition to SAP Cloud ERP Private Edition.