Lesson 3 of 5
Governing extension decisions
10 min
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Principles do nothing without a place where decisions are made and recorded. Most programs call that place a design authority: a small, regular forum that approves solution designs, rules on exceptions and keeps the record. SAP's clean core guidance treats clean core as an ongoing strategic activity with a governance model across the whole lifecycle, and recommends a continuous "keep clean" process once the system runs.
Who sits on the design authority
Contoso's design authority is chaired by the lead solution architect and meets weekly during build. Kenji represents development, Sam represents operations, the integration lead represents interfaces, Priya represents testing, and the process owner whose area is affected joins for that item, for example Dan for finance or Maria for order to cash. Grace attends when a decision changes scope, cost or plan.
The extension decision record
Every new extension and every exception gets a short decision record. It does not need to be long; it needs to be complete. Contoso keeps these records as documents linked to the requirement in SAP Cloud ALM so that testers and future upgrade teams can find them.
| Field | Example: core deposit check on sales orders |
|---|---|
| Business need and owner | Block orders when the core deposit is unpaid; owner Maria |
| Standard checked | Credit management and standard order checks reviewed; no fit for deposit logic |
| Technique and placement | Custom logic in a released sales document extension point (on-stack) |
| Clean core level | A |
| Interfaces used | Released sales order and custom core return agreement views |
| Test cases | Positive, negative and performance tests linked in SAP Cloud ALM |
| Review date | At the next base release upgrade |
A compact extension decision record.
Handling exceptions
- Does a standard or level A solution meet the need?Yes → approve at review level, no exception · No → next question
- Is there a level B option using a documented classic API?Yes → approve with a note in the record · No → next question
- Is level C needed and the business value clear?Yes → design authority approves with an owner, a remediation idea and extra regression tests · No → reject
- Is the only option level D?Yes → reject for new work; for inherited code, plan removal and contain the risk · No → re-examine the design
Automated checks keep the design authority from drowning. The ABAP test cockpit runs during development and at transport release. SAP's documentation for ABAP environments describes a workflow in which developers request ATC exemptions for false-positive findings and a quality manager approves or rejects them; Contoso applies the same idea in its private edition system, with Kenji's deputy as approver, so exemptions are visible decisions rather than silent workarounds.
Governance across the lifecycle
Governance is not one meeting. Contoso places a clean core check at each step of the lifecycle: when a requirement is accepted (is it a real gap?), at design (technique, placement and level), in build (ATC and code review), at transport release (ATC again, plus the decision record), at test sign-off (are the extension's tests linked and passed?) and in run (quarterly review of exceptions and unused objects). Each check is light on its own. Together they mean that nothing reaches production without someone having asked the clean core question at least twice.
Governance in RISE
Under RISE with SAP, the methodology builds clean core into its governance through clean core quality gates (SAP names gates 1, 2, 3 and 5) and a dashboard in SAP Cloud ALM. These do not replace the customer's own design authority. They give SAP and the customer a shared view of where the program stands at each gate.
What would you do?
Under deadline pressure, a developer implements an implicit enhancement in an SAP pricing routine for a Great Lakes Fleet Services discount and asks for approval after the fact. What should the design authority do?
- A design authority approves designs and exceptions and keeps the record.
- Every extension gets a short decision record linked to its requirement and tests.
- Exceptions follow a path: A, then B, then C with justification; D is rejected for new work.
- Automated ATC checks and exemption approvals keep governance scalable.
- RISE adds clean core quality gates and a dashboard; they complement your own governance.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. What is the design authority's role in clean core?
2. Which SAP tool provides automated code checks during development and at transport release?
3. How should an ATC false positive be handled?
4. Which clean core quality gates does SAP name in the RISE with SAP methodology?