Lesson 1 of 5
Manufacturing simplification items and how to find yours
11 min
Listen to this lesson
A system conversion keeps Contoso's configuration, data and custom code, but it does not keep every function. SAP documents each functional or technical change between SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA as a simplification item. In SAP's sense "simplification" means "has changed", not "became easier". Each item has a business impact SAP Note that explains what changed, why, and what to do. For manufacturing, the items sit mainly in the Production Planning, Manufacturing Operations and master data chapters of the Simplification List for SAP S/4HANA 2025.
The items a discrete manufacturer meets most
| Simplification item | What changed | Business impact note |
|---|---|---|
| MRP in HANA | MRP Live (MD01N) is the future technology; classic MRP transactions remain available | 2268085 |
| Storage Location MRP | Planning on storage location level is gone; MRP areas replace it | 2268045 |
| BOM, Routing, Production Version | Production versions are mandatory for BOM and routing selection | 2267880 |
| Simplified Sourcing | Production versions, delivery schedules, contracts and info records are the sources of supply; source list not required | 2268069 |
| Planning File | New planning file table; new setup reports | 2268088 |
| Total Dependent Requirements | No longer supported; MRP reads individual dependent requirements | 2268089 |
| PP-MRP - Subcontracting | Components for subcontractors are planned with subcontracting MRP areas | 2268044 |
| MRP fields in Material Master | Some MRP fields, such as storage-location MRP fields, are no longer offered | 2267246 |
| Forecast Based Planning | MRP type VV is part of the compatibility scope | see SAP Note 2268095 |
| Sales and Operation Planning | SOP is not considered future technology; SAP Integrated Business Planning is the successor | 2268064 |
Selected manufacturing simplification items from the Simplification List for SAP S/4HANA 2025. Always read the current note version.
Some items are pure gains (a faster MRP run), some are removals with a successor (storage location MRP to MRP areas), and some are in the compatibility scope: classic functions you may keep using for a limited time under limited usage rights. MRP lists and forecast-based planning are examples. SAP Note 2269324 describes the compatibility scope. The original end of use rights was December 31, 2025; SAP later moved it to May 31, 2026 for on-premise licenses (with selected CS, LE-TRA and PP-PI items running to 2030); use rights run longer under a cloud subscription such as RISE (check SAP Note 2269324 for the current date). When rights end, the right to use the function ends, not only maintenance. Contoso, on RISE, could keep MRP lists for longer but moved planners to the material coverage apps during the conversion. Check your own contract, and use the usage report in SAP Note 2399707 to see which compatibility items your system really uses.
For each relevant item, Contoso keeps one line in a decision log: the item and its note, what it means for Contoso in one sentence, the action (none, configure, migrate data, adapt code, change process), the owner, the phase (before conversion, during, after), and the test that will prove it. That last column is what turns a reading exercise into regression scope, and it is the column most programs forget.
Finding the items that apply to your system
Reading the whole list is not the job. Three tools narrow it to your system. SAP Readiness Check for SAP S/4HANA analyzes the production system and shows relevant simplification items by line of business, with an effort ranking and related activities. The Simplification Item Check (report /SDF/RC_START_CHECK) runs relevance and consistency checks in the source system and is called again by Software Update Manager. The Simplification Item Catalog lets you browse all items with their notes. Run the first two on production data, because relevance often depends on table contents and transaction usage.
- Readiness CheckRelevant items for EP1 with effort ranking and activities
- Business impact notesRead by the manufacturing lead and Kenji for each relevant item
- SI check in ED1/EQ1/EP1Consistency errors to fix before the conversion
- Decision logFor each item: action, owner, phase, test impact
- Regression scopeEvery item with business impact maps to a test scenario
What would you do?
The manufacturing lead proposes reading the full Simplification List chapter by chapter in weekly workshops "to be safe". What is the better approach for Contoso?
| Compatibility item (examples in manufacturing) | Successor | Contoso decision |
|---|---|---|
| MRP lists (MD05, MD06) | Monitor Material Coverage, Manage Material Coverage, MD04 | Planners move to the apps at go-live |
| Forecast-based planning (MRP type VV) | Reorder point or forecast in SAP IBP | Not used in EP1; no action |
| Classic graphical planning table (CM21) | Capacity Scheduling Board and Table | Moved during the conversion |
| LE-WM in Detroit | Embedded EWM (warehouse 1710) | Switched on the cutover weekend |
Manufacturing-related compatibility items at Contoso and their successors.
- A simplification item documents a change; each has a business impact note.
- Key manufacturing items: MRP in HANA, storage location MRP, production versions, sourcing, planning file.
- Compatibility scope items (MRP lists, forecast-based planning) have limited usage rights.
- Use Readiness Check and the SI check on production data to find the items that apply.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. What does "simplification" mean in a simplification item?
2. Which tool runs relevance and consistency checks in the source system and is called again by SUM?
3. Why run Readiness Check on production data?
4. Which statement about MRP lists in SAP S/4HANA is correct?