Lesson 3 of 5
Interpreting the results
12 min
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The dashboard opens with tiles for each check. Each tile has a "Learn More" side panel with three sections: general information about the analysis, next steps (guides, notes, follow-up options) and remarks about data collection and client dependency. Read the remarks before you trust a number.
Simplification items
This check shows the subset of simplification items that may apply to your system, sorted by line of business, mainly based on table contents and used transactions. Each item has an effort ranking from low to high, or a flag that an expert assessment is needed; for items ranked potentially high, effort drivers show what pushes the effort. The related activities are classed as mandatory, conditional or optional and can be filtered by conversion phase: before conversion, during or after, or any time. That classification is the raw material for a project plan.
| Contoso finding (fictional) | What it means | First action |
|---|---|---|
| 118 relevant simplification items, 9 ranked high | Most items are information or small tasks; a few carry real effort | Assign each high item to a workstream lead to read its note |
| Business Partner Approach relevant; CVI not started | Customers and vendors must become business partners before conversion | Start the CVI pre-project now |
| Storage Location MRP relevant in plant 1710 | Planning must move to MRP areas | Manufacturing workstream task before mock 1 |
| Material ledger and asset accounting items | Finance data conversion steps after SUM | Dan's team plans the finance conversion cycle |
Reading simplification item findings for Contoso's EP1 analysis.
Add-ons and business functions
Add-ons are checked through the Maintenance Planner and categorized as compatible, incompatible, incompatible (uninstallable) or unknown, with the vendor shown and room for comments. An incompatible add-on blocks the conversion in Software Update Manager. Active business functions are checked the same way; if one is incompatible, it blocks the conversion, and SAP's advice is to open a support incident on the business function's component. The Conversion Guide explains the rule: a business function switched on in ERP but defined as always_off in the target release makes conversion impossible with that release.
- Is the add-on compatible with the target release?Yes → no action beyond regression testing its functions · No → next question
- Is it uninstallable?Yes → plan uninstallation and replace the function · No → next question
- Is the status unknown or third-party?Yes → ask the add-on vendor for a compatible version and document the answer · No → treat as a blocker and escalate
- Does a blocker remain?Yes → it gates the conversion date · No → record the decision and test the replacement
Custom code
Findings are grouped by the category of the related simplification item, such as change of existing functionality, functionality unavailable with an equivalent, or non-strategic function with no equivalent yet. Quick Fix support shows which ATC findings can be refactored automatically. Together these support a rough-order-of-magnitude estimate. With the Custom Code Migration app, scope information separates frequently used code (to migrate) from unused code that can be deleted during conversion.
Compatibility scope. Some items relate to compatibility packages: classic ERP functions you may run on SAP S/4HANA with limited usage rights. The Compatibility Scope Analysis shows which of these apply and whether an alternative exists or is planned. Usage-right dates depend on your contract and deployment (on-premise rights for most items ended May 31, 2026, selected CS, LE-TRA and PP-PI items run to the end of 2030, and rights run longer under a cloud subscription such as RISE), so check SAP Note 2269324 and your contract rather than assuming.
Sizing and the other checks
- Sizing: an initial target size from the ABAP on SAP HANA sizing report, a simulation including growth and data reduction, the top 20 tables, and archiving potential based on the past 12 and 24 months.
- Integration: an inventory of IDocs, RFCs/BAPIs, web services, OData services, BW extractors, flat file interfaces and SLT configurations, with an impact analysis.
- Customer Vendor Integration: counts of customers, vendors and contact persons already converted to business partners, data quality issues by check type, and custom fields that need the BP UI enhanced.
- Planned Downtime Calculator: expected business downtime for a standard SUM conversion in one data center; much shorter targets point to the downtime-optimized conversion option.
- Financial Data Quality: inconsistencies in G/L, asset accounting and material ledger by fiscal year and company code, in categories from automated correction to system-specific correction.
- App Availability: used SAP GUI, Fiori and Web Dynpro apps classed as deprecated, unavailable, or available with a successor.
Worked example: Contoso's data quality tiles
| Category | Meaning | Contoso's action |
|---|---|---|
| A | Standard automated correction available | Run the correction in EQ1 first, then EP1 |
| B | Manual correction available | Dan's team corrects postings, with evidence |
| C | Contact SAP Support | Incident opened; item on the critical path |
| D | System-specific correction required | Analysis by finance and Kenji's team |
Financial Data Quality inconsistency categories (G/L, asset accounting and material ledger), and what Contoso does with each.
The CVI tile tells a similar story. Contoso's first consistency check found 640 issues among 4,850 customers, about 400 of them one-off aftermarket customers: 410 missing forms of address, 120 tax numbers, 60 transportation zones, 35 e-mail addresses and 15 bank details. Sorting by check type turned a frightening number into five cleansing jobs, and the second run found 22. The tile also lists custom fields in the customer and vendor tables; to keep using them, the business partner UI must be enhanced.
What would you do?
The Active Business Functions tile shows one business function as incompatible with SAP S/4HANA 2025. The architect's team suggests waiting for the SI check to confirm it. What should happen?
- Read each check's Learn More panel, especially the remarks on data collection.
- Simplification items come with effort ranking, drivers and classified activities.
- Incompatible add-ons and business functions block the conversion.
- Custom code, sizing, integration, CVI, downtime and finance checks each feed a workstream.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Readiness Check flags an incompatible business function. Why does this matter?
2. How are activities related to simplification items classified?
3. Which add-on status means the add-on can be removed before conversion?
4. What extra information does the custom code view show when the Custom Code Migration app was used?
5. A Financial Data Quality finding is in category C. What does that mean?