SAP S/4HANA
What is SAP ERP Central Component (ECC)?
SAP's previous-generation ERP (ECC 6.0), running on any supported database and succeeded by S/4HANA.
ECC 6.0 with its Enhancement Packages (EhP) was the dominant SAP ERP release for over a decade. Mainstream maintenance for ECC 6.0 ends in 2027, with optional extended maintenance to 2030, which drives most current S/4HANA programs. Many tables, transactions, and custom programs that work in ECC are simplified or obsolete in S/4HANA.
Related terms
SAP S/4HANA
SAP's current-generation ERP suite, built to run only on the SAP HANA in-memory database.
SAP R/3
SAP's client-server ERP system from the 1990s whose three-tier architecture underlies ECC and S/4HANA on-premise.
Enhancement Package
An optional, switchable bundle of functional and technical improvements delivered for SAP ECC 6.0.
Simplification Item
A documented change in S/4HANA, such as a removed function or new data model, that may require action during conversion.
System Conversion
The technical process of converting an ECC system to S/4HANA, including database migration if needed and data conversion.
More in SAP S/4HANA
Planning an S/4HANA move?
Read the field guides on testing an ECC to S/4HANA migration and grab the free template library.