Is SAP Customized Software?

Customized Software

Custom software is a critical way for businesses to make sure their SAP systems fit their specific business processes. But with customization comes risk, and it’s important to understand these risks in order to ensure your SAP systems are running smoothly.

SAP provides plenty of tools to let you customize the system to your needs. It’s called configuration and it’s what you do when you want to tweak the settings to better meet your business needs. For example, you can configure SAP to adjust drop down menus or add buttons to your user interface. But when the configuration options run out, you need to use special tools to modify the code of the system. These tools are called user exits and customer exits, or BADIs, and they allow you to get a little more hands-on with the system by adding your own code. They aren’t as invasive as changing the core of the system, but they still introduce some level of complexity to your deployment.

However, when this approach to Custom software doesn’t work, you need to go back to the drawing board and figure out what your business really wants. This may mean creating a dedicated team to build and maintain the system, or it could be as simple as evaluating your current business requirements. This should include identifying your unique processes and any gaps or limitations that are not well implemented within SAP ERP, and then brainstorming solutions to address these.

Is SAP Customized Software?

You can also take a different approach to SAP customization by renovating existing features rather than building new ones. This can be done through the use of APIs, which are essentially facades that allow IT developers to build apps within the SAP framework without changing the standard object key. This is a much safer option, and it reduces the potential for turbulence during system upgrades.

But even when you’re working with a safe environment, it’s still imperative to test your customization before deploying it. This is because any change to the SAP system can have unintended side effects, such as an unexpected impact on other transactions. This is where an automated impact analysis tool, such as Panaya’s Release Dynamix (RDx) can be extremely helpful.

Of course, if you’re using a low-code development platform that brings together ABAP and full-stack developers, you can completely avoid the need for any SAP development or customization. This method is a lot less complicated, and it keeps your SAP core clean, allowing for an easier, faster migration to S/4HANA and keeping your IT team free from additional burdens.