What expenses arise during SAP system decommissioning?
By Emanuel Böminghaus, Legacy Systems Expert and Managing Director, AvenDATA
By Emanuel Böminghaus
Legacy Systems Expert and
Managing Director, AvenDATA
Managing Director, AvenDATA
Introduction: SAP decommissioning is not just an IT-Project
Shutting down an SAP System involves far more than simply switching off a technical Platform. Companies often underestimate the actual costs because they focus solely on Infrastructure and Licences. In practice, it is a complex Transformation and Compliance Project with Legal, Technical and Organisational implications. Those who plan SAP decommissioning holistically avoid additional costs later, Audit Risks and Operational Dependencies that, if overlooked, can ultimately double the Expense.
Project and Analysis Effort: The overlooked initial Costs
At the outset, costs arise for analysis, planning and project management. This includes system inventory, the professional classification of data assets, the definition of the decommissioning scenario as well as coordination with specialist departments, audit, data protection and IT security. Particularly demanding is the identification of data subject to retention obligations under HGB, AO, GoBD and GDPR. This effort is necessary but often not budgeted, even though it forms the basis for legally compliant SAP system decommissioning. This is where significant effort can be saved with AvenDATA: Through extensive project experience from hundreds of SAP system decommissionings, relevant data objects, retention periods and access scenarios are already known. Time-consuming baseline analyses are eliminated, risks are reduced and decommissioning is implemented faster, safer and more predictably.
Technical implementation and archiving: The largest cost block
The central cost factor lies in the technical implementation. This includes data extraction, validation, structuring, archiving as well as the development of an Audit-Proof access solution. Added to this are test runs, professional approvals and the complete Project documentation for auditors and supervisory authorities. It is important to note: An SAP system decommissioning without an independent, system-free archiving and access solution is legally risky. Companies must also be able to provide tax and commercial information many years after the shutdown.
Operations, Risks and Savings potential: The costs after shutdown
Even after decommissioning, ongoing costs arise, such as for operating the archiving solution, maintenance, support and audit assistance. At the same time, significant savings potential opens: The elimination of SAP licences, database and infrastructure costs, operating personnel as well as security risks from outdated systems has a direct impact on the cost structure. A realistic calculation of SAP system decommissioning therefore considers not only the one-off project costs but also offsets these against long-term savings, often with a very quick return on investment. At AvenDATA, the ROI is well below one year.
The costs of SAP system decommissioning comprise analysis, technical implementation, legal safeguarding and long-term operation. Those who rely on experience and standardised process models reduce risks and turn an apparent cost project into a sustainable economic decision.