SAP ECC is approaching the end of the road

The migration window has closed. You have a decision to make.

With SAP ECC 6 mainstream maintenance ending on 31 December 2027, the clock is already well advanced for organisations that have not started their S/4HANA journey.

If you are still running your core Finance processes on ECC and have not yet begun a migration, there isn’t sufficient time to complete a conventional brownfield migration before the 2027 deadline.

That doesn’t mean you have run out of options. It means the question has changed. There are three strategic options available – each with different implications for cost, risk, timing and your future Finance technology landscape.

Instead of asking “How do we migrate before 2027?”, Finance leaders need to ask “What is the right strategy for our business now?”

You have three strategic options available to you

The right route depends on your business – not simply the 2027 deadline

There is no single route that will be right for every organisation still running Finance on SAP ECC. The decision needs to take into account more than simply the 2027 maintenance deadline. Finance leaders need to consider the cost and implications of extending ECC, the investment and organisational change involved in moving to S/4HANA, the complexity of their existing Finance landscape, their wider business structure and acquisition strategy, and how much transformation they are prepared to undertake now.

For some organisations, extending ECC maintenance may provide valuable additional time to develop a longer-term strategy. For others, the time has come to move the core Finance platform to S/4HANA and use the opportunity to simplify and standardise their processes. And for organisations with complex or multi-entity structures, a hybrid or two-tier approach may provide a way to begin the transition without immediately taking on the risk and disruption of moving the entire core.

The important point is that you don’t have to make the same decision as every other SAP customer. Your starting point, business priorities and future ambitions are unique to your organisation. Understanding the advantages, implications, costs and risks of each route will allow you to make a more informed decision about what is right for your Finance function – rather than simply reacting to the 2027 deadline.

There’s another deadline Finance needs to factor in

UK mandatory e-invoicing — April 2029

While the 2027 ECC maintenance deadline is driving the ERP decision, Finance leaders also need to consider a second important deadline: the UK’s mandatory e-invoicing requirements, coming into effect from April 2029.

Under the government’s plans, VAT e-invoicing for business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) transactions will become mandatory from April 2029. E-invoicing means the digital exchange of invoice information in a structured format that allows invoices to be automatically processed between financial systems – rather than simply sending or receiving an invoice as a PDF.

The UK Government has also confirmed that Peppol will be the core interoperability network for UK e-invoicing. This provides an important direction for organisations planning their Finance technology strategy, although the detailed technical specifications and legislation for the full regime are still being developed.

Your No-obligation SAP Finance ERP Reality Check 

An independent assessment of your options

If you are unsure which route is right for your organisation, our Free SAP Finance ERP Reality Check is designed to help you make an informed decision.

We will assess your current position, your remaining runway and the three strategic options available to you –  giving you an independent view of the implications of each route.

The output is designed to give Finance leaders a clear, independent assessment that can be shared with CFOs, Finance leadership, IT and other stakeholders to support the internal decision-making process.

It isn’t a migration proposal. It’s about understanding where you are, what options you have and what you should consider doing next.