Clarity regarding the maintenance of SAP BPC
Much has been said and said about the support on SAP BPC over the past few years and at Finext we regularly receive questions about it. On the one hand the support timeline according to the SAP Product Availability matrix is unchanged, but on the other hand a blog on SAP's website states that support on BPC will be extended until 2040. What about this? Because of this confusing messaging, Finext asked SAP for clarification and provided answers to the key questions.
What is the situation?
Much has been said and said in recent years about support on SAP BPC. While there is support for the Microsoft variant through 2024, there is support for more recent netweaver variants through 2027. At Finext, we get questions about the status around support on BPC. According to the SAP Product Availability matrix, the support timeline is still unchanged. However, there is also a blog on SAP's website stating that support on BPC will be extended until 2040. So what is the real story? We contacted SAP and they told us that another new version will be introduced that will provide support based on the SAP BW 2022. In this version, the support on this new BPC version will run concurrently with the support of the underlying BW version and thus through 2040.
What does this mean for existing BPC customers?
For customers using the Microsoft variant of BPC, nothing will change. These organizations should by now have an idea of how they are going to replace BPC. In our experience, this can be quite a challenge because BPC offers Microsoft far-reaching possibilities to develop customer-specific functionality. Something that is more limited in most other tools. Of course, we are happy to think along with you on this.
For Netweaver customers, this will mean that you will have to keep an eye on the news. When the relevant version of BPC is introduced you will be able to upgrade both SAP BW and SAP BPC. Our expectation is that this migration will not be very complex, but until this version is introduced we cannot say anything definite about that.
Can I then use SAP BPC until 2040?
In principle, then, this seems like a possibility. Incidentally, SAP BPC is not really in SAP's core strategy anymore. Really new developments for SAP BPC are therefore no longer to be expected. SAP is focusing primarily on and around S/4HANA. For Enterprise Performance Management, this mainly means access through Group Reporting and SAC for consolidation and planning, respectively. If, as an organization, you want to switch to S/4HANA, it is therefore useful to switch to SAP Analytics Cloud and Group Reporting. For SAP BPC, the integration with SAP BW is much better. Therefore, for customers who are already using BPC Netweaver and have a relevant BW strategy, it does make it an interesting option to stay BPC for planning and consolidation.
Still have questions about SAP BPC?
If the above is still not enough answer in your organization's specific situation, you can of course contact Finext through your well-known consultant or Robert-Jan Bronsema.
