5 guiding principles of clean core
Promote the clean core strategy for ERP management and modernization, explain its benefits, and elaborate on the five principles of clean core: business processes, extensibility, data, integration, and operations. تحميل الوثيقة5 guiding principles
of clean core
Build the foundation for an
Autonomous Enterprise
Adopt a clean core for faster ERP
modernization and trusted AI
Clean core helps organizations reduce complexity, modernize ERP,
and create a trusted foundation for enterprise-grade AI. By choosing
RISE with SAP, customers can move from highly customized
on-premises ERP environments to cloud ERP built for agility,
governance, and continuous innovation.
Drive enterprise
agility
Foster constant
innovation
Improve operational
excellence
107611enUS (26/07) © 2026 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.
See Legal Notice on www.sap.com/legal-notice for use terms, disclaimers, disclosures, or restrictions
related to this material.
Discover SAP’s clean core strategy
Lower total cost of
ownership (TCO)
Support system
reliability and security
5 guiding principles of clean core
Maintain competitiveness and minimize
complexity by adhering to the SAP
standard, adding extensions only for the
clearly differentiating processes that
provide measurable value.
Business processes
Decouple extensions from the core and
run them on-stack or side-by-side on SAP
BTP, enabled by released APIs and
strong governance.
Extensibility
Standardize data and keep it compliant by
ensuring it’s connected, trusted, aligned to
current standards, and managed at scale,
supported by continuous quality
and governance.
Data
Connect systems built on standardized,
secure, and scalable technologies to
ensure reliable, future-ready integration
and seamless end-to-end processes.
Integration
Embed best practices in governance,
people, processes, and tools, enabling
agile IT and business transformation.
Operations
Rigid, highly customized legacy systems limit adaptability and innovation, while poor data quality and
a lack of standardization make operations slow and unnecessarily complex. As a result, organizations
struggle to respond to change, adopt new technologies, and scale AI across the business, while
continuing to incur high maintenance costs.
Challenge How clean core helps
overcome it
Complexity and
high technical debt
Constrained
innovation and agility
Standardized systems and clean, integrated data make
upgrades, maintenance, and troubleshooting easier and less
resource-consuming.
Clean core makes it easier to adopt new SAP technologies and
respond to market changes, regulatory shifts, and business
opportunities.
of 250 processes are clean core compliant,
enabling faster adoption of innovations.
Lower system
reliability and
increased risk
Inefficient operations
and high costs
High-quality data, robust governance, and standardized
processes strengthen security and reduce both operational and
cybersecurity risks.
Without siloed data, inconsistent processes, and a patchwork of
manual workarounds creating bottlenecks, IT teams can reduce
the TCO of existing systems and time to value (TTV) of
innovations.
Difficulty scaling
and supporting
business growth
Minimal customization, reduced technical debt, and strategic use
of only business-differentiating extensions enable IT to scale and
adapt systems to support business growth and transformation.
Adhering to a clean core strategy on cloud ERP helped execute a merger-and-
acquisition strategy.
Read the H.B. Fuller Company customer story
RISE with SAP
Adopting a clean core strategy helps organizations modernize
their ERP environment and create a trusted foundation for the
Autonomous Enterprise.
saving in time spent on system maintenance.
Read the CAP Group customer story
SAP helps you establish the organizational
structure, technical foundation, and
transformation methodology needed to
execute an effective clean core strategy—
supported by measurable KPIs and clear
business outcomes.
How SAP can help you
build a clean core
Gain a unified view of your clean core
transformation through dashboards that
deliver actionable insights and allow you
to track progress in real time.
Comprehensive visibility
Access tailored advisory services from SAP
experts, with recommendations on tools,
governance models, and skills essential for
maintaining a clean core.
Customized guidance
Follow an expert-led, step-by-step
implementation plan that ensures smooth
integration with existing systems and
minimizes disruption during transition.
Implementation and
migration support
Benefit from personalized training,
hands-on workshops, and expert coaching
to accelerate solution adoption and
embed best practices.
Enablement and coaching
Build on enterprise data that’s harmonized,
semantically connected, governed by a
clear framework, and compliant with global
standards—creating a reliable base for AI
and analytics.
Trusted data foundation
for AI and analytics
98%
20 %
Read the Pandora customer story
of clean core
Build the foundation for an
Autonomous Enterprise
Adopt a clean core for faster ERP
modernization and trusted AI
Clean core helps organizations reduce complexity, modernize ERP,
and create a trusted foundation for enterprise-grade AI. By choosing
RISE with SAP, customers can move from highly customized
on-premises ERP environments to cloud ERP built for agility,
governance, and continuous innovation.
Drive enterprise
agility
Foster constant
innovation
Improve operational
excellence
107611enUS (26/07) © 2026 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.
See Legal Notice on www.sap.com/legal-notice for use terms, disclaimers, disclosures, or restrictions
related to this material.
Discover SAP’s clean core strategy
Lower total cost of
ownership (TCO)
Support system
reliability and security
5 guiding principles of clean core
Maintain competitiveness and minimize
complexity by adhering to the SAP
standard, adding extensions only for the
clearly differentiating processes that
provide measurable value.
Business processes
Decouple extensions from the core and
run them on-stack or side-by-side on SAP
BTP, enabled by released APIs and
strong governance.
Extensibility
Standardize data and keep it compliant by
ensuring it’s connected, trusted, aligned to
current standards, and managed at scale,
supported by continuous quality
and governance.
Data
Connect systems built on standardized,
secure, and scalable technologies to
ensure reliable, future-ready integration
and seamless end-to-end processes.
Integration
Embed best practices in governance,
people, processes, and tools, enabling
agile IT and business transformation.
Operations
Rigid, highly customized legacy systems limit adaptability and innovation, while poor data quality and
a lack of standardization make operations slow and unnecessarily complex. As a result, organizations
struggle to respond to change, adopt new technologies, and scale AI across the business, while
continuing to incur high maintenance costs.
Challenge How clean core helps
overcome it
Complexity and
high technical debt
Constrained
innovation and agility
Standardized systems and clean, integrated data make
upgrades, maintenance, and troubleshooting easier and less
resource-consuming.
Clean core makes it easier to adopt new SAP technologies and
respond to market changes, regulatory shifts, and business
opportunities.
of 250 processes are clean core compliant,
enabling faster adoption of innovations.
Lower system
reliability and
increased risk
Inefficient operations
and high costs
High-quality data, robust governance, and standardized
processes strengthen security and reduce both operational and
cybersecurity risks.
Without siloed data, inconsistent processes, and a patchwork of
manual workarounds creating bottlenecks, IT teams can reduce
the TCO of existing systems and time to value (TTV) of
innovations.
Difficulty scaling
and supporting
business growth
Minimal customization, reduced technical debt, and strategic use
of only business-differentiating extensions enable IT to scale and
adapt systems to support business growth and transformation.
Adhering to a clean core strategy on cloud ERP helped execute a merger-and-
acquisition strategy.
Read the H.B. Fuller Company customer story
RISE with SAP
Adopting a clean core strategy helps organizations modernize
their ERP environment and create a trusted foundation for the
Autonomous Enterprise.
saving in time spent on system maintenance.
Read the CAP Group customer story
SAP helps you establish the organizational
structure, technical foundation, and
transformation methodology needed to
execute an effective clean core strategy—
supported by measurable KPIs and clear
business outcomes.
How SAP can help you
build a clean core
Gain a unified view of your clean core
transformation through dashboards that
deliver actionable insights and allow you
to track progress in real time.
Comprehensive visibility
Access tailored advisory services from SAP
experts, with recommendations on tools,
governance models, and skills essential for
maintaining a clean core.
Customized guidance
Follow an expert-led, step-by-step
implementation plan that ensures smooth
integration with existing systems and
minimizes disruption during transition.
Implementation and
migration support
Benefit from personalized training,
hands-on workshops, and expert coaching
to accelerate solution adoption and
embed best practices.
Enablement and coaching
Build on enterprise data that’s harmonized,
semantically connected, governed by a
clear framework, and compliant with global
standards—creating a reliable base for AI
and analytics.
Trusted data foundation
for AI and analytics
98%
20 %
Read the Pandora customer story