By leveraging SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform) and SAP Fiori, companies can extend their SAP S/4HANA Cloud system in powerful, sustainable ways -without compromising the stability or upgradability of their ERP core.
SAP BTP provides the platform services and technologies needed to implement extensions for SAP S/4HANA through SAP Build, part of SAP BTP. How? Basically, SAP BTP apps and extensions can interact with SAP S/4HANA using released remote APIs and events without modifying the core.
Anyway, we don’t want to make things any more confusing, so let’s focus on how it can benefit your SAP ecosystem and, of course, add value toyour business!
(You may be interested in: What is SAP Clean Core?)
Integrations in SAP Clean Core
SAP Clean Core strategy introduces two main extensibility paradigms that complement each other, bringing together the best of both worlds. A clear example is the capacity for hybrid deployments, where some components remain on-premise while others run in the cloud.
“To summarize, both on-stack and side-by-side technologies (and those available in both environments) complement each other effectively in the transformation journey to SAP S/4HANA. Together, they empower organizations to extend and customize SAP S/4HANA efficiently, adopting modern ways of working and accommodating preferences, thereby meeting evolving business requirements and driving digital innovation.” – source: SAP
On-Stack Extensibility
Extensibility on-stack consists of building extensions directly within the SAP S/4HANA system using approved frameworks (this applies to all modalities: Public Cloud, Private Cloud and on-premise). The most advanced and future-proof method is ABAP Cloud, which enables businesses to develop custom logic and applications in a standardized, upgrade-safe manner. When following SAP’s best practices, these on-stack extensions are rated as Class A—meaning they fully align with Clean Core principles.
Side-by-Side Extensibility - integrating SAP BTP and Clean Core
Extensibility side-by-side takes advantage of SAP BTP to create, run and manage applications that interact with the central ERP, but operate independently.
This approach uses modern technologies such as SAP Fiori for the user experience and allows you to innovate quickly without jeopardizing the core of the ERP.
Some examples of extensions side-by-side:
- Custom full-stack applications
- Mobile apps
- Process Automation solutions
- Applications for external users
(You may be interested in: What is SAP Fiori and what is it for?)
Full-Stack Solutions in SAP: Combining On-Stack and Side-by-Side
A modern extensibility strategy often combines both paradigms to create Full-stack applications:
- On-Stack (ABAP Cloud): Business logic and APIs are securely implemented within SAP S/4HANA Cloud with ABAP Cloud. Following the Clean Core guidelines, these extensions achieve the status of Class A for maximum upgradeability and compliance.
- Side-by-Side (SAP BTP & Fiori): Custom interfaces, workflows and integrations are developed in SAP BTP using SAP Fiori and other services, interacting with the ERP through stable APIs.
This hybrid approach ensures that your company can differentiate and innovate in the periphery, while the core of the ERP remains solid and easy to manage.
Benefits of SAP BTP in the Clean Core strategy
✅ Smooth transition to Clean Core: SAP BTP offers a complete set of services (integration, analytics, workflows, AI, and more) that empowers organizations to innovate quickly and safely.
✅ Cost reduction of ownership: extensions are separated from SAP S/4HANA core, meaning they are designed to be decoupled and therefore designed not to be impacted by upgrades; so, this side-by-side approach requires less effort during upgrades and maintenance of your S/4HANA system.
✅ Future readiness: BTP supports a wide array of programming models and cloud-native capabilities, ensuring your extensions stay relevant as technology evolves. For example, with SAP Build part of SAP BTP, both developers and key users can create extensions for SAP software with greater efficiency. It allows customers to accelerate ERP modernization, foster innovation, and automate processes—all within a single comprehensive suite of tools.
Choose Brait to clean the Core of your SAP system
A Clean Core extensibility strategy, powered by SAP BTP and SAP Fiori, enables companies to innovate rapidly while maintaining a stable, compliant, and sustainable SAP landscape. By combining on-stack (ABAP Cloud) and side-by-side (BTP) extensions, your organization can build full-stack applications that are both future-proof and business-centric.
At Brait, our SAP specialists and developers are ready to help you design and implement this modern extension architecture to unlock the full potential of your SAP investment.
👉Contact us now to explore your system’s status through a free, commitment-free evaluation.
