Mainstream maintenance for qualifying SAP ECC releases is scheduled to end on December 31, 2027, For many organizations, the real challenge is making strategic decisions without letting the deadline force an expensive transformation on someone else’s timeline.
For many SAP customers, the path forward is anything but clear. Migrating a heavily customized ECC environment can introduce significant cost, complexity and disruption. Staying on ECC beyond mainstream maintenance may require paying more for extended maintenance, while migrating now could mean following a roadmap and timeline shaped by SAP. Meanwhile, leaders must compete for funding against AI, cybersecurity, and other business priorities.
The key question is how to protect business continuity today without sacrificing the flexibility to modernize when the business is ready.
Cost sits at the center of these decisions. In a recent Spinnaker Support webinar, 42% of attendees identified cost and budget impact as the factor most likely to influence their SAP strategy. My colleague Jon Gill and I spoke directly with SAP leaders navigating these decisions, and their questions revealed the practical concerns behind the deadline pressure, from custom code and contract costs to AI strategy and proving the business case for migration.
How do you evaluate the true cost of migrating a customized ECC environment?
Start by understanding what you actually have. Audit your custom code to determine which objects are still active, which are business-critical and which capabilities are now available within standard SAP functionality.
Only then can you accurately estimate the effort required to adapt those customizations for an SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition deployment through RISE with SAP. Skipping this reconciliation can lead you to significantly underestimate the cost, complexity and timeline of the migration.
What changes in an SAP contract after the first year?
Year-one pricing does not always reflect the long-term cost of the agreement. Commercial incentives, renewal terms, pricing, and service scope may change after the initial contract period.
Evaluate the full contract term, including potential increases and renewal assumptions. That gives you a much clearer picture than comparing first-year costs alone. Organizations should also understand how vendor support and third-party support differ in cost, coverage, and commercial flexibility.
Is it too late to change course after signing a letter of intent?
Not necessarily. A letter of intent may narrow your options, but it does not always eliminate them. Ask your legal and procurement teams to review the specific terms and determine what flexibility remains.
It may also be worth evaluating independent third-party support, especially if it was not considered during your discussions with SAP or a systems integrator. The important thing is to understand your remaining options before making further commitments.
Why is it so hard to build an internal business case for migration?
It is difficult to justify a major migration when the current environment is stable and meeting the needs of the business. Leaders must demonstrate a measurable return while accounting for unresolved custom code, migration costs, operational disruption, and internal resource requirements.
That business case becomes even harder when the same budget is also funding priorities such as AI and cybersecurity. In our webinar poll, 38% of attendees said their greatest challenge was a combination of unclear ROI, custom code complexity, budget constraints, and competing priorities. Organizations rarely face a single obstacle. More often, it’s the cumulative impact of all four.
Does an AI strategy require migrating to RISE first?
No. Remaining on ECC does not prevent an organization from using other AI platforms and automation tools alongside its existing environment.
Before using AI as a reason to migrate, define the specific business use cases you want to pursue. Then determine what data, integrations, and architecture those use cases require. Compare those requirements with the cost and disruption of migration. Your AI strategy should shape your technology decisions, not simply follow a vendor’s roadmap.
What should a company check before committing to a path forward?
Ask for evidence from an organization of a similar size, industry, and level of complexity that has already completed the proposed move. Then speak with that customer directly.
Did the project finish on time and on budget? Did it meet expectations? Did it produce a measurable return? Those answers can provide a valuable reality check on the proposed timeline, costs, outcomes, and likelihood of success.
Related Customer Story
See how a global pharmaceutical leader maintained SAP stability while creating greater flexibility for future modernization.
Find the Right Path Beyond 2027
Not sure which SAP path is right for your organization? Get an independent SAP Roadmap Assessment to evaluate your options, risks and priorities before committing to a costly transformation.
Want to explore these questions in more detail? Watch the complete conversation with Shawn du Plessis and Jon Gill, including audience questions, polling results and customer examples.
