SAP announced back in 2016 that the so-called Compatibility Packs, which served as a transitional solution for the move from ECC to S/4HANA, would be phased out starting in 2025. But what exactly are Compatibility Packs, and why are they being discontinued? What impact will this have on companies and production operations? And most importantly: what alternatives are available?
In this article, we answer these questions and outline paths to ensure a smooth transition.
Retrospective
To ease the transition from SAP ECC (ERP Central Component) to SAP S/4HANA, SAP published the Compatibility Scope in 2016. This ensured that companies could continue using proven functions while gradually migrating their system landscape to S/4HANA.
It was clear from the beginning: these functions were time-limited. By 2030 at the latest, all companies are expected to have fully completed their migration from ECC to S/4HANA.
Even then, it was clear that these functions would be available for a limited time only. All companies are expected to have completed their migration from ECC to S/4HANA by 2030 at the latest.
Compatibility Scope: Functionalities and Deadlines
The Compatibility Scope includes numerous classic SAP ERP functions that were used in ECC but are only temporarily available in S/4HANA. Typical examples include Human Capital Management (HCM), traditional finance and controlling functions, Quality Management (QM), Plant Maintenance (PM), and Shop Floor Control for production execution. For on-premise users, access to these functions is available until December 31, 2025, while RISE with SAP customers may continue using them until the end of 2030.
Three functions are exempt from this rule and may continue to be used until 2030: Customer Service (CS), Transport Logistics (LE-TRA), and PP-PI (Production Planning for Process Industries). These exceptions were granted because no fully equivalent S/4HANA replacements are currently available.
This blog post focuses on the graphical planning board (CM21, CM22, CM23, CM25, CM27 …), which has traditionally played a central role in production scheduling (see SAP Note 2268050).
Impact on Companies
The discontinuation of the graphical SAP GUI planning board has concrete operational consequences:
End of license validity: After the cutoff date, the transactions may no longer be executed.
End of support: No updates, no SAP support, no bug fixes.
Legal risks: SAP reserves the right to take legal action if the functions continue to be used.
Further details can be found in the SAP Note and SAP blog post.
Additional business impacts include:
Disruption of business processes due to missing planning tools
Time required to select and implement an alternative
Employee retraining for the new functions
Data migration to the new system
Adaptation of custom code and interfaces
Therefore, companies should discontinue use of the graphical SAP GUI planning board to avoid negative effects. Starting early with the search for a suitable alternative helps minimize risks, reduces onboarding stress, and simplifies process integration.
How concircle can support you
Our expert team at concircle provides professional guidance throughout your transition from the SAP GUI planning board to the ideal solution for your business.
We ensure:
A seamless transition without interruption to your production processes
Tailored consulting aligned with your specific business requirements
Customization of the solution to fit your existing system landscape
Comprehensive support before, during, and after implementation
Our add-on conOperationScheduling not only fully replaces the SAP GUI planning board, it also offers expanded functionality for production planning. Companies across a wide range of industries have already implemented conOperationScheduling and experience the benefits daily: increased planning reliability, planning efficiency, and flexibility—all in one central, fully digital planning system. Learn more about the solution here.
We also have extensive experience implementing ePP/DS or PP/DS as sidecar solutions. PP/DS is a valid alternative to the SAP GUI ERP planning board; after all, PP/DS still includes a very comprehensive SAP GUI planning board that remains supported in 2024. However, PP/DS brings the complexity of implementing an Advanced Planning System (APS)—an undertaking in which more companies have struggled than succeeded. We can help you evaluate whether PP/DS is the right tool for your needs, backed by pragmatic and successful implementations.
Conclusion
Production planning must be updated in 2025—this is unavoidable.
Choosing the right successor software is crucial for smooth operations and long-term success. concircle supports you in selecting the optimal solution—whether that’s conOperationScheduling or another application for your production planning.
Feel free to contact us to ensure a timely and efficient transition away from CM25!