CM25 will be discontinued - What does that mean?

The Compatibility Scope has no longer been available since 31 December 2025.
For companies that use it, this means uncertainty in their business processes and additional time required to find and implement an alternative. Read more about this in the first part of this blog.  

What are the Alternatives? 

Standard SAP Fiori Apps for Production Planning in S/4HANA

The standard Fiori apps in S/4HANA enable basic capacity planning and detailed scheduling directly within the core system.
They are particularly suitable for companies with manageable complexity in their production environment.

Strengths:

• no additional license required
• directly integrated into S/4HANA
• easy to use via the Fiori UI
• sufficient for a transparent overview of orders and capacities
• low implementation and training effort

Limitations

• limited level of detail in detailed scheduling
• reduced range of scheduling and rescheduling strategies
• no automatic setup optimization
• limited options for simulations and “what-if” scenarios
• customizing options only within narrow limits

Typical use case

Companies with stable production processes, few bottlenecks, and no major need for optimization that are looking for a pragmatic, cost-efficient solution directly within the S/4 core system.

Resource Orchestration in SAP Digital Manufacturing (REO in SAP DM) 

Resource Orchestration is a component within SAP Digital Manufacturing for short-term detailed control of orders at shop floor level. It connects machines, personnel, and resource planning in an operational dispatching solution.

Strengths:

• strong shop floor integration in SAP DM
• visual Gantt views for machine and resource utilization
• very well suited for short-term “last-minute dispatching”
• integration of shifts, tools, and qualifications possible
• regular SAP releases with new features

Limitations:

• additional system and separate license required
• primarily operational, short-term planning – no strategic production planning and control (PPC)
• limited automation and optimization logic
• less powerful for complex mid- or long-term planning
• integration and implementation effort with S/4 required

Typical use case

Companies with highly dynamic manufacturing environments and a strong need for responsiveness on the shop floor that already use SAP Digital Manufacturing or are planning to implement it.

ePP/DS (Embedded Production Planning & Detailed Scheduling)  

ePP/DS is the embedded version of APO PP/DS in S/4HANA and provides comprehensive functions for production planning and detailed scheduling with strong optimization and automation capabilities.

Strengths:

• powerful heuristics and optimizers
• extensive planning and simulation tools
• fully integrated Gantt chart in the backend
• suitable for complex networks and multi-level bills of materials
• ideal for bottleneck planning, campaign planning, setup matrix optimization, etc.

Limitations:

• additional license costs
• higher implementation and customizing effort
• higher methodological requirements for the organization and key users
• less intuitive to use compared to purely Fiori-based approaches

Typical use case

Companies with complex manufacturing processes, multiple locations, many interdependent stages, and a high need for automation and optimization.

conOperationScheduling

conOperationScheduling is an add-on for S/4HANA that enables interactive, graphical detailed scheduling at CM25 level (and beyond) – without requiring an additional planning system. It combines familiar CM25 processes with a modern user interface and enhanced functionality.

Strengths:

• directly within the same system – no additional planning system required
• very intuitive, interactive Gantt interface
• drag & drop, graphical dispatching, and simulation
• flexible customization to customer-specific processes
• supports various planning strategies
• low implementation effort compared to ePP/DS
• ideal for users who want to continue working in a CM25-like way
• AI integration for the planner

Limitations:

•  separate add-on license required 

Typical use case

Companies that want to migrate from CM25, require an interactive graphical planning board, and seek flexibility without introducing an additional planning system.

Comparison – Which Solution fits your Company best? 

Each of the presented alternatives addresses a slightly different planning context. While the SAP standard apps primarily support simple scenarios, ePP/DS and conOperationScheduling offer significantly enhanced functions for detailed scheduling.

REO in SAP Digital Manufacturing, on the other hand, is strongly focused on the “last mile” in production and is particularly suited for short-term, operational decisions on the shop floor.

Best solution for different scenarios: 

In many projects, it becomes clear that:

• Standard Fiori is ideal when planning is relatively stable and not very complex.
• REO is a useful complement to existing planning systems, but it does not replace them.
• ePP/DS is powerful – however, the implementation and operational effort is higher.
• conOperationScheduling offers a modern, interactive alternative to CM25 – with low integration effort and high flexibility.

Therefore, the key is not finding “the best solution,” but the most suitable solution for the respective business process.

Conclusion

The replacement of CM25 forces companies to reassess their production planning. In doing so, it is worthwhile not only to look for a technical replacement solution, but to optimize the entire planning process.

concircle supports you in evaluating, piloting, and successfully implementing the right option — from SAP standard to conOperationScheduling — in a targeted way.