Selecting an Invoice Workflow Solution for S/4HANA: Have the Rules Changed in the Cloud Era?

01.04.2025

Topic: AP Automation | S/4HANA | Cloud

For years, many SAP user companies have relied on add-on solutions to enhance and extend standard SAP functionality. When selecting these solutions, particularly for invoice processing, two key criteria were traditionally considered essential:

1. The software must be as deeply integrated as possible with the SAP system.
2. The solution must be certified by SAP.

These two factors were standard requirements in nearly every RFP (Request for Proposal) for selecting a workflow system. However, the rise of Clean Core and cloud computing has led to a paradigm shift, which is clearly reflected in this area. Deep SAP integration contradicts the Clean Core approach. Additionally, due to the cloud’s rapid innovation cycles, certifications now have a much shorter validity period. SAP users must now reconsider their criteria when selecting a workflow solution for S/4HANA.

Clean Core: Seamless Connection Instead of Deep SAP Integration

SAP’s Clean Core approach advocates keeping the system core untouched. Deep integration, on the other hand, involves direct modifications to the core, which contradicts this principle. However, there are ways to address—or at least mitigate—this contradiction. If an add-on solution is developed according to SAP’s specifications and utilizes approved technologies (e.g., ABAP Cloud instead of classic ABAP), SAP can issue a certification confirming its compatibility with S/4HANA. As a result, such integrated solutions remain viable and supported.

A more elegant approach recommended by SAP is to opt for “side-by-side” solutions instead. These solutions are not embedded within the SAP system but are connected via SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP). This ensures that the system core remains clean while still enabling extensions and customizations of the SAP standard. However, there is a caveat: The availability of solutions supporting this approach is still somewhat limited. Consequently, SAP user companies must assess their needs on a case-by-case basis—some areas may still require an SAP-integrated solution, while others are better suited for an SAP BTP-connected approach.

SAP S/4HANA: Certifications in the Cloud Age

SAP certifications have traditionally been valid for three years, and this remains unchanged with S/4HANA. However, what has changed is the accelerated pace of cloud-driven updates. New versions of S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition are released annually, while updates in the public cloud occur even more frequently. As a result, certifications for specific versions of S/4HANA can quickly become outdated.

Moreover, there is no single certification that applies universally across all (cloud) models of S/4HANA. Instead, separate certifications exist for RISE with SAP, GROW with SAP, Clean Core, S/4HANA, S/4HANA Cloud, and more. This fragmentation makes it challenging for SAP users to determine which certification is truly relevant to their specific scenario. Simply checking the “SAP-certified” box is no longer a sufficient selection criterion.

Tips for Selecting a Workflow Solution for SAP

If you are evaluating workflow solutions for SAP, consider these key questions to ask vendors:

• What exactly does “S/4HANA Cloud-supported” mean? Is the vendor referring to the Private Edition or the Public Edition?
• How does the solution connect with the SAP system? Is it an integrated solution, or does it run on SAP Business Technology Platform and connect via this platform?
• What does the solution’s certification cover? Does it even have multiple certifications for different scenarios? (For example, “Integration with SAP S/4HANA Cloud” and “Integration with RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud” both contain the word “Cloud,” but the current public cloud certification is specifically for “Clean Core with SAP S/4HANA Cloud.”)
• If you plan to go for the S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, is the solution also available in the SAP Store? (Only solutions that have passed the SAP Application Readiness Check are listed there.)

With the shift to Clean Core and cloud-based architectures, SAP users must take a more nuanced approach when selecting invoice workflow solutions. Understanding the implications of integration models and certifications is now more important than ever to ensure long-term compatibility and sustainability.