For companies that are currently still using SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Packs, December 31, 2025 marks an important turning point. On this date, the rights of use will officially expire, meaning that companies will have to switch to the respective native SAP S/4HANA functionalities. According to SAP, continued use of SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Packs after this date will be considered a breach of contract.
The SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Packs were originally introduced to facilitate the transition from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA. They were designed to ensure that certain functions from older SAP systems would remain available in the new SAP S/4HANA environment, forming a bridge between SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA. This was particularly beneficial for companies whose required modules were not yet available in the first SAP S/4HANA releases. Overall, the SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Packs made an important contribution to ensuring business continuity while the transition to the new ERP generation was underway. Over the years, they have become an integral part of the system landscape in many companies.
On December 31, 2025, the rights of use for most SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Packs will expire. Consequently, companies are required to take action to protect themselves from legal consequences and possible penalties. They are obliged to take appropriate measures to ensure that the functionalities of the SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Packs are no longer used after the rights of use have expired. In addition, SAP reserves the right to make the functionalities of the SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Packs technically inaccessible in future versions of SAP S/4HANA.
The SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Packs for Customer Service (CS), Logistics Execution and Transportation (LE-TRA), and Production Planning – Process Industries (PP-PI), which do not expire before December 31, 2030, are not affected by this regulation. SAP S/4HANA systems in the private cloud that are based on a RISE with SAP contract will also be spared for the time being. For these systems, the right to use the SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Packs will also expire on December 31, 2030.
If companies are still using SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Packs, they need to start the transition to native SAP S/4HANA functionalities. Careful planning and implementation are recommended for this. The first step is to carry out an inventory of which SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Packs are currently being used.
Tools such as the SAP Readiness Check, the SAP S/4HANA Simplification Item Check, and the Custom Code Analyzer offer helpful support. The next step is to create a detailed migration plan that covers both technical and organizational aspects. This includes, for example, adapting business processes and training users on the new functions.
Switching to native SAP S/4HANA functionalities may require business processes to be redesigned. Over the years, many companies have developed highly customized processes that now need to be adapted to the new SAP S/4HANA standards. It is also important to empower employees to use the new processes.
The expiration of SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Packs for on-premise customers on December 31, 2025, necessitates the transition to native SAP S/4HANA functionalities. Those who wish to remain legally compliant and future-proof should act now: Inventory, migration, and process adjustments are essential measures. Careful preparation and implementation minimize risks, ensure business continuity – and transform the obligation to make the switch into an opportunity for sustainable process optimization.