Key Points at a Glance
Extended maintenance postpones the end of support, but it does not eliminate uncertainty. Companies ensure planning certainty by making their own decisions. Those who start now are using an architecture that was not yet available in 2025.
What Rules Will Apply Starting in 2027
Three dates are central to the discussion about the end of maintenance. Each represents a different status. These differences affect the calculation.
December 31, 2027: End of routine maintenance
Regular maintenance for SAP ERP 6.0 with Enhancement Packages 6, 7, and 8—referred to by SAP as “Mainstream Maintenance”—ends on December 31, 2027. Until then, support also includes mandatory updates. Of the three support levels, only this one is provided unconditionally and without a supplementary contract.
2028 through 2030: Surcharge for extended maintenance
Companies can extend maintenance coverage for 2028 through 2030. To do so, they pay a two-percentage-point surcharge on top of the existing maintenance base. The offer includes only Enhancement Packages 6 through 8 and requires a contract covering the entire affected landscape. Individual systems cannot be selected. The planned extension costs money and is not automatic.
Starting in 2031: No statutory updates in Customer-Specific Maintenance
After that, Customer-Specific Maintenance takes effect. Companies can continue to operate the system, but mandatory updates are no longer provided. Responsibility for compliance then falls on the company. It must implement, test, and justify every change in tax, reporting, or commercial law on its own. For regulated processes, this transition marks a decisive break. Only the “SAP ERP, Private Edition, Transition Option” offers an extension through 2033. It requires a cloud subscription and migration to HANA by the end of 2030. Therefore, anyone counting on 2033 as a buffer must decide on an operating model in advance.
One consequence is often overlooked in the cost estimate: Extending the timeline provides more time but does not create planning certainty. Even after adding two percentage points, decisions regarding the target vision, architecture, and budget are still pending. Only the deadline is pushed back.
Why the problem already exists
The year 2030 isn't the real problem. To begin production by the end of 2030, planning must start today. The timeline is worked backward from the target date.
Based on our project experience, an ERP project is typically preceded by 12 to 30 months leading up to the go-live. Its duration depends on the number of locations, subsidiaries, and interfaces. Multiple subsidiaries and locations tend to push the project toward the upper end of the range. Even earlier in the process—in reverse order—come contract negotiations and partner selection, the decision on the system, and the definition of the target overall IT architecture.
Without a clear vision, the effort involved amounts to three years or more: two to two and a half years for the project and one year for preparation. A clear vision significantly speeds up the process. What matters most is clarity before the project begins, not a shorter project duration.
Added to this is a bottleneck that planning alone cannot prevent. All affected companies are migrating within the same time frame. This creates a shortage of experienced consultants, developers, and project managers. This shortage affects deadlines and prices.
This establishes a specific target date rather than a vague “sometime by 2030”: By early 2027 at the latest, it should be clear what needs to be in place by the end of 2028. This includes the overall IT architecture, the system, and the first step. This shortest segment of the chain can be developed in just a few weeks.
Many people face the same challenge and have an opportunity
The DSAG Investment Report 2026 surveyed a total of 198 participants from customer companies between December 8, 2025, and January 21, 2026. According to the report, 54 percent continue to use SAP ECC or the legacy Business Suite. In 2024, that figure was 68 percent. The survey allowed for multiple responses. Running both systems in parallel is common practice.
The ranking of the obstacles reveals the main focus. Cost-effectiveness and economic conditions lead the way, each at 79 percent. License and contract structuring follows at 70 percent. The end of maintenance support comes in at 63 percent. In addition, 62 percent base their investment planning only loosely on—or not at all on—their manufacturer’s vision. This suggests a lack of justification rather than a lack of feasibility.
Starting today, therefore, leads to a different project than starting in 2025. Today, a series of smaller, incremental projects can replace the large monolith. Cloud building blocks and AI functions fit into an architecture that can be expanded later. Under these circumstances, even a decision made later would have made good use of the past few months.
There is a different approach behind this. The target vision is implemented in stages: first the core, then department by department and location by location. Each stage begins independently, generates value, and refines the assumptions for the next step. As a result, value creation begins even before a multi-year program is completed. Risk is also reduced, because individual steps can be adjusted. This is not possible with a large-scale project.
AI accelerates this approach. Based on our project experience, process mapping, fit-gap analysis, test cases, and data migration now require less preparation time than in previous projects. During subsequent operations, assistive functions complement the capabilities of the legacy system. Both of these effects specifically shorten the typically time-consuming phases of an ERP project.
The real-world time pressure is offset by an early-mover advantage. Companies break down large-scale projects into phases, realize benefits sooner, and accelerate their work with AI. This advantage can only be harnessed through a deliberate and timely decision.
Five Reasons for a Lack of Planning Certainty
Based on its project work since 2002, ICB GmbH has identified recurring patterns of delays. Five of these occur almost every time. Each has understandable reasons.
1. SAP and its partners have not presented a clear plan
The portfolio is changing faster than customers' planning cycles. In July 2025, RISE with SAP became SAP Cloud ERP Private. At the same time, SAP introduced a new SKU structure. An offering evaluated in 2024 therefore uses different designations than today's offerings. By extending the maintenance period, SAP has reduced market pressure and provides a documented target platform.
2. Evaluation frameworks guide decision-making
Implementation partners use their own evaluation frameworks. These often answer the question “Private or Public Edition” before the company has even formulated the question itself. This is evident from the criteria that are missing: differentiation processes, intercompany structure, and in-house developments. The frameworks draw on real-world project experience and are not manipulative. However, their evaluation is based exclusively on the deliverable portfolio.
3. Lift-and-shift offers no clear benefits
If the company plans to treat the migration as merely a technical move, the processes will remain unchanged. Nevertheless, the costs will increase.
"I've moved my old processes to a new solution—and now I have to pay even more money."
Manuel Baum, Founder and Managing Director of ICB GmbH
A technical transition can reduce risks as an interim step. If, on the other hand, it is presented as the ultimate goal, it does not support a business case.
4. The cost model is becoming structurally more expensive
The purchased ECC licenses have been depreciated. SAP currently charges only for maintenance, which is adjusted annually based on the consumer price index and capped at five percent. For the cloud, on the other hand, a subscription fee applies. That is why we are comparing a change in model, not a price tag. The only meaningful factor is the total contract term. The subscription covers operations, updates, and infrastructure. These costs also arise in ECC operations, but they are allocated to different budget lines.
5. Change management involves risks
The greatest risk is often assigned the smallest budget. An ERP migration changes the way people work—people who have been proficient in their system for ten or fifteen years. If the project doesn’t involve key users until testing begins, surprise turns into resistance.
Each of the five causes can be addressed with a targeted solution. This doesn't require a large-scale project. A brief, structured analysis will show which approach is right for your situation. We'd be happy to review this with you.
A late start, but the opportunity is still there
Companies using SAP ECC are starting late today. An extended maintenance period eases the immediate pressure, but it does not replace a decision. Despite the two-percentage-point premium, the uncertainty remains. It merely postpones the deadline.
At the same time, today's technical capabilities offer other options. A launch in 2026 or 2027 no longer requires a comprehensive master plan, as would have been necessary in 2025. Instead, an open architecture can be developed in smaller steps.
That is where the opportunity for a late entry lies. The company divides the overall project into phases. Each phase begins and pays for itself sooner. AI accelerates both the preparation and subsequent operation. Thus, a mandatory deadline generates measurable value right from the very first step. To achieve this, planning must begin now.
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References
- German-Speaking SAP User Group e. V. (DSAG): DSAG Investment Report 2026. The press release was issued on February 26, 2026. The survey was conducted from December 8, 2025, to January 21, 2026, and included 198 participants.
- SAP SE: SAP Support Strategy - Commitments & Extension Programs. The source lists the maintenance periods for SAP ERP 6.0 and Enhancement Packages 6 through 8. It also describes the adjustment of maintenance prices based on the consumer price index and the cap on such adjustments at five percent.
- SAP SE: In July 2025, SAP changed its portfolio and name. RISE with SAP became SAP Cloud ERP Private. A new SKU structure was also introduced. Source: news.sap.com.
- ICB GmbH has been gaining project experience in ERP projects since 2002. Project durations and time frames are based on experience and are not actual figures.
ICB GmbH provides management and technology consulting services at its locations in Munich and Gütersloh. Sources verify the third-party key figures cited. The cover image was generated using AI. The three overview charts were created in-house.
