SAP Best Practices Explorer - service will end June 30th 2023

[HolgerSteffens]

Update on 2023/06/28: It's only a few days to go with SAP Best Practices Explorer. I just want to inform you that as of July 7th all incoming request to SAP Best Practices Explorer will automatically be redirected to SAP Signavio Process Navigator.

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Update on 2023/04/19: Today we've launched Process Navigator by SAP, kindly have a look at Process Navigator by SAP released today! | SAP Blogs

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Delivering detailed implementation information for SAP Best Practices always was the mantra of SAP Best Practices Explorer. The service, initially launched in 2015 and well enhanced over the next years has shown tremendous interest from prospects, customers and partners around the globe.

Some statistics

• > 7 million accesses to the tool last year


• > 140 package versions have been made available over time


• > 1.5 million assets have been published since 2015


• > 4 million offline downloads (downloads of the offline documentation library)

Simply speaking, information provided on SAP Best Practices Explorer is relevant.

Obviously, business has massively changed during the 7 years of service of SAP Best Practices Explorer. The needs of the cloud transformation, requirements of the intelligent enterprise suite, the simplification of integrations and the growing demand for providing broader country specific scope are only 4 out of many important trends.

Additionally, the acquisition of SAP Signavio and the evolution of Business Process-as-a-Service provide new business opportunities.

SAP Best Practices Explorer can't support these trends and needs sufficiently anymore. Yesterday we've started to inform all users about the planned deprecation on June 30th, 2023.

While there won't be a successor of SAP Best Practices Explorer, we're currently working on a redesign to reflect current business trends but still deliver similar convenience for prospects, customers and partners when it comes to successful, accelerated and efficient implementation projects.

With this blog we'd also like to provide answers to questions we're receiving since yesterday:

 

Q: Will there be a successor product for SAP Best Practices Explorer

A: No, there won't be any successor. SAP will release an entirely different application that will also cover SAP Best Practices solutions. However, features and functions will differ based on the new design of the new service. The first release is planned before the deprecation of SAP Best Practices Explorer. Detailed timelines will be communicated at a later point in time.

 

Q: How do I get information about SAP Best Practices after June 30, 2023?

A: We'll announce the availability of the new service close to its release date to avoid any business disruption for prospects, customers and partners.

 

Q: Will the scope of the new service replace the SAP Best Practices Explorer?

A: No. The planned new service will cover some parts of the existing SAP Best Practices Explorer scope. But many features of the current service are considered to be not relevant anymore. Due to its new data model the planned new service can't be considered and is not developed as a successor of SAP Best Practices Explorer.

 

Q: Will we in future have the same access options?

A: No. In future anonymous access will no longer be supported. Details regarding access levels will follow soon.

 

 

[Elliott_Glynn]

Thanks for the heads up.  In making this decision were their focus groups of customers, partner and employees who heavily use the current best practice explorer, so their experience and desires could guide and benefit the new solution so there could be a shared ownership and vision?  Thank you.

[ChrisBaumann]

Thank you holger.steffens

You write: "as successor. SAP will release an entirely different application" ... already there is one, Cloud ALM. Isn't ît?

Kind regards

Christoph

[HolgerSteffens]

Hello Christoph,

this is correct, as a licensed customer you can already take advantage of the many and rich features in SAP Cloud ALM. However, we will continue to provide implementation content to prospects and partners who do not have their own SAP Cloud ALM yet.

[RoryC]

Guys - this is pretty poor, many end users use this, we always reference it in any RISE sales deal and it forms a backdrop that users query in every session.

 

Before you publicly announce a depreciation of a key resource - launch the replacement first please

 

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Elliott,

we're always keen to get feedback and ideas for improvement. If you are curious and want to get a “sneak peek” at our new service, you might also be interested in participating as a tester in our upcoming SAP TechEd Remote Usability Testing, November 29 – December 1, 2022.

Please find details on the session and the possibility to register here: https://experience.sap.com/remoteusabilitytesting/#event-11824

Best regards

Holger

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Rory,

as mentioned in the blog we're not launching a replacement. Time has shown that a redesign is necessary, thus we intend to provide transparency as early as possible.

Best regards, Holger

[Mofizur]

Hi Holger,

I can see a Cloud ALM Demo Tenant. Is that teh future? I mean it will be converted from Demo to a Live system post June 2023?

https://support.sap.com/en/alm/demo-systems/cloud-alm-demo-system.html

Also, exisiting S User ids will be able to access the new product or we have to explicitly ask for it and pay for it?

 

Thanks,

Mofizur

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Mofizur,

you're right, SAP Cloud ALM has a Solution Process microservice that exposes respective content that today is available on BPX.

The planned new service will not be part of SAP Cloud ALM but will be developed on the same technology stack.

Access with S-Users is planned, it's not planned to charge for this access.

Best regards

Holger

 

[Mofizur]

 

Thank you so much for your prompt response holger.steffens

I was told that "Due to the upcoming retirement of Best Practices Explorer (please see screenshot of popup that is received when logging onto BPX), there are currently only 24 solutions published on BPX.  There is only 1 solution published on BPX for Finance."

But based on past experience, I think there were more than 1 solution published for Finance. So during this migration / interim phase we will have to content with only 1 solution for Finance?

 

Thanks,

Mofizur

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Mofizur,

there's a plan to discontinue further packages from SAP Best Practices Explorer, and only apply very limited updates from now on, mostly in the areas of IBP and S/4HANA.

The information about content for Finance is misleading on SAP Best Practices Explorer, I do agree.

Major updates in Finance are available with SAP Best Practices for SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition 2208 and SAP S/4HANA 2022, both available on SAP Best Practices Explorer.

You might also want to check the update Highlights of Finance from my fellow colleague Ulrich, that was shared with the release version 2208 of SAP Best Practices for SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition.

Best regards

Holger Steffens

[Sycntegral]

This is shocking and will be hit SAP back in a bad way. The number of developments will grow and the users will switch to non SAP apps because the advantage of SAP was the Best Practices and the Digital Core

[former_member70883]

What about the Best Practice Content available for Solution Manager 7.2 after June 2023?

Will there be another mechanism available to load the content for Best Practice S/4HANA 2023 or is this already the announcement of depreciation of SolDoc (and all other processes that need this content)?

 

 

[HolgerSteffens]

Hello Adi,

Again, SAP Best Practices will NOT go away, it's just the opposite. Not sure where your judgement is coming from.

Best regards

Holger

[HolgerSteffens]

Hello,

as this blog is about SAP Best Practices Explorer I will forward your question to my colleagues from the SAP Solution Manager team.

Best regards,

Holger

[Sycntegral]

May be the title of the Blob mislead me

[BjornHarzer]

Hallo Holger

as already mentioned above by others, the BPX is a crucial resource in partner presales and partner implementation across public edition, private edition and PMC/on-prem.

Please understand, that reading the announcement by the face value that it will upset a lot of partners (including me).

In terms of making sure, that SAP will not shoot the partners in the foot by taking away this important resource, please provide as many details as possible about what parts are deemed "out of date" and will not be replaced and what parts of BPX will remain (in a new dressing, cloud ALM or wherever) and provide a preview of that if possible.

Furthermore, it is good to read that no-one will be charged for it. Again, that would just hamper partners to explain to opportunities what they will get ...

Looking forward for more details and peek previews etc.

thank you

Bjorn

 

[HolgerSteffens]

Well noted, Björn. And thanks for your openness. And yes, I'll make sure to provide more details as developments progress.

[ralph_ellerbrock]

Hi Holger,

unfortunately, the slot seems already booked out. Will there be further options to get relevant information or collaborate about this topic?

For us, the Best Practices are an important fundament and let SAP excel in comparison to other vendors (Business content which is robustly embedded into a state-of-the-art ERP).

What about a project which might be started beginning of 2023 which aims to closely follow a Best Practice approach? Will the chosen scope items (documentation, configuration, test scripts) still be supported and available after June 30th 2023?

Thanks in advance!

Kind regards,

Ralph

[RobOsbo]

Hi Holger,

This comes as quite a surprise and disrupter.  We've recently undertaken an internal initiative to align our AIO solution documentation with SAP Best Practices, including the use of the BPMN notation models and test scripts/scenarios in particular to ensure alignment with latest versions of S/4.

As Björn and others note herein, BPX is a resource for partners and tremendously useful for customers.   And as others also note, to announce discontinuation without having a replacement well thought out or even conceptually presentable seems quite short-sighted and leaves us uncertain on what to expect and it's possible value and usage.

This move seems to be counter intuitive and doesn't encourage us to depend on SAP documentation or examples as a broad baseline upon which to build solution presentations, sales pitches or documentation.

While it is good to read that "it" (whatever "it" is) will be free, it's impossible to evaluate what "it" will be and the value it will provide (or not).

Certainly hoping that the BPX replacement will be useful and something that benefits us as implementation partners.   Please share whatever guidance and information you can as it becomes available.

Regards and thanks,

Rob

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Ralph,

SAP Best Practices for SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition 2302 will still be published on SAP Best Practices Explorer. Any content information after that release will already be delivered through the new service.

We'll entirely avoid to risk customer projects in 2023.

Best regards

Holger

[RobOsbo]

Hi Holger,

So in searching, I found this:

Topic 19: Integrated Intelligent Suite (IIS) – SAP Enterprise Architecture Explorer: Next-Generation SAP Best Practices Explorer

Usability testing is being offered on this (though the registration is full.

The SAP Best Practices Explorer tool will be retired in (June) 2023. Existing process content will gradually be migrated to SAP Enterprise Architecture Reference Library (SAP EA Reference Library). SAP EA Reference Library is developed as an internal modeling tool, and an external representation of library-related content is required. 

Here’s a link https://groups.community.sap.com/t5/enterprise-architecture-blog/sap-reference-architecture-content-... 

So is the SAP EA Reference Library the replacement, as noted here?

Thanks,

Rob

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Rob,

thanks for asking. No, it's not. SAP Enterprise Architecture Reference Library is an SAP internal tool for authoring of entire Business and Solution Architectures.

But you already guessed it right, this is one of the tools that is already redesigned based on the Enterprise Architecture Methodology, which is a process-centric data model to support our BPaaS vision, as I've mentioned in the blog already.

However, the blog of Maria Goltz is a very comprehensive summary of the activities around reference architectures and might further motivate this blog, and the main message that SAP Best Practices Explorer cannot support these recent developments appropriately anymore.

Best regards

Holger

[RobOsbo]

Hi Holger,

Thanks for the reply.

I've taken a look at the EA Signavio site and sample model, but this is very high level and purely EA, and I can't envision a synergy between the great SAP content available on BPX to the rudimentary EA modeling there.

It's unclear from your comments on what the "next steps" are for the BPX replacement/redesign, to be honest.   The library of best practices, the BPMN notation models and the level of value is currently very high, and it feels like it's simply going to vanish because SAP doesn't want to keep it current.

I'd like to be hopeful that we won't lose the value of BPx, but from the discussion and lack of clarity here, I'm not optimistic.   However, seems that we're in a wait and see approach.

[danav33]

So this raises a lot of questions and some anxiety. We are using this for our customers and the blog is not really clear on what comes next.

Question: What does this mean in relation to the Package Configuration manager which is based on Best Practise?

Question 2: Will there be a similar tool?

 

 

 

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Dana,

as I'm mentioning in the blog, the delivery of SAP Best Practices implementation content will continue. About the way how, more communication will follow in 2023.

Best regards

Holger

[klausax]

Hi Holger,

we are starting our project in q1/2023 in a private cloud.. It is planned to use SAP Activate with Best Practice.

Are the Best Practices stay as long as the project runs?

Best regards

Alex

 

[Thomas_Winkler]

Hi Alexandra,

since yesterday the new alternative is available:

https://www.signavio.com/products/process-explorer/

You'll need only a S-User.

BR Thomas

 

[klausax]

Hi Thomas,

thanks a lot. Without any licence cost?

Best regards,

Alex

[Thomas_Winkler]

Hi Alexandra,

from the begin on yes - you can only consume the contents (no editing) and for the discovery phase.

If you'll use advanced features - then it will be charged.

• I have also no absolute answer/picture now - perhaps next week (DSAG ALM Thementag) we'll get one
• https://dsagnet.de/dsag-event?id=328143&app=info

Additional SAP Blog from today: S/4HANA Implementation Preparation: Phase 0 with Signavio

Cut from it:

SAP customers can reduce the risks and costs of ERP deployment by investing in “Phase 0” – activities intended to align the organization to a common set of objectives and reach agreement on what the new system with look and act like.  The activities of “Phase 0” need to happen prior to the actual configuration of the new system; generally a few weeks or months prior to actually touching the software.

Below are “Phase 0” recommendations for avoiding common pitfalls of ERP deployment.

• https://blogs.sap.com/2023/01/18/s-4hana-implementation-preparation-phase-0-with-signavio/

==> Yes this is SAP - a very generous gesture.

BR Thomas

[HolgerSteffens]

Hello Alexandra,

yes, the SAP Best Practices will continue to be made available, also in the context of SAP Activate roadmaps. We will update the linking in the roadmaps accordingly in the future.

Please notice the alternative mentioned by Thomas is not what I'm talking about. This is a different story not integrated with SAP Activate.

Best regards

Holger

[brillembourg]

Is OPAL replacing rapid.sap.com/bp?

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Adrian,

as mentioned above there's no direct successor product for SAP Best Practices Explorer. But yes, next to the new process service we're developing OPAL will provide similar functionality as the data source will be the same.

OPAL with it's rich integration into Signavio's product portfolio will provide capabilities beyond just process exploration.

We'll provide a positioning of all new developments later in Q1.

Best regards

Holger

[brillembourg]

Thank you so much Holger!

Looking forward to the new developments. I hope you have a great rest of your week.

Best regards,

Adrian

[Samikhya]

Hi Holger

Any new communication on this ? What are the next steps ? We have many customers planned to use SAP Best Practice content only . Do we need to consider any risk here?

 

With regards

Sami

 

[BjornHarzer]

Hi Holger,

in the same vain.

We have multiple customers and best practice scope items are the lifeblood. We are starting new projects where the scope items are written into the commercial contracts with SAP UKI involvement. We are now 6 weeks into Q1/2023 and haven't heard back on anything. This is concerning and we really need to know where we are. Otherwise, this will quickly escalate in the next 3 months.

You really need to communicate to your partners and customers here. Soon.

Kind regards

Bjorn

 

 

[KamilPL]

Hi Holger,

Now when defining the project scope in Cloud ALM I can import best practice data like process flow etc. when definig the scope of the project. Will it still work ?

Regards

Kamil

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Kamil,

very important question, thanks a lot.

We're actually a bit better already. Customers using CALM, e.g. for their Rise with SAP engagement, automatically receive SAP Best Practices required for the implementation project. Internally at SAP we've switch the process to publish SAP Best Practices content into CALM, and we're productive on the new approach already since Q4/22.

Today I can also share the official name of the new service that will also expose the process content in a very similar way, Process Navigator by SAP.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Best regards

Holger

[BjornHarzer]

From our SAP partner eco system contact I got this info which might help people:

"Please see below response from the EARL team:

Yes, as communicated, we are currently redesigning an entirely new service. This service will initially have very similar functionality as BPX but on an entirely process-driven data model, and the service will be enriched with capabilities way beyond BPX in the future.

Further communication about this service will follow towards end of February once we have passed all security and DDP related checks."

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Björn,

as per my last comment, SAP EARL is an SAP internal authoring tool where we're consolidating all of SAP's process portfolio.

The new service which we'll launch is called Process Navigator by SAP.

More details to come soon, communication will be shared around end of March.

Best regards

Holger

[dineshghanta]

blacktown69 the same content is available in SAP Signavio Process Explorer. Isn’t it? Then why the separate service.

[thuwan_raheem]

Thanks, Holger for this update. I'm excited to learn more about this service.

I believe this new service launch is still not done. I browsed for this new service but found no news about it.

May I know who is eligible to access this new service "process Navigator by SAP"?

Can an SAP user with an S-ID access to this without special authorization?

What will be the scope of this new Service? I believe this information would be available for people interested in exploring and already familiar with the SAP best practice explorer.

Thank you,

Thuwan

 

Best Regards,

Thuwan

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Thuwan,

current plans are that we'll allow access to Process Navigator through SAP for Me. With that we're intending to provide access to S-users.

You've been describing it best: Process Navigator in it's first version will provide a discovery and exploration experience to a wide variety of SAP's process portfolio. And yes, many aspects will remind you off SAP Best Practices Explorer because a sweet spot for sure will remain - the focus on SAP Best Practices content.

We'll continue to support SAP implementation projects with rich process information, documentation and implementation accelerators. In SAP Cloud ALM it all comes together then when our customers start their implementation journey, the process content from Process Navigator, SAP Activate implementation roadmap content paired with end-to-end project management. Plus the many other aspects of SAP Cloud ALM that I'm not listing here that span the entire customer project lifecycle.

Hope that answers.

Best regards

Holger

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Björn,

I hope I'm already clarifying at multiple occasions in this blog that SAP Best Practices will not go away. It's rather the opposite, we're continuously and massively investing into best practices across certain solutions of SAP's solution portfolio.

However, we also need to consider to support business processes that are well defined and provide industry standards, but might currently not yet have and end-to-end pre-configuration. Still we want to provide insights into these processes in a standardized way over time.

Best regards

Holger

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Dinesh,

it's not the entirely same content, no. As mentioned, SAP Signavio provides a way broader access to other functionality like process mining et al. I can strongly recommend to visit our homepage at SAP Signavio | The Only All-in-One Business Process Software.

As mentioned we'll provide further insights into the positioning of Process Navigator during it's launch.

Best regards

Holger

 

[mohammedbaderuddin_ashraf]

Hi Holger

 

Thank for starting this blog. Its very informative.

 

Just wanted to know if BP_OP_ENTPR_S4HANAX @ SAP downloads will continue be available or after 30 June 2023 SAP downloads will be moved to archive

https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/softwarecenter/template/products/_APP=00200682500000001943&_EVEN...

 

Best Regards

Mohammed Ashraf

[piddamar]

Hi Holger

 

long short questions ... where else can we find Test Script like in SAP Best Practice after it has been deprecated?

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Mohammed,

I'm not completely sure if I'm providing what you've asked, but here's some outlook

• we're continuing to deliver SAP Best Practices for SAP S/4HANA and SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition in 2023. The shipment is planned for October


• we'll surely make above SAP Best Practices available on Process Navigator at that time


• I'm not clear what '@SAP downloads' mean, so unfortunately cannot answer that part

Hope that answers

Best regards

Holger

[HolgerSteffens]

Hi Pidda,

on Process Navigator we'll continue to provide Test Scripts for SAP Best Practices as you're used from the past.

Best regards

Holger

[mohammedbaderuddin_ashraf]

SAP Best Practices for SAP S4HANA

Hi Holger

There is an option to download as shown in attached screenshot of SAP Best Practices for SAP S4/HANA which takes us to zip file of the offline version of complete SAP Best Practices for SAP S4/HANA portal available at SAP download we can browse and download any of the SAP Best Practices offline portal from SAP download so my question is after June 30 these downloads will be removed or continue to be available to download.

However I must say SAP Signavio Process Explorer is much better than SAP Best Practices existing portal and thanks to you as I came to know about this only through your blog.

Best Regards

Mohammed Ashraf

SAP Best Practices for SAP S4HANA.png

[Samikhya]

Hi Holger

What should be the suggestion from SAP side for new S4 implementation customers?

1. Use the Best Practice froM Process Navigator ? Will it have same Sync capability to SolMan --> Signavio ( Earlier we used to load Best practice to SOLMAN and then sync to SAP Signavio to get all process models with Steps and executables.


2. Use the Best Practice from Rapid.SAP.com

We have invested a lot in Solman / SIgnavio architecture to best use of BEST Practices hope this capabiliy will be still avaialble in new tool.

 

With Regards

Samikhya