SAP’s AI Assistants Can Simplify ERP Data Migration and Custom Code Modernisation

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) modernisation is becoming a major priority for organisations looking to improve operational efficiency, strengthen data management, and adopt cloud-based technologies. However, migrating legacy ERP systems and modernising custom code can be complex, time-consuming, and expensive. Businesses often face challenges involving data quality, outdated integrations, customised applications, and compatibility with modern platforms.

SAP is addressing these challenges through artificial intelligence (AI)-powered development and migration capabilities. Its AI assistants, including Joule and specialised tools within the SAP ecosystem, are designed to help developers, consultants, and IT teams understand existing systems, automate repetitive tasks, and accelerate ERP transformation projects.

By combining AI assistance with SAP’s development and migration tools, organisations can simplify technical processes, reduce manual workloads, and move towards modern SAP environments with greater confidence.

AI Assistants Improve ERP Data Migration and Quality Management

Data migration is one of the most critical stages of an ERP transformation project. Businesses need to transfer large volumes of information, including customer records, supplier details, financial transactions, inventory data, and operational records, from existing systems into modern SAP environments.

Poor data quality, duplicate records, inconsistent formats, and incomplete information can create significant problems during migration.

SAP’s Data Management Assistant is designed to address these challenges by analysing data quality metrics, identifying inconsistencies, prioritising issues based on business impact, and recommending corrective actions.

Its key capabilities include:

• Data Quality Assessment: Analyses business data to identify missing, duplicated, and inconsistent information.
• Issue Prioritisation: Highlights critical data problems that could affect migration outcomes.
• Automated Remediation: Supports automated and guided approaches to correcting data quality issues.
• Migration Readiness: Helps organisations prepare reliable data before moving to SAP Cloud ERP.
• Continuous Monitoring: Supports ongoing data quality management throughout transformation activities.

For example, AkzoNobel is using SAP’s Data Management Assistant as part of its RISE with SAP transformation journey to assess data quality and prioritise remediation activities. This helps its teams focus on business-critical information rather than spending excessive time on manual analysis. SAP News Center+1

Custom Code Assistant Helps Modernise Legacy ABAP Applications

Custom code modernisation is another major challenge for organisations migrating from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA or SAP Cloud ERP Private.

Over time, businesses develop customised ABAP programs, extensions, and integrations to support their specific operational requirements. However, some legacy developments may become incompatible with newer SAP environments or create unnecessary technical complexity.

SAP’s Custom Code Assistant uses AI to analyse, classify, and modernise custom developments. It helps organisations understand which applications should be retained, modified, replaced, or removed.

Its major capabilities include:

• Code Analysis: Examines existing ABAP developments, dependencies, and usage patterns.
• Automated Classification: Groups custom code into business-related extensions.
• Migration Recommendations: Identifies the changes required to make applications compatible with modern SAP environments.
• Code Remediation: Supports automated fixes and AI-generated recommendations for migration-related issues.
• Technical Debt Reduction: Identifies unused or outdated extensions that can potentially be decommissioned.
• Clean Core Adoption: Helps organisations align custom developments with SAP standards and recommended APIs.

These capabilities can reduce manual development work and help IT teams focus on business-critical customisations. RISE with SAP ERP Modernization+1

Test Management and Business Configuration Become More Efficient

ERP migration does not end with transferring data and updating custom applications. Organisations must also ensure that business processes work correctly in the new environment.

SAP’s Test Management Assistant helps project teams prepare and organise testing activities by analysing business processes, requirements, and user stories.

It can identify important testing scenarios, generate test cases, and determine the data required for testing. The assistant also connects with SAP Test Automation by Tricentis to support automated test execution.

Another important capability is the Business Configuration Assistant, which helps organisations translate business requirements into ERP configurations.

Its capabilities include:

• Recommending configurations based on industry and business requirements.
• Supporting organisational structure setup.
• Identifying configuration differences and deviations.
• Automating selected configuration activities.
• Maintaining an audit trail of configuration changes.

Together, these assistants can reduce manual preparation, improve testing coverage, and support more consistent ERP implementations. SAP News Center+1

SAP’s Vision for Agent-Led ERP Transformation

SAP is working towards a broader agent-led transformation ecosystem in which multiple AI assistants coordinate activities across the ERP migration lifecycle.

Alongside the Data Management, Test Management, Custom Code, and Business Configuration Assistants, SAP plans to expand its portfolio with additional capabilities.

The planned assistants include:

• System Analysis Assistant: Analyses existing SAP systems, configurations, data, and custom developments to establish a foundation for transformation.
• Project Management Assistant: Provides project insights, identifies potential risks, and supports coordination across implementation teams.
• Rollout Assistant: Helps organisations adapt global ERP templates to regional business and regulatory requirements.

SAP’s longer-term vision is to connect these capabilities into a more integrated transformation experience, supporting organisations from initial system assessment through implementation and deployment. SAP News Center+1

What This Means for Businesses

The growing use of AI assistants in ERP modernisation could change how organisations approach large-scale technology transformations. Traditional migration projects often require significant involvement from developers, data specialists, consultants, and business analysts.

By introducing AI-powered analysis, recommendations, and automation, SAP aims to reduce repetitive work and improve collaboration between technical and business teams.

However, AI assistance does not eliminate the need for human oversight. Organisations must still validate migration results, review code changes, maintain data governance, and ensure that critical business processes operate correctly.

For companies planning to migrate from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA or adopt SAP Cloud ERP, these capabilities offer additional support for managing technical complexity and preparing for future innovation.

Overall, SAP’s AI assistants represent an important development in ERP modernisation. By combining intelligent data management, custom code remediation, automated testing, and business configuration, SAP aims to make cloud ERP transformation more structured, efficient, and manageable.