SAP Best Practices
SAP best practices are the disciplines that keep implementations stable, performant, secure and upgradable, spanning configuration, performance, security, coding, transports and the clean-core principle. This hub summarises them; each page goes deeper.
SAP best practice is five pillars: configuration that follows standard and documents its decisions, efficient SQL and ABAP with proper sizing, least-privilege security with segregation of duties, naming and coding standards, and a disciplined transport strategy. Above them sits clean core: extend through BTP, released APIs and in-app extensibility rather than modifying SAP standard.
- Watch out: Over-customising the standard.
The pillars
- Configuration: follow standard, document, use org structure wisely.
- Performance: efficient SQL/ABAP and proper sizing.
- Security: least privilege, SoD, secure integration.
- Standards: naming and coding conventions.
- Transport strategy & clean core.
Why best practices matter
SAP runs the business, and most problems (and upgrade pain) come from ignoring these disciplines: over-customisation, inefficient code, over-broad access, and undisciplined transports. Following best practices is what separates a system that thrives from one that becomes a fragile liability.
The clean-core principle
Above all, keep the standard system clean: extend via approved frameworks (BTP side-by-side, released APIs, in-app extensibility) rather than modifying SAP standard. Clean core keeps upgrades smooth and is essential for cloud, it is the throughline of modern SAP best practice.
The ABAP side of that discipline, clean core in custom code, performance and naming, is covered in SAP ABAP best practices.
Common pitfalls
- Over-customising the standard.
- Ignoring performance/security discipline.
- Undisciplined transports.