SAP Clean Core Enforcement: Document Automation & Archiving Guide

This blog is the transcript from a recent webinar of the same title delivered by Sean Fitzpatrick CEO, and Darren Peloso, CTO of docuflow® by VersaFile. 

SAP Clean Core Policy

Image: SAP Clean Core Policy – Clean Core A/B/C/D model with extensibility paths and clean core levels On-slide text: SAP Clean Core Policy Keep the core clean, stricter standards, upgrade-stable and innovation-ready. In essence: Avoid custom code at the system core. Use SAP-approved extensibility points such as published APIs or side-by-side extensions in BTP. Follow a “Fit-to-Standard” first principle. Example is legacy ILM Archiving based on user exits and data manipulation

So let’s talk SAP Clean Core. Last year it seemed clean core was a 1 or a zero. Either you were clean core or you weren’t. Of course that was the not reality organizations could just start with.

We are glad to see that SAP has come out with this concept of Clean Core A, B, C or D. It allows teams to better assess where they are and build out a roadmap on how to get to “A” which is quite difficult. For those taking a non-greenfield approach, it will take time as even most vendors are not fully clean core A at this time.

I was at an ASUG conference last year and the team from Exxon Mobil were presenting their roadmap to S/4 over the coming years. In their blueprints, they were 95% clean core. The other 5% were features or functions that still needed delivery by SAP or other partners, or would need rewrites into adjacent side-by-side extensions. The point is, very few will be there out of the gates, but it is prudent to build a roadmap to get there and work with vendors that are committed to get there.

Other areas we unexpectedly see Clean Core come up a bit more aggressively is with the release of S/4 2023 and 2025 where some attachment management features or new features only support CMIS for content integration and not ArchiveLink. Be on the look-out for these. One other area we see changes are with ILM data archiving. SAP discontinued use of User Exits that some legacy archiving solutions were using to meet ILM requirements. This could cause retrieval issues in the future if you don’t take corrective actions.

Today, Clean core “A” means your SAP system is pristine within its boundaries with no custom code, no add-ins, no transports etc. Any integrations, add-on solutions or customizations are done through SAP approved extensibility points such as published APIs or side-by-side extension availability within SAP BTP. Furthermore, your processes are likely taking a “Fit-to-standard” first approach. For common processes, really question why you need customization in the first place? Does the value or benefit outweigh the cost of creation, sustainment and the technical debt that could stifle more agile updates to your systems.

docuflow Clean Core “A” Pillars

Image: docuflow Clean Core “A” Pillars – SaaS / Cloud Based – NO code On-slide text: Document Storage in any repository – simplified no code configuration-based archiving Metadata Augmentation – enrich content via Odata API’s and configuration Intelligent Document Routing – routing is based on enriched metadata and external rules Inbound SAP Linking – configuration and Odata based – no code Resiliency and Recovery – asynchronous execution, controlled retries and recovery SAP Certified – Integration with SAP S/4HANA SAP Certified – Built with SAP Business Technology Platform NEW SAP Clean Core Certification Coming
At docuflow, we started our journey by focusing on 4 key pillars to provide a Clean Core “A” option today. It starts with being SaaS and Cloud focused and providing a platform that is configurable and truly a NO-code solution. It starts with maintaining a key principle and differentiator from traditional ECM vendors. docuflow will be repository agnostic allowing you to store you attachments, output and data archives, along with metadata, into any repository with pure configuration…NO CODE required.

Metadata is increasingly becoming important for businesses to achieve automation and real, “Value-Added” AI use cases. You need to think beyond just simple archiving and storage. By adding metadata, we can trigger more robust and automated governance processes saving you money, we trigger task and process automation to save your users time, and finally we can add rich context to content or chunks of content to feed your organizations’s thirst for AI use cases. The more context you have, the more accurate and reliable results you can get with Generative AI, which will increase adoption, which will actually drive a measurable ROI. In our labs today is a new solution we are proving out that will allow you to use GEN AI to surface information accurately and reliably from Operating procedures, policies and work instructions. All in context to what you are doing at the moment in SAP and save you time vs scouring through a document looking for a specific piece of information. Without lots of rich metadata, this would not be possible. 

As we get into more advanced use cases, document routing becomes important. Not all repositories are created equally. Some organizations are under different levels of governance and compliance and need flexibility where their content gets stored in their repository. Intelligent document routing is driven by rules and metadata. 

Also common across our customer base is the concept of inbound to SAP processing and linking. Content comes in from all sorts of sources including email, portals, integration services and more. When the content comes in, it may only have minimal metadata. We need to find just enough to find an SAP business object in SAP and create an attachment link back to the document in the repository. Again, this is all expected to be available with no coding needed. 

Finally, all sorts of things can go bump in the night…or during the day, wether it be cloud outage or internet interruptions, clean core systems have to have built in resiliency, recovery, performance and forgiveness more than ever as more and more things are out of our control and the volumes are increasing. 

So in summary, our cloud and SaaS first approach, will continue to make advanced features available in docuflow, all with no code and no transports to SAP. 

docuflow Clean Core “A” Approach

Image: docuflow for SAP Clean Core Solution Architecture – Using Microsoft SharePoint Online as an example

Finally this is our last slide before we take a look at a demo of docuflow. This is simplified architecture outlining our Clean Core “A” approach using Microsoft SharePoint Online as an example repository. This would equally apply to Box or any IBM repository or AWS S3 for example. So lets walk through the process. 

Starting at #1 as attachments are added to SAP business objects, either through GOS or DMS or a 3rd party tool OR as output is created by SAP such as a Purchase Order, docuflow using either ArchiveLink or CMIS will capture the document and flow that to docuflow for processing.

#2 the docuflow rules engine will then determine if the document requires further processing or simply a basic archive action with only system metadata. The processing is required then #3 occurs where docuflow communicates with BTP and our API’s within Cloud Foundry which will execute the tasks of gathering the metadata required to complete processing. 

#4 is returning the metadata we need, which will then be consumed by docuflow, #5, to properly route and file the document in the right location, create new folders if needed and apply the metadata that we transferred down from SAP. This metadata may be used to trigger power automate processes, set tags, send notifications or execute other automations including integrations into other enterprise systems or portals. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What does SAP Clean Core really mean in 2026?

In 2026, SAP Clean Core is no longer a binary state where systems are either compliant or not. SAP now defines Clean Core across maturity levels—A, B, C, and D—allowing organizations to assess their current position and plan a realistic path forward. Clean Core “A” represents the highest standard and is difficult to achieve, particularly for non-greenfield environments. Even advanced SAP customers report being close, but not fully there, due to dependencies on SAP-delivered features or partner rewrites. The expectation is progress through a roadmap, not immediate perfection.

How can organizations move toward SAP Clean Core “A” without rewriting everything at once?

Organizations can move toward SAP Clean Core “A” by adopting a phased roadmap rather than attempting large-scale rewrites. This approach relies on shifting customizations and integrations away from the SAP core and into SAP-approved extensibility points. Side-by-side extensions in SAP Business Technology Platform and the use of published APIs are central to this strategy. Most enterprises will require time to modernize legacy functionality, and working with vendors committed to Clean Core alignment is critical. The goal is steady reduction of technical debt while maintaining operational continuity. 

How and why is SAP enforcing Clean Core more aggressively now?

SAP Clean Core enforcement has become more visible with recent S/4HANA releases, particularly 2023 and 2025. Some new SAP features now support only CMIS-based integrations, removing support for older approaches such as ArchiveLink in specific scenarios. In addition, SAP has discontinued user exits that were used by some legacy ILM archiving solutions. These changes increase the risk of future retrieval or compliance issues if corrective action is not taken. As a result, Clean Core is increasingly tied to system stability, upgrade safety, and long-term supportability. 

What defines a SAP Clean Core “A” approach for document automation and archiving?

A SAP Clean Core “A” approach ensures the SAP system remains pristine, with no custom code, add-ins, or transports inside the core. All document automation and archiving capabilities are delivered through SAP-approved mechanisms such as APIs and side-by-side services. Solutions are expected to be SaaS- and cloud-based, fully configurable, and require no coding. A fit-to-standard mindset is applied, especially for common processes, with careful evaluation of whether customization justifies its long-term cost and technical debt. This approach supports upgrade stability and innovation readiness.

How can metadata, automation, and AI use cases work without violating SAP Clean Core principles?

Metadata plays a central role in enabling automation and AI while preserving SAP Clean Core compliance. By enriching content with metadata outside the SAP core, organizations can drive governance workflows, intelligent routing, and task automation without custom SAP code. Rich metadata also provides the context required for accurate and reliable generative AI use cases, improving adoption and measurable ROI. These capabilities extend beyond basic archiving to deliver value-added automation and intelligence. Without sufficient metadata, advanced automation and AI scenarios are not possible.

What does a SAP Clean Core architecture look like in practice?

A SAP Clean Core architecture uses SAP-approved integration paths to move documents and metadata without modifying the SAP core. Attachments and output documents are captured using ArchiveLink or CMIS and processed by an external rules engine. Metadata is gathered through SAP BTP using APIs and then returned for routing, filing, and governance in the target repository. This approach supports repositories such as Microsoft SharePoint Online, Box, IBM repositories, or AWS S3. The architecture demonstrates how Clean Core principles can coexist with real-world enterprise content flows.

How Is docuflow a Viable Alternative to OpenText in a SAP Clean Core Strategy?

docuflow is designed from the ground up to support a SAP Clean Core “A” approach, whereas many legacy ECM platforms were built around deep SAP customizations. A Clean Core–aligned architecture requires no custom code, add-ins, or transports inside SAP, relying instead on SAP-approved APIs and side-by-side services. docuflow delivers document automation and archiving as a cloud-based SaaS solution that is fully configuration-driven, eliminating the need for user exits or embedded logic in the SAP core. Unlike traditional ECM platforms, docuflow enables true repository choice, allowing organizations to store attachments, output, and data archives in repositories such as SharePoint, Box, IBM repositories, or object storage without custom development. This flexibility reduces long-term lock-in and lowers total cost of ownership by avoiding proprietary repositories and specialized skills. By combining no-code configuration, cloud delivery, and repository agnosticism, docuflow supports Clean Core compliance while remaining upgrade-stable and future-ready.

How Can Organizations Reduce SAP Database Footprint While Maintaining SAP Clean Core Compliance?

Reducing SAP database footprint while maintaining SAP Clean Core compliance requires moving documents and output data out of the SAP database using SAP-approved integration methods. docuflow replaces custom ArchiveLink and CMIS integrations with a SaaS-based, configuration-driven approach that requires no custom code in the SAP core. SAP business objects remain linked to externally stored content using standard interfaces while documents are stored in cloud-based repositories. By eliminating custom-built ArchiveLink and CMIS implementations, docuflow helps organizations control database growth, reduce infrastructure and maintenance costs, and remain upgrade-stable. This approach aligns with SAP Clean Core “A” principles while giving customers flexibility and long-term sustainability in their content architecture. Unlike traditional ECM platforms, docuflow enables true repository choice, allowing organizations to store attachments, output, and data archives in repositories such as SharePoint, Box, IBM repositories, or object storage without custom development. This flexibility reduces long-term lock-in and lowers total cost of ownership by avoiding proprietary repositories and specialized skills. By combining no-code configuration, cloud delivery, and repository agnosticism, docuflow supports Clean Core compliance while remaining upgrade-stable and future-ready.

About VersaFile

VersaFile is a leader in SAP-integrated content automation. With its flagship solution, docuflow® by VersaFile, the company helps enterprises automate content and data processes, modernize IT landscapes, and prepare for an AI-powered future. VersaFile supports organizations worldwide in reducing complexity, lowering total cost of ownership, and achieving measurable business outcomes. 

Plan your SAP migration with confidence. Pair archiving with a Clean Core–aligned approach to reduce costs and future-proof upgrades.

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