Insights from VOSS Automotive – Presented at the DSAG Technology Days 2025 and the Munich SAP Days.
Background and Objectives
In early 2025, VOSS Automotive GmbH and itesys shared their practical experience with SAP system decommissioning following an S/4HANA transformation at the DSAG Technology Days in Hamburg. The same presentation will be held again in October at the Munich SAP Days.
The presentation, titled “Comfortable SAP System Archiving After an S/4 Migration Using PBS NAA”, offers an in-depth look into the practice of a completed decommissioning project.
As part of an S/4HANA transformation, many organizations face the question of how to handle their existing ERP systems when not all data is migrated. For VOSS Automotive GmbH, a globally active manufacturer of fluid management systems for the automotive and commercial vehicle industries, this was a key issue.
Following its move to S/4HANA, the company aimed to decommission its legacy ERP system P11 in an audit-compliant way—while retaining all relevant data, including transactional, master, and customizing information, in a format that would meet auditors’ requirements.
At the same time, the goal was to minimize project effort: no parallel logins to legacy systems, no additional user training, and as little administrative overhead as possible, since the teams were already heavily involved in the S/4HANA implementation.
Solution Approach: PBS Nearline Analytic Archive (NAA)
To achieve these goals, PBS Nearline Analytic Archive (NAA) was selected—a solution that enables the complete, validated, and audit-compliant extraction of data from a decommissioned ERP system into a nearline database.
A key advantage of this approach is that users can access historical data directly from the new S/4 system, using familiar SAP transactions, reports, or queries.
This method combines usability with compliance without disrupting daily operations. During the presentation, VOSS highlighted that this approach impressed with its transparency in data extraction, low implementation effort, and quick acceptance by auditors.
Project Execution and Experience
The presentation described the project’s course in detail—from data cleansing and archiving to sandbox extraction and finally to the productive go-live.
Special attention was given to the validation of extracted data and the integration into the existing authorization concept to ensure continued secure access to sensitive information.
VOSS emphasized that the implementation was efficient and well-structured. After successful testing and validation, the system was moved to production. Particularly valuable was the immediate acceptance by auditors and the flexibility to create custom reports and analyses as needed.
Challenges and Key Takeaways
It became clear that the success of such a decommissioning project strongly depends on the involvement of testers. Since historical data often has lower priority compared to current processes, it’s crucial to define responsibilities early and plan testing phases carefully.
The project team also noted that large data volumes and complex cluster tables required smart segmentation to optimize extraction runtimes. Despite these challenges, the project was completed successfully through a methodical approach.
Key benefits highlighted in the presentation included:
- Transparent data extraction and straightforward validation
- Audit-compliant archiving and high acceptance during audits
- Minimal administrative effort combined with user-friendly access
Presentation Summary
The joint presentation by VOSS Automotive and itesys demonstrated that audit-compliant SAP system decommissioning does not have to be complex or resource-intensive—provided the chosen solution meets both technical and regulatory requirements.
With PBS NAA, legacy systems can be securely shut down while still allowing seamless access to all historical business data through the new S/4 system. This approach ensures compliance and reduces operational costs for outdated systems.
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Further Information
A detailed report on the DSAG Technology Days 2025, covering additional SAP transformation topics, can be found here:
👉 Read the DSAG Technology Days 2025 recap
Interested in learning more about SAP system decommissioning? Register for the upcoming October webinar:
👉 Webinar: Decommission SAP Legacy Systems – Secure, Compliant, and Cost-Effective