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Analytics and planning

Move off SAP BW 7.5 on your terms, before 2027

Mainstream maintenance for SAP BW 7.5 ends in 2027. TSP assesses what your BW holds, what’s still used and what it costs, then plans the path that fits: BW/4HANA, BW private cloud edition inside SAP Business Data Cloud, or a gradual move to Datasphere.

Book a free BW modernization callCompare the options

Certified partners

  • SAP

SAP BW modernization moves a data warehouse off SAP BW 7.5, whose mainstream maintenance ends in 2027, to a supported platform. The Silicon Partners (TSP), with 30+ BW, BW/4HANA and Datasphere implementations, assesses the current BW and plans the move to BW/4HANA, BW private cloud edition or SAP Datasphere in SAP Business Data Cloud.

  • 30+BW, BW/4HANA and Datasphere implementations
  • 40+BI implementations
  • 10+Years of long-term client relationships

What happens to SAP BW 7.5 in 2027?

Mainstream maintenance for SAP BW 7.5, including BW on HANA, ends in 2027. Extended maintenance is available at extra cost until 2030. After that, BW needs to run on a supported platform: SAP BW/4HANA, maintained until 2040, or SAP Business Data Cloud, where BW private cloud edition and Datasphere carry it forward.

SAP BW 7.5: the timeline

What changes
End of 2027Mainstream maintenance for SAP BW 7.5 ends
2028 to 2030Extended maintenance at extra cost, or BW 7.5 run in BW private cloud edition
2040Maintenance for SAP BW/4HANA ends

A move planned before the deadline lets you choose the timing, clean out what’s no longer used and avoid paying for extended maintenance.

BW/4HANA, BW private cloud edition or Datasphere: which path fits?

It depends on how much you’ve invested in BW and where your data strategy is heading. BW/4HANA keeps a full BW on-premise until 2040. BW private cloud edition moves BW into Business Data Cloud largely as it is, buying time. Datasphere rebuilds models as cloud data products, area by area. Many companies combine them.

The three paths off SAP BW 7.5

SAP BW/4HANABW private cloud editionSAP Datasphere
Where it runsOn-premise or hostedSAP-managed, inside Business Data CloudSAP’s cloud, inside Business Data Cloud
What changesBW objects converted to BW/4HANABW moved largely as it isModels rebuilt as data products
EffortConversion projectLowest at the startSpread over time, area by area
Best fitHeavy BW investment and on-premise requirementsNeed time, want Business Data CloudReady to modernize, mixed SAP and non-SAP data
Path to AIThrough integrationData exposed as data productsNative to Business Data Cloud

SAP calls the Business Data Cloud route Lift, Shift, Innovate: lift BW into private cloud edition, shift key models to data products, then innovate with new analytics and AI.

How the move works

From assessment to a modern data platform, in five steps

  1. BW assessment

    Every InfoProvider, data flow, query and workbook inventoried, with usage, data volumes and custom code. Most BW systems carry objects no one uses, and they don’t need to move.

  2. Target and roadmap

    The path chosen area by area, with a business case, timeline and cost. Finance might stay in BW for a while as sales moves to Datasphere.

  3. Lift or convert

    BW moved into BW private cloud edition, or converted to BW/4HANA, with data, queries and reports tested against the old system.

  4. Shift to data products

    Key models rebuilt in Datasphere as data products, so they can be shared across Business Data Cloud and with other platforms.

  5. Innovate

    New dashboards, planning and AI built on the modern platform, and the old system retired.

    SAP Business Data Cloud

The BW assessment

What the BW assessment covers

  • Usage

    Which queries, reports and data flows people actually use, and which can be retired before the move.

  • Data models and flows

    InfoProviders, transformations and process chains mapped, with the sources each one depends on.

  • Custom code

    ABAP routines and custom logic reviewed for what converts, what needs rework and what’s no longer needed.

  • Reports and consumers

    BEx queries, Analysis for Office workbooks, SAP Analytics Cloud stories and downstream systems that read from BW.

  • Volumes and costs

    Data volumes, growth and running costs, so the business case compares like with like.

  • Skills and ownership

    Who builds and supports BW today, and the skills each path needs.

Key questions

What data and IT leaders ask about SAP BW modernization

  • Can we stay on BW 7.5 after 2027?

    For a while. Extended maintenance runs until 2030 at extra cost, and running BW 7.5 in BW private cloud edition also keeps it supported until then. Both buy time. Neither adds new capabilities, so most companies use the time to modernize.

  • Should BW move at the same time as S/4HANA?

    It doesn’t have to. BW and S/4HANA can move on separate timelines, and BW keeps loading from S/4HANA after an ERP move. Planning them together still helps, because data sources and extractors change once, and TSP runs both.

    SAP S/4HANA services

  • What happens to our BEx queries and Analysis for Office workbooks?

    On BW/4HANA and BW private cloud edition, queries keep working and Analysis for Office stays in use. On Datasphere, reports move to SAP Analytics Cloud, which can also read BW queries live during the transition. The assessment lists what moves where.

Ways to start

Start where you are

  • Usual first step

    Free BW modernization call

    Duration
    30 minutes
    Cost
    Free

    What you get

    A TSP BW lead’s view on your options, the timeline you’re working to and where the risks sit.

    Book a free BW modernization call

  • BW modernization assessment

    Cost
    Scoped to your BW

    What you get

    An inventory of your BW, what’s still used and what it costs, the right path for each area and a business case for the move.

    Ask about a BW assessment

FAQ

Questions about SAP BW modernization

Straight answers to what SAP leaders ask us most.

Talk to an SAP expert

What is SAP BW private cloud edition?

A version of SAP BW run by SAP inside Business Data Cloud. Existing BW 7.5 or BW/4HANA systems move into it largely as they are, and their data can be exposed as data products for the rest of the platform.

What does Lift, Shift, Innovate mean?

SAP’s three-step path from BW to Business Data Cloud. Lift moves BW into BW private cloud edition. Shift rebuilds key models as data products in Datasphere. Innovate builds new analytics, planning and AI on the modern platform.

Does the 2027 date apply to BW on HANA?

Yes. BW 7.5 on SAP HANA follows the same maintenance timeline as BW 7.5 on other databases. SAP BW/4HANA is a separate product with maintenance until 2040.

How long does a BW modernization take?

It depends on the size of your BW, the path and how much can be retired. The assessment gives a timeline for each area. Moving BW into private cloud edition is the quickest start; rebuilding in Datasphere usually runs in waves.

Can we move to Datasphere gradually?

Yes. Most companies move one area at a time, starting where the business value is highest, and keep BW running for the rest until each area is ready.

Next step

Plan your move off SAP BW 7.5

Thirty minutes with a TSP BW lead on your landscape, reports and deadline. You leave knowing your options and the order to do things in.

A senior SAP architect replies within one business day.

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What happens next

  1. You tell us about your BW, its users and its sources
  2. We outline your options and a realistic timeline
  3. If it makes sense, we scope a BW modernization assessment