Controlled deletion of SAP data – Customer story

Wednesday, July 17th, 2024

Proceed team

There are various scenarios where SAP customers need to delete data from their system, based on a company code or another organisational unit. This presents several challenges:  

  • Transactional data in an SAP system is extremely complex. For one business object data can be spread across a number of tables thus it is important to remove all the data in order to keep the referential integrity of the database
  • It is also important to make sure only the data that is supposed to be deleted is deleted thus reconciliation of the data is important
  • And you want to do this with as little as possible down-time

Real-world example and solution 

A pertinent example of these challenges in action is seen in the experience of our client, formerly part of a Dutch multinational conglomerate. This organisation underwent a significant corporate restructuring, resulting in the formation of two separate entities. As a consequence, a portion of the business was spun off into a new company – our client’s. However, the corporate division was executed without cleansing the data, leaving a complex mix of information across the three companies. Sensitive business data had to be meticulously deleted, ensuring that the integrity and accuracy of the remaining data were upheld, all while maintaining business continuity.

To address this, our client selected Proceed’s ‘Deletion Objects’ solution. This powerful tool manages data deletion across various application areas including Finance, Controlling, Product Costing, Asset Management, Material Management, Procurement, Sales, Logistics, Production Planning, and Plant Maintenance. Although alternative options exist, Proceed’s ‘Deletion Objects’ solution is unique in two ways. First, it achieves zero downtime by allowing data deletion to occur while the customer is still using the system, thanks to the product being built on standard SAP archiving technology. Second, it can delete both structured and unstructured data, ensuring that not only the relevant structured data is removed but also any associated unstructured data.

In this project, the initiative eliminated unnecessary and unauthorised sensitive business data from the systems, providing significant legal benefits. This not only bolstered the current relationship between the parent companies and our client but also safeguarded against potential complications in the event of changes in ownership, ensuring the systems remained free from sensitive business data that could lead to undesirable situations and disclosures. Additionally, from a cost savings standpoint, it reduced the data footprint, requiring less storage space.

Tangible results included:

  • Reduced data by 4.7 terabytes from production systems (i.e., 4.7 TB data has been deleted)
  • Removed over 1.6 billion header records only.
  • Data deleted from 350+ company codes
  • Business uninterrupted with zero downtime
  • Enabled organisations to operate independently and efficiently by erasing parent companies’ sensitive data.
  • Streamlined and improved the manageability of SAP systems.
  • Minimised the risk of loss or misuse of commercially sensitive information

Building on the success of this project, our client has committed to implementing new Master Data practices for cleansing and archiving. These measures are designed to prevent the recurrence of similar data challenges in the future, enhancing overall data management practices.

About Proceed’s ‘Deletion Objects’ solution

Proceed’s ‘Deletion Objects’ solution is designed to manage the complexities of SAP data deletion effectively. Tailored for scenarios such as company code carve-outs, divestitures, and spin-offs, the tool offers extensive functionalities:

Features of the ‘Deletion Objects’ solution include:

  1. Validation check: Automatically checks that data deletion corresponds with configured organisational units, reducing errors associated with manual input.
  2. Full data deletion: Deletes both structured (transactional and master data) and unstructured data across the SAP system.
  3. Deletion audit log: Provides a complete log of all deletion steps to facilitate auditing and compliance checks.
  4. Double Validation: Archives a confidential copy of data prior to deletion and includes an archive files scanner for validation.
  5. Extensive coverage: Supports over 100 deletion objects covering major business processes such as Asset Management, Sales and Distribution, Financial Accounting, Controlling, Material Management, Plant Maintenance, Human Resources, Quality Management and Master Data.
  6. Supports any SAP ECC systems and S/4HANA as well including central finance reporting systems.

If you are going through a merger, acquisition, divestiture, or have historic company codes that you no longer use – such as those from closed business units or internal structure changes – you can undertake a clean-up exercise to delete the data linked to these dormant company codes. Contact us today to discuss your specific scenarios or requirements.

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