One of the major disadvantages of the system is its significant storage requirements. Due in part to its much more complex architecture compared to SAP S/4HANA, data processing and analysis take considerably more time.
Especially when compared to modern cloud ERP systems, SAP ERP as a traditional on-premise solution shows limitations in performance and business analytics. Real-time data processing is not possible, and newer technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning cannot be effectively implemented. In contrast, modern cloud-based ERP software enables significantly more efficient business and planning processes.
In addition, onboarding typically requires a substantial amount of time. Many functionalities are complex, and the SAP GUI interface is cluttered and outdated compared to SAP Fiori. This also applies to analytics, which can only be displayed to a very limited extent.
Another drawback is that users must go through multiple steps to create a new transaction (e.g., a purchase order), which often leads to errors when important fields are missed.
However, the most critical disadvantage is that SAP will discontinue maintenance for SAP Business Suite 7 (including SAP ERP 6.0) from 2027 onward (with optional extended maintenance until 2030). As a result, many companies are required to realign their ERP strategies and migrate to modern enterprise solutions.