Global Electronics Brand Tackles Custom Code Complexity Ahead of S/4HANA Transformation

A global consumer electronics company preparing for an S/4HANA transformation engaged Applexus to gain early visibility into its SAP ECC custom code landscape. The client’s system had grown over time to include a significant volume of custom developments, making it essential to understand what could be retained, remediated, or retired in the new environment.

Business Challenges

• Lack of consolidated information on the total volume and usage of RICEFW objects
• Presence of over 175,000 custom objects, including large numbers of cloned or redundant developments
• No clear visibility into which custom objects were in use and which were obsolete
• Difficulty in estimating remediation effort for custom code during S/4HANA transition
• Limited documentation on interdependencies between custom developments and standard SAP functionality
• Need for detailed insights to support planning, testing, and resource allocation for the S/4 transformation project

Applexus Engagement

Applexus was brought in to assess the client’s SAP ECC system with a specific focus on their custom code landscape, which had grown significantly over time. We did this with the help of CeleRITE, our AI-powered S/4HANA assessment and migration platform.

A core feature of CeleRITE is the Code Transformation Studio, purpose-built to analyze custom objects in depth. It identifies unused code, redundant logic, and potential compatibility issues with S/4HANA. Beyond assessment, it delivers insights on code usage and quality, identifies code segments for targeted remediation, and uses AI to generate clear, detailed documentation.

What We Did

• Running CeleRITE across the system to analyze all RICEFW and custom objects
• Conducted a workshop with their existing S/4HANA transformation partner
• Subgrouping executable programs based on functional areas
• Identifying high-volume, low-usage objects suitable for archiving
• Mapping dependencies and pinpointing entry and exit points to aid test planning

Solution Highlights

• Analyzed over 175,000 custom objects, including 100,000+ add-ons
• Evaluated 10 million+ lines of ABAP code for complexity, usage, and quality
• Conducted usage analysis for 11,000+ RICEFW objects, including dependencies
• Grouped custom programs functionally to assist in fit-gap and process design
• Identified 500+ cloned objects flagged for archiving or consolidation
• Mapped interdependencies between custom objects and core SAP modules
• Identified entry and exit points for RICEF objects to support end-to-end testing and traceability

Key Outcomes

• Detailed RICEFW Inventory: Delivered a complete inventory of all RICEFW objects, annotated with usage metrics and dependency mappings, enabling stakeholders to prioritize remediation and reduce analysis time during design.
• Custom Object Rationalization: Helped identify actively used vs. obsolete custom developments, supporting early archiving decisions and helping reduce technical debt ahead of migration.
• Code Quality and Readiness Insights: Highlighted key quality issues in legacy code including performance bottlenecks, redundant logic, and non-compliant structures that could impact the stability or compatibility of the future S/4HANA environment.
• Testing Acceleration: By identifying entry and exit points for custom objects, the assessment enabled faster creation of test scripts and ensured more complete coverage during integration and user acceptance testing phases.
• Dependency Mapping: Provided transparency into complex interdependencies across programs, function modules, and enhancements allowing smoother scoping for reengineering and reducing the risk of downstream disruption.
• Transformation Planning Enablement: Assisted the project team with structured, data-backed documentation to accelerate pre-conversion planning, reduce uncertainties, and improve coordination across functional & technical workstreams.