Beyond SAP ChaRM

A Guide to Seamless Change Management Transition

For over a decade, SAP Solution Manager (SolMan) has been the backbone of SAP change management, ensuring smooth transports. Despite its flaws: complexity, clunky UI, and bottlenecks, it got the job done.

However, with SAP’s announcement to discontinue SolMan by 2027, SAP Basis teams face a critical choice: migrate to Cloud ALM, pay for extended maintenance, or explore a third-party alternative.

Why the End of Solution Manager is a Big Deal

SAP’s decision to phase out Solution Manager isn’t just another software update – it’s a fundamental shift in how businesses manage SAP landscapes. The impact will be felt across industries, especially for companies that rely on ChaRM for compliance, transparency, and transport workflows. Here’s why organizations must take action now:

Loss of critical functionality

Many businesses have deeply embedded SAP ChaRM into their change management, approvals, and automation processes. SAP Cloud ALM does not offer the same on-premise support, advanced transport control, or ITSM integrations. Businesses that depend on these features will face operational gaps that could slow down change management efficiency.

Data migration challenges

When SolMan is gone, so is the historical data stored within it. With the decommissioning of SolMan, historical data tied to ChaRM, such as change requests, approvals, and transport logs, will be lost unless companies have a solution for data extraction.

Cloud-only strategy may not fit all businesses

While SAP is pushing Cloud ALM, many organizations still operate on-premise or hybrid landscapes for security, compliance, and operational reasons. SAP Cloud ALM is not designed for on-premise environments, meaning businesses need a solution that works for hybrid and on-prem landscapes.

Extended maintenance is only a temporary fix

Some companies may choose to pay for SAP’s extended maintenance, which offers continued support until 2030 or 2033. However, this approach is expensive and delays the inevitable transition. Additionally, SAP decides which functionalities remain supported, meaning businesses could lose key features even before maintenance fully ends. Instead of investing in a temporary fix, organizations should start planning for a long-term solution that provides stability and scalability.

Risk of business disruptions

A last-minute transition can disrupt transport workflows, compliance tracking, and system stability. Given the complexity of SAP landscapes, waiting until 2026 or 2027 to act is too risky. Businesses should start planning their transition now to avoid issues that could impact their system stability.

Change Management beyond SAP ChaRM

The end of Solution Manager is coming: What’s next for your SAP Change Management?

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4 Critical Phases of the Transition

Migrating away from SAP Solution Manager isn’t just about choosing a replacement – it’s about ensuring long-term efficiency, compliance, and security in your SAP landscape.

1. Assessment: understanding your current setup

Before making any changes, it’s essential to map out your current SAP transport landscape. Key questions to ask:

Which SolMan components does your business rely on (SAP ChaRM, ITSM, CTS+, etc.)?
What integrations are currently in place (e.g. Jira, ServiceNow)?
Which historical data needs to be retained?
Are you moving towards a cloud, on-premise, or hybrid SAP environment?

By conducting this assessment, you’ll identify gaps that need to be filled and ensure a smooth migration.

2. Choosing a future-proof alternative

Many businesses assume that SAP Cloud ALM is the default replacement for SolMan, but it lacks key functionalities, especially for on-premise environments. A strong SolMan replacement should offer:

Full Transport Management capabilities (approvals, conflict detection)
Seamless ITSM integration
Hybrid and on-premise support (depending on your strategy)
Automated documentation

In that context, SmartChange is a great option, providing comprehensive Transport Management beyond the capabilities of SAP ChaRM.

3. Data extraction: retaining critical change request information

Data migration is one of the biggest hurdles in transitioning away from SAP ChaRM. Without a dedicated extraction tool, companies risk losing critical data:

Transport approvals and compliance records
Change request workflows and their history
Integration details with ITSM systems

A proper replacement solution should support data extraction and archiving, ensuring full compliance even after SolMan is gone. Choose a tool that allows data extraction and archiving, ensuring compliance and traceability.

4. Implementation and integration: setting up a smooth transition

Once you’ve selected the right solution, implementation needs to be fast and seamless. With SmartChange, companies can:

deploy standard implementations within a week,
integrate existing ITSM tools for bi-directional synchronization,
automate transport approvals and reduce manual effort.

SolMan End of Life: Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Even with a strong plan, SAP Basis teams can run into critical issues if they don’t prepare properly. Here are the most common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Delaying the transition until it’s too late: SAP Solution Manager will be completely unsupported by 2027, and businesses relying on extended maintenance only delay the inevitable. A last-minute migration increases the risk of rushed implementation, missing critical data, and potential downtime.
Failing to extract historical data: Without a proper extraction plan, businesses will lose crucial historical data related to transport history, approval logs, and compliance documentation.
Overlooking CTS+: Many organizations use CTS+ to manage Non-ABAP transports across Java, HANA, and other SAP components. Since SAP Solution Manager plays a central role in CTS+ workflows, its decommissioning can disrupt cross-system transport tracking and approvals. Ensuring a replacement solution that accommodates CTS+ is essential.
Opting for the default replacement solution: SAP Cloud ALM is a cloud-native solution, making it a poor fit for companies with on-premise SAP landscapes. Organizations that require local control over transport management, security, and compliance need a solution that fully supports on-premise or hybrid deployments.

In a recent webinar, we found that 56% of the participants prefer a hybrid approach over a full cloud migration, and 22% intend to remain on-premise for the next 5-10 years. These results highlight a key challenge: while SAP is promoting Cloud ALM, the majority of businesses still require a flexible, hybrid solution.

Do you want to follow SAP’s cloud-only strategy?

Cloud-only Enthusiasts

Cloud Adopters

Hybrid Pioneers

On-Prem Guardians

The Future of SAP Change Management

With SAP Solution Manager’s end-of-life approaching, businesses can no longer afford to postpone their migration plans. The transition to a modern SAP change management solution should not just focus on replacing ChaRM but also on enhancing efficiency, automation, and ITSM integration.

So, what’s next? Organizations can migrate to the cloud, extend support through SAP’s maintenance options, or explore third-party solutions that offer greater flexibility and innovation. The key is to choose a path that ensures long-term efficiency and scalability.

Why SmartChange?

SmartChange provides a seamless transition from SAP Solution Manager, fully supporting hybrid, on-premise, and cloud environments while offering:

intelligent transport management with automated quality checks,
seamless ITSM integration with Jira, ServiceNow, SmartITSM, and other tools,
audit-ready compliance with complete documentation to meet regulatory requirements,
comprehensive data extraction, preserving all historical transport data, approvals, and compliance records,
automated ChaRM migration, eliminating costly, error-prone manual transfers for a seamless transition.

If your company is still relying on SAP Solution Manager, now is the time to take action. A well-planned transition will ensure stability, compliance, and efficiency for years to come. Ready to modernize your SAP Change Management? Request a free SmartChange demo today and discover how to ensure a seamless, future-proof transition.