This partner insight is brought to you by SailPoint Technologies, Inc. For more insights into security challenges, register to attend an April 23 webcast from ASUG and SailPoint on implementing identity security best practices for hybrid SAP environments.
Behind initiatives like S/4HANA migration, integration between SAP and non-SAP systems, and automation implementation lurks a complex security challenge many organizations underestimate until well into their transformation journey.
During enterprise connections of SAP applications to cloud services like Business Technology Platform (BTP), implementation of RISE with SAP, and maintenance of legacy systems, identity security exposure grows exponentially. Hybrid operations aren’t temporary; with SAP having adjusted migration deadlines multiple times over the past decade, organizations face the complex task of securing both traditional and cloud environments for the foreseeable future.
Complexity intensifies when considering the broader ecosystem. Every organization running SAP typically maintains a constellation of other critical applications such as Microsoft, Salesforce, and Workday, each with its own identity management capabilities but often lacking cohesive governance across systems. Such fragmentation creates dangerous blind spots, especially during employee transitions and role changes.
Most concerning, many organizations still manage critical security functions manually, particularly separation of duties (SoD) controls. Operational reality often involves finance teams conducting quarterly reviews across different time zones, consuming thousands of staff hours while leaving potential violations undetected between reviews. Companies might get by with manual controls in stable environments, but cloud migrations render these older approaches practically impossible to maintain.
As organizations contend with these challenges, SailPoint, a leader in enterprise identity security, brings specialized expertise in SAP identity security and is committed to supporting customers through transformation journeys.
Identity Security: The Key to Confident SAP Transformation
SAP environments typically process data subject to financial reporting requirements, industry regulations, and data privacy laws, all of which may demand demonstrable access controls as part of their compliance measures. Automated governance provides irrefutable audit trails and documentation that may be required during regulatory examinations, transforming compliance from a resource-intensive scramble into a continuous, verifiable process.
Substantial decreases in financial risk exposure occur when organizations implement automated SoD enforcement. Without proper controls, SAP financial processes become vulnerable at critical junction points where a single individual could create vendors, approve payments, or manipulate master data and process transactions. Identity security prevents toxic access combinations preemptively rather than detecting violations after the fact.
Strategically valuable, comprehensive identity security creates the foundation of confidence necessary for SAP transformation initiatives. Organizations can accelerate S/4HANA migration, cloud adoption, and even AI implementation through proper controls that maintain security continuity throughout transitions. Confidence enables digital transformation without the security compromises that often derail technology initiatives.
Cloud migrations fundamentally change security needs. As network perimeters fade away, properly managing who can access what becomes the primary defense for SAP and non-SAP systems. Identity security delivers measurable business value by following these best practices:
Align SAP and Identity Security Functions: Create a holistic governance approach by connecting identity teams with SAP administrators to manage complex access issues across the entire enterprise environment.
Secure Access Across Hybrid Environments: Implement comprehensive identity controls that work seamlessly across on-premises SAP systems, cloud applications, and everything in between to maintain security during the transformation journey. Abandon one-size-fits-all role assignments and adopt smarter rules combining both job roles and specific attributes.
Secure All Business-Critical Applications: Extend identity security beyond SAP to cover the entire application landscape with a unified approach that eliminates security gaps between systems.
Address Access Control and Risk Management Concerns: Control access to SAP infrastructure and address risk management concerns using comprehensive and fine-grained separation of duties (SoD) controls to deliver complete visibility and control over how access is used.
Maintain Compliance Throughout Transformation: Deploy centralized governance that provides continuous monitoring and complete audit trails that can assist with satisfying regulatory requirements at every stage of the cloud journey. Replace manual controls with automated SoD enforcement that ensures real-time monitoring across the SAP ecosystem. Effective identity oversight builds the trust base needed to transform business systems. Companies speed up their S/4HANA shifts and cloud moves with security safeguards that work during change periods.
Real Customer Outcomes
Organizations implementing identity security automation have achieved significant reductions in time spent on identity processes such as access provisioning, certification campaigns, and SoD reviews. Efficiency gains translate directly to lower administrative costs while simultaneously improving security posture, creating a rare combination in cybersecurity investments.
A Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company faced major issues with its legacy on-site identity platform. Meeting regulatory standards grew harder as time-consuming manual workflows drained key resources and reduced productivity.
After deploying SailPoint Identity Security Cloud Business Plus, the organization optimized user management processes for 135,000 accounts, comprising 72,000 staff members and 62,000 external personnel.
Key improvements included a 40% reduction in time devoted to access validations, 90% of evaluations finalized shortly after certification initiation, and manual technology tasks decreased by nearly a third.
A global food producer battled with an aging identity system dating back to 2004. With just three team members, they struggled under an overwhelming burden of more than 50 daily support requests and a backlog reaching 400-600 tickets. Mounting license expenses created additional pressure, making system replacement essential.
Their rigorous selection process led them to SailPoint for managing their 45,000 identities and more than 230 apps. They adopted a gradual migration plan emphasizing core employee lifecycle functions and credential syncing. The rollout successfully addressed maintenance obstacles while strengthening identity controls. Security personnel now handle compliance with greater assurance and have improved previously complicated audit workflows,
Optimizing SAP Identity Security
SAP environments grow more complex each year, making traditional approaches to identity management increasingly risky and costly. Companies still relying on manual processes or disconnected tools pay a high price: skyrocketing operational overhead, growing security gaps, and compliance problems that multiply with each new SAP module or connection.
Transitioning from tactical access management to strategic identity security represents perhaps the most significant yet overlooked enabler of successful SAP modernization.
Establishing comprehensive identity security across your SAP ecosystem creates the security framework necessary to embrace new technologies, adapt to changing business requirements, and protect your most sensitive data and processes. Your investment enables transformation while maintaining the access controls your operations and compliance requirements demand.
Join us on April 23 for an ASUG and SailPoint webcast (register here). Learn how to protect hybrid SAP systems during your transformation journey with expert tips and real-world strategies.
Amy Lemen is Senior Product Marketing Manager at SailPoint Technologies, Inc. Connect with her on LinkedIn.