SAP has a long history in the world of business travel management. For years, companies have relied on SAP Travel Management (SAP TV) to handle their travel expenses efficiently. However, the tried-and-tested product was discontinued by SAP some time ago and was not actually intended for further use under S/4HANA. SAP Travel Management is to be replaced in future by the new cloud product SAP Concur.
Due to a number of concerns from the SAP community regarding SAP Concur, which we will discuss further below, SAP Travel Management has now been made available in S/4HANA for the time being.
The hurdles for switching to SAP Concur
SAP Concur is a cloud-based solution for travel management. It offers clear management of data relevant to travel expenses, is easy to use and can be used on mobile devices - this is particularly convenient for travel expense reports while on the move. Despite the benefits that SAP Concur offers, many companies face challenges that prevent them from switching immediately. Compliance and data protection guidelines cannot yet be fully realized in the cloud solution and are often an obstacle that makes it difficult for companies to opt for SAP Concur. Concerns about security and control over sensitive company data mean that some customers are sticking with their existing solutions for the time being.
SAP Travel Management in the transition phase
The German-speaking SAP user group (DSAG) therefore campaigned for the integration of the established SAP Travel Management in SAP S/4HANA in order to offer companies more flexibility for the transition. Based on many arguments put forward by DSAG, SAP has now decided to make classic SAP Travel Management available for S/4HANA as well.
SAP is currently offering an interim solution: The "SAP Travel Management with S/4HANA Compatibility Pack". This is the classic SAP ECC Travel Management, which will be available to customers in the S/4HANA environment until the end of 2025. For customers migrating to SAP S/4HANA by means of a system conversion, this does not result in any additional effort, as all existing settings are transferred.
The old SAP Travel Management solution will remain in an ECC system until the end of maintenance in 2027 or 2030.
Long-term solution: SAP Travel Management for S/4HANA
As a long-term solution, SAP provides the so-called "SAP Travel Management for S/4HANA". This version was developed specifically for S/4HANA and has been available since 2022. Although the solution does not contain any major functional innovations, it offers an improved user experience thanks to the HANA platform and modern Fiori apps. The Fiori apps are clearly structured and grouped by role. The "Business traveler" role, for example, contains the following apps:
- My travel requests for business travelers
- My travel plans for business travelers
- My expense reports for business travelers
- My credit card transactions
Another advantage of Fiori is the user-friendly application on mobile devices. Applications can be created directly on the cell phone, travel documents can be uploaded and travel expenses can be settled.
SAP Travel Management is still available in the GUI to the usual extent. Anyone who has always worked in the GUI environment of the solution does not have to switch to Fiori and can continue to settle travel expenses as before.
Migration from SAP ECC or the SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Pack is facilitated by the migration tools and services provided.
![[Translate to English:] SAP Travel Management](/fileadmin/trendblog/Travel_Management/Travel_Management_.svg)
Conversion options for companies
There are various ways to convert SAP Travel Management as part of an S/4HANA migration:
- You can first migrate to SAP Travel Management with S/4HANA Compatibility Pack - this has the advantage that the old settings are adopted and no additional effort is required. In a second step, possibly in a new project, you can then migrate to SAP Travel Management for S/4HANA. However, you should clarify the licensing issues with SAP in advance, as the solution expires at the end of 2025.
- You migrate directly to SAP Travel Management for S/4HANA during the S/4HANA migration.
Future roadmap and license conversion
Overall, SAP is providing its customers with a clear roadmap to prepare for the future of travel expense management. As the decision between SAP Travel Management and SAP Concur is not an easy one, SAP offers customers the flexibility they need to find the right solution for their individual requirements. In doing so, SAP is once again postponing a hard end to the travel management solution.
An outlook on license conversion: Depending on the situation, SAP offers its customers a license conversion to make the transition as smooth as possible.
If you have any further questions about travel management, please do not hesitate to contact us!