Back in May 2019, I was fortunate to have had a chance to present and talk about SAP Cloud Platform (now SAP BTP) at SAP Sapphire / ASUG. It was one of those sessions where I got to talk about something I’ve spent years working on—extending SAP SuccessFactors to incorporate unique and differentiating processes. The whole idea was to address a common struggle many companies face when moving from legacy on-premise SAP HCM to cloud based SAP SuccessFactors: what happens to all the customizations they’ve built over the years?
For companies that have spent decades refining their HR systems with custom reports, enhancements, and infotypes, SuccessFactors presents a challenge. It’s a SaaS product, which means no direct modifications, no old-school ABAP workarounds, no custom infotypes and no deeply embedded user exits. That’s great for standardization and upgrades but can be frustrating for organizations that rely on unique business processes. This is where SAP Cloud Platform (now SAP Business Technology Platform) plays a huge role—it allows companies to extend SuccessFactors without touching modifying the standard.
One of the most interesting examples we shared during the session was our work with American Airlines. They had a complex set of seniority rules that determined things like benefits, scheduling, and compensation. In their old SAP HCM system, this was handled through a web of custom logic built over years. But when moving to SuccessFactors, there was no direct way to handle it. Instead of trying to force custom logic into a system that wasn’t built for it, we extended it using SAP Cloud Platform. We built a seniority calculator that listened for events in SuccessFactors, applied American Airlines’ specific business rules, and updated employee records in real time. This kept them close to the standard business processes while ensuring HR still had the flexibility they needed.
Another issue they faced was manual adjustments. Sometimes, seniority adjustments during promotions or rehires didn’t process as expected, and HR needed a way to track, approve, and correct these cases. Instead of adding complexity to SuccessFactors, we built a lightweight app on Cloud Platform where HR teams could manage adjustments quickly without disrupting the system. This kind of side-by-side extensibility is what makes SAP Cloud Platform such a game changer. It allows companies to keep their core HR system standard while still accommodating unique business needs.
One of the biggest takeaways from that session was that moving to the cloud isn’t just about migration—it’s an opportunity to rethink processes. Too often, companies try to replicate their old on-premise system in SuccessFactors instead of taking advantage of the flexibility that comes with SaaS and PaaS. With BTP, extensions can be built in a way that is upgrade-safe, scalable, and even future-proofed for innovations.
Looking back, I really enjoyed that session because it was less about selling technology and more about sharing real, practical and out of the box solutions to problems that companies actually face. It was a great discussion with people who were navigating the same challenges, and it reinforced something I’ve believed for a long time—every organization has unique needs, and with the right approach, they can extend SuccessFactors in a way that keeps them flexible while staying close to the standard.
You can download my presentation from the ASUG website. If you’re in the same boat and looking to extend SuccessFactors contact us to learn how my team and I can help you.