SAP HCM vs SuccessFactors: What ABAP Developers Should Know in 2025

Hello Peeps!

Let’s explore the key differences between SAP HCM and SuccessFactors—and understand how each shapes the future of HR technology.

🔍 Introduction

SAP is rapidly evolving, and with the growing adoption of cloud-based solutions, the spotlight has shifted from traditional SAP HCM (Human Capital Management) to SAP SuccessFactors. This change raises an important question for thousands of SAP developers:

Where does ABAP stand in the world of SuccessFactors?

This post dives deep into the SAP HCM vs SuccessFactors debate, focusing on what ABAP developers need to know, how to stay relevant, and which skills are essential in 2025.

🧩 What Is SAP HCM?

SAP HCM is SAP’s legacy on-premise HR solution, part of SAP ECC and S/4HANA. It helps manage the full employee lifecycle, offering submodules such as:

• Personnel Administration (PA)

• Organizational Management (OM)

• Payroll

• Time Management

• Recruitment

• Benefits Administration

• Training and Events

  
  

SAP HCM is heavily dependent on ABAP programming, allowing customization through infotypes, reports, enhancements, BAdIs, and user exits.

Many large organizations still use SAP HCM today, especially for payroll and time tracking, even as they explore SuccessFactors for talent management.

☁️ What Is SAP SuccessFactors?

SAP SuccessFactors is SAP’s cloud-based Human Experience Management (HXM) suite, designed to manage global workforces with modern, user-friendly tools.

Key modules include:

• Employee Central (Core HR)

• Recruiting

• Onboarding

• Performance & Goals

• Learning Management System (LMS)

• Succession Planning

• Compensation

  
  

SuccessFactors is built on Java and web technologies, not ABAP. It promotes standardized HR processes across global enterprises and is offered as a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) platform with regular quarterly updates.

🔄 Key Differences: SAP HCM vs SuccessFactors

Feature	SAP HCM	SuccessFactors
Deployment	On-premise	Cloud
Programming Language	ABAP	Java/XML
Customization	High (user exits, BAdIs)	Limited (BTP Extensions)
Updates	Manual via transports	Auto via quarterly releases
Payroll	On-premise only	EC Payroll (hosted HCM)
UX	SAP GUI	Web-based (Fiori-like UI)
Integration	Native	API-based (OData, SOAP)

👨‍💻 What Does This Mean for ABAP Developers?

The move to SuccessFactors has brought about uncertainty for many ABAP developers. But here's the good news:

ABAP is not dead — it’s evolving.

🔸 Where ABAP Is Still Critical

If your company is using:

• SAP ECC with HCM

• S/4HANA with HCM compatibility pack

• SAP H4S4 (HCM for S/4HANA Private Cloud)

  
  

Then ABAP development remains crucial for:

• Enhancing PA30, PA40 transactions

• Creating custom infotypes and reports

• Modifying payroll schemas and rules

• Handling LSMWs, BDCs, ALV reports, Smart Forms

  
  

These systems may be supported until 2040, which means ABAP skills will continue to have long-term value in certain landscapes.

🔸 Where Change Is Happening

As businesses move to SuccessFactors, the technical landscape shifts:

• Custom logic can no longer be implemented via ABAP directly

• Extensions are built using SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP)

• Integrations are carried out through APIs and SAP Cloud Platform Integration (CPI).

  
  

So while ABAP still plays a role in hybrid systems, JavaScript, REST/OData, and CAP (Cloud Application Programming Model) are becoming essential too.

🔧 What Skills Should ABAP Developers Learn?

✅ 1. Learn the Basics of SuccessFactors

Start with Employee Central (EC) – it’s the core of SuccessFactors and replaces many functions of PA/OM from HCM. Learn the data model, workflows, and how business rules are configured.

Knowing the structure of portlets (like how EC stores address or job info) helps when building data interfaces or performing integrations.

✅ 2. Embrace SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform)

Custom development in SAP is moving toward the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP). For ABAP developers, this shift opens up several new opportunities:

• Use ABAP RAP (RESTful Application Programming) to design customized applications for the cloud.

• Develop enhancements with SAP Fiori Elements or SAPUI5 for a modern user experience.

• Manage custom logic and data externally by creating side-by-side extensions that run independently of SuccessFactors.

  
  

SAP now provides a dedicated ABAP environment within BTP, allowing developers to continue applying their core skills in a cloud-centric ecosystem.

✅ 3. Master Integration Tools

To connect SuccessFactors with on-premise systems (like ECC Payroll), you must understand:

• SAP CPI (Cloud Platform Integration)

• OData and SOAP APIs

• iFlows and IDocs

  
  

ABAP developers should get comfortable calling web services, transforming data formats (JSON, XML), and handling error logging.

✅ 4. Learn Clean Core Development

SAP recommends avoiding core modifications in cloud systems. Instead:

• Use enhancement frameworks (e.g., BAdIs)

• Build apps on BTP

• Keep ECC customizations isolated for easier upgrades

  
  

This mindset shift is key for long-term compatibility.

🧪 Real-World Hybrid Scenario

Many companies today run SuccessFactors Employee Central in combination with SAP HCM Payroll. This means:

• EC stores employee master data

• ECC runs payroll using infotype 0008, 0015, etc.

  
  

Here’s where ABAP comes in:

• You build middleware logic to read EC data and write to infotypes

• You create custom reports for payroll validation

• You enhance existing screens or create Smart Forms for pay statements

  
  

This combined approach enables ABAP developers to stay engaged while embracing emerging technologies.

🧠 Final Thoughts

SAP’s shift to the cloud with SuccessFactors is inevitable, but ABAP developers are far from obsolete. Your experience is highly valuable — especially in hybrid environments that need integration, customization, and reporting across both worlds.

Here’s what you should do:

• Continue mastering core ABAP skills

• Begin learning SAP BTP and SuccessFactors data models

• Focus on API-based integration and extension building

• Stay updated with SAP’s cloud-first roadmap

  
  

The more versatile you are, the more in-demand you’ll be — whether you're working with SAP ECC, S/4HANA, or SuccessFactors.

Happy Learning!

Dr. Tech