At the end of 2027, SAP will discontinue mainstream support for its interface software SAP MII (Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence). The same applies to SAP PCo (Plant Connectivity). Extended support is only available until the end of 2030 — and comes at a cost. Companies that have connected their shopfloor to the ERP system via SAP MII or SAP PCo must now decide: stay within the SAP ecosystem or switch to an alternative solution.
No direct successor for MII/PCo
The successor solution planned by SAP, SAP DM (Digital Manufacturing), runs exclusively on the cloud-based SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP). However, SAP DM does not allow a 1:1 migration of existing MII/PCo functionalities. Instead, the switch means a fundamental shift in how integration, data flow, security, and extensibility are handled going forward — cloud commitment included.
When it pays to look beyond SAP
Several factors make it worth considering alternative solutions as well:
- Compliance and data protection: Certain requirements rule out cloud connectivity and call for an on-premise solution
- Low SAP integration depth: MII/PCo have so far tended to be used as a standalone integration layer, with less deep integration into the SAP backend
- High degree of customization: Custom solutions and tailor-made functional modules cannot be transferred to SAP DM and would need to be redeveloped from scratch
- Economic considerations: For mid-sized companies, an SAP enterprise solution is often oversized and comes with high licensing costs
A practical approach can also help with decision-making: instead of spending months creating requirements documents with feature comparison tables, a proof-of-value approach is recommended. A pilot installation on a machine or production line can deliver measurable results for a well-founded decision within just a few weeks.
OneBase®CoRE as the ideal alternative
With OneBase®CoRE, ABF offers a solution for companies looking for an alternative to the forced switch to cloud-based SAP DM. The powerful messaging middleware replaces SAP PCo as the communication layer to the shop floor and enables a seamless replacement of SAP MII as the platform for data processing and ERP system connectivity. Existing SAP functional modules and interfaces can be adopted with minimal effort.
The first customer projects are currently being implemented and are benefiting from OneBase®CoRE through a short transition phase, retention of existing custom solutions, and greater flexibility for future enhancements.
