Ensuring GDPR compliance in the SAP S/4HANA environment
The introduction of SAP ILM proved to be a highly complex initiative. Standardized methodologies and comprehensive implementation guidelines are still limited, while technical, organizational, and business requirements had to be closely aligned throughout the project.
One of the key challenges was the definition of a company-wide governance framework for the blocking and deletion of personal data, as well as the identification of all relevant data objects within the SAP S/4HANA system landscape. In addition, the implementation had to be designed in a way that minimized project risks, enabled internal capability building, and reduced future operational effort.
Achieving success with the proven Natuvion EPIC approach
To successfully address these requirements, Wacker relied on the expertise of Natuvion and its proven EPIC approach. The overall project was divided into clearly defined phases that could be deployed independently, enabling a structured and low-risk implementation of SAP ILM.
In the initial project phase, the technical foundation was established. This included the activation of SAP ILM, the setup of authorizations and system access, and the provision of the required transport landscape. Together with the business departments, a governance framework was then defined to determine when personal data should be blocked in the future. This created the basis for all subsequent ILM configurations and future GDPR-compliant data deletion processes.
As the project progressed, the focus shifted toward identifying all personal data within the SAP S/4HANA environment. For this purpose, the DCS Analyze tool was utilized. Based on the analysis results, the relevant ILM objects were defined and technically configured to enable rule-based blocking, archiving, and deletion of personal data.
At the same time, Wacker’s responsible teams received extensive training. This enabled the internal project team to gradually take over responsibilities independently and build in-depth expertise in handling SAP ILM. Following successful development, system, and deletion testing – as well as several debugging and quality assurance phases – the new ILM processes were successfully brought into productive operation.
Establishing GDPR compliance
With the successful implementation of SAP ILM, Wacker established the foundation for sustainable GDPR compliance within its SAP S/4HANA environment. Personal data can now be blocked, archived, and deleted automatically and based on defined rules. Manual selections and complex deletion activities have largely been eliminated, as SAP ILM now controls these processes automatically in the background.
In addition, Wacker benefits from continuous archiving processes that not only reduce storage requirements but also positively impact database performance and operational costs within the SAP S/4HANA landscape. By consistently leveraging SAP ILM standard functionalities, additional custom developments were avoided, resulting in sustainably lower project and maintenance costs.
Another significant benefit emerged during the archiving activities: incomplete business processes were identified and subsequently resolved. At the same time, extensive internal know-how was built up, enabling Wacker to manage and operate SAP ILM processes largely independently going forward.
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