Introduction – The Small Mistakes That Create Big Audit Problems
Most SAP audit nightmares don’t start with deliberate misuse – they stem from small oversights repeated over time. Untracked users, forgotten systems, and missing documentation quietly build up risk. When auditors come, these minor lapses compound into multi-million euro compliance problems.
For SAP leaders, compliance is financial protection, not red tape. For an overview, read our overview guide, SAP Licensing Risks & Penalties: What’s at Stake in Non-Compliance.
A little discipline today can save a fortune tomorrow. Below, we highlight the everyday SAP compliance mistakes that trigger audits, the costly impacts of each, and how to prevent them.
Mistake 1 – Shared or Generic User Accounts
What Happens: Teams sometimes share generic SAP logins (e.g., SAPUSER1 or FINANCE01) among multiple employees. On the surface, it looks like one user accessing SAP, but in reality, several people might be logging in under that single account.
Impact: SAP’s audit tools will detect simultaneous activity under the same ID, revealing that multiple individuals are behind one login. In an audit, SAP reclassifies each actual person as a separate user needing their own license. The result is an unexpected true-up bill for those “hidden” users.
Fix: Eliminate shared accounts – each person using SAP must have a unique user ID associated with a named-user license. Establish a strict policy (with HR and IT enforcement) that forbids generic logins. Also, regularly scan SAP logs for concurrent login sessions on one ID.
Checklist:
- Disable any generic or shared SAP user accounts immediately.
- Ensure each SAP user login corresponds to a specific employee with a valid license.
- Audit user activity logs monthly to catch multiple people using the same login.
Mistake 2 – Unlicensed or Forgotten Test and Training Systems
What Happens: Companies often set up extra SAP instances for development, QA, or training and assume these “non-productive” systems don’t require licenses. But these environments tend to accumulate real business data or even connect to production, blurring the line between test and live usage.
Impact: SAP will treat any system doing production-like work as a production system in an audit. If a supposed test instance contains unsanctioned live data or workloads, SAP can demand full licensing for it. That means a surprise true-up bill for what was thought to be a free sandbox.
Fix: Clearly mark each SAP system as Production or Non-Production and enforce those boundaries. Fence off non-prod environments so they cannot drift into real operations: restrict access to authorized test users, scramble any copied production data, and prevent direct integrations with live business processes.
Keep documentation (system configuration flags, usage logs, etc.) that proves these instances are strictly for testing or training.
Checklist:
- Maintain an updated inventory of all SAP systems with their role (Prod, Dev, QA, Training, etc.) clearly identified.
- Restrict non-production systems to testing purposes only (no regular business users or processes).
- Archive or mark logs showing that any production data in test systems is sanitized and used only for non-productive activities.
Mistake 3 – Neglecting to License Interfaces and Connected Systems
What Happens: Many external applications and devices connect to SAP to push or pull data. If these systems create or change data in SAP, it counts as indirect access. Companies often overlook licensing for this because they focus only on human users.
Impact: Indirect usage can trigger some of the largest audit penalties. SAP’s auditors will detect data created by external systems without corresponding licenses and flag it as unlicensed use. The result can be a massive compliance claim under SAP’s “digital access” rules, often reaching seven figures in big companies.
Fix: Catalog all the systems that interface with SAP and identify which ones write or update data in the SAP system.
Ensure those connections are properly licensed, either by obtaining the necessary indirect access licenses from SAP or by having explicit contract terms that allow those integrations. The goal is to address these non-user connections proactively so they don’t turn into costly surprises later.
Checklist:
- Maintain an inventory of all external systems, applications, or devices connected to SAP.
- Classify each connection as read-only or read-write.
- Ensure every read-write (transactional) interface is licensed appropriately or exempted by contract.
Proactivity saves costs. Cost of Non-Compliance vs Compliance: Why Investing in SAP License Governance Pays Off.
Mistake 4 – Ignoring Contractual Definitions and Updates
What Happens: Companies often renew or extend SAP contracts without checking that key terms (like “Named User,” “Indirect Use,” or “Affiliate”) are clearly and consistently defined. Outdated or vague definitions remain in your agreements and create hidden risks.
Impact: Vague or inconsistent contract language becomes an audit trap. SAP can exploit unclear terms to claim you’re out of compliance. For example, if “indirect use” isn’t explicitly defined, they may count any third-party access as a violation. You could also lose negotiated protections (like price caps or usage carve-outs) if new contract addenda override older terms.
Fix: Regularly review and update the language in your SAP contracts. At least once a year (and before any new purchase or renewal), make sure all critical terms are well-defined and aligned across every agreement.
If you find ambiguities, negotiate clarifications or amendments to close those gaps. Keep an internal summary of these definitions and special clauses, and ensure all relevant stakeholders have access to it.
Checklist:
- Do an annual review of SAP contract definitions (users, usage rights, affiliates, etc.) to catch any vagueness or inconsistency.
- Update and align key terms across all contracts so they don’t contradict each other.
- Maintain a “definitions cheat-sheet” internally with all important terms and negotiated clauses for quick reference.
Mistake 5 – Mismanaging User Role Changes and Departures
What Happens: Employees leave the company or move into new roles, but their SAP user accounts (and licenses) remain active indefinitely. Without a process to adjust or remove licenses when staff exit or change jobs, you end up with a list of users who aren’t actually using SAP.
Impact: This situation quietly inflates your costs. You continue paying maintenance fees for users who aren’t there – a major waste over time. Meanwhile, new hires might get brand-new licenses while old ones sit idle, so you’re essentially paying twice for the same seat.
Fix: Integrate SAP license management into your HR offboarding and role-change process. When someone leaves or no longer needs SAP access, lock or delete their account and reclaim that license for reuse. Also, schedule a regular clean-up (e.g., quarterly) to remove any users with no recent SAP activity.
Checklist:
- Sync SAP user management with HR: whenever an employee leaves or transfers, quickly adjust their SAP access.
- Every quarter, run a report of SAP users with no activity in the last 90 days.
- Revoke or reassign licenses from these inactive accounts before considering new license purchases.
Mistake 6 – Not Validating Engine and Metric-Based Licenses
What Happens: Many SAP products use metric-based licensing (by number of employees, orders, data volume, etc.), and companies often don’t monitor these metrics after implementation. The result is that actual usage quietly exceeds the licensed limits.
Impact: If an audit finds you’ve exceeded a metric limit, SAP will charge you for the overage at full list price with retroactive maintenance fees. These unbudgeted true-up costs can be significant.
Fix: Regularly track the usage of each metric-based license and compare it to your entitlements. Do this at least quarterly. If a metric is approaching or over its limit, act immediately: reduce the usage (archive data, throttle transactions) or negotiate an increase in your licensed volume. Don’t wait for SAP to find the problem – address it proactively on your terms.
Checklist:
- List all SAP components that are licensed by metrics (users, documents, data size, etc.).
- Measure each metric’s current usage every quarter and compare against your contract limits.
- If any metric is near/over the limit, either decrease the usage or obtain additional licenses before an audit forces the issue.
Mistake 7 – Failing to Align IT, Procurement, and Legal on SAP Governance
What Happens: SAP compliance involves multiple departments, but if each works in a silo, the process falls apart. IT manages user access and systems, procurement handles purchasing and renewals, and legal reviews contracts, etc. Without coordination, critical information doesn’t get shared (e.g., IT might enable a new module without telling procurement, causing a license shortfall).
Impact: Lack of alignment means missed contract deadlines, duplicate or contradictory communications with SAP, and lost negotiation leverage.
Fix: Unite the stakeholders into a formal SAP governance group. Have representatives from all key teams (IT, procurement, legal, finance, etc.) meet regularly (e.g., quarterly) to review SAP license usage, upcoming contract renewals, and any SAP-related plans or issues. Maintain one shared calendar or dashboard of important SAP dates and responsibilities so nothing is overlooked.
Checklist:
- Establish an SAP compliance council with reps from IT, procurement, legal, finance, and other relevant teams.
- Hold periodic meetings (quarterly is a good cadence) to discuss SAP licenses, contracts, and plans in one forum.
- Use a common timeline or dashboard for all SAP contract dates, audit windows, and system changes, accessible to all stakeholders.
5 Compliance Mistakes to Eliminate Immediately
- Stop using shared or generic SAP logins.
- License and document all non-productive systems properly.
- Audit external interfaces for indirect access risk.
- Review SAP contract terms before every renewal or purchase.
- Integrate HR offboarding with immediate SAP license removal or reassignment.
