The SAP BPC Alternative That Gives You More (and Costs Less)

SAP’s decision to sunset Business Planning and Consolidation (BPC) has left finance teams with a critical decision:

Do we double down on SAP’s costly cloud stack? 

Or switch to a modern FP&A platform built for the future?

Meet Limelight — the FP&A software designed for finance teams that need power, speed, and simplicity without the complexity or cost of legacy tools.

Why Is SAP Sunsetting BPC?

SAP BPC was developed in the early 2000s after SAP acquired OutlookSoft. Despite updates over the years, BPC is still based on legacy technology that no longer aligns with SAP’s future roadmap.

Key Versions & End-of-Life Timelines:

• BPC for Microsoft: Ends June 30, 2026
  
  
• BPC for NetWeaver: Ends Dec 31, 2027 (optional extension to 2030)
  
  
• BPC for BW/4HANA: Supported until at least 2040, but with little to no innovation
  
  

Instead of enhancing BPC, SAP is encouraging customers to migrate to SAP Analytics Cloud and S/4HANA Group Reporting—a multi-product cloud platform that’s often expensive, complex, and difficult to implement.

What is SAP BPC and What Does It Do?

SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation) is an enterprise performance management (EPM) solution developed by SAP to support financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and consolidation processes. Designed for mid-sized to large enterprises, SAP BPC helps finance teams streamline financial operations, improve compliance, and accelerate the financial close.

Key Features of SAP BPC:

• Planning & Budgeting: Create budgets and forecasts using predefined templates and custom models.
  
  
• Financial Consolidation: Manage intercompany eliminations and generate consolidated financial statements in compliance with reporting standards.
  
  
• Reporting & Analysis: Build reports and dashboards for performance monitoring and variance analysis.
  
  
• Integration with SAP ERP: BPC integrates with SAP’s ecosystem, allowing access to enterprise-wide data.
  
  

SAP BPC is recognized for its deep integration with SAP environments and has been a go-to solution for organizations already running SAP ECC or SAP BW (Business Warehouse). It supported both Microsoft and NetWeaver versions, giving flexibility in deployment.

However, with SAP officially announcing the end-of-life for SAP BPC, organizations are being pushed to evaluate modern alternatives that offer more flexibility, faster deployment, lower TCO, and enhanced user experience — all without sacrificing core FP&A functionality.

Why You Need to Act Now

You may be thinking, “2026 is still a year away.” But migrating off any enterprise financial software is no small task. On average, transitions take 9 –24 months.

Waiting could mean:

• Rushed, costly migrations
• Support lapses or premium fees
• Increased risk and business disruption

4 Major Risks of Staying on BPC

1. Innovation Has Stopped!

SAP has already put BPC in maintenance mode—no more updates or improvements. You’ll fall behind competitors using smarter, faster tools.

2. Technical Debt Piles Up

Legacy systems don’t play well with modern tools. Integrating BPC with new systems is costly and painful.

3. Support Costs Rise

Extended support from SAP is expensive—and offers fewer guarantees. Plus, skilled consultants are harder to find.

4. Compliance & Audit Risk

Outdated systems can become audit red flags, especially for industries with evolving regulations.

With cloud-based FP&A like Limelight, you get:

• Driver-based planning across multiple models

• Real-time reporting & dashboards

• Scenario analysis in seconds

• AI-powered insights

• Unlimited users—no more user fees

Introducing Limelight: Your SAP BPC Replacement

Limelight is a modern, finance-first platform that empowers teams to plan faster, forecast smarter, and collaborate without limits.

Why Businesses Are Leaving SAP BPC

• High Maintenance Costs – BPC requires expensive infrastructure and support.
• Rigid Architecture – Difficult to customize and update.
• Poor Collaboration – Limited real-time input from business users.
• Not Built for the Cloud – Unlike today’s agile platforms, BPC was never cloud-native.

According to a SAPinsider benchmark study, 52% of businesses are still evaluating their options — and nearly one-third feel unprepared.

It’s time to take control.

3 Reasons Why Limelight Wins vs. Other Alternatives

1. Built for Finance — no IT dependence
   
   
2. Flexible & Scalable — multi-model support, unlimited users
   
   
3. Prebuilt  FP&A Templates — for faster time-to-value
   
   

Your Next Step

Don’t wait for the 2026 deadline. SAP BPC’s sunset is more than a deadline. It’s a turning point. You can rebuild what you had—or rethink what’s possible.

Discover why Limelight is the best alternative to SAP BPC.  Book a Demo Today

FAQs About Replacing SAP BPC

How long does migration take?

Most FP&A platforms can deploy in about 3 - 5 months.

What happens to historical BPC data?

Tools like Limelight can help import historical budgets, forecasts, and actuals.

Will we need IT to support the new system?

Limelight is finance-owned. No coding or IT support is required to maintain models.

How does pricing compare?

Modern cloud platforms use subscription models. Limelight offers unlimited user pricing — eliminating expensive per-user licenses.