What is SAP LeanIX?

Introduction

The IT landscape of many companies today resembles a jungle: uncontrolled growth of applications, unclear data flows, and technologies that quickly become obsolete. This is exactly where SAP LeanIX comes into play.

In this article, we take a look under the hood of SAP LeanIX, examine the information model (meta model), and explain how you can use it to create true transparency.

Understanding SAP LeanIX

SAP LeanIX is a modern enterprise architecture management (EAM) solution as software-as-a-service (SaaS).

Simply put, it's the "Google Maps" for your IT landscape. The main goal is to create transparency and develop a shared map for IT and business. Instead of digging through dusty Excel lists, SAP LeanIX provides answers to some really important questions:

What applications do we have and who uses them?

Example: Application Landscape Report by region (Source: SAP LeanIX)

What technologies do we use and are we perhaps exposed to risk somewhere?

Example: IT Component Roadmap Report (Source: SAP LeanIX)

What data flows do we have and where are dependencies?

Example: Interface Circle Map Report (Source: SAP LeanIX)

Example: Zoom in (Source: SAP LeanIX)

What strategically important capabilities do we have, and how does our current maturity compare to our target maturity?

Example: Business Capability Landscape Report with strategic classification and maturity (Source: SAP LeanIX)

Who uses SAP LeanIX?

SAP LeanIX is not only used by architects or IT departments. As a tool for transparency, it can serve as a starting point for the entire company to orient itself.

Enterprise architects

Use it for modelling, analysis, and strategic planning.

Application Owner

Maintain your own application data and immediately see who is using your app.

Security Officer (CISO)

Check compliance, data protection, and risks in the technology landscape.

Solution architects

Design new solutions based on existing standards.

Data protection officers

Focus specifically on data objects and interfaces – where does personal data flow to?

CIO

Consumes information from dashboards to make investment decisions.

What are success factors for SAP LeanIX?

Collaborative approach:

• An unlimited number of users can work in SAP LeanIX at no additional cost, allowing data maintenance to be distributed across many shoulders.

• Surveys enable targeted and easy data collection without the need for Excel lists that have to be merged again at the end.

• A comment function allows each user to ask questions or document background information that others can benefit from.

Integration with other tools:

• SAP LeanIX aggregates data from various tools to provide a comprehensive view.

• Specialized tools such as ServiceNow as CMDB, Jira as project management, etc. will continue to be used, but certain information will then be put into context in SAP LeanIX.

• Data silos are broken down by linking them together in an optimal way.

Iterative for each use case:

• Identify what is important, because enterprise architecture can support many areas, and the SAP LeanIX meta model shows you everything that is possible.

• High-priority use cases should be addressed first, even if this means that certain fact sheet types are not the focus for the time being.

• Communication could also involve explaining that you cannot do everything at once, but rather need to concentrate on the focus use cases.

Which use cases can be effectively supported with SAP LeanIX?

Application Rationalization

This involves "cleaning up" the IT landscape, saving costs with enterprise architecture, and reducing redundancies. You evaluate applications according to their functional and technical value (often using the Gartner TIME model: Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, Eliminate).

More info here at SAP LeanIX

Application Modernization

In doing so, you focus on technical renewal, often driven by cloud migrations (the "6 Rs" of migration). The aim is to transform legacy systems into future-proof architectures.

More info here at SAP LeanIX

Execute on Strategy (Capability based planning)

You translate abstract corporate goals into concrete IT roadmaps. At the heart of this is the business capability map, which is a map of what the company does. What are the strategically important capabilities and how good are we versus how good do we want to be?

More info here at SAP LeanIX

Risk Management and Compliance

Here, you identify risks posed by outdated technology (obsolescence) and compliance violations (e.g., GDPR, DORA). You use automated data (e.g., from ServiceNow Sync or Reference Catalog) to find end-of-life components.

More info here at SAP LeanIX

AI Governance (EU AI Act)

This is a newer use case in SAP LeanIX (via AI Governance Extension). You record all AI models and services in the inventory and classify them according to risk categories (e.g., in accordance with the EU AI Act).

More info here at SAP LeanIX

Fundamentals of SAP LeanIX and its Meta Model

As already known from TOGAF, SAP LeanIX also has different architecture levels: Strategy & Transformation, Business Architecture, Application and Data Architecture, and Technology Architecture. The SAP LeanIX Meta Model is simple and intuitive, but can of course be expanded through customization. In my experience, however, it already covers many use cases in the standard version and should be retained for the start.

Source: SAP LeanIX Documentation (https://help.sap.com/docs/leanix/ea/meta-model?locale=en-US)

The colorful tiles in the image represent the fact sheet types in the SAP LeanIX meta model:

Strategy & Transformation	Objective Describes the strategic goals that the company wants to achieve. They drive initiatives. Examples: "Reduce IT costs by 20%," "Increase online sales."
	Initiative Planned projects or programs that change the architecture in order to achieve goals. Examples: "SAP S/4HANA migration," "Introduction of CRM Salesforce."
	Platform A grouping of business capabilities, applications, and technologies that form a common technical or functional basis. Examples: "eCommerce platform," "HR management platform."
Business Architecture	Business Capability Describes what the company does (capability), regardless of how it is technically implemented. The most important element for connecting business and IT. Examples: "Recruiting," "Account Management."
	Business Context Describes specific activities or contexts such as processes, products, or value streams. Examples: "Order-to-cash" (process), "mobile banking app" (considered a product).
	Organization The hierarchical structure of the company (regions, departments, teams, legal entities). Examples: "Germany," "North America."
Application & Data Architecture	Application Software systems that process business data to support business processes. The central element in LeanIX. Examples: "Salesforce," "SAP S/4HANA."
	Data Object Represents business data (logical) that is processed or exchanged by applications. Examples: "customer record," "invoice."
	Interface The connection between two applications through which data is exchanged. Examples: "HR to payroll interface," "customer data export to CRM."
Technology Architecture	IT Component Technical components (software, hardware, services) on which applications are based. Examples: "Oracle Database 19c," "AWS EC2 instance."
	Tech Category Used to group and standardize IT components (taxonomy). Examples: "Relational Database," "Web Server."
	Provider Suppliers or manufacturers of IT solutions, services, or technologies. Examples: "Microsoft," "AWS"

Conclusion

• Simple and collaborative

• Provides transparency and a shared view

• Be proactive and support use cases with SAP LeanIX

As a former SAP LeanIX employee with many years of experience, I am happy to assist with your implementation or optimization.