Why it’s important to migrate to SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding 2.0 from 1.0
Time is running out. SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding 1.0 will enter “end of maintenance” in the second half of 2025, with a permanent deletion in 2026. That means no more updates, no bug fixes, only critical security patches, and complete discontinuation just months later.
Staying on 1.0 is risky. From compliance gaps and security concerns to clunky onboarding experiences and integration issues, the cracks are already showing. The longer you wait, the harder migration becomes.
The solution is clear: migrate to SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding 2.0. The modern, cloud-native platform is built for seamless integration with Employee Central, smarter automation, and a future-proof HR tech stack.
In this blog, we’ll break down the business case, outline a strategic migration timeline, and guide you through a smooth transition before the clock runs out.
The Inevitable Sunset: Understanding the SAP Onboarding 1.0 End of Life
SAP has officially announced that SuccessFactors Onboarding 1.0 will reach end of maintenance on December 31, 2025, followed by complete end of life and system deletion on June 30, 2026.
But what does “end of maintenance” or “Onboarding 1.0 end of life” actually mean for your enterprise? This means SAP will no longer provide updates, bug fixes, or security patches.
There will be no support tickets answered, no compliance updates, and no new features or integrations. If something breaks, it stays broken. If a security vulnerability arises, it stays exposed.
The Risks of Inaction: What Happens if You Don't Migrate?
When you continue running Onboarding 1.0 past its expiration date, you’re opening your organization to cascading business-critical risks.
- Compliance becomes your biggest nightmare: Without security patches, your sensitive employee data, social security numbers, banking information, and background checks become vulnerable to breaches.
- Unsupported software can trigger GDPR violations, resulting in millions of dollars in fines and reputational damage.
- Cybercriminals specifically target end-of-life software because they know vulnerabilities will never be patched.
- User experience deteriorates into frustration: New hires encounter clunky interfaces and fragmented workflows, failed uploads, and integration errors, resulting in a poor first impression.
- You’re locked out of innovation: SAP’s advanced analytics, from AI-driven HXM tools to microservices-based integrations, are built exclusively for modern platforms. While competitors leverage AI automation, you’ll be stuck with manual processes.
In short, doing nothing isn’t neutral; it’s actively risky.
What is SuccessFactors Onboarding 2.0? More Than Just an Upgrade
SuccessFactors Onboarding 2.0 is a complete rebuild, not a version update. Unlike Onboarding 1.0, it’s fully integrated into the SAP SuccessFactors HXM suite, allowing real-time data flow with Recruiting, Employee Central, and other modules.
It brings Onboarding, Crossboarding, Offboarding, and Rehire into one unified platform with consistent workflows and user experience. This reduces manual effort, eliminates duplication, and ensures compliance.
Designed for efficiency, it offers configurable processes, role-based dashboards, and mobile access, making onboarding faster and more predictable for HR and new hires.
Let’s compare SuccessFactors 1.0 and 2.0.
| Feature | Onboarding 1.0 | Onboarding 2.0 |
| Integration | Limited, manual sync | Native Employee Central integration |
| Mobile Experience | Basic, desktop-focused | Mobile-first, responsive design |
| Workflow Automation | Manual task management | Automated workflows & reminders |
| Data Model | Standalone system | Unified with Employee Central |
| Compliance | Manual tracking | Automated compliance & audit trails |
| User Interface | Legacy design | Modern, intuitive experience |
| Analytics | Basic reporting | Real-time insights & predictive analytics |
| Future Support | End of life 2026 | Ongoing innovation & updates |
The Core Business Benefits of Migrating to SAP Onboarding 2.0
The value of 2.0 lies in what it enables: automation, integration, and an experience-first approach that supports both business efficiency and employee satisfaction.
Here’s why the move to Onboarding 2.0 is not just necessary, but smart.
A Truly Seamless New Hire Experience
One of the biggest pain points in Onboarding 1.0 is the fragmented handoff between recruiting, onboarding, multiple logins, and redundant data entry across employee lifecycle tools.
Onboarding 2.0 solves this by creating a unified, end-to-end journey from candidate selection in SuccessFactors Recruiting to onboarding tasks and forms, all the way to employee records in Employee Central.
The experience is modern and mobile-first, so new hires can complete paperwork, watch welcome videos, and track progress right from their phone. Personalized dashboards ensure that every stakeholder, including HR, hiring managers, IT, and new employees, knows exactly what to do and when.
Deep Integration with Employee Central
This is where things get powerful for IT and HRIS teams. Onboarding 2.0 is natively integrated with Employee Central, which means onboarding details, tax forms, benefits, and emergency contact data flow smoothly without duplication or delays.
The single data model reduces manual entry errors, simplifies downstream reporting, and provides real-time insights.
When onboarding is easy and clear, new hires see your organization as modern, efficient, and welcoming.
Enhanced Compliance and Process Automation
Onboarding 2.0 consolidates automated task assignment, document workflows, and compliance tracking into a single, centralized platform. Be it country-specific forms like I-9s and W-4s, or internal policy acknowledgments, the system ensures the right forms are sent, signed, and stored on time, every time.
HR ops teams can breathe easier knowing tasks are tracked, reminders are sent, and workflows from forms to background checks and training run automatically, and compliance is maintained at scale.
Future-Proofing Your HR Technology Roadmap
Every innovation from SAP, from AI-driven personalization and predictive retention insights to smarter integration with Learning and Performance, starts with the modern architecture of Onboarding 2.0.
Planning Your SuccessFactors Onboarding Migration: A Phased Approach
Too many organizations approach SAP migrations with a “lift and shift” mentality, only to discover that their new system perpetuates the same inefficiencies that plagued their legacy platform.
Smart HR and IT leaders frame this migration as an opportunity to redesign and optimize their entire onboarding ecosystem.
Phase 1: Assessment and Strategy (The "Why" and "How")
Start with a deep dive into your current onboarding process.
- Are you still relying on manual checklists?
- Do candidates face delays or confusion?
- Are your HR teams spending too much time fixing sync issues or chasing forms?
This phase is about asking: What’s broken and what could be better?
Begin by conducting stakeholder interviews across HR, IT, and business units to identify pain points.
- Why do new hires drop off, why are follow-ups constant, and where do workflows fail?
- Document the current state honestly, then define your ideal future state.
- More automation? Better candidate experience? Tighter integration with Employee Central?
Use this phase to secure buy-in and co-create a shared vision for the new onboarding experience.
Phase 2: Implementation & Timeline (The "When")
A typical implementation spans 12–20 weeks, depending on the complexity of your current setup and the level of integration required for your ecosystem. Document every decision point, approval requirement, and integration touchpoint.
What makes this phase successful?
- Prioritizing configurable workflows instead of hard-coding processes
- Building scalable integrations that don’t break with future SAP updates
- Front-loading business process design before any technical configuration
- Mapping every onboarding scenario from executive hires to contractors
- Running parallel tracks: config, data migration, and integration, only after process validation
- Using real-world hiring scenarios (not just happy paths) for user acceptance testing to catch edge cases that can break your go-live
Phase 3: Change Management and Go-Live (The "Who")
The best technology still fails without people’s adoption. That’s why change management is the heart of a smooth transition. Change management shouldn’t be an afterthought.
- Identify departmental power users who are frustrated by current pain points and act as champions.
- Craft “what’s in it for me” messaging. Faster approvals for managers, less data entry for HR, better experiences for new hires.
- Develop targeted training, conduct early pilot groups, and establish open feedback channels.
- Plan for a 30-60-90 day adoption measurement cycle post-go-live.
- Track actual usage metrics, gather specific feedback about workflow pain points, and be prepared to make rapid configuration adjustments.
HR ops teams can breathe easier knowing tasks are tracked, reminders are sent, and workflows from forms to background checks and training run automatically, and compliance is maintained at scale.
Choosing the Right SuccessFactors Onboarding Implementation Partner
You’ve defined your strategy, mapped your timeline, and secured executive buy-in. You are aligned on the why, how, and when of your migration; the final and often most critical piece is the who.
This means identifying a partner with the rare combination of deep technical expertise and business transformation experience that SuccessFactors migrations demand.
Partner evaluation criteria:
- Do they have certified SAP SuccessFactors consultants with real-world migration experience (not just implementation)?
- Have they managed complex approval workflows that don’t directly align with Onboarding 2.0?
- What was their approach when client data models didn’t align with Employee Central’s structure?
- Do they have a plan for managing scope creep during testing and UAT?
- Can they share specific migration scenarios and lessons learned?
- Do they follow a proven migration methodology with clear phases and checkpoints?
- Do they focus on business outcomes, not just technical configuration?
- Does their approach measure and report on time-to-productivity, audit readiness, and user satisfaction post-go-live?
The best partners ask: How will this impact people, productivity, and long-term HR goals? And they build from there.
Wrapping up
The message is clear: the 2026 end-of-life deadline for SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding 1.0 is final. Enterprise application modernization is a must.
Delaying migration risks non-compliance, security gaps, and broken onboarding processes, which can impact your new hire experience and HR efficiency. SuccessFactors Onboarding 2.0 is built for today’s HR needs: automation, integration, and scale. But that transformation takes time and careful planning.
Act now to avoid rushed decisions later. Don’t risk your new hire experience.
Contact the SAP experts at A5E Consulting today for a complimentary migration readiness assessment.
FAQs
SAP Onboarding 1.0 reaches the end of maintenance in H2 2025 and will be permanently deleted in H1 2026.
Onboarding 2.0 offers seamless integration with Employee Central, a secure and mobile-first experience, automated workflows, and improved compliance and reporting capabilities.
It is a reimplementation, not a direct upgrade. Existing processes need to be redesigned within the Onboarding 2.0 framework.
Most implementations take 12–20 weeks, depending on the complexity, number of integrations, and customization needs.
While some data can be migrated, processes often need to be rebuilt to align with 2.0’s modern architecture and capabilities.
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