Customization Discovery and Cataloging
The first step is a complete discovery of all BAAN customizations, which is harder than it sounds because BAAN modifications exist at multiple layers. Session-level customizations (modified 4GL code) are stored in the development directories. DEM modifications alter the data model.
Report customizations modify Crystal Reports or BAAN report writer templates. Integration customizations include BDT scripts, Exchange processes, and custom DLLs. Many organizations discover 2-3x more customizations during formal discovery than they expected.
- Scan BAAN development directories comparing customer code layers against vanilla BAAN code to identify all modified sessions and scripts
- Catalog DEM modifications using ttaad sessions to identify added fields, modified tables, and custom domain definitions
- Inventory custom reports across Crystal Reports, BAAN Report Writer, and custom query-based reports with their user communities
- Document integration customizations including BDT (BAAN Data Transfer) scripts, Exchange configurations, and custom API wrappers
- Classify each customization by business criticality: mission-critical, important, nice-to-have, and obsolete for retirement
Fit-Gap Analysis and Disposition Planning
Not all BAAN customizations need to be migrated. Many exist because BAAN lacked standard functionality that modern ERPs now provide out-of-box. Fit-gap analysis compares each customization's business requirement against the target ERP's standard capabilities.
Customizations that address gaps now covered by standard features are retired. Customizations implementing unique business logic are redesigned using the target platform's extension framework. The goal is to migrate the business requirement, not the BAAN code.
- Map each customization to a business requirement and validate that the requirement is still current with business stakeholders
- Evaluate target ERP standard functionality against each business requirement to identify customizations that can be retired
- Categorize surviving customizations: configuration-only (no code), platform extension (target SDK), or custom development (full rebuild)
- Estimate migration effort per customization using complexity scoring: simple (1-3 days), medium (1-2 weeks), complex (2-8 weeks)
Code Conversion and Redesign Approaches
BAAN 4GL/BaanScript customizations cannot be directly converted to modern platforms because the programming model, UI framework, and data access patterns are fundamentally different. The migration approach depends on the target platform: Infor LN provides the closest programming model with its 4GL heritage, while SAP requires ABAP rewrite and cloud ERPs require web-based development. AI-assisted code analysis can accelerate the conversion by extracting business rules from BAAN 4GL and generating equivalent logic in the target language.
- For Infor LN targets: leverage the 4GL compatibility layer to port session logic with moderate refactoring for LN-specific APIs and UI patterns
- For SAP targets: extract business rules from BAAN 4GL into platform-neutral specifications, then implement in ABAP or SAP BTP extension framework
- For cloud ERP targets: redesign customizations as web services or low-code extensions using the platform's modern development tools
- Use AI-assisted code analysis to extract business rules from BAAN 4GL, generating documentation and pseudocode for target platform developers
- Prioritize migration testing with parallel execution comparing BAAN customization outputs against target platform results for functional equivalence
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QAD EE Custom Code Inventory Worksheet
Editable inventory of QAD customizations with type, use, complexity and retire or rebuild decision, totalling rebuild effort.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to Baan customizations in a Baan to SAP migration?
They are not converted. BaanScript and 4GL logic cannot be moved directly to SAP, so each customization is traced to its business requirement, checked against standard SAP functionality, and then either retired, handled by configuration, or rebuilt in ABAP or the SAP BTP extension framework. Expect to retire a meaningful share of them, because many were written to cover gaps that standard SAP already fills.
How do I estimate the effort of migrating Baan customizations?
Score each one by complexity after the fit-gap: simple (1-3 days), medium (1-2 weeks) or complex (2-8 weeks). Run the discovery first, since most organizations find two to three times more customizations than they expected.
Migrate your BAAN customizations without losing critical business logic. Contact Netray for migration planning.