Tech Days Discourse

SAP Basis Consolidation

This selection of terms from the realm of data management is arbitrary, not complete and unordered: NetWeaver PI/PO, Data Hub, Smart Data Integration, Data Fabrics, Information Steward, Datasphere, etc. The hodgepodge of terms shows that SAP is trying to find a solution, but keeps failing to address reality. Consolidation with the insights from the open source community would probably have opened up a stringent path, but perhaps would have yielded less licensing revenue.

But SAP does not only owe its existing customers a crystal-clear roadmap for data management; there is also still no exit strategy for document management based on Adobe Document Services. The end of SolMan is defined as 2027, and SAP CTO and Executive Board member Jürgen Müller repeatedly emphasized at the DSAG Technology Days that there will definitely be no extension of the availability of ERP/ECC 6.0 or SAP Business Suite 7.

Security and compliance

Since 2018, SAP has promised a security dashboard for a global view of the ERP architecture. Many individual solutions have been presented in recent years. However, a holistic security suite does not seem to be feasible.

SAP has problems with functions that bring in less revenue and are less attractive. Besides security, the topic of compliance is not really present. SAP presented an interesting low-code/no-code tool, but it was not yet possible to explain in Mannheim how the applications that are clicked together are also to become compliant. Topics such as monitoring the apps on the Business Technology Platform and beyond are also being left out at the moment. Interim conclusion: SAP is full of innovative ideas, but the reality for SAP's existing customers looks different.

Transformation Center

SAP is aware of its shortcomings. An SAP Business Transformation Center powered by Cloud ALM is intended to be a safety net for the S/4 transformation. Uwe Grigoleit from SAP will also be talking about this topic at the Competence Center Summit in Salzburg. There is a guide for business data transformation and numerous tools for it: Signavio, ALM and LeanIX. Besides these, however, SolMan has no future. Thus, SAP's existing customers have to learn many new processes, tips and tricks - alongside this, the digital transformation must not be allowed to stall.

The numerous challenges and their solution at the SAP basis will be presented at the Competence Center Summit on June 1 and 2 in Salzburg, because there is a lot to learn.

RAP and CAP

The Abap RESTful Application Programming Model (RAP), along with Cloud Application Programming (CAP), is another challenge for existing SAP customers where it is important to get informed and oriented. CAP allows holistic cloud applications to be created centrally in a fully comprehensive framework and this includes Core Data Services (CDS). With RAP, the path goes in the direction of steampunk (Embedded Abap). Unfortunately, it is also true for RAP and CAP that many roads lead to Rome and Walldorf, respectively. SAP wants to revolutionize Abap development with Steampunk! With Core Data Services, Behavior Definitions and UI annotations, applications are to be developed that are to function for S/4 in the private and public cloud.

Another discourse at the DSAG Technology Days was devoted to the question of low code (SAP Build) versus pro code. Even in an S/4 world, SAP legacy customers will demand specific modifications. With the claim of a Clean Core, there will be restrictions for the "Z namespace", but without customization, the private cloud concept (on-prem) will not work, see RAP or CAP.