Getting better to stay good

The digital transformation has picked up speed in recent years; in 2026, it will really accelerate once again - especially in the SAP world. Whether it's the S/4 release change in the on-prem environment or the strategic move to SAP Cloud ERP/Private or BTP technology, new development models and increasingly AI-supported processes will ensure speed. At the same time, SAP is forcing fundamental changes in the way IT organizations develop, expand and operate systems with its Clean Core strategy. For team leaders in SAP competence centers, this means one thing above all: they have to make their team fit for technologies that have hardly played a role in day-to-day operations to date. The key question here is where best to start with training.

Everything is important. But not at the same time.

RAP and CAP, SAP Fiori? BTP? Extensibility? AI? Integration? Migration? Most SAP teams are faced with the same learning map and don't know where to start or even what is important for their next release. The truth is: all of the above. But not all at the same time.

My simple tip for team leaders: start where the first decisions have to be made - by understanding the technologies that will directly influence the next releases. These are: RAP and CAP - the development models of the future, SAP Fiori - the UX that SAP is finally enforcing, Business AI - because AI is not optional, BTP - the new operating system for extensibility, and finally SAP Integration Suite - the basis of any clean architecture. Anyone who understands all these building blocks not only releases a release - he or she understands it. As practice shows, many customers take the familiar route: read documents, set up trial environments, click on tutorials. And hope that's enough. Unfortunately, it rarely does. As SAP partners, we are supposed to guide our customers through the shift towards Clean Core. The pressure for further training therefore hits us earlier and more extensively, because we clearly have to be the first to master our business. This means constantly renewing certifications to maintain our „BTP Expertise“ status and also going through the mandatory clean core services in cloud ERP/private projects. At the same time, we are developing our SnapWare products in the direction of SaaS and Clean Core compliance. In short, when there are innovations in the SAP universe, we don't just have to know how to do it. We also have to prove that we can do it - day in, day out. The reality behind this: Learning on the fly.

Fast-track qualifying

So we worked our way through all the new technologies: from the first RAP app and the Integration Suite to AI-supported scenarios and steampunk architectures. We had our own learning experiences in real projects, which was not always easy and sometimes painful. But because we have gone that extra mile, we can pass on these valuable learnings to our customers. We qualify our customers' SAP teams in specially developed snap experience workshops - hands-on and almost on track. This is because the learning experiences that are contained in these workshops save the participants days, if not weeks, of laborious experimentation. Learning in the fast lane.

I am convinced that digital transformation will only succeed if we are open about how much change is actually involved and that no one can do it alone. What helps is asking questions and exchanging ideas. And to get inspiration before making decisions that have long-term consequences. There are two good opportunities for this exchange in the near future: the Steampunk Event in Heidelberg in April and the SAP CC Summit in Salzburg in June. After all, to stay good, you have to get better. Our experience workshops help with this.

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