E3 Category: Roundtable

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While existing SAP customers are forced into an expensive corset with the Business Technology Platform (BTP) and the Business Data Cloud (BDC), which cements the vendor lock-in, independent iPaaS solutions such as Boomi or Hyperscaler demonstrate true agility. They orchestrate hybrid data streams as composable ERP without rigid abap shackles. Anyone seeking true digital sovereignty must critically question the golden SAP cage.

The Customer Center of Expertise (CCoE) is the essential control center for existing SAP customers. Contrary to the deceptive cloud marketing from Walldorf, this IT unit is by no means obsolete at Rise with SAP, but absolutely vital for survival. As a critical guardian of expensive SAP licenses, hybrid IT architectures and the clean core, the CCoE defends the user's digital sovereignty vis-à-vis the provider SAP.

The digital transformation to SAP S/4 ruthlessly reveals the failures of the past in data management, because anyone who migrates historical legacy data, duplicates and inconsistent master data to the new in-memory environment without reflection not only causes the operating costs for the expensive Hana storage to explode, but also slows down the new ERP system right from the start.

The shift to the IT platform economy is leading SAP users from monolithic ERP systems to modular architectures. SAP BTP serves as the central PaaS platform and enabler of the clean core strategy. In addition, the SAP Business Data Cloud aims to provide an integrated database for analytics and AI. Alternatives offer best-of-breed options and reduce vendor lock-in.

The ERP transformation to SAP S/4 Hana is more than just a release change or another migration. The focus is on end-to-end processes, including change management and the orchestration of an updated organizational and operational structure. This means that an S/4 transformation goes far beyond a classic IT project, with Heiko Schmidt and Dr Thomas Schönemeier from SAP partner Convista demonstrating the business, organizational and technical challenges.

The SAP community is undergoing a transformation. The S/4 conversion means challenges in many areas: Automation, testing, data management, ERP modifications, AI and more. Prior to the SAP Competence Center Summit 2025 Salzburg on May 21 and 22, representatives from the SAP partner community will discuss the new ERP solution approaches and suitable S/4 roadmaps.