DSAG Demands: Practical Solutions for Day-to-Day Administrative Work

The June “Future of Government and Administration” Congress focused on the question of how to create a digitally capable government—through administrative modernization, reducing bureaucracy, and effective collaboration between politics, government, and the private sector. For the German-speaking SAP User Group, what’s needed are solutions that work in the day-to-day operations of government agencies.

Digital Government

The strategies for the digital government have long been in place—the key is implementation. We are no longer debating the „if“ of digitalization, but rather the „how“ under real-world conditions. This is where the gap lies. In practice, many organizations are simultaneously working with existing SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, driving the transition to SAP S/4HANA, building hybrid cloud architectures, and exploring the use of AI. This parallelism makes the transformation highly complex from an organizational standpoint. What is missing are robust operational and migration models that enable shared structures, standards, and procedures. This can create synergies and ensures that the burden is not shifted onto each individual organization.

Cloud, AI, and Data Strategies

Cloud, AI, and data strategies are set at the policy level—but their implementation often falls short due to operational realities. Requirements related to sovereignty, security, and regulatory mandates mean that cloud transformations are progressing more slowly than planned. The same is true for AI: The challenge rarely lies in the technology itself, but rather in poor data quality, insufficient integration into existing system landscapes, and unclear governance structures. Data is the foundation for digital transformation and the effective use of AI. But even the best data foundation delivers no added value if it is not available across systems, standardized, and embedded in end-to-end processes. What is needed are clear, actionable frameworks: reliable cloud models that ensure data sovereignty and security, binding standards for data integration, and practical governance guidelines for AI deployment. This is a challenge for policymakers, government agencies, and providers alike.

Digital sovereignty

Digital sovereignty is not determined by strategy papers, but by concrete architectural and operational decisions. Public administration must retain control over data, applications, and infrastructure at all times. In the tension between hyperscalers and European solutions, the issue is less about absolute sovereignty than about conscious risk assessment and genuine freedom of choice. From DSAG’s perspective, clear criteria, transparent providers, and the technical ability to switch—for example, through standardized architectures and robust exit strategies—are essential. This is particularly crucial in the SAP environment, which serves as the digital backbone of many government agencies.

Digitization

Federal structures must not hinder digitalization. Uniform software and data standards are crucial for unlocking efficiency potential and truly scaling administrative processes. DSAG sees great opportunities, particularly in standardized solutions and EfA approaches—the key now is consistent implementation across all levels of government.

An Effective Government

An effective government is characterized by end-to-end processes, clean data, and implementable architectures. Additional strategy papers are of no help if practical implementation is lacking. Transformation is not a one-time project, but rather an ongoing practical effort—only in this way can the potential of modern IT truly be harnessed for the benefit of citizens. (Source: DSAG)