ERP modifications
RAP, CAP, Build and Steampunk
Abap RESTful Application Programming (RAP), Cloud Application Programming (CAP), Low-Code/No-Code with SAP Build and Steampunk as Embedded Abap are just a small selection of the ways in which an existing SAP customer will be able to modify his ERP system in the future. Accordingly, it is not only necessary to study various concepts from open source and GitHub to proprietary steampunk code, but also to learn the programming languages themselves. No easy task for programmers in which language to code the algorithms in the future - and Java is still around!
Private and public cloud
If the existing SAP customer is faced with the challenge of creating individual extensions for their ERP system, then a closer look at their S/4 is advisable. With an S/4 public cloud edition, the possibilities are very limited. With a private cloud system, which largely corresponds to an on-prem installation, there are considerably more options and also the option to intervene more deeply in the ERP - nevertheless, the principle of "Keep the Core Clean" also applies here.
Steampunk
The response to Steampunk was very positive in the DSAG working groups at the Technology Days in Mannheim. For the most part, however, these were existing SAP customers who had spent half their professional lives with Abap. What does the future hold? Should a new customer for the private or public cloud also learn Abap with a view to steampunk? Karl Kessler, VP Product Management Abap Platform at SAP, answers this question in an E-3 exclusive interview: "Abap is still relevant and will remain so in the future. For S/4 customers, both existing and new, SAP offers a modern Abap Cloud development model. Abap Cloud allows to build upgradeable and cloud-enabled solutions and extensions. Depending on the scenario, customers or partners can build their Abap Cloud extension directly on the S/4 stack or on the Business Technology Platform. Within the community, this is also referred to as Embedded Steampunk or Steampunk. The Abap Cloud development model is available on the BTP and in all S/4 editions, i.e. public cloud, private cloud and on-prem, in the latest version."