No interest in the lying press

But the anger and disappointment are not limited to the press. SAP partners from German-speaking countries are also being denied access to Sapphire in Munich if they come from the wrong country, such as Switzerland.

SAP is obviously overlooking the fact that many partners now have a global presence with their solutions. Artificial SAP boundaries are completely out of place and contradict the spirit of a global community. Openness would be the right answer to the current challenges.

It is the fear of losing control that is currently blocking SAP. Internal information is being leaked. A large proportion of SAP executives are concerned with repair service behavior. SAP's existing customers are looking beyond their familiar horizons and considering whether third-party providers might not be a better choice for logistics, HR, IT monitoring, and data governance. In other words, SAP CEO Christian Klein is flying off the handle at the moment. He is trying to catch and save whatever is still possible. In this situation, anyone would probably develop a mania for control - knowing full well that it's the wrong reaction!

This also makes the rejection of any communication with external parties only a logical step. Not everything was better in the past - of course not, but I have experienced it myself: Under former SAP CEO Professor Henning Kagermann, discussions were more open, diverse, committed and fair. There was a distinct and very open SAP discussion culture. Refusing to visit Sapphire Munich to an existing SAP customer (our publishing house runs on SAP Business One) and journalists (and we are a DSAG member) seems strange.

Why is SAP no longer interested in a discourse? Obviously, the ERP group is overwhelmed in the current crisis. Christian Klein is obviously trying to respond to this organizational and mental challenge with maximum control: Accordingly, no journalists are allowed to attend an in-house exhibition in Munich, and only partners and existing customers with German passports are allowed. That can't go well!

The signs of the lack of communication with the SAP community are clear to see. Visionary storytelling is missing. The SAP brand suffers from the speechlessness of the SAP Executive Board. The retreat into one's own four walls is arguable, see Biedermeier Age, but fatal for the necessary and currently non-existent market success. A credible and sustainable communication culture is lacking. Even the all-important financial analyses are only rudimentarily provided. The result is a disillusioning share price of well below 100 euros. The average of the price target predicted by financial analysts this year is a meager 112 euros (source: Handelsblatt Online, Aug. 22, 2022). What now? At the end of last year, the price target for SAP shares was around 150 euros.

Professor Hasso Plattner and SAP CEO Christian Klein will have to react to this development by next fall at the latest, because this time it's not just about existing customers, but also about investors and the community as a whole.