The global and independent platform for the SAP community.
Cover story April 2024

SAP Basis with Cloud ALM, on-prem
and licenses.

Salzburg 2024: Hana and S/4 also need a robust SAP basis. The Customer Competence Center of SAP R/3 and Business Suite 7 is transforming itself with ALM, process mining and enterprise architects. The SAP Competence Center Summit in Salzburg is dedicated to this transformation process.

TO THE COVER STORY
Cover story April 2026

Trends and investment 2026

The year 2026 is a critical turning point for the SAP community: SAP's visions meet the reality of existing customers. As the end of maintenance for the old ERP system approaches in 2027, the pressure for S/4 migrations will increase massively and shape the market for service providers.

TO THE COVER STORY

The lost trust in SAP

April 8, 2025
Peter M. Färbinger, E3 Magazine
The annual investment report of the German-speaking SAP user group, DSAG e. V., is always eagerly awaited. In addition to the survey data itself, the level of participation is an important indicator of the mood in the SAP community.

Business Suite is dead, long live the Business Suite

April 8, 2025
Julia Rettig, Nagarro
Buzzwords are my topic. Why? Because my thesis is that buzzwords definitely have a right to exist - but only if they can be roughly categorized and the majority of them make sense.
Something essential for SAP customers is sovereignty and control over SAP systems, all with a reliable basis. Thankfully, a good deal has been achieved with SAP Basis automation over the past 20 years. What influence do SAP's cloud strategy and Rise have? Empirius Head of Technology Marcus Bogenstätter explains.

SAP migration booster Fit Gap and Factory

April 7, 2025
Peter Körner, Red Hat
SAP migrations often take longer than expected. It is not for nothing that SAP has extended some maintenance windows. New developments such as automated fit-gap analyses with a downstream factory approach accelerate the transformation.
Sustainable growth in corporate IT requires more than just cost reductions - it requires strategic ERP management. SAP Gold Partner LeverX is convinced that modern companies must continuously question their ERP strategies in order to remain agile.
More than two thirds of companies are seeing measurable added value from AI applications.
One of the best-kept secrets is on-prem cloud functionality for Hana and S/4. Those with patience and good nerves can ask SAP if there is a way to run Hana and S/4 with cloud functionality in their own data center.

The data whisperers

27 October 2022
In September, several SAP partners met at NetApp's invitation. The topic was data management from security to archiving to automation. For details, see the E-3 cover story November 2022.
What is to become of the megatrend cloud computing? One insight from the DSAG annual congress in Leipzig and the E-3 videostream on the topic of cloud computing: the discussion must become more objective and do without polemics!

E3 Roundtable on ERP Platforms, Data Streams, and E2E Workflows

Successful ERP, supply chain management, and CRM architectures are built on IT platforms. Data streaming and collaboration are essential to the orchestration of ERP systems. IT platforms are the new operating system for cloud computing. The E3 Roundtable will highlight the importance and strategy of platforms for a holistic IT infrastructure and ERP architecture. SAP customers will implement platform technologies for digital transformation. The E3 Roundtable will discuss the ERP architecture principle of platforms using Boomi's offering as an example.

Comments

Exclusive interview with Workday Group Vice President DACH Christopher Knörr.
The-Last-Satire
SAP's strategy is cloud computing. Almost all IT providers are taking refuge in the cloud. Why not SAP, too? But SAP has no vision of where it’s going.
Open source and GitHub/GitLab are closely linked. Three years ago, GitHub created a monetization option for open source developers and companies with the sponsorship button.
4 October 2023

SAP modernization

What are the benefits of open source? SAP modernizations and migrations are complex; taking a different approach based on open-source principles can help you avoid several problems and stumbling blocks from the start.

SAP News

SAP announced during their Q2 financial report that their restructuring program has now become more drastic. Now, up to ten thousand people will lose their jobs.
According to the study, the biggest challenges of AI implementation include companies' current IT infrastructure and customer expectations.
Alexander Rosell joins the Zurich Germany Group from the consulting firm EY as an IT consultant and data management expert.
Global strategic partnership to accelerate digital transformation with RISE.

Business Management

shutterstock_1040535190
April 15, 2021

Selective

S/4 is the focus of many companies today. The search for the right path for the changeover remains the exciting question: New Implementation or System Conversion have been the only variants so far.
shutterstock1686838417OleksandrShnuryk
In the SAP Business Suite or with S/4 Hana, it is generally possible to execute end-to-end procure-to-pay workflows directly in the system. However, this doesn't automatically remove paper from workflows.
shutterstock1669927393ThierryWeber.jpg
Companies with production sites in different countries are increasingly challenged by globalized logistics processes. International inventory planning and uncertainties in supply and demand place high technical demands on supply chain management.
shutterstock1190791390VAlex.jpg
The lifecycle of SAP APO is expected to end in five years. Users can turn to its successor, SAP IBP, to plan their supply chains. However, there are other alternatives as well.

IT Management

[shutterstock--1433942087,-Grigvovan]
The second part on the fire disaster in the cloud comes from Marc Kleff. The first part was written by E-3 columnist NoName, page 16: a fire in the data center and the lesson learned - focus on business continuity!
[shutterstock: 1479521933, ZinetroN]
May 5, 2021

Conversion

The automotive industry is characterized by international manufacturers and complex value chains. The industry operates highly efficiently in global markets.
[shutterstock: 1813934876, VideoFlow]
The definition and assignment of roles and authorizations is crucial for ERP systems, as they allow companies to define and implement user access rights in processes and workflows.
shutterstock115491706SergeyNivens.jpg
April 27, 2021

Learning from data

Generali Switzerland is breaking new ground: Instead of the marketing that is common in the insurance industry, it is relying on cooperation with start-ups and innovative technical solutions. An always-on strategy guarantees a targeted customer approach.

Economy

Expansion of the strategic alliance - Digital twins
Siemens and Bentley Systems strengthen strategic alliance and joint investment initiatives.
Payment and E-Commerce - Extension for SAP Commerce
The long-standing partnership with SAP was extended. The expansion of the partnership between SAP and Wirecard was triggered by the launch of the Wirecard Extension for SAP Commerce.
Alegri goes Devoteam
November 10, 2018

Alegri goes Devoteam

And SAP and Microsoft partner Alegri has belonged 100 percent to the Devoteam Group since the end of August.
Acquisition: SAP automotive expertise for NTT
NTT Data acquires automotive sales and aftersales specialist Genius DMS.

People Management

E3 book tip

Getting started with SAP S/4HANA

Get to know SAP S/4HANA using practical examples! In this book, Christian Drumm, Bernd Scheuermann and Stefan Weidner introduce you to the most important modules and business processes of SAP S/4HANA. You will get an overview of the applications for sales, purchasing, production, warehouse management, accounting and controlling. Many exercises, case studies and practical cases enable you to implement what you have learned directly in the system. Currently for the example company Global Bike 4.3.
The prerequisite for using the exercises, case studies and practical cases is access to an SAP system with Global Bike Client version 4.3. SAP UCC Magdeburg.

Order here

Working on the SAP basis is crucial for successful S/4 conversion. 

This gives the Competence Center strategic importance for existing SAP customers. Regardless of the S/4 Hana operating model, topics such as Automation, Monitoring, Security, Application Lifecycle Management and Data Management the basis for S/4 operations.

For the fourth time, E3 magazine is organizing a summit for the SAP community in Salzburg to provide comprehensive information on all aspects of S/4 Hana groundwork.

Venue

FourSide Hotel Salzburg,
Trademark Collection by Wyndham
Am Messezentrum 2, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
+43-662-4355460

Event date

Wednesday, June 10, and
Thursday, June 11, 2026

AI experience workshop only on June 11, 2026 (limited places)
Bonus: Access to all lectures on June 11, 2026

Regular ticket

Lectures, evening event and, depending on availability, the AI workshop on June 11, 2026
Places at the AI experience workshop are limited and registration is required.

Subscribers to the E3 Magazine Ticket

reduced with promocode CCAbo26

Students*

reduced with promocode CCStud26.
Please send proof of studies by e-mail to office@b4bmedia.net.
*The first 10 tickets are free of charge for students. Try your luck! 🍀
EUR 305 excl. VAT.
EUR 590 excl. VAT
EUR 390 excl. VAT
EUR 290 excl. VAT

Venue

Hotel Hilton Heidelberg
Kurfürstenanlage 1
D-69115 Heidelberg

Event date

Wednesday, April 22 and
Thursday, April 23, 2026

Tickets

AI onlyExperience workshop on April 23, 2026 
Bonus: Access to all lectures on April 23, 2026
Regular ticket
April 22, 2026: Lectures and evening event
April 23, 2026: Lectures and AI workshop
EUR 305 excl. VAT
EUR 590 excl. VAT
Subscribers to the E3 magazine
reduced with promocode STAbo26
EUR 390 excl. VAT
Students*
reduced with promocode STStud26.
Please send proof of studies by e-mail to office@b4bmedia.net.
EUR 290 excl. VAT
*The first 10 tickets are free of charge for students. Try your luck! 🍀
The event is organized by the E3 magazine of the publishing house B4Bmedia.net AG. The presentations will be accompanied by an exhibition of selected SAP partners. The ticket price includes attendance at all presentations of the Steampunk and BTP Summit 2026, a visit to the exhibition area, participation in the evening event and catering during the official program. The lecture program and the list of exhibitors and sponsors (SAP partners) will be published on this website in due course.