Paperless, turbulent, hybrid, but successful

One of the largest and global Internet groups invested considerable sums in paper in Germany in recent years. Google financed a printed supplement in Manager Magazin several times, clearly demonstrating what holistic communication for the C-level can look like.

Information transfer, knowledge transfer and educational work still function in the birthplace of Gutenberg, the inventor of modern letterpress printing with movable metal type and the printing press. While a U.S. corporation in Germany is investing sustainably in paper as an offline medium, a U.S. publisher will withdraw completely from paper production at the beginning of 2023: The Munich-based publisher IDG, International Data Group, known for the legendary Computerwoche - once the bible of the German-language IT scene with the unforgettable editor-in-chief Dieter Eckbauer and his alter ego "Sebastian Trauerwein, Information Resources Manager" - plans to discontinue all paper-based products.

Can you do it without paper? Maybe. The fact is that tablets, starting with the Apple iPad, have not established themselves as magazine killers. The responsive design of modern websites appears to be better competition. Ultimately, E-3 magazine showed sustained success during the pandemic because paper was a restful alternative to Zoom and Teams. For us, the information world remains hybrid for the time being: from the E-3 video stream via YouTube to the printed E-3 Magazine. Even if our user association DSAG will also no longer have its magazine printed in the future, which is argued in places with an environmental protection idea - we traveled to the DSAG Annual Congress 2022 in Leipzig by train and not by plane!

The SAP community is experiencing a generational and paradigm shift. This change will take place in the coming years, and it will be turbulent, hybrid and, for some members of the SAP community, very successful. A text published by Gartner on this subject is noteworthy. According to research and advisory firm Gartner, to drive sustainable growth in turbulent and uncertain economic times, CIOs and IT leaders should leverage digital investments that deliver financial and performance results in an efficient and responsible manner. This is what Gartner calls IT for sustainable growth.

During opening remarks at this year's Gartner IT Symposium, Gartner analysts said CIOs can leverage IT for sustainable growth by focusing on three strategies: revolutionizing work, responsible investment and robust cybersecurity. CIOs and IT leaders should revolutionize work by technically empowering the workforce to deliver sustainable performance.

All that remains is to add: Do good and talk about it. The steps recommended by Gartner should also be communicated within the SAP community. The hybrid and non-paperless E-3 platform is available for this purpose.