Pragmatism Vs. Plans in BTP
The official stance at SAP suggests that BTP serves as a supplement to S/4 Hana, facilitating the ongoing implementation of modifications, add-ons, Abap programming, and AI. However, the clean core concept appears to be evolving, and there is a growing emphasis on a future cloud-only approach.
In any case, S/4 (including Hana), BTP and clean core seem to be the new trinity at SAP. My wife, who was looking over my shoulder while I was writing, said I should not be blasphemous and should give the young SAP board members Christian Klein and Thomas Saueressig a chance. However, I firmly believe that beyond 2030, while there may be a satisfactory trinity in the cloud, ERP will not last until then.
Since R/2, SAP customers have been making changes to the software and adding on extra features. The programming language used in SAP has changed many times in recent years. Now, with the rise of cloud computing based on the Business Technology Platform, a major change is coming. SAP programs, called Abap, have always worked best with on-prem systems. The changes and extra features that exist now cannot be used with a target system, n but there are now Abap language extensions and SAP BTP that can also be used with cloud systems.
Those at SAP who are responsible for this want a perfect ERP roadmap that begins with Hana, continues with S/4, takes Clean Core into account, and ends with the Business Technology Platform for now. But it doesn't have to be like that. SAP BTP can also be made available to existing ECC 6.0 customers via the hyperscalers or as a container in their own data center. BTP is in no way tied to S/4. However, the clean core concept should be applied in any case. Abap, BTP, and clean core are more relevant for long-standing customers than an SAP S/4 roadmap.
With a pragmatic approach, the SAP community can now move into the future with greater peace of mind.The clean core concept and a BTP on a hyperscaler or container basis allow Abap modifications to be ready for the cloud. Many of our ERP/ECC systems will still be available in an on-prem architecture for a few more years. However, ERP life is constantly changing, so we will only create Abap programs that can also be used in a cloud environment in the future.
Is SAP better than its reputation? It is more flexible and open than CEO Christian Klein would have many customers believe. The combination of ECC 6.0, BTP and Abap is a very practical model for overcoming the current cloud crisis. Cloud computing may be an ERP model of the future, but for many SAP customers it will only be available well after 2030. SAP's approach of presenting a public cloud as the ultimate solution doesn't fit well in a long-term architecture discussion. The SAP Clean Core roadmap doesn't seem very practical. But in reality, SAP offers us customers much more than what's advertised on the colorful websites of the ERP world market leader.
After doing our own research, I asked around among my regulars and, to my great surprise, discovered that BTP is currently much more widespread than it officially appears. SAP doesn't offer a general license for this platform, but only for individual functions, which can make it hard for customers and SAP to keep track.
The Business Technology Platform (BTP) framework seems to be great for on-prem, hybrid, private, and public clouds. Thanks to the BTP being offered by hyperscalers and, with some know-how, also as a container in an open-source landscape, we can currently implement applications that are prepared for a wide range of future scenarios. It's important to choose the right development partners.
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