SAP for Me

I've already reported on many shortcomings and construction sites in the SAP universe here, so it's time to write about something positive. A few weeks ago, our Head of CCoE, Customer Center of Expertise, better known to SAP community members of my generation as CCC Manager, told me about the SAP portal with the funny name "SAP for Me".

I was skeptical: Is SAP now going all cuddly? Will SAP become my personal Tamagotchi, which I am supposed to provide with regular indirect use? SAP is a professional tool for my employer, but in my private life I use other things. In this respect, "SAP for Me" almost seems like a personal imposition.

But even my regulars can only report positive things about this SAP service portal for the time being. The development is pointing in the right direction. The portal is not yet fully functional and is sometimes cryptic to use, but the approach of consolidating all relevant data for an SAP Basis team or, as it is officially called, for the CCoE department in one place is convincing.
Since SAP has been unable to harmonize and orchestrate the ERP architecture and structure the numerous licensing provisions for users, engines, cloud and services for many years, a portal must provide sufficient documentation.

"SAP for Me" is therefore a comprehensive catalog of the functions, apps, licenses and services used. This step is also necessary because a composable ERP consisting of Hana, S/4, BTC, BDC and third-party providers naturally requires documented and consolidated operating and licensing instructions.

What cannot yet be managed with "SAP for Me" are the numerous external cloud services from hyperscalers and providers such as Salesforce, Workday, ServiceNow, UiPath or Boomi. There is still a huge gap here. The AI Gen Hub in SAP BTP allows the use of a wide range of LLMs. However, fees and licenses are also incurred here and rules must be documented and compliance requirements observed. A holistic information and control system for all ERP matters would therefore be the order of the day. SAP should open up in this respect and show no fear of contact.

Unfortunately, the exact opposite is happening in important ERP areas: with the relaunch of the term "Business Suite", SAP seems to be aiming for a strategy of compartmentalization and exclusivity. All SAP functions are to be brought together again and orchestrated - a black box? Defined interfaces to the outside world are intended to protect the new suite of Hana, S/4, BTP and BDC from outside influence. The Business Suite is to become the sole answer to all ERP needs - that is unrealistic! This is not how an orchestrated Composable Enterprise works! That's not who we SAP customers are!

The differences between Celonis from Munich and SAP from Walldorf are the result of an outdated ERP protectorate. In IT, the age of monopolies and autocrats is a thing of the past. We are also experiencing the "games" played by SAP to marginalize a competitor like Celonis. SAP has also scored a short-term Pyrrhic victory for us. But Celonis has been a fixture in our IT group structure for many years and will remain so. When two people quarrel, the third is happy - unfortunately this is not the case with SAP and Celonis in any way, because there are only losers here and we existing SAP customers are the main losers.

This also affects SAP partners such as cbs from Heidelberg, who started with process mining many years ago - when Celonis was still on the SAP price list - and naturally chose Celonis rather than the unknown and underdeveloped Signavio. But Signavio was acquired by SAP and Celonis was removed from the price list. Since then, Signavio has developed sufficiently well. But my employees tell me that Celonis is better.