At the annual conference of the German-speaking user group DSAG in Cologne, the lack of direction in SAP\u2019s AI offerings became apparent. Instead of building a consolidated, comprehensive system, SAP is experimenting on various platforms and levels: It remains completely unclear how an SAP Knowledge Graph is to be enriched, what connections future AI agents will have to the HANA Graph and Vector engines, and where, ultimately, Prior Labs\u2019 tabular Foundation Model will need to be customized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SAP\u2019s opening address at the DSAG Annual Congress was full of announcements, products, and promises\u2014lots of quantity, but little quality! However, the delegates at the DSAG Annual Congress are experienced SAP users who need concrete answers. The newly elected DSAG Chairman, Thomas Henzler, also explained that the multitude of platforms and ERP tiers is likely not a safe path to the future: \u201eAdding a new layer with every new challenge\u2014and thereby making the ERP system increasingly complex\u2014is unlikely to be a transparent and stable path to the future,\u201c said Thomas Henzler on the DSAG stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SAP\u2019s Autonomous Enterprise is currently presented as a composable ERP built on twenty years of SAP history. It incorporates engines from the SAP HANA database platform as well as LLMs from Anthropic and OpenAI, paired with Databricks capabilities from the two-year-old SAP Business Data Cloud\u2014which experienced SAP users have been using as a native Databricks solution for many years. At SAP, there is a great deal of technical chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the final day of the DSAG Annual Conference in Cologne, SAP CEO Christian Klein took the stage and raved about dynamic and innovative developments in AI: He sees opportunities for the new technology everywhere and is observing not only AI innovation but also the speed at which AI is evolving. One conclusion for the SAP CEO is therefore a clear commitment to the cloud, where SAP can deliver new solutions and AI agents weekly, daily, and even hourly if necessary. In addition to innovation, Christian Klein considers the speed of AI enabled by cloud computing to be a decisive factor!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reality for most existing SAP customers, however, is quite different: New solutions do not depend on technology and speed, but rather on the ability and necessity to train employees, harmonize processes, and\u2014as every existing SAP customer knows\u2014test, test, test! SAP is innovative, but it is out of sync with the SAP community. Christian Klein has completely neglected the orchestration of ERP reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The newly elected DSAG CEO, Thomas Henzler, sat on stage next to SAP CEO Christian Klein and urged a certain down-to-earth approach and a sober view of day-to-day ERP operations. Thomas Henzler reminded Christian Klein that there are still many unresolved issues and problems among SAP\u2019s existing customers that do not fall within the realm of AI but still need to be addressed. Amid the AI hype, SAP CEO Christian Klein seems to be forgetting that not all ERP challenges can be solved with AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A conversation with DSAG Chief Technology Officer Stefan Nogly clearly highlighted the difference between SAP innovations and the reality of ERP within the SAP community. E3 Magazine asked Chief Technology Officer Nogly about the difference between a graph and a vector. Both appear to be relevant for future AI solutions\u2014see the SAP Knowledge Graph\u2014and both are represented as engines on the SAP HANA database platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the E3 discussion, it was agreed to Google the differences and advantages of one over the other. Stefan Nogly, Chief Technology Officer at DSAG, was unable to provide a definitive answer\u2014however, the entire SAP Autonomous Enterprise is expected to be based on graph theory in the future: It seems there is still a lot of educational work to be done for the SAP community!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A comparison of the graph engine and the vector engine on the HANA database platform illustrates the shift from a purely relational table structure to a multimodal AI database. The graph engine, which has been integrated into HANA for many years, is based on mathematical graph theory and structures business data not as two-dimensional rows and columns, but as a network model consisting of explicit nodes and edges. It forms the technical foundation for the SAP Knowledge Graph as well as for ontologies and links business objects such as customers, orders, invoices, and suppliers via fixed, rule-based relationships. For existing SAP customers, the Graph Engine thus functions as an explainable, logical relationship network that provides AI agents and language models with the necessary business context to effectively prevent \u201challucinations\u201d in the transactional general ledger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In contrast, the newer SAP HANA Cloud Vector Engine follows a purely mathematical-stochastic principle by translating unstructured content\u2014such as free-form text, product descriptions, or documents\u2014into high-dimensional numerical vectors using embedding models. Instead of querying explicit logical paths, the Vector Engine uses mathematical distance metrics\u2014such as Euclidean distance (which can also be calculated mentally) or cosine similarity\u2014to \u2014 to perform high-performance similarity searches and pattern clustering in vector space. The result can be visualizations where centers and distances become intuitively visible. It thus serves as the indispensable linchpin for Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), in which semantically relevant text fragments are dynamically extracted from the database and passed to language models such as Joule as current context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An interesting aspect of the current discourse on graph theory: Thomas Henzler, the new CEO of DSAG, said that an SAP Knowledge Graph isn\u2019t enough! \u201eI envision an enterprise knowledge graph,\u201c Henzler said on the DSAG stage, thereby expanding the ERP perspective far beyond the SAP system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DSAG conference theme combined a technical vision with a realistic view of the specific challenges and opportunities facing user companies. \u201eIt\u2019s about putting things into perspective rather than euphoria, evaluating benefits rather than relying on buzzwords, and solving problems rather than blindly taking action. Companies must consciously define their scope for shaping the future and taking action, and target their investments accordingly,\u201c said Jens Hungershausen, former DSAG CEO, in his final opening address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extensive regulatory requirements, disruptive technologies, and geopolitical uncertainties are increasing the pressure on user companies. At the same time, they must manage S\/4 migrations, cloud projects, new AI applications, and the modernization of legacy system landscapes. The DSAG Investment Report 2026 confirms that investments are therefore being scrutinized more critically and made in a more targeted manner. The underlying survey took place in January 2026. Subsequent announcements at SAP Sapphire regarding new AI assistants, the platform, and Joule Work could not yet be factored into the report. From DSAG\u2019s perspective, SAP\u2019s vision is heading in the right direction. However, the rapid implementation desired by SAP must first prove itself in customers\u2019 day-to-day operations. On this point, SAP CEO Christian Klein has very different ideas than the new DSAG CEO Thomas Henzler, who sat side by side on stage on the final day of the annual conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201eInvestment decisions must not be based solely on visions and announced goals. What matters most are feasibility, cost-effectiveness, integrability, and demonstrable benefits for the respective business model,\u201c emphasized Jens Hungershausen, the outgoing CEO of DSAG. This is a point that the new CEO, Thomas Henzler, also reiterated to E3 magazine, stating that transparent roadmaps, clear milestones, and reliable planning certainty are essential. If roadmaps shift or target visions lack a clear endpoint, companies must be able to adapt their transformation strategy without losing their ability to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas Henzler had already presented Christian Klein with a solution in Cologne for the current system of varying speeds and the lack of orchestration. DSAG CEO Henzler said, \u201eHe wants to stay ahead of the curve.\u201c By this, he means constructive and critical collaboration with SAP before the SAP community is presented with a fait accompli due to the rapid development of AI at SAP. Whether Christian Klein will grant him this wish could not be determined in Cologne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The current tensions and lack of coordination are particularly evident in the S\/4 transformation. The end of standard SAP ECC support on December 31, 2027, is increasing the pressure to migrate. The transformation requires significant investment. It is therefore crucial that these investments deliver clear, measurable business value and contribute to innovation, process harmonization, and digital competitiveness in the long term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, the DSAG Investment Report shows that on-premises and hybrid architectures continue to play a central role: 56 percent of respondents use S\/4 on-premises, and 42 percent plan to make high or moderate investments in this operating model by 2026. According to the DSAG Investment Report, the public cloud\u2014favored by SAP CEO Christian Klein\u2014currently plays a secondary role in the DACH region. \u201eThe cloud is the future. But it\u2019s also clear that every company must determine its own path to S\/4 HANA. SAP must accept that on-premises and hybrid architectures are the current reality,\u201c said Jens Hungershausen on his final day as a member of the DSAG Executive Board. A one-size-fits-all approach does not do justice to established system landscapes or to industry-specific, regulatory, and economic requirements. In a conversation with SAP CEO Christian Klein, the new DSAG CEO thus stated that existing SAP customers must plan their ERP transformation in realistic phases and develop appropriate orchestration for AI and non-AI applications. This requires both strategic clarity on the part of users and reliable roadmaps and flexible offerings from SAP. Christian Klein sat on stage between Jen Hungershausen and Thomas Henzler, nodding approvingly at each of them. It remains to be seen whether he will still remember the DSAG discussion once he is back at SAP headquarters in Walldorf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The opening speech by an SAP manager at the 2026 annual conference of the German-speaking user association DSAG highlighted the frenzy and turmoil surrounding the current AI offerings. The activist moves by SAP CEO Christian Klein are leading to chaos.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":161236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[27840],"tags":[44718,621,273,45127,44653,44225,626,236,44634,44175,3491,44675,44791,25047,44960],"coauthors":[27825],"class_list":["post-167154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chefredakteur-blog","tag-autonomous-enterprise","tag-cloud-computing","tag-dsag","tag-dsag-jahreskongress-3","tag-erp-transformation","tag-ki-agenten","tag-kuenstliche-intelligenz","tag-sap","tag-sap-business-ai","tag-sap-business-data-cloud","tag-sap-hana","tag-sap-hana-cloud","tag-sap-knowledge-graph","tag-sap-s-4hana","tag-sap-strategie","pmpro-has-access"],"acf":[],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu.jpeg",1000,450,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-400x180.jpeg",400,180,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-768x346.jpeg",768,346,true],"large":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu.jpeg",1000,450,false],"image-100":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-100x45.jpeg",100,45,true],"image-480":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-480x216.jpeg",480,216,true],"image-640":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-640x288.jpeg",640,288,true],"image-720":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-720x324.jpeg",720,324,true],"image-960":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-960x432.jpeg",960,432,true],"image-1168":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu.jpeg",1000,450,false],"image-1440":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu.jpeg",1000,450,false],"image-1920":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu.jpeg",1000,450,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu.jpeg",1000,450,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu.jpeg",1000,450,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-18x8.jpeg",18,8,true],"bricks_large_16x9":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu.jpeg",1000,450,false],"bricks_large":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu.jpeg",1000,450,false],"bricks_large_square":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu.jpeg",1000,450,false],"bricks_medium":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-600x270.jpeg",600,270,true],"bricks_medium_square":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-600x450.jpeg",600,450,true],"profile_24":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-24x24.jpeg",24,24,true],"profile_48":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-48x48.jpeg",48,48,true],"profile_96":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-96x96.jpeg",96,96,true],"profile_150":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"profile_300":["https:\/\/e3mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Chefredakteur-neu-300x300.jpeg",300,300,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"
Die Er\u00f6ffnungsrede eines SAP-Managers auf dem Jahreskongress 2026 des deutschsprachigen Anwendervereins DSAG zeigte die Hektik und die Turbulenzen des aktuellen KI-Angebots. Die aktivistischen Aktionen von SAP-Chef Christian Klein f\u00fchren ins Chaos.<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"Chefredakteur-Blog<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Peter M. F\u00e4rbinger, E3 Magazine","url":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/author\/peter-m-faerbinger-e-3-magazin\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167154"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":167156,"href":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167154\/revisions\/167156"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/161236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167154"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e3mag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=167154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}