SAP customer trends and priorities

In 2023, 70% of SAP customers were considering RISE. By mid-2024, that number dropped into the low 40s. The shift raises a big question: what made so many rethink the move? I’ve supported RISE customers around the world — from North America to Europe to APAC. And the patterns I’m seeing? They’re consistent, and a bit unsettling. Here’s what’s driving the hesitation: 1. Service Level Disappointment - 99.7% uptime sounds fine until it hits your critical workflows. 2. Hidden Complexity - What looked like a bundled solution often turns into 100+ pages of service exclusions. 3. Slow Execution - Simple tickets take weeks. Why? Lack of automation and fragmented delivery teams. 4. The Premium Paywall - Want the service you thought you were buying? There’s a premium tier for that. What started as a CFO-friendly commercial model has hit resistance from Ops teams who are left holding the bag. RISE isn’t failing. But the experience gap is real. And for many customers, that’s been enough to hit pause...or backpedal entirely. If you’ve evaluated RISE or lived through the shift, what was your biggest surprise? I’d love to hear it in the comments.

SAP High-Demand Topics for 2025 Where the Smart Consultants Are Betting Their Careers The SAP market isn’t standing still. It’s transforming - fast. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹: ➞ 280,000+ new SAP consulting roles forecast globally. ➞ 63% of customers still haven’t migrated to S/4HANA.. ➞ Top consultants earn 20–40% more. Here’s what’s really driving the SAP ecosystem forward: ✅ 𝗧𝗶𝗲𝗿 1: 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 1️⃣ 𝗦/4𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗔 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 * 2027 is final stop for ECC. * Demand for migration specialists is outpacing supply. * Pay scale: $140–180k+ 2️⃣ 𝗔𝗕𝗔𝗣 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 (𝗥𝗔𝗣) * RAP = heartbeat of ABAP Cloud. * cling to classic ABAP = left behind. * Companies want event-driven, cloud-native apps - clean core or bust. 3️⃣ 𝗦𝗔𝗣 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝗜 & 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗲 * 26,000+ cloud customers are already using SAP’s embedded AI. * 400+ new AI use cases are coming. * AI integration is the new normal ✅ 𝗧𝗶𝗲𝗿 2: 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 1️⃣ 𝗘𝗪𝗠 * 19% CAGR through 2030. * Market growing to $9.5B by 2032. * Huge shortage of exp consultants. 2️⃣ 𝗦𝗔𝗣 𝗚𝗥𝗖 & 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 * Organizations pushing for GRC to keep up with SOX, GDPR * Security specialists = premium rates. 3️⃣ 𝗦𝗔𝗣 𝗕𝗧𝗣 * Foundation layer for everything SAP does next. * Over 90+ services available today * BTP architects earn $130–186k+. In short supply. ✅ 𝗧𝗶𝗲𝗿 3: 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 1️⃣ 𝗦𝗔𝗣 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 & 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗙𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰 * 184 new features rolled out in 2024 alone. * Huge migration push from BW to Datasphere. * Critical for future AI and analytics plays. 2️⃣ 𝗦𝗔𝗣 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 4.0 * Manufacturing = 25% of all S/4HANA services demand. * Sustainability and Industry 4.0 req will keep fueling this. 3️⃣ 𝗦𝗔𝗣 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗢𝗽𝘀 & 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 * 78% of businesses struggle to get DevOps right in SAP. * CI/CD and automated testing - they’re mandatory for clean core ✅ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 * Cloud Application Programming Model (CAP) * API Dev & Integration Patterns * SAP Sustainability & ESG Solutions * 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 - Oil, Gas & Energy and Healthcare ✅ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗦𝗮𝘆 ✔ S/4HANA migration consultants earn 20–40% more. ✔ Over 56,000 new SAP consultant roles projected in the next 10 yrs. ✔ 26% of companies say lack of SAP skills is their #1 technology challenge. ✔ Getting certified still pays: +20–30% salaries. 𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲: ✅ Focus on S/4HANA Migration, RAP Dev, and Business AI. ✅ Position yourself as a clean core and cloud-native expert ✅ Master integration, APIs, and BTP. ✅ Don’t wait for 2027. Real opportunity next 2–3 yrs 𝗣.𝗦. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻? 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁?

Over 70% of ECC Customers haven’t started migrating to S/4HANA. SAP has been expanding its partnerships, Databricks, Salesforce, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Google Cloud, NVIDIA, and even acquiring WalkMe to accelerate S/4HANA migrations. Yet, since 2022, S/4HANA adoption has only increased by 2% per year. So, what’s holding customers back? According to #DSAG, SAP’s largest and most influential user group, the biggest challenge is: 👉 SAP is moving too fast to the cloud, while customers are struggling to keep up. Even SAP’s most loyal customers say: → Migration is too complex → Costs are unpredictable → There’s not enough support So, what is THE BEST SOLUTION for Customers? S/4HANA as a catalyst for Business Transformation. → Future-Ready: A foundation for #AI, automation, and next-gen capabilities. → Optimized Processes: Real-time insights, automation, and efficiency. → Scalability: Flexible deployment for evolving business needs. → Competitive Edge: Agility and innovation that set businesses apart. #DigitalTransformation #sapconsultants #S4HANA #sap #abap #AI #data #genai

This is the only SAP post you need to read today. The SAP scene in 2024 is changing fast, & knowing the top trends is a MUST. Today, I’m breaking them down for you from two perspectives: Candidate & Business 1. Cloud Adoption & Migration Candidate - Mastering cloud platforms like SAP Cloud, AWS, Azure, & Google Cloud gives you an edge. - Staying updated with the latest cloud tech is a must. Keep learning. Business - Cloud adoption means cost savings, scalability, & flexibility. - Finding skilled candidates is tough. Invest in training to bridge the skill gaps. 2. AI Integration Candidate - Skills in AI, machine learning, & RPA can land you innovative & high-paying roles. - The learning curve is steep. Keep upskilling to stay ahead. Business - Automation & AI boost efficiency & productivity, reducing errors & improving decision-making. - Significant investment is needed in both technology & talent. Make sure your workforce has the right skills. 3. Business Process Transformation Candidate - Knowledge in business process transformation, especially with S/4HANA, is highly valued. - These projects are complex, demanding both technical skills & business sense. Business - Transforming processes with S/4HANA improves efficiency & ROI. - The transition is resource-intensive. Experienced professionals are needed. 4. Business Agility Candidate - Driving automation & increasing agility makes you invaluable. - Quick thinking & adaptability are key. Be ready for a fast-paced environment. Business - Agility helps businesses respond quickly to market changes, boosting resilience. - True agility needs cultural change & tech investment. Leaders in this transformation are essential. 5. Enhanced Data Analysis & Predictive Insights Candidate - Data analysis skills are in high demand, offering strategic roles & high salaries. - The field is technical & demands continuous learning. Stay ahead of emerging tools. Business - Advanced analytics drive better decisions & competitive advantage. - Investment in tech & skilled personnel is crucial. Keeping data quality & governance intact is also key. Facing these changes, how will you stay ahead? Candidates, these trends offer huge opportunities but demand constant learning & adaptation. Businesses, the benefits are substantial, but so are the investments in talent & technology. I feel confident that balancing these perspectives will create a thriving SAP ecosystem in 2024 & beyond. How are YOU adapting to these trends in your SAP journey?