Digital Transformation Strategies for Enterprises

If you’re an SAP consultant & you’re not sweating bullets after Sapphire 2024, you missed the memo. AI is coming for you. But Jonathan, you’re kidding, right? RIGHT? I wish I was: ‘Joule for Consultants’ will accelerate projects by +30% by automating many routine tasks. Whose routine tasks? Yours. Low-code/no-code development on BTP promises to make it easier for businesses to customize SAP themselves. Whose customization work? Yours. SAP’s “clean core” ERP strategy keeps S/4HANA free from excessive custom code, meaning fewer complex customizations. Whose complex customizations? Yours. But my friend, you are not going to freak out. You are going to pull yourself up by your bootstraps & prepare for the future. Here’s how you are going to turn these challenges into opportunities: 1. Embrace AI to Enhance Your Skills Joule is a game-changer, yes. But, instead of fearing it, leverage it. -Understand how Joule works & integrate it into your workflow to enhance productivity. -With Joule handling routine tasks, focus on higher-value activities like strategic planning.  -Take courses in AI & ML so you can stay ahead & offer new AI-driven services to your clients. 2. Master Low-Code/No-Code Platforms LCND development on BTP is revolutionizing customization. So you need to get ahead by mastering it. -Obtain certifications in SAP’s low-code/no-code platforms to help clients build & customize applications efficiently.  -Position yourself as an expert who can train client teams to use these platforms effectively.  -Create & market pre-built solutions that clients can easily customize, adding value to your consulting services. 3. Adapt to the Clean Core ERP Strategy With over 6k customers adopting RISE with SAP, the clean core ERP strategy is here to stay. Adapt & thrive. -Shift your focus from heavy customization to mastering configuration within the clean core framework.  -Advise clients on best practices for maintaining a clean core ERP system, ensuring they get the most out of their S/4HANA investment.  -Keep abreast of the latest updates & features in S/4HANA to provide the most current & relevant advice. 4. Evolve with the Industry The traditional SAP consulting model is evolving. So should you. -Commit to lifelong learning & stay updated with the latest SAP technologies & industry trends.  -Expand your expertise to include emerging technologies like blockchain, IoT, & advanced analytics. -Join SAP communities, attend conferences, & collaborate with other professionals to stay connected & informed. Sapphire 2024 was a wake-up call. The old way of doing SAP consulting is being profoundly reshaped. If you’re not adapting, you’re falling behind. The future is… LITERALLY  RIGHT  NOW It is time to pivot & find your new niche before it’s too late. If you don’t embrace these changes & you don’t take proactive steps, you may find yourself wishing that you had.

Most S/4HANA projects treat finance as a downstream activity. That's backwards. After 15 years in SAP Finance, I've seen what happens when finance isn't driving the transformation from day one. You get technical go-lives that work on paper but fail in practice. Excel workarounds multiply. Finance teams get blamed for design flaws they never controlled. Here's what actually works: **Establish Finance as Design Authority from Phase -1** Before blueprinting starts, map your finance capabilities and pain points. Your S/4HANA solution architecture should reflect finance strategy, not just replicate ECC processes. If finance isn't challenging the design, you're building the wrong system. **Embed Finance integration in every workstream** Procurement, logistics, sales every process generates financial data. If you design these without finance governance, you'll retrofit later at 3x the cost. Finance needs a seat in every design decision, not just FI/CO workshops. **Leverage Universal Journal as your transformation catalyst** Real-time consolidation, embedded analytics, automated reconciliation these aren't add-ons. They're core S/4HANA capabilities that change how finance operates. But only if you design for them in blueprint, not discover them post-go-live. **Lock in quick wins during hypercare** Accelerate month-end close by 30%. Automate intercompany matching. Retire legacy Excel reporting. These prove transformation ROI when the business is watching closest right after go-live. Finance can't be an afterthought in S/4HANA. If you're planning or in the middle of a finance transformation, what's your biggest challenge right now? #S4HANA #SAPFinance #Digitaltransformation

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘—𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗧’𝗦 𝗔𝗚𝗜𝗟𝗘! Finance isn’t just reacting to change anymore; it’s driving it. If you’re gearing up to transform your finance function, here’s the blueprint from Agile Finance Revealed that sets apart high-performing teams: 1. Operating Model: The Three Layers of Modern Finance • 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 – Tax, Treasury, FP&A, and external accounting provide strategic backbone. • 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗖𝗼𝗘𝘀) – Powerhouses for finance operations and analytics, leveraging automation and AI. • 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 – Trusted advisors guiding leaders with real-time insights. The secret? These layers don’t operate in silos. They thrive on seamless integration to create value together. 2. Processes: The Value Chain Mindset Finance can’t be a passive observer—it must be actively embedded in decision-making. That means: • CoEs don’t just serve other teams; they collaborate to elevate the entire function. • Finance priorities must be directly linked to business goals. • All finance activities must be seen as part of one continuous value chain. 3. Technology: From Automation to AI Finance leaders aren’t just adopting technology; they’re scaling it strategically: • Automate everything possible in finance operations.    • CoEs should deploy machine learning & AI for predictive and prescriptive analytics.    • Self-service reporting should be the norm—freeing up finance to focus on high-value tasks. 4. People: New Roles, New Skills Tomorrow’s finance function needs a talent evolution: • 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 – Unlocking AI-powered insights. • 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 – Monitoring finance robots. • 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 (𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿!) – Empowering leaders with the best decisions. The takeaway? Finance transformation is a skills transformation. Invest in upskilling or risk falling behind. 5. Mindset: From Cost Center to Profit Driver Finance must shift from being the back-office bookkeeper to a forward-thinking, profit-generating function. That requires: • Training – Equip teams with the right skills. • Role modeling – Leaders must embody the transformation. • Clear communication – The why and how must make sense to everyone. • Redesigning processes, structures, and technology to enable change. Agile finance leaders aren’t just keeping up but outpacing the competition. Check out AICPA and Oracle’s “Agile Finance Revealed” report for more inspiration. What’s your biggest challenge in transforming finance? ---------- 🧑💼 I'm a partner at Business Partnering Institute 📘 Order our new book now: https://bit.ly/4h2P9AA 📻 #FinanceMaster podcast: https://bit.ly/3NLSt73 📺 Follow us on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4bSBut6 📢 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3WWGOrc

I recently implemented SAP's Clean Core strategy for a major FMCG client. SAP Clean Core strategy includes a method to enhance SAP S/4HANA Cloud systems in a way that is safe to upgrade. The SAP Clean Core concept advocates for a strategy that maintains the core system as standard and uncluttered as possible. This approach prioritizes minimal customization to ensure the core remains streamlined and efficient. Here are some key takeaways from my assignment to achieve a Clean Core: 1.Identify custom developments (Z-objects, User Exits, BAdIs, Enhancements, etc.) -decommissioning unused custom objects. 2. Run SAP Readiness Check for SAP S/4HANA to analyze custom code impact -modernizing to ABAP cloud syntax. 3. Identify unused or obsolete customizations that can be retired. 4.Use SAP Standard Best Practices instead of custom transactions - moving to standard SAP delivered functionality. 5.Replace custom Z-tables with SAP CDS Views & Embedded Analytics. 6.In-App Extensibility (Embedded ABAP, Key User Tools) -migrating to key user extensions. 7.Build Custom Applications on SAP BTP instead of modifying SAP S/4HANA -SAP RAP /CAPM development. 8.Use API-first approach → Leverage SAP API Business Hub - maximizing use of released APIs and CDS views. 9.Replace SAP GUI-based transactions with SAP Fiori apps. 10.Use SAP Build Apps for business-user-driven custom UI development. 11.Implement Business Process Automation with SAP Workflow Management.  #Clean #Core #CloudPlatform #INDIA #TechnologySolutions #BTPInnovations #SAPLearning #ABAP #AI #Developers #SAPBTP #BusinessTechnologyPlatform #Innovation #RAP #CDS #SAPTechnology #SAPCloud #Innovation #EY #EYINDIA #SAP #SAPBuild #EYGCC #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseTechnology #RisewithSAP #Transformation #SAPGROW #SAPbusinessSuite  #SAPHANA #CloudPlatform #TechnologySolutions #BTPInnovations #SAPLearning #LinkedInTechPost #S4PublicCloud #S4PrivateCloud SAP Wouter van Heddeghem #SAPBTP #EYGCC #S4PublicCloud #S4PrivateCloud #RISE #GROW #Business #SAPCleancore #SAPCloud #SAPIntegration #DigitalTransformation #CloudComputing #EnterpriseTechnology #SAPHANA #SAPDevelopment

Get Smart – How AI is Driving Smart Auto Insurance Claims Management? AI is driving a major transformation in the auto insurance industry. With smart auto claims management, insurers and customers can now experience a fully automated, seamless workflow—from reporting an incident to final settlement. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲: • Faster claim processing • Improved operational efficiency • Greater transparency and customer engagement With the insurance industry undergoing a significant transformation driven by advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the concept of smart auto claims management – a fully digital and automated workflow process – is transformational. Smart auto claims management harnesses AI to automate and optimize end-to-end claims management, from the First Notice of Loss (FNOL) to damage assessment, repairs, communication, and final settlement. The primary goal? To provide faster, more accurate, and less labor-intensive claims handling, thereby reducing the time it takes for customers to receive payouts, and enabling insurers to reduce costs and enhance customer service. A Fully Automated Digital Workflow: Smart claims management works by enabling a logical, step-by-step process, utilizing a fully automate digital workflow. Examples of key steps include: First Notice of Loss(FNOL). In a smart claims process, customers can instantly report an incident using a smartphone app that guides them through the process. AI-Powered Damage Assessment. Using AI and computer vision technologies, this reduces the need for human intervention, and allows faster decision-making, leading to better outcomes. Automated Communication and Customer Interaction. Automated communication tools keep customers informed at every step. Through AI-powered virtual assistants and automated notifications, customers receive real-time updates on their claim status. Repair Management and Supply Chain Optimization. This bridges any gaps in the process through a connected ‘ecosystem’ that links all stakeholders in a single digital platform. Final Settlement and Payment. The automation of settlement not only speeds up payment, but also reduces administrative overheads for insurers, as fewer manual processes are involved. Key Benefits for Insurers and Customers :   For Insurers: Operational Efficiency Faster Processing Times Fraud Prevention   For Customers: Convenience and Speed Transparency and Communication Personalized Experience  

The “Before & After” Data Transformation Story In the lead-up to our SAP migration, we weren’t just preparing systems — we were unearthing years of neglected, inconsistent, and chaotic data. If we are honest, most of the time, it felt less like digital transformation and more like an archaeological excavation. We were buried in layers of spreadsheets, conflicting legacy reports, and systems that hadn’t seen a clean-up in over a decade. Each click revealed more clutter: customer names spelled five different ways, address fields mixing “St.” and “Street” like it was a coin toss, duplicate records stacked on top of each other, and critical fields left blank or filled with guesswork. It was more than just messy — it was risky - A complete nightmare! Data was being pulled from everywhere and nowhere. No single source of truth. No consistency. Just a patchwork of outdated inputs fuelling vital business operations. The worst part? We had to tackle it manually. A Time Sink: Highly skilled people stuck doing low-value, repetitive tasks. An Error Magnet: Fatigue set in. Errors crept through. Fix one issue, uncover two more. A Business Risk: Dirty data meant dirty output. Reports couldn’t be trusted. Customers were misbilled. Orders were sent to the wrong place. And confidence in the system? Gone. We knew we couldn’t carry that baggage into SAP. Something had to change. At this point, we built a purpose-specific solution which was created to automate and streamline data cleansing and validation, giving us the ability to: Proactively identify and rectify errors with precision. Ensure data consistency across all records. Validate information against business rules before migration. This impacts business by: 🔹Reducing Pre-Migration Data cleansing and validation Effort by Up to 75% Freeing up SMEs for strategic tasks, cutting contractor costs, and accelerating migration timelines. 🔹Delivering >99% Accuracy in Key Master Data Minimising migration errors, de-risks go-live, building trust in the new SAP system from day one. 🔹Reducing Migration Delays and Rework by 20–40% Fewer surprises in load cycles and UAT, protecting timelines, budgets, and overall project momentum. 🔹Achieving 100% Data Auditability and Compliance Ensuring full traceability, streamlining audits, and providing a defensible position on data quality from day one. 🔹Reducing Post-Go-Live Errors by 15–30% Fewer issues like misbilling and mis-shipments, leading to smoother operations, faster user adoption, and trusted SAP insights. If any of this sounds familiar, you're not alone. The good news is that we have built a solution which has already helped others through their migration journey, and we’d be happy to share it if it’s useful. Just drop us a message. Created in collaboration with Pawel Lipko ↗️

Is SAP still dominant after 50 years? SAP has managed to stay relevant for over half a century powering the core operations of more than 75,000 businesses in Germany. So, what’s kept them at the top for so long? 1. Industry Depth From automotive to pharmaceuticals, SAP built solutions that speak each industry’s language not just generic ERP templates. 2. Relentless Reinvention Mainframes to Client-server to Cloud to AI. Every tech wave was seen as a threat, yet SAP adapted sometimes slowly, but always strategically. 3. Ecosystem & Trust Partners, integrators, and consultants worldwide created an entire economy around SAP a network that fuels continuous innovation and stability. 4. Business, Not Just IT SAP never sold itself as software it sold transformation. That mindset made CFOs and CEOs its biggest allies, not just CIOs. From five ex-IBM engineers in 1972 to a global software powerhouse today, SAP’s story is one of endurance through evolution. What do you think keeps SAP ahead its technology? #SAP #SAPHANA #S4HANA #DigitalTransformation #ERP

The auto insurer of the future will apply extensively AI to a constant flow of #telematics data‼️ Do you agree with our assessment of the impact? 🔴 game changer 🟢 impacted 🔵 marginal impact 🔴Product management “The design and maintenance of a telematics product that provides more frequent interaction with policyholders is completely new compared to the traditional insurance model, which uses static rating features. The days of the “one-policy-fits-all” approach to auto insurance are over.” 🔴 Marketing “As these programs become more innovative, shifting how we market the value proposition to customers will be vital. Marketing activities need to focus on customer engagement through improved communication and transparency.” 🔴Policy acquisition and servicing “Telematics data is changing the entire customer journey from issuing a quote to the policy contract, how the policy is serviced, including billing, and finally, the impact on renewals.” 🔴 Underwriting and risk management “Risk analysis, inspection, monitoring and loss control—typically core and addressed at the policy level in middle and large commercial risks—can be performed at scale on the personal auto book, applying algorithms to the telematics data” 🔴 Sales and distribution “telematics offers new ways to acquire customers, such as using the driving score at point of sale.”“Pre-existing data allows companies to offer the most accurate rating/discount upfront, replacing the need to capture driving data during the introductory period. The insight collected about policyholders and their risks has the potential to unlock further opportunities for upselling and cross-selling.” 🔴 Claims management “Claims activity is ripe for a deep redesign fueled by using telematics-based insights to detect crashes and proactively reach out to policyholders, assessing the crash dynamic and the overall anti-fraud process.” 🔴 Support functions. “From an IT, organizational and data management perspective, the amount of data received with telematics is new for most insurance companies, and the skills required will be broader than the traditional insurance skillset. Investing in the right infrastructure, data foundation and people is vital because nothing happens in telematics without data. The better a carrier is at managing this dataset throughout the customer value chain, the greater their chances of success—as this fuels the pricing models that determine if a discount is warranted, powers the customer experiences, impacts future strategies and innovations, and ultimately unlocks the larger benefits.” #iotinsobs #insurtech

CEO running a multi-year, multi-million SAP S/4HANA program? Zimmer Biomet vs Deloitte is your prelude. A $172M lawsuit autopsy. This isn’t gossip. It’s governance. What happened (public record) - Zimmer Biomet sued its SI for $172M (Sept 2025). - After years of assessments, blueprints, and promises, the SAP S/4HANA program went live in July 2024 and collapsed within months. - Outcome: supply chain chaos, finance disruption, -1% revenue, $2B market cap hit. Old leadership out. New CEO and CIO brought in to clean the mess and to bring the lawsuit. The real lessons (systemic, not personal) 1. Phase 0 ≠ Preparation Most SIs run Phase 0 as a sales stage - glossy ROI slides, toolkits, “accelerators.” REAL READINESS is Phase -3 to -1: entitlements, IAM, 5Rs, governance DNA. Skip that, and you’re not building transformation, you’re staging rollout theater. 2. Checklist ≠ Orchestration A “2-day task” becomes 2 months when entitlements, budgets, and IAM aren’t aligned pre-contract. That’s why “minimal customization” always mutates into dozens of change orders. 3. Trust ≠ Governance 25 years of vendor history feels safe. Until it isn’t. Trust without competitive tension is lock-in by another name. That's outsourcing accountability with blind trust. That’s how “strategic partnerships” turn into ransom. In this case, invoices were paid under protest just to prevent AMS and cloud support from being cut off. 4. Clean Core ≠ Clean Architecture Following textbook “stick to standard” misses critical processes in EA design. or worse, shoves them into the wrong platforms (like BTP) just to tick the clean-core box. Without Phase -3 to -1 sequencing or a 5Rs review, you don’t modernize debt, you repackage it. 5. Escalation Always Has Two Decks When a program slips, the SI always brings two decks: one to “recover the project,” one to protect themselves legally. That’s not cynicism. That’s survival mode. The CEO commandments 1. Phase -3 to -1 first. Governance, entitlements, architecture, culture, before signing an SI contract. 2. Clean architecture > clean core. Sequence the fix or you’re redecorating liabilities. 3. KPI-tether every build. If it doesn’t tie to EBIT or risk reduction, don’t build it. This isn’t about one lawsuit. It’s about a system that sets even experienced boards up to fail - selling theater and calling it transformation. ==>> If your program hasn’t seen Phase -3 to -1, it’s not too late, but it’s already behind. #SAP #S4HANA #CEO #CFO #ProgramRescue #EnterpriseArchitecture #Governance #PhaseMinus3 #5Rs

𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗦𝗔𝗣'𝘀 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁: 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 SAP has recently released the new version of the STAR Service Ruleset (V1.69). For the first time, SAP has upgraded the license classification for several authorizations, leading to higher licensing costs for customers who aligned their authorizations based on the previous STAR Ruleset. 🔍 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱?  Several authorizations are now considered "Advanced Use" instead of "Core Use" in the Private Cloud (or "Professional Use" instead of "Functional Use" for On-Premise). This means that many customers are now facing increased costs, especially if they have already remodeled their authorization landscape to align with SAP's STAR Service, as recommended. 💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿: 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘴𝘵s: Customers who followed the STAR Ruleset may now face higher costs due to the upgraded classifications. 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: What does this mean for the principle of the STAR Ruleset being a guide to good and compliant licensing? 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴: It's crucial for SAP professionals to review the updated Ruleset and assess the impact on their organization's licensing strategy. The only way to avoid this pitfall is to include the current definition of the STAR Service in your contract whenever you sign a contract that relies on the STAR Ruleset (e.g., a "normal" SAP Cloud ERP Private contract). This way, you will not have to deal with such surprises for the duration of your contract. You will find the link to the updated STAR Note in the comments section. Let's discuss how these changes affect your SAP environment and what steps you can take to mitigate the impact. Share your thoughts and experiences below! 👇