Meeting the Demands of SAP Customers

With new software comes change: Business processes are reinvented, industries merge, and customer service takes the forefront in the customization culture of business today. This transition to new software and digital experiences will inevitably be challenging for SAP customers. Transformation must go beyond business processes and address areas such as overall market trends and customer preferences. To succeed, businesses must provide digital services that are intuitive to the user and that can dynamically change as needed. This is why DSAG believes that SAP and its partners must work together to support customers throughout their business transformations.

Keeping IT Simple

One of the greatest challenges businesses face is learning how to satisfy increasingly complex customer demands while still maintaining lean and efficient business processes in the back end. SAP must provide guidance on how to build the ideal IT landscape that maximizes the benefits of digitization for its customers. For every business challenge a company faces, there should be an SAP solution that addresses its needs and complements its strategy. SAP has made strides in supporting its cus-tomers throughout the digital transformation with the introduction of its reimagined business suite SAP S/4HANA as well as with new products, such as SAP HANA Cloud Platform, that take advantage of a digital and networked economy.

Leveraging these new solutions and integrating them with existing investments will help companies achieve optimal performance. It is important that SAP continues to support customers who still use existing systems, such as SAP Business Suite, in which they have made significant capital investments. These systems must be able to meet the current demands of customers; support for SAP ERP and SAP Business Suite needs to be secured for the future.

The Evolving Role of IT

As the cloud business progresses, DSAG believes that traditional IT operations will change. With applications hosted in the cloud or in a hybrid environment, less of IT’s time will be spent on maintenance and instead will focus on innovation. IT will need to design and create architecture that is specific to the needs of the business that both supports speed and reduces complexity. Flexible licensing is key for companies to achieve ultimate agility. Many DSAG members would like to see a single license for on-premise, cloud, and hybrid models in addition to pay-per-use options.

Diversity in DSAG

As a group comprised of many diverse businesses spanning multiple markets, DSAG is in a prime position to gain insight into the needs and wants of SAP customers. And DSAG is finding that businesses need support as they adopt new software, rethink business processes, and digitally transform every aspect of their company. They also want to be able to continue using the systems in which they have invested significant resources without limitations on functionality. By working together to deliver on these needs and wants, SAP and its partners can help customers achieve smooth and successful digital transformations while opening up a range of potential business opportunities.