SAP landscapes are facing fundamental changes. Traditional system support with a focus on server management and performance optimization will soon be a thing of the past.
Cloud is changing how companies manage their businesses. But what challenges and opportunities does the digital transformation bring for SAP Basis?
The SAP transition: Moving from on-premise to the cloud
Switching from in-house data centers to the cloud is more than just a technical project. Companies face the challenge of rethinking their entire IT. Recent experience clearly shows that it is not the technical migration that is the biggest hurdle, but the necessary realignment of the IT organization.
What does this mean in practice? A look behind the scenes makes it clear: instead of months of hardware planning, cloud computing promises to adapt resources in a matter of seconds. But SAP systems in particular show that the promised flexibility of cloud environments often falls short of expectations. The costs are particularly sobering and many companies find that their cloud bill is significantly higher than planned. Effective cost management therefore becomes a mandatory task.
More and more companies are migrating their SAP systems to the cloud, be it to public clouds with hyperscalers such as AWS, Azure or Google Cloud, or private cloud. This change brings with it new challenges and opportunities for SAP Basis.
New architecture, new challenges
The integration of cloud services into existing SAP landscapes requires a new approach. The practical challenges become obvious when migrating complex productive environments to cloud platforms such as AWS or Azure: During migration, you realize that proven monitoring concepts need to be adapted to the cloud environment, while new aspects such as cloud-native services and hybrid connectivity scenarios are added at the same time.
RISE with SAP: More than just a buzzword
RISE with SAP is fundamentally changing the rules of the game. It is more of an evolution than a revolution. Projects show how RISE supports the transformation of medium-sized manufacturing companies. The key difference is that the focus is shifting from operational tasks to creating real added value for the business.
This means that the morning check of backup logs becomes a close collaboration with specialist departments in order to optimize new processes and make optimal use of cloud services. One example: the integration of IoT sensor data via the SAP Business Technology Platform enables a fundamentally new approach to production planning.
SAP BTP: New possibilities for SAP Basis
BTP enables SAP Basis to expand the functionality and value contribution of SAP systems.
The Business Technology Platform can be compared to a well-stocked toolbox – provided you know which tool is the right one for which task. Practice shows that customer-specific extensions that analyze supply chain data in real time can be implemented much faster with the BTP. What used to take months of development projects can now be implemented in just a few weeks.
Automation and AI
When it comes to automation, a differentiated approach is required in practice. Past experience shows that not everything that can be technically automated should be automated. AI and automation unfold their greatest benefits where they are used in a targeted manner – for example in the preventive detection of performance problems.
Conclusion: Evolution rather than revolution
With the right skills and qualifications, SAP Basis can become an enabler of digital transformation and make an important contribution to the company’s success.
The transformation of SAP Basis is a continuous process. In addition to traditional SAP expertise, knowledge of cloud technologies, DevOps practices and agile methods is required today. A step-by-step development of skills has proven to be a promising approach.
The future of SAP Basis does not lie in passively managing systems, but in actively shaping the digital transformation. Practical experience shows that a balanced approach between innovation and stability is required. The technical challenges usually prove to be solvable. The real art lies in involving people in this transformation process and translating technology into real added business value.
Director SAP Solutions