Key Lessons and Practical Steps from the SAP Connect 2024 Keynote

SAP Connect 2024, hosted by UKISUG in Birmingham, was a showcase of innovation and strategy, offering invaluable insights for IT and business leaders using SAP applications.

Leila Romane, Managing Director of SAP UK & Ireland, alongside Rob Geddes, Head of Customer Success Management & Engagement, delivered a keynote packed with actionable takeaways for organizations navigating transformation.

SAP’s Three Pillars of Success

Leila Romane emphasized SAP’s UK & Ireland strategy, structured around three pillars:

1. Building Resilient Businesses: Supporting clients to thrive in dynamic markets through robust solutions.
2. Creating Followership: Engaging customers as partners in a shared journey, acknowledging the long-term nature of transformation.
3. Fielding Great Teams: Enhancing internal skills and addressing talent gaps to meet evolving business needs.

These pillars align with SAP’s global vision: becoming the leading enterprise application and business AI company. “We are here to help, no matter the journey,” Romane affirmed.

Key Initiatives and Innovations

1. Strategic Partnerships

SAP’s commitment to customer success was highlighted by examples like Sainsbury’s and the UK government’s Unity cluster (HMRC, Ministry of Housing, and Department for Transport), showcasing the transformative power of SAP’s cloud solutions. As Romane stated, “We’re changing how 100,000 civil servants work every day.”

2. AI Integration

Romane proudly announced SAP surpassed its 2024 goal of 100 AI use cases, reaching 130. “Globally, we have about 30,000 clients on the AI journey,” she noted, emphasizing the potential for AI to deliver cost savings, efficiency, and innovation.

3. Customer-Centric Tools

Rob Geddes introduced the Customer Value Journey, a framework supporting organizations through discovery, selection, adoption, and extension of SAP solutions. Tools like the Partner Finder and dashboards for error logs and training opportunities were highlighted as underutilized resources.

Geddes also emphasized the power of SAP’s Preferred Success program, which improves solution adoption and delivers measurable benefits like faster implementations (10%) and enhanced productivity (24%).

Lessons for IT and Business Leaders

1. Embrace Change Management: Transformation is as much about people as it is about technology. Geddes cited a customer case where low attrition created opportunities for upskilling but also posed challenges in altering ingrained processes. Tools like SAP’s user adoption game can help organizations tackle these issues.
2. Leverage Available Resources: Many support challenges can be solved through self-service. “Eighty percent of tickets could be addressed with a knowledge-based article,” Geddes highlighted, urging organizations to utilize free SAP training.
3. Focus on Long-Term Success: SAP’s emphasis on a “clean core” and structured innovations ensures businesses can scale their investments while remaining agile. Joint AI hackathons and the London Experience Center offer platforms for ideation and exploration.

Some Recommended Next Steps

• Engage with SAP’s Ecosystem: Work with SAP and partners to explore the “composable ERP” future, with a core framework and tailored solutions for your needs, built on SAP Business Technology Platform
• Adopt the Customer Value Journey Framework: Evaluate where your organization stands and identify clear steps forward.
• Capitalize on Training and Support: Leverage free tools, Preferred Success, and SAP’s support accreditation to enhance self-sufficiency and reduce costs.
• Plan for AI Integration: Leverage the resources available to prepare for your AI future.

SAP Connect 2024 was a reminder that success is a collective journey. As Romane concluded, “We all need to succeed together.”