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Dive into the most talked-about themes shaping the SAP ecosystem right now. From cross-industry innovations to region-spanning initiatives, explore curated collections that spotlight what’s trending and driving transformation across the SAP community.
Explore critical topics shaping today’s SAP landscape—from digital transformation and cloud migration to cybersecurity and business intelligence. Each topic is curated to provide in-depth insights, best practices, and the latest trends that help SAP professionals lead with confidence.
Discover how SAP strategies and implementations vary across global markets. Our regional content brings localized insights, regulations, and case studies to help you navigate the unique demands of your geography.
Get industry-specific insights into how SAP is transforming sectors like manufacturing, retail, energy, and healthcare. From supply chain optimization to real-time analytics, discover what’s working in your vertical.
Dive into the most talked-about themes shaping the SAP ecosystem right now. From cross-industry innovations to region-spanning initiatives, explore curated collections that spotlight what’s trending and driving transformation across the SAP community.
SAP licensing is evolving from a compliance-focused annual audit to continuous governance, impacting all SAP customers. This shift means businesses must actively manage their SAP usage, especially with new models like RISE with SAP and Digital Access.
The convergence of technology and licensing requires companies to understand not only their current SAP usage but also future needs in terms of APIs, user authorizations, and cloud subscriptions. This insight is crucial for making informed financial decisions and avoiding unexpected costs.
Effective SAP financial governance, or FinOps, is essential for keeping track of license consumption and contract changes. Companies must utilize both SAP’s tools and independent solutions like samQ FinOps to gain transparency and control over their SAP spending, ensuring they remain prepared for audits and contract negotiations.
SAP licensing governance in 2026 requires companies to move from annual audits to continuous oversight of their SAP usage, focusing on financial control and strategic alignment with evolving technologies and commercial models.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking at an ASUGMEX InfoDay in Mexico City, together with SAP, about a topic that is becoming increasingly important for SAP customers: how to govern SAP licensing in 2026.
For many years, SAP licensing was mainly treated as an audit topic. Once a year, companies prepared their system measurement, reviewed user classifications, checked their contracts, and hoped that no unpleasant surprises would appear in the audit results.
SAP licensing has changed. The commercial models have changed. The technology landscape has changed. And with RISE with SAP, S/4HANA, BTP, Digital Access, APIs, AI consumption, and cloud subscription models, licensing has become much more connected to business strategy, IT architecture, and financial planning.
That was the main message I wanted to bring to the ASUGMEX audience: SAP licensing is no longer just about compliance. It is about governance.
Seven topics SAP customers should have on their radar
In the session, we discussed seven licensing developments that SAP customers should pay close attention to in 2026:
Commit to Consume, the new API policy, Digital Access for retail companies, AI consumption, BTP, the movement from activity-based to authorization-based user licensing, and FUE sizing for RISE with SAP.
Each of these topics can have a direct financial impact. More importantly, they are connected. A decision about APIs may influence integration costs. A decision about authorizations may influence your future user license demand. A decision about RISE with SAP may influence infrastructure sizing and long-term subscription costs.
This is why I believe companies need to move away from isolated license reviews and toward continuous SAP license governance.
In practice, this means understanding what you own, what you use, what you consume, and what you are likely to need in the future. Without this transparency, you are negotiating in the dark.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking at an ASUGMEX InfoDay in Mexico City, together with SAP, about a topic that is becoming increasingly important for SAP customers: how to govern SAP licensing in 2026.
For many years, SAP licensing was mainly treated as an audit topic. Once a year, companies prepared their system measurement, reviewed user classifications, checked their contracts, and hoped that no unpleasant surprises would appear in the audit results.
But this is no longer enough.
SAP licensing has changed. The commercial models have changed. The technology landscape has changed. And with RISE with SAP, S/4HANA, BTP, Digital Access, APIs, AI consumption, and cloud subscription models, licensing has become much more connected to business strategy, IT architecture, and financial planning.
That was the main message I wanted to bring to the ASUGMEX audience: SAP licensing is no longer just about compliance. It is about governance.
Seven topics SAP customers should have on their radar
In the session, we discussed seven licensing developments that SAP customers should pay close attention to in 2026:
Commit to Consume, the new API policy, Digital Access for retail companies, AI consumption, BTP, the movement from activity-based to authorization-based user licensing, and FUE sizing for RISE with SAP.
Each of these topics can have a direct financial impact. More importantly, they are connected. A decision about APIs may influence integration costs. A decision about authorizations may influence your future user license demand. A decision about RISE with SAP may influence infrastructure sizing and long-term subscription costs.
This is why I believe companies need to move away from isolated license reviews and toward continuous SAP license governance.
In practice, this means understanding what you own, what you use, what you consume, and what you are likely to need in the future. Without this transparency, you are negotiating in the dark.
SAP FinOps: bringing financial control into SAP governance
Another important topic was SAP FinOps.
As SAP landscapes become more cloud-based and consumption-driven, companies need better financial control. The old model of checking licenses once a year is not enough when costs can change through cloud consumption, BTP usage, AI services, Digital Access documents, and subscription renewals.
SAP FinOps means bringing together technical usage, contract data, consumption data, and financial impact.
For me, this is one of the most important developments in SAP license management. The question is no longer only: “Are we compliant?” The question is also: “Are we in control of our SAP spend?”
In this context, we are thankful for SAP bringing out some useful consumption measurement tools like SAM4U, SAP for Me, BTP cockpit. These are helpful for customers to analyze single consumption areas – but don’t make wrong assumptions – if you want to gain control of your financial exposure, and financial risks, you will need additional independent FinOps tools such as samQ FinOps. They will also help you tracking changes over time, forecasting future costs, and preparing early for renewals or contract changes.
At VOQUZ Labs, this is exactly why we work with tools such as samQ FinOps. samQ license optimizer helps analyze SAP usage, user licenses, authorizations, S/4HANA and RISE scenarios, and Digital Access. samQ FinOps adds the financial governance layer by consolidating SAP contract, consumption, and cost data into a more complete view of the SAP cost position.
The objective is not only to prepare for audits. The objective is to give SAP customers the transparency they need to make better decisions.
My main takeaway from the ASUGMEX discussion
Image from the ASUGMEX InfoDay in Mexico City, June 2026
What I appreciated most about the event was its practical focus. The discussions were highly actionable, and the opportunity to exchange knowledge with SAP and its customers was both valuable and enriching.
SAP customers are not asking theoretical questions. They want to know what these changes mean for their contracts, their budgets, their audits, and their transformation projects.
And that is exactly the right approach.
SAP licensing in 2026 will reward companies that are prepared. Companies that understand their current usage, clean up their authorizations, validate Digital Access, build a realistic RISE business case, and monitor consumption continuously will be in a much stronger position.
Companies that wait until the next audit or the next contract renewal may find themselves reacting under pressure.
My advice is clear: treat SAP licensing as a governance topic, not as an annual administrative task.
Build transparency. Challenge assumptions. Understand your data. And make licensing part of your SAP strategy before you enter the next major negotiation.
Because in the new SAP world, cost control does not start with the contract. It starts with knowing exactly what you need.
