A Trusted Path to Large-Scale Cloud Transformations

The path to the large cloud transformations begins with two essential questions: “How do we get there?” and, more importantly, “With whom?” However, in a rapidly evolving services landscape, the sheer volume of choices to answer these questions can be overwhelming.

Over the past few years, customers have become more aware of the importance of managing migration risks, timelines, and delivery quality to ensure successful transformation outcomes. With the announcement of the RISE with SAP Methodology, SAP has made significant progress in helping customers mitigate such challenges, giving leaders confidence to migrate even the most complex ERP systems to the cloud while eliminating custom code, data silos, and process complexity. A key pillar of the RISE with SAP Methodology is expert guidance from SAP and its Partners.

SAP boasts an extensive partner ecosystem that handles the vast majority of all SAP Cloud ERP deployments. Nonetheless, while having numerous options is beneficial, customers continue to seek better ways to cut through the noise when selecting a System Integrator for their implementation project. The Competency Framework allows customers to find the expertise they need – no matter
their business challenges, company size, or location. Customers can find the qualified partners through SAP Partner Finder.

“Through the RISE with SAP Validated initiative, we combine partners’ and SAP’s best practices and tools.”
– Hans Uebe, Global Head of Partner Business Growth at SAP

In addition, for those customers embarking on multi-country or complex business transformations with SAP Cloud ERP Private, SAP introduced the new partner designation, RISE with SAP Validated Partner Program. Designed as a global recognition framework, this initiative confirms that the respective partners have undergone a validation process for their global methods, ensuring adherence to the RISE with SAP Methodology, giving customers confidence to choose a partner with the skills and experience needed for their unique project requirements.

By establishing this partner designation, SAP is providing large enterprises a trusted mechanism to identify partners who have shown commitment and possess the ambition and proven expertise to execute large-scale, clean-core transformations.

As Hans Uebe, Global Head of Partner Business Growth at SAP, explains: “Our global partners have heavily invested over the years in their own implementation methodologies, tools, and industry expertise. Through the RISE with SAP Validated initiative, we combine partners’ and SAP’s best practices and tools, fostering closer collaboration between partners’ project teams and SAP Enterprise Architects to maximize value for our shared customers.”

Figure 1: Validation Process for SAP Partners

A Framework for Quality and Speed

The RISE with SAP Validated Partner Program distinguishes itself through its operational intensity. As the name suggests, the program validates a partner’s ability to execute against the RISE with SAP Methodology. The validation process is structured as a comprehensive assessment of the partner’s delivery capabilities and adherence to quality standards. On average, this end-to-end validation takes partners 3–6 months to complete.

The process follows a stringent five-step lifecycle to ensure compliance (Figure 1):

1. Kick-Off: To validate the end-to-end validation process and align on scope, criteria, expectations during and after validation, and timeline.
2. Preparation: Partners establish a core team of experts and provide SAP with a clear overview of how their methods ensure adherence to the required clean core principles.
3. Workshop: An on-site, full-day deep dive session where SAP experts review partners’ answers and validate proof points. Partners must provide evidence demonstrating their experience with the respective topics. The workshop covers the five clean core principles (Business Processes, Extensibility, Data, Integration, and Operations), as well as integrated toolchain and AI.
4. Follow-ups: Continuous process where SAP and Partners work together on all the open items identified during the onsite workshop, until all are completed.
5. Confirmation: After all gaps are closed and partners meet all requirements, SAP will grant the RISE with SAP Validated Partner recognition, which remains valid for a period of 24 months, with eligibility checks every six months.

“This close alignment between qualified partners and SAP ensures our joint customers realize maximum value from their investments with SAP.”
– Luca Granzotto, Global Head of Partner Delivery Innovation at SAP

A High Bar for Participation

To achieve this status, partners must hold expert-level competency designations in three critical areas: SAP Cloud ERP Private, SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), and SAP Business Transformation Management (BTM). Beyond the organizational level, partners must also ensure that all consultants working in implementation projects – including developers, project managers, enterprise architects, and process consultants – are certified.

In addition, they must also demonstrate a tangible track record in successful large-scale SAP Cloud ERP Private project go-lives, and commitment to SAP’s Clean Core guidelines, which are monitored via project Quality Gates.

But the high bar does not end at validation. To maintain this recognition, partners are subject to formal program checks every six months, ensuring continued compliance with competencies, certifications, delivery quality, and clean core standards. Partners that fall short are given a defined remediation window – and failure to close gaps can result in the loss of the RISE with SAP Validated status.

A Model of Shared Governance

The RISE with SAP Validated Partner program also introduces a more integrated collaboration model between SAP and Partners in the post-sales period.

Partners collaborate closely with SAP’s Onboarding Advisors, Transformation Preparation Services Experts, and Enterprise Architects-RISE to ensure customers experience a seamless journey throughout the engagement lifecycle.

SAP safeguards these Partner-delivered Cloud transformations through early alignment and continued collaboration with RISE with SAP Validated Partners. Each partner is assigned a dedicated global partner manager who monitors program KPIs, support deep dives into selected accounts, connects project resources and assets, driving the expected close collaboration between SAP and Partners, and mitigating risks.

As Luca Granzotto, Global Head of Partner Delivery Innovation at SAP, explains: “Through the RISE with SAP Validated Partner recognition, we ensure that partners’ methods and tools are aligned with SAP’s latest best practices, while deepening collaboration across our post-sales and delivery teams. This close alignment between qualified partners and SAP – across every engagement, from sales through delivery – enables early identification of potential barriers and ensures our joint customers realize maximum value from their investments with SAP.”

What Does It Mean For Customers?

The SAP RISE Validated Partner designation signals that a partner is part of a strategic cohort with elevated capabilities and experience in large-scale transformations. By selecting a partner from this group, organizations benefit from:

• Time to value: Minimizing costly customizations and shortening build and design cycles by following clean core principles, using accelerators, and industry templates. Alignment with the SAP teams that are supporting RISE with SAP transformation and deployment.
• Predictability and agility: streamlined implementations through a standardized implementation framework that includes greater transparency and control over project milestones and KPIs. Streamline collaboration to drive efficient, holistic project execution.
• Business transformation: acceleration in continuous innovation cycles. Cloud-compliant architectures that are ready to adopt Business AI and new innovations without the burden of heavy customization, but still solutions that are flexible and scalable.

“By working with RISE with SAP Validated partners, we can build a foundation that’s resilient, scalable, and ready for continuous innovation.”
– Ayrton Batista, Global Director Cloud ERP Private, Partner Delivery Innovation at SAP

Customers can identify these partners using the SAP Partner Finder, filtering specifically for the RISE with SAP Validated Partner designation. The current list of validated partners includes:

• accenture
• All for One
• Capgemini
• Cognizant
• Deloitte
• Delaware
• DXC Technology
• EY
• HCLTech
• IBM
• Infosys Limited
• KPMG
• NTT Data
• PwC
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
• Wipro Limited

“Although many large enterprises consider a quick transition to the cloud via a ‘lift and shift’ approach, the most successful companies use that transition as a catalyst for true business transformation. By working with RISE with SAP Validated partners, we can build a foundation that’s resilient, scalable, and ready for continuous innovation,” says Ayrton Batista, Global Director Cloud ERP Private, Partner Delivery Innovation at SAP.

What The Future Holds

As the enterprise landscape shifts, the RISE with SAP Validated Partner Program will continue to evolve. Future iterations will focus on further alignment with the development of the RISE with SAP Methodology to support customers, transform their business, realize the full potential of SAP Business Suite and drive continuous innovation. Program terms and conditions are updated regularly to reflect the new innovations. By standardizing the approach to cloud transformation, SAP is moving the market toward a model where reliability and clean core integrity are the baseline, not the exception. Strong outcomes start with strong partners.

Learn more about each of the current RISE Validated Partners and identify the ideal match for your transformation through SAP Partner Finder at https://partnerfinder.sap.com.