Staying Ahead of Accelerating Innovation Trends

Few organizations feel as though they are able to keep up with the increasing rate of innovation within the SAP ecosystem. SAPinsider’s recent Automating the Record to Report and Financial Close benchmark research report found that just 15% of SAPinsiders feel that they are ahead of their competition in terms of leveraging AI and automation, and other advanced capabilities may feel equally far away.

To help organizations keeps pace with the rate of innovation as it expands, Bramasol CEO David Fellers highlighted several trends that companies should be aware of as they seek to keep pace.

“As we move into 2025, the overarching theme across these four important trends is a sense of action and acceleration. In each area, years of planning, innovating and foundational investment is now shifting toward tangible implementation projects that are bearing fruit in terms of productivity, scalability, and bottom-line business results,” said Fellers.

Agentic AI Improves Innovation

Over 2024, companies grew more comfortable with utilizing AI to accomplish manual and repetitive tasks, as well as deploying AI agents as chatbots to help with customer service. Fellers predicts that companies will begin to leverage another, more advanced form – Agentic AI.

The key difference of Agentic AI is that it is more autonomous and proactive than other types of AI. It can perform tasks independently without constant human oversight or without having to wait for specific commands. It is also more adaptable and operates with predefined objectives, making it more goal oriented. Agentic AI is designed for adapting to changes, making intelligent decisions, and handling complex and dynamic processes.

SAP S/4HANA Migrations Reach a Tipping Point

With the SAP ECC end of maintenance deadline looming, a larger share of organizations are likely to begin taking the move to SAP S/4HANA more seriously. This represents a “carrot and stick” approach from SAP, as the increased costs of maintaining SAP ECC may push companies to make the move, while the innovations that are coming exclusively through the cloud may entice others to finally make the leap.

Both GROW with SAP and RISE with SAP are likely to get new looks from companies now deciding to make the move. These solutions are designed to facilitate a smoother transition.

Integrated Compliance and Reporting

With the move to SAP S/4HANA comes an inevitable reevaluation of which services and subscriptions should make the move as well. Companies will need to find solutions that can quickly and effectively evaluate their current suite of capabilities to continue prioritizing innovation in a new environment.

Many organizations are likely to turn to experienced BRIM partners like Bramasol, as they are experienced with SAP migrations. Working within a proven framework can help ensure that companies are able to implement subscriptions while maintaining revenue compliance in the new environment.

Sustainability Accounting Offers an Advantage

Over the years, regulations have been the primary catalyst for organizations taking on ESG initiatives. Yet now companies are beginning to realize that environmental responsibility can enhance their reputations, reduce costs, and bolster employee commitment and productivity.

SAP users hoping to undertake new ESG initiatives will likely turn to the innovative green ledger initiative to ensure corporate climate accountability. This program modifies workflows and disciplines to account for emissions the same way a company would track their finances.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

Find solutions for today and tomorrow. Modern organizations should not be satisfied with the status quo. There is an ever-growing list of future-ready solutions that companies can take advantage of. AI, automation, and other advanced capabilities are here and ready to redefine how companies work.

Work with partners prepared for the future. Companies can get stuck in their ways by relying on third-party solutions that have not shown the ability to scale and grow. Many SAP organizations are prioritizing scalability and forward-thinking partners to push their business forward.

Don’t forget the details. As organizations move to the cloud, it is easy to get lost in the big picture vision of innovation and lose track of the details. Moving to SAP S/4HANA provides significant new opportunities, but organizations should ensure that they are still taking care of their subscriptions amid the move.