RISE with SAP: Your Blueprint for Business Resilience in Uncertain Times (Part 1)

This is the first in a two-part series on how RISE with SAP can help your business thrive in uncertain times. 

In today’s volatile business landscape, resilience is no longer optional—it is essential. Organizations must navigate supply chain disruptions, evolving customer expectations, and increasing cost pressures while simultaneously driving innovation and maintaining operational agility. To meet these challenges, enterprises require a technology-driven approach that not only streamlines operations but also enhances flexibility and future readiness. 

For companies that rely on SAP, RISE with SAP provides a comprehensive framework for digital transformation, offering cloud-based ERP solutions, AI-driven automation, and data-driven business insights. It is more than just a migration to SAP S/4HANA Cloud—it is a complete business transformation initiative. 

According to Srinivas Kode, Senior Vice President and Head of SAP Services at Techwave, digital transformation is now a priority across industries. “With everything we’ve seen post-COVID—the supply chain disruptions, geopolitical conflicts, and economic instability—every organization is looking for a unified system that can make them more competitive,” says Kode. “That’s where RISE with SAP comes in. It’s not just about moving to SAP S/4HANA; it’s about integrating AI, automation, and business intelligence to drive efficiency and growth.” 

Why RISE with SAP? A Strategic Imperative 

SAP has long served as the operational backbone for large and mid-sized enterprises. However, traditional on-premise ERP systems often become obstacles to agility and efficiency, making it difficult for businesses to respond to market shifts in real time. The transition to RISE with SAP allows organizations to modernize their IT landscapes, eliminate inefficiencies, and leverage AI-powered automation to streamline operations. 

Kode emphasizes that many decision-makers mistakenly equate RISE with SAP with just an ERP upgrade. “A lot of people think RISE with SAP is just SAP S/4HANA in the cloud. That’s not true,” he explains. “S/4HANA Cloud is just one component. The true value of RISE is in the Business Network, Business Technology Platform (BTP), and embedded AI capabilities that no other ERP solution offers at this scale.” 

Cost Optimization Through Cloud Efficiency 

One of the biggest priorities for IT leaders is cost optimization. Maintaining legacy on-premise IT infrastructure is expensive, requiring ongoing investments in hardware, software licenses, security, and IT personnel. 

“With an on-premise system, you’re dealing with multiple licensing models, separate maintenance agreements, and significant infrastructure costs,” Kode points out. “With RISE with SAP, you consolidate all of that under a single bundled package, where SAP handles much of the maintenance and security for you.” 

By shifting to SAP’s cloud ecosystem, organizations can significantly reduce their total cost of ownership while also reallocating resources toward business growth initiatives. “A lot of companies don’t realize how much money they waste on underutilized hardware, redundant applications, and inefficient cloud consumption,” says Kode. “RISE with SAP helps mitigate that by optimizing infrastructure usage.” 

Enhancing Agility and Innovation 

The ability to adapt quickly to market changes, regulatory shifts, and new customer demands is a key factor in maintaining a competitive edge. Legacy ERP systems often lack the flexibility to support rapid innovation, but RISE with SAP provides a scalable, cloud-based architecture that enables businesses to evolve at their own pace. 

Kode highlights the importance of agility: “The less customized your system is, the better you can leverage the latest innovations from SAP. Businesses that embrace standardization can evolve much faster because they don’t have to rebuild their ERP every time SAP releases new capabilities.” 

AI-driven automation is another key element of RISE with SAP. Unlike standalone AI solutions, SAP’s AI capabilities—such as SAP Joule, Copilot, and AI Studio—are deeply embedded into core business processes. “Other companies offer AI as a separate toolset, but SAP integrates AI into actual business workflows,” Kode explains. “That means companies can automate decision-making, improve predictive analytics, and optimize business operations without additional development work.” 

What this means for SAPinsiders 

Beyond an ERP upgrade—a holistic business transformation. RISE with SAP is not just a cloud-based ERP migration; it is a comprehensive digital transformation framework. It integrates AI, automation, and business intelligence, enabling enterprises to enhance operational efficiency, agility, and competitiveness in a rapidly changing market. 

Cost optimization through cloud efficiency. By shifting from legacy on-premise IT infrastructure to SAP’s cloud ecosystem, organizations can significantly reduce their total cost of ownership. The consolidated, subscription-based model eliminates redundant hardware and maintenance costs, allowing businesses to reallocate resources toward innovation and growth. 

Enhancing agility and innovation with embedded AI. RISE with SAP provides a scalable cloud-based architecture that supports rapid innovation and adaptability. With AI-driven automation embedded into core business processes, companies can streamline decision-making, improve predictive analytics, and future-proof their operations without costly custom development. 

Part 2 will be published on March 27, 2025.