Apr 30, 2024
•1 minute read
SAPinsider Research
Access the definitive State of the Market guides, with your steps to success from benchmarking the performance of SAP professionals worldwide. See which strategies are yielding the best results, what sets Leaders apart from their peers. Discover actionable, data-driven insights to ensure the success of your initiatives.
Deployment Approaches to SAP S/4HANA 2024Apr 30, 2024 — In this report:
SAP S/4HANA adoption continues to steadily increase as organizations move away from SAP Business Suite and SAP ECC. While that growth has not accelerated, the proportion of respondent organizations that have no plans for SAP S/4HANA is going down. This year, just 11% of respondents reported having no plans, the smallest number since SAPinsider started tracking this information in 2020. What is notable is that, while the move to SAP S/4HANA is still more likely than not to be part of a broader transformation, more respondents are focusing on completing their deployment as quickly as possible.
Click here to download the Benchmark Report
Click here to download the Detailed Findings
The survey asked the respondents to about their SAP S/4HANA deployment plans, the type of deployment they planned on doing, their cloud strategy, the timeline to switching to SAP S/4HANA, the length of their deployment, and factors impacting that deployment timeline, and the challenges that they faced in deploying SAP S/4HANA. As has been the case in the last four years, a system conversion is the most likely deployment model, and the most likely type of deployment is a standalone deployment. While using cloud-based infrastructure continues to be a focus for most respondents, this year saw respondents looking to simplify their landscapes with fewer planning on leveraging hybrid landscapes.
Download the benchmark report to read the full data analysis from 150 members of the SAPinsider community and receive recommendations for your own plans.
Understand the the deployment models that organizations are planning on using.
Explore the deployment timeline and the factors impacting that timeline.
Learn about what factors present the biggest challenges when performing a SAP S/4HANA deployment.
See the staffing approach to deployment projects and how organizations plan on using system integrators.
The CIO’s 2024 Agenda for SAP, SAP S/4HANA, the Cloud and BeyondApr 30, 2024 — Business leaders, particularly Chief Information Officers (CIOs), are tasked with the vital job of ensuring that their organization’s data and IT structure delivers agility, visibility, and efficiency to all parts of their enterprise. With a constantly-shifting business landscape, decision-makers are always searching for solutions and strategies that bolster the capabilities that their IT architecture can deliver.
This executive benchmark study explores the top priorities that tech executives and their organizations have for 2024. See how much progress they have made in their SAP S/4HANA and cloud journeys. We will compare this year's results to previous ones to paint a full picture of the trends among SAP organizations.
Apr 30, 2024
•1 minute read
AI & Automation in FinanceApr 8, 2024 — In this report:
In 2024, finance leaders at SAP customers must make difficult decisions to help their businesses navigate a constantly-shifting economic landscape. To help facilitate these decisions, advanced tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation are reshaping the conversation around how organizations are able to accomplish essential tasks efficiently and accurately. This research explores the increasing demand for AI and automation capabilities and how finance professionals are employing them.
The survey asked the respondents about their SAP landscapes, the financial workflows that pose the most issues, plans to deploy AI and automation solutions throughout the finance and accounting teams, expected benefits of deploying AI and automation, and how they expect to achieve those benefits. Organizations showed keen interest in automating manual and repetitive processes like payment processing and the financial close and infusing AI into advanced planning capabilities like financial reporting and analytics and financial planning and analysis (FP&A).
Download the benchmark report to read the full data analysis from 159 members of the SAPinsider community and receive recommendations for your own plans.
Explore the AI and automation solutions that organizations are planning to use for their SAP landscapes.
Understand the emerging solutions becoming available in the field.
Learn about how respondents are planning to succeed in their AI and automation ambitions.
See the actions they are taking to leverage AI and automation to the fullest extent.
Apr 8, 2024
•1 minute read
SAP Infrastructure and Landscape Trends 2024Feb 29, 2024 — Infrastructure is the foundation of any SAP landscape. Although SAP has a goal of becoming a cloud company, many organizations have yet to make the move to cloud-based infrastructure. This is because a significant number of existing systems reside on legacy infrastructure. However, this infrastructure is changing. When SAPinsider first researched infrastructure and landscape trends in 2022, the top two infrastructure choices were a private-cloud environment and multi-tenant hyperscaler or public cloud. The third most likely infrastructure choice was new on-premise infrastructure, selected by more than a quarter of survey respondents. Now, many respondents are considering infrastructure from RISE with SAP as one of the more likely infrastructure choices after private-cloud or hosted environments.
The survey asked the respondents to about their SAP workloads, the infrastructure on which those workloads are running, plans for future infrastructure, the importance of sustainability goals in infrastructure planning, and how the organization was planning on achieving those infrastructure goals. Sustainability has become more important to organizations over the last two years, and there continues to be more focus on cloud-based infrastructure for the future. The most important goals of infrastructure change continue to related to minimizing operational inefficiencies and reducing costs while at the same time increasing flexibility and improving resilience.
Download the benchmark report to read the full data analysis from 176 members of the SAPinsider community and receive recommendations for your own plans.
- Explore the infrastructure that organizations are planning to use for their SAP workloads.
- Understand the timeline for updating that infrastructure.
- Learn about how respondents are planning to measure the success of infrastructure initiatives.
- See the actions they are taking to support more sustainable infrastructure.
Feb 29, 2024
•1 minute read
Tax Technology Innovation and Automation – Benchmark ReportDec 29, 2023 — In the dynamic tax compliance landscape, finance and tax leaders face challenges in adopting new technologies, as outlined in SAPinsider’s Tax Technology Innovation and Automation benchmark report. Notable challenges include budget constraints, integration issues, and a lack of technical expertise. Addressing these, many are turning to solutions like SAP S/4HANA Cloud for its real-time analytics and flexibility. This shift is vital for integrating tax strategy into business transformations, thus enhancing compliance and tax planning. The survey underscores a trend towards embracing technologies like AI and automation to streamline tax processes, including the implementation of sales and use tax solutions and global tax engines.
Dec 29, 2023
•2 minute read
RISE with SAP 2023Nov 30, 2023 — Over the last two years, RISE with SAP went from being a somewhat confusing business-transformation-as-a-service offering to the core of SAP’s cloud ERP strategy. To further demonstrate the value of the offering, SAP recently announced RISE with SAP Premium Plus. It provides access to a new embedded generative AI assistant called Joule, new sustainability features, and advanced finance and cash flow capabilities. SAP also revealed that there are now more than 4,300 RISE with SAP customers. But does RISE with SAP resonate in the broader SAP community? This report will focus on what organizations currently understand about RISE with SAP, the concerns they have, and the offering fits into their needs for ERP and innovation.
The survey asked the respondents to about their familiarity with RISE with SAP, how much they know about the components of RISE with SAP, what about RISE with SAP provides the most benefit, how they plan on selecting a cloud service provider for RISE with SAP, and what the biggest factors are impacting their plans for ERP and innovation. When SAPinsider first started researching RISE with SAP there was limited knowledge about the offering, and a significant proportion of respondents claimed to know little about it. That changed over the last two years, and this year only 7% of respondents reported that they were not at all familiar with RISE with SAP.
Download the benchmark report to read the full data analysis from 229 members of the SAPinsider community and receive recommendations for your own plans.
- Explore how much organizations currently know about RISE with SAP
- Learn what they see as offering the most benefit from the offering
- Understand whether there is concern about moving to RISE with SAP
- See what the drivers, actions, and requirements are for ERP and innovation
Nov 30, 2023
•1 minute read
Cash Management and Visibility – Benchmark Research ReportNov 30, 2023 — In 2023, finance leaders in SAP customer organizations are prioritizing accurate cash flow forecasting amidst an evolving economic landscape. SAPinsider’s research indicates a significant challenge: only 5% of these organizations have a comprehensive view of cash and liquidity. The survey, involving 128 finance community members, highlights an increased focus on agile decision-making to counter economic uncertainties and enhance profitability. The demand for precise cash flow forecasting has grown, with 31% of respondents citing it as a primary concern, marking a 6% increase from 2022. This trend underscores the importance of effective cash management strategies in today’s dynamic financial environment.
The SAPinsider research conducted in 2023 has unveiled some critical insights into the strategic priorities of finance leaders at SAP customer organizations. The study highlights a growing focus on accurate cash flow forecasting, with 31% of respondents emphasizing this in 2023, a rise from the previous year.
The increasing complexities of the economic landscape have led to a renewed emphasis on cash as a crucial asset. As a result, businesses are reevaluating their strategies to make informed financial decisions in light of rising borrowing costs, inflationary pressures, and foreign currency volatility.
The research also reveals a shift towards technology-driven solutions to address challenges in cash management processes. Organizations are leaning more towards third-party cloud solutions, AI-based tools, enhanced reporting tools, and closer collaborations with vendor partners to streamline operations and enhance decision-making capabilities.
From a broader perspective, the most challenging cash management processes identified by the respondents were cash forecasting, working capital, and credit management. This shows a growing emphasis on streamlining cash flow predictions, improving financial efficiency, and managing credit risk effectively.
For SAP customer organizations, the critical goals for 2023 include efficient end-to-end processes, transparency, and real-time information. These objectives underscore the importance of optimizing operational performance, enhancing visibility, and leveraging digitized data and processes for real-time insights and analytics.
Finally, the research reveals that several organizations are considering implementing new or updated SAP technologies, solutions, or services to enhance their cash management and treasury functions. Among these, SAP S/4HANA appears to be the most popular choice, with almost half of the respondents planning to adopt it. Other options like GROW with SAP, RISE with SAP, SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud, SAP BTP, and SAP Signavio also garnered attention as potential solutions to improve cash management and treasury operations.
In conclusion, the SAPinsider research provides valuable insights into how SAP customer organizations are reshaping their strategies to navigate the ever-changing economic landscape effectively. The emphasis on accurate cash flow forecasting, efficient processes, transparency, real-time information, and the adoption of modern technologies highlights the evolving priorities of finance leaders in these challenging times.
Nov 30, 2023
•2 minute read
Financial Close Transformation 2023 – Benchmark ReportNov 30, 2023 — Financial close processes are undergoing significant transformation, driven by the need for efficiency and accuracy in today’s dynamic business environment. The report reveals a trend towards automation and digitalization, with a focus on overcoming challenges posed by manual methods. Intercompany accounting emerges as a key concern, exacerbated by complexities in global business structures. SAP S/4HANA coupled with modern financial close management solutions are identified as a critical strategy in addressing these challenges, enabling faster, more reliable closes. The findings highlight the importance of integrating advanced technologies in financial systems to streamline processes, enhance data integrity, and support strategic decision-making from finance teams at SAP organizations.
Nov 30, 2023
•2 minute read
Executive Thinking on RISE with SAPNov 30, 2023 — Over the past year, SAP has significantly shifted its strategy for RISE with SAP. However, while RISE with SAP has been the focus of cloud ERP strategy since its release in 2021, SAP has made the transition to SAP S/4HANA more difficult for organizations opting not to use the RISE with SAP framework. The recent announcements stating that some innovations will be exclusive to customers with RISE with SAP contracts, followed by the statement that only RISE with SAP Premium Plus will incorporate new sustainability and generative AI features, has led to confusion among the SAP customer base. This report will focus on what executives are thinking about RISE with SAP and the impact that SAP's most recent statements are having on that thinking.
The survey asked the respondents to about the role of RISE with SAP in plans for ERP modernization and transformation, whether SAP's most recent statements around generative AI capabilities only being available to RISE with SAP customers are having an impact, and where concerns still exist about RISE with SAP. Although responses indicate that while a plurality of respondents (29%) reported planning on evaluating RISE with SAP, it was only slightly more than those who had no plans to evaluate RISE with SAP (25%).
Download the benchmark report to read the full data analysis from 229 members of the SAPinsider community and receive recommendations for your own plans.
- Explore the impact that SAP's most recent statements are having on thinking about RISE with SAP
- Learn about the role that RISE with SAP is playing in plans for ERP modernization and transformation
- Understand whether organizations have concerns about moving to RISE with SAP
- See how organization size has an impact on the approach to RISE with SAP
Nov 30, 2023
•1 minute read
SAP Cybersecurity PrioritiesOct 31, 2023 — Cyberattacks and cyber crime continue to grow across the globe. The latest statistics show growth in both the frequency and cost of attacks, and as many as two thirds of organizations may have experienced a cyberattack during the past year. With cybersecurity on the minds of many businesses, it is important to examine what organizations are prioritizing when it comes to their SAP systems. Earlier this year, SAPinsider research revealed that ransomware attacks, unpatched systems, and compromised credentials were the top three cybersecurity threats to SAP systems. This report will focus on what organizations are prioritizing to secure their SAP systems and how they are ensuring their teams are ready to meet these threats.
The survey asked the respondents to about their cybersecurity priorities, the teams involved in setting those priorities, how they are protecting their SAP systems, in which areas they are prioritizing cybersecurity investment, and the impact of the current economic climate on their cybersecurity priorities. Protecting the data in SAP systems remains the top priority for respondents (57%), with risk assessment and management (33%) and identify and access management (30%) much less important. This aligns with the fact that 53% of respondents reported that the biggest factor impacting their cybersecurity priorities is the need to keep sensitive and confidential data in SAP systems protected from potential threats.
Download the benchmark report to read the full data analysis from 144 members of the SAPinsider community and receive recommendations for your own plans.
- Explore the factors that are most impacting cybersecurity priorities for SAP systems
- Learn about the actions being taken to support cybersecurity priorities
- Understand the types of security education and training being prioritized
- See the list of cybersecurity priorities and cybersecurity threats to SAP systems
Oct 31, 2023
•1 minute read
Events
SAPinsider Summit New Orleans 2026New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
SAPinsider Summit Chicago 2026Chicago, IL
SAPinsider Copenhagen 2026Copenhagen, Denmark
Mastering SAP Collaborate, an SAP TechEd on Tour eventSydney, New South Wales, Australia
