Key SAP Announcements at Sapphire 2023

Orlando, Florida, SAP Sapphire 2023 (May 16–17, 2023)

SAP Sapphire 2023 took place across various locations including Orlando Florida, Barcelona and Sao Paolo. The event aims to provide opportunities to network and learn from SAP experts and peers, discuss changes in SAP technologies and to keep abreast of any expected announcements. The key theme focused on how to "future-proof your business” with keynote sessions and panel discussions from a number of speakers. The event was filled with announcements from SAP, which have the potential to impact businesses of varying sizes in ANZ. Here are some of the biggest.

Generative AI

Artificial intelligence has gained significant attention in various fields, sparking discussions about its potential impact. SAP announced it is actively aligning its AI initiatives to develop Generative AI capabilities into Enterprise Applications. Such applications could enable the use of AI to improve customer service, improving efficiency and reducing overall costs.

SAP Datasphere and Google Cloud

SAP and Google announced their partnership in open data and AI for enterprises. This announcement introduced an open data offering which aims to streamline data landscapes. By leveraging both the SAP Datasphere solution and Google's data cloud, customers will have the ability to create a comprehensive data cloud that seamlessly transports data across their enterprise landscape.

SAP Partnership with Microsoft

SAP also announced its partnership with Microsoft. At Sapphire the enterprises showcased how SAP SuccessFactors can work with Microsoft's 365 Copilot to enhance employee on-barding processes in Human Capital Management. This partnership will leverage Microsoft's 365 Copilot usage of ChatGPT generative AI and OpenAI API on Azure.

Sustainability

SAP announced the development of a new "Green Ledger" ledger-based accounting for carbon, which will integrate with cloud ERP systems. The announcement comes as stakeholders increasingly emphasise the importance of businesses taking measurable steps to track and mitigate their environmental impact. John Kerry, the US special presidential envoy for climate change, echoed this sentiment, stating that effective management requires accurate measurement. SAP's Green Ledger enables transactional carbon accounting allowing for more informed financial and environmental decision-making at different points across the business process. This will provide businesses with real-time visibility into their environmental impact. It is set to be released later this year as a feature of RISE w/SAP and GROW w/SAP, reflecting the company's commitment to continuous innovation in this field. SAP plans to make a substantial investment in research and development to further enhance the Green Ledger's capabilities.

GROW w/SAP Now Fully Operational

Following the accomplishments of RISE w/SAP in the large enterprise sector, SAP introduced a new solution called GROW w/SAP which is specifically tailored for the mid and scale-up market. GROW w/SAP is now fully operational. This comprehensive offering incorporates SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition, which is a pre-configured cloud-based ERP solution that leverages the latest industry standards and ongoing innovation. In addition, GROW w/SAP encompasses the utilisation of SAP Activate, a well-established methodology for embracing cloud technologies, and fosters an inclusive and collaborative community where customers can exchange knowledge, learn from one another, and share best practices.

These are just some of the many announcement’s SAP made at Sapphire 2023. You can view a full list here