From Monitoring to Intelligence: The Next Evolution of SAP Basis with AI
For years, SAP Basis has been the backbone of enterprise IT—responsible for monitoring, patching, and keeping mission-critical systems running.
Unprecedented Possibilities: Powering People and Business Connection with New SAP SuccessFactors Innovations
The future of work isn’t inching forward, it’s rapidly accelerating. AI is transforming productivity, agentic systems are reshaping decision-making, and skills-first strategies are redefining how organizations grow.
According to new research from SAP, employees using AI are saving 75 minutes a day — time that’s being reinvested into innovation, connection, and impact.
But with economic volatility, shifting regulations, and a global skills crunch, organizations face a critical challenge: how to connect their people and their business in ways that drive agility, resilience, and growth. This isn’t just a moment of change; it’s a moment of unprecedented possibilities.
Unlocking new possibilities with SAP SuccessFactors
SAP SuccessFactors is powering that transformation with trusted intelligence, operational strength, and innovations that turn disruption into advantage. With over 10,000 customers worldwide, we are privileged to work with the world’s leading brands and help them guide their people and their organizations through change.
The SAP SuccessFactors HCM suite is a robust offering that connects all the pieces for an organization’s people strategy — from core HR and payroll, to talent acquisition and talent management, to people analytics, and beyond. SAP Business AI is infused across our HCM suite, and SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) enables our customers to expand and extend to meet their needs.
We are constantly investing in our solutions based on market signals, ensuring our customers have the tools they need to stay at the forefront of innovation.
Today at Success Connect at SAP Connect in Las Vegas, we announced the latest innovations designed to elevate the employee experience, optimize operations, and deliver actionable workforce insights.
Elevating the employee experience
New Joule Agents
Agentic AI is redefining the employee experience and transforming the way work gets done by automating routine tasks, accelerating decision-making, and unlocking new levels of productivity. Joule, SAP’s AI copilot, is embedded into enterprise-wide applications to deliver real-time intelligence and automation through a simple conversational interface.
Joule currently supports 80 percent of the most-used tasks in SAP systems, and we are continuously expanding its capabilities. Joule is available in 11 languages, and next month the first HR-focused Joule Agent — the Performance and Goals Agent — will be generally available, with many more to follow. This agent is designed to empower managers to lead high-impact performance conversations by providing tailored insights, goal progress updates, and personalized talking points.
We’ll continue to release new agents that will continue to work behind the scenes to make managers, employees, and HR teams more efficient. Today, we announced the next four agents, available in SAP SuccessFactors in the first half of 2026:
- The Career and Talent Development Agent, which automates succession planning and helps managers identify and develop future leaders
- The HR Service Agent, which serves as a direct point of contact for employees and reduces the amount of time HR staff spend answering routine questions
- The Payroll Agent, which helps employees better understand their pay by combining paycheck details with time data, enabling intelligent “explain pay” scenarios such as highlighting unexpected overtime and suggesting follow-up actions
- The People Intelligence Agent, which connects the People Intelligence Insight application in SAP Business Data Cloud with Joule and SAP SuccessFactors, allowing managers and HR teams to ask questions in their own words and receive intuitive, accessible workforce analytics
Introducing the workforce knowledge network
Building on these new capabilities, we are also introducing a workforce knowledge network, a first-of-its-kind integration that brings third-party content from industry experts directly into Joule, delivering enhanced insights for employees. This is a major step forward in enabling agent-to-agent interaction in order to deliver the most relevant information in one seamless experience.
Content from leading HCM industry experts from G-P (Globalization Partners) and The Josh Bersin Company will flow directly into Joule. These integrations allow Joule to ingest third-party content and interact with various agents so employees can receive guidance that is grounded in real-world insights and trusted research.
For example, HR leaders can access G-P Gia, an HR agent developed by G-P, directly within Joule, providing access to expert global employment guidance. Additionally, they can ask Joule, “What are best practices for hiring engineers in a high-cost location?” and Joule can respond with research-backed insights and recommendations provided by Galileo, a trained AI agent developed by The Josh Bersin Company, with over 6,000 users across more than 800 companies.
“Joule offers a revolutionary technology to speed and simplify the lives of every business person,” said Josh Bersin, CEO of The Josh Bersin Company. “We are very excited to connect Galileo, a leading AI agent for HR, to all SAP users and give them deep insights into all their human capital decisions.”
Optimizing Operations
Innovations in Core HR
Operational strength is the backbone of every great employee experience; it enables scale, consistency, and confidence, especially in times of change. That is why we continue to invest deeply in core HR.
With localization support across 104 countries and usage in 179, SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central remains the industry’s most trusted foundation for global HR operations. And today we have announced that it’s getting even stronger:
- New SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Scheduling
Early adopter January 2026
This new solution enables shift planners and supervisors in manufacturing and production to create smarter schedules aligned with real-time business demand and required skills, reducing administrative burden, helping to prevent costly overstaffing and understaffing, and maintaining compliance. - New enhanced time-off capabilities in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central
Generally available next month
This enhancement allows our customers to meet country-specific and complex leave regulations in markets including but not limited to Australia, Germany, and the U.S., helping them stay compliant while simplifying processes for managers and employees. - SAP SuccessFactors Enterprise Service Management
Generally available now
Announced earlier this year, our new HR service delivery solution extends the power of core HR by automating workflows, streamlining service requests, and freeing HR teams to focus on high-value, strategic work.
Delivering best-in-class insights
People Intelligence
Operational excellence lays the groundwork, but true transformation happens when data becomes insight. That is where People Intelligence in SAP Business Data Cloud comes in. Initial capabilities in People Intelligence announced at SAP Sapphire in 2025 are now generally available. People Intelligence transforms people, skills, and business data into actionable, AI-driven insights that help HR and leaders make better, more strategic decisions for the business and its people.
At Success Connect, we unveiled additional prebuilt insights for recruiting, learning, succession, career development planning, and performance and goals management. People Intelligence continues to expand, with more prebuilt insights for rewards and recognition, benefits, time management, and onboarding planned for May 2026.
SmartRecruiters
SAP is also advancing the way organizations attract, recruit, and hire top talent. Last month, we acquired SmartRecruiters to build the future of AI-driven talent acquisition. At Success Connect, we showcased how this move strengthens our vision. By combining the scale of SAP SuccessFactors, the power of SAP Business AI, and the expertise of SmartRecruiters, we’re delivering an intelligent, end-to-end global hiring solution that simplifies recruiting and ensures every hire is aligned to business and workforce goals.
Where innovation meets impact
Innovation in HR has entered a new era that is defined by connection. By uniting people, processes, and intelligence, organizations can move beyond incremental change to unlock unprecedented possibilities for impact, agility, and growth. With continuous advancements in AI, a trusted global foundation, and intelligence-driven insights, SAP SuccessFactors is helping organizations meet today’s challenges head-on and shape the future of work with confidence.
To catch our Success Connect keynote replay and learn more about the latest innovations in SAP SuccessFactors, register for SAP Connect Virtual on October 9.
Dan Beck is general manager and chief product officer for SAP SuccessFactors.
Behind the Scenes: Kimi Antonelli vs Valtteri Bottas in the Cost Cap Challenge @MercedesAMGF1
What happens when Kimi Antonelli and Valtteri Bottas swap F1 cars for camels and quad bikes in the desert? Chaos! 😅
Here’s what you didn’t see in the Cost Cap Challenge with SAP 🎥
@MercedesAMGF1
Unleashing the Power of SAP’s Customer Insights Dashboard
In today’s digital landscape, visibility into your SAP solutions is paramount, not just a luxury. Enter the customer insights dashboard, a strategic tool within SAP for Me designed to transform complex data into clear insights and, ultimately, into informed decisions.
SAP for Me: tailored digital gateway
SAP for Me transcends the typical portal; it’s your customized digital gateway to holistic SAP insights. Every aspect, from system landscapes to support services, is tailored to meet the distinct needs of your role and responsibilities.
SAP for Me is more than a portal — it’s your gateway to intelligent support.
Thomas Pfiester, member of the Extended Board of SAP SE and head of Global Customer Engagement & Services
Customer insights dashboard: comprehensive SAP viewfinder
Residing in SAP for Me, the customer insights dashboard delivers a comprehensive, customizable view of your SAP environment—whether you’re managing hybrid settings, tracking case trends, or preparing for contract renewals. It empowers users to:
- Obtain a 360° view across all SAP engagements
- Analyze support data, product portfolios, renewals, and system landscapes
- Review historical support cases for quality, volume, and trends
- Leverage customizable filters and automated reporting for precise insights
This tool is designed to both report data and to transform it into actionable intelligence, enhancing leadership clarity and decision-making confidence.
What’s new: continuous enhancements
SAP is committed to continuously refining the customer insights dashboard to cater to evolving needs. Notable recent enhancements include:
- Benchmark capabilities through peer group comparison
- On-demand generation of detailed reports like support insights report and case overview report
- Increased visibility with partner case statistics and onboarding milestones
These updates are meticulously designed to deepen insights and streamline strategic processes. Additional planned updated include:
- Deeper engagement metrics from SAP Enterprise Support Academy
- Advanced AI-driven insights for smarter, quicker decisions
- CPU consumption and memory consumption for private cloud: Access performance metrics for private cloud environments
Data without insight is noise. SAP for Me turns it into action.
Anja Schneider, senior vice president and global head of Premium Engagement & Advisory at SAP
Accessing the dashboard
Starting with this powerful tool is straightforward via three ways:
- Use the direct link: me.sap.com/reporting
- Use the reporting icon:
- Log into SAP for Me
- Click on the reporting icon on the left menu bar
- Use the customer insight dashboard card:
- Log into SAP for Me
- Navigate to the Services & Support then Diagnostics, Reporting & Analytics
- Click on the customer insights dashboard card
In all three cases, ensure your S-user ID is authorized to access the necessary features (get more information in SAP Note 3336856).
Why it matters
With comprehensive visibility, your approach shifts from reactive problem-solving to proactive strategic planning. The Customer Insights Dashboard equips you with the clarity to forecast and act effectively, supporting your role as a strategic leader within your organization.
When support is transparent, it’s not just reactive — it’s strategic.
Stefan Steinle, executive vice president and global head of Customer Support & Cloud Lifecycle Management at SAP
Turn insight into strategic action
For CIOs, IT administrators, and support leaders, the customer insights dashboard is more than a tool; it’s your strategic command center embedded within SAP for Me. Experience how it turns insights into impactful actions today.
- SAP for Me portal: Access the customer insights dashboard through the SAP for Me portal
- Getting started guide: Learn how to effectively use the dashboard with this video tutorial
- Customer insights dashboard portal: All relevant information can be found in the reporting portal
Check it out today and discover how insight becomes impact.
Oliver Huschke is vice president of External Engagements, Customer Support & Cloud Lifecycle Management at SAP.
Vulnerabilities, Threats, and Risks to SAP Applications: A Primer
Vulnerabilities, threats, and risks in SAP applications are some of the most important concepts in the domain of SAP cybersecurity because they are used to build any cybersecurity program.
Discover How to Extend SAP S/4HANA Cloud the Right Way
Innovation is critical — but without the right foundation, it can quickly lead to complexity and cost. SAP’s clean core strategy helps customers build and extend their SAP S/4HANA Cloud systems in a way that is stable, agile, and innovation-ready.
The goal is simple: keep the core clean, standard, and upgrade-stable while still enabling business-specific differentiation where it counts.
Why clean core matters
Over time, many ERP landscapes become weighed down by custom code, undocumented changes, and hard-to-maintain integrations. This limits flexibility, slows down upgrades, and increases the total cost of ownership.
The clean core approach addresses these challenges by promoting the use of standard processes and enabling strategic extensions for differentiation. It focuses on building resilient business processes supported by seamless integration, efficient operations, and strong data quality.
By embracing a clean core approach, customers can:
- Accelerate innovation cycles
- Minimize technical debt
- Simplify system maintenance and upgrades
Rather than limiting agility, clean core ensures that extensions are done the right way — with long-term stability, scalability, and innovation-readiness in mind.
Clean extensions: build what you need, without risk
Business differentiation often depends on tailored processes, custom applications, or personalized user experiences. SAP supports this through clean extensibility, a framework that enables innovation without compromising system integrity.
Extend SAP S/4HANA Cloud using:
- Side-by-side extensibility on SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP): creating scalable, decoupled applications that run independently from the core.
- On-stack extensibility with ABAP Cloud: tightly integrated, upgrade-stable extensions within the ERP system
Both models ensure flexibility while keeping systems clean, secure, and easier to maintain. Choose between side-by-side and on-stack extensibility based on your use case, applying an SAP BTP-first strategy.
Clean core level concept: clarity and control
To clarify extensibility decisions and simplify qualification criteria, SAP has evolved its original three-tier model into the clean core level concept, an enhanced maturity model that brings greater structure, flexibility, and transparency. It also provides a more pragmatic approach to managing custom code in SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
The new maturity model categorizes extensions into four distinct levels (A, B, C, and D) based on their architectural integrity, upgrade safety, and alignment with clean core principles. The evolved framework empowers organizations to make smarter decisions, streamline development, and continuously optimize their extensions — with more clarity, confidence, and long-term control.
Each extension is evaluated using a standardized methodology that looks at how the extension is built, how well it is decoupled from the core, and how easily it can be upgraded or maintained.
The model defines four levels of compliance:
- Level A – Extend with SAP Build: Fully compliant extensions using only publicly released and stable SAP interfaces, backed by formal stability contracts.
- Side-by-side: Built on SAP BTP, using pro-code and low-code tools for app development and process automation.
- On-stack: Built within SAP S/4HANA Cloud using the ABAP Cloud development model with publicly released APIs.
- Level B – Leverage classic APIs: Compliant extensions, in addition to meeting level A criteria, using also SAP’s classic APIs and technologies. These APIs offer well-defined, documented, and generally upgrade-stable interfaces for extension use.
- Level C – Accesses internal objects: Partially compliant extensions allowing access to SAP internal objects, offering flexibility for legacy scenarios. To minimize upgrade risks, SAP plans to provide a changelog for SAP objects to help identify changes early and plan upgrades proactively.
- Level D – Not recommended extensions: Extensions not considered “clean” that use explicitly non-recommended objects or techniques; for example, explicitly non-recommended objects, modifications, write access to SAP tables, or implicit enhancements. These represent the highest risk and create significant technical debt.
By assigning each extension to a compliance level, the clean core level concept gives IT leaders, enterprise architects, and business stakeholders a shared vocabulary and visual road map for assessing their current ERP landscape. It supports transparent decision-making regarding where to invest in cleanup, modernization, or new development.
How SAP supports your journey to clean extensions
SAP offers a full set of technologies to support clean, upgrade-safe extensions and provide clean core insights:
- SAP BTP serves as the foundation for side-by-side extensions, enabling development, automation, and integration.
- SAP Build is a unified application development and process automation solution for developing apps, AI agents, and automations using pro-code, low-code, and generative AI — enabling personalization and efficiency at scale.
- ABAP Cloud, part of SAP Build, supports both on-stack and side-by-side development, enabling the enforcement of clean principles through syntax checks and lifecycle support.
- Joule, SAP’s AI copilot, boosts developer productivity by generating clean, context-aware code and streamlining workflow automation across ABAP, Java, JavaScript, and low-code tools.
- The RISE with SAP Methodology dashboard provides real-time insights into clean core adoption.
- For detailed code-level governance, the ABAP test cockpit is the key tool.
Smarter way to extend
Supported by the level concept and a powerful set of extensibility tools, SAP’s clean core strategy empowers organizations to innovate faster, increase agility, and lower total cost of ownership.
Extend what sets you apart: Decoupled extensions simplify upgrades and accelerate innovation. That’s one advantage of clean core.
Learn more at sap.com/clean-core.
Priyadarsana Panda is senior vice president and general manager of Cloud ERP Solution Area at SAP.
Steffen Pietsch is vice president and head of SAP BTP Product Management at SAP.
Rudolf Hois is senior vice president and chief product owner of Cloud ERP Private at SAP.
9 Automated and Monitored Internal Controls in Cash Management with SAP S/4HANA
SAP S/4HANA has incorporated robust automated and monitored internal controls into the area of finance that covers cash management.
Why Understanding the Customer Journey Matters More Than Making the Product Perfect
In the world of product development, innovation often is the No. 1 priority. However, true success lies not just in what we build, but in how it’s experienced. When product teams shift their focus from features to customer satisfaction, they unlock the power to create solutions that resonate deeply with users.
Let’s explore how embracing customer insights transform good intentions into meaningful impact across SAP Business Suite.
Build relationships with customers, not attachments to products
Product teams pour enormous passion and effort into building innovative solutions. Yet the real impact comes when that same energy is focused not just on what we build, but how it is experienced.
A product can be packed with features and innovation, but none of that matters if the overall experience does not meet real user needs. That is why product experience eats product capabilities for breakfast.
From good intentions to real impact: outcome over output
Today, at SAP we are in the fortunate position of having access to rich data that helps us understand:
- How customers use our software
- How they truly experience it
- What they actually need from SAP Business Suite
Customer insights replace internal assumptions with the reality how end-users are interacting and using the different capabilities of our software. Instead of guessing what matters, we uncover it through data-driven discovery. Instead of building based on what we think is needed, we deliver what’s proven to create value.
This is how product managers evolve: from intuition-led decision-makers to data-driven strategists, designing solutions that align with real-world use – and with the business outcomes our customers care about.
Three layers of insight that drive better software
This insight-driven approach is grounded in real data that reflects how customers use and experience our software. To improve how software is built, introduced, and adopted, we focus on three essential types of product insight.
- License consumption reveals usage gaps and efficiency opportunities: What has the customer licensed and how much of it is actually being used? This gap often reveals untapped potential and opportunities for greater efficiency across SAP Business Suite.
- Functional usage highlights adoption patterns and usability challenges: Which apps, features, and capabilities are being used regularly? Equally important: what’s being underused or not used at all, and why? Low adoption does not always mean low value. It might indicate complexity, lack of awareness, or gaps in enablement.
- Product experience feedback captures the human voice behind the data: How do users feel about the product? Are they satisfied? Where do they get stuck? This feedback adds human context to the raw data. In 2024 alone, end users, customers, partners, and consultants submitted more than 2.7 million product improvement requests and feedback records via in-product feedback surveys and our Customer Influence site, a rich source of insight to guide meaningful change.
Together, these three layers give our teams the foundation of a holistic view — of both product performance and of the experience behind it. And that experience is often the difference between a product that is used and one that is valued. This understanding enables smarter decisions, faster iteration, and ultimately software that reflects and supports the way customers work.
Product 360: SAP Business AI-powered one-stop insights hub
It is not only about collecting feedback; it’s about closing the loop, so every voice helps shape the product. And it’s about making sure our customers can see that we listen and understand what they really need.
Turning insights into action for product teams and customers
We are not just collecting this data for our product teams at SAP; we’re making it transparent and actionable for customers. Through SAP for Me, customers can access dashboards that visualize license utilization and feature usage within their own portfolio, along with key value drivers and benchmarks across peers and industries. For SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, they also receive aggregated feedback summaries from their end users, with more products to follow.
To turn these insights into real outcomes, we combine the power of SAP Business AI and Joule with in-app guidance tools like WalkMe solutions. This allows users to see where action is needed and to immediately take the right steps. From surfacing relevant KPIs to guiding users through change and process adoption, we are making enablement part of the flow of work.
By shifting our focus from what we build to how it’s experienced, we are not only improving software; we’re elevating the entire customer journey. Every insight, every piece of feedback, and every usage pattern brings us closer to delivering solutions that truly matter.
The more we understand how products are experienced, the better we can shape what comes next — for our customers, our teams, and the future of SAP Business Suite. Because when we fall in love with our customers, not just the product, we create value that lasts and experiences that lead the way forward.
Florian Heretsch is senior vice president and global head of SAP Product Experience.
Segmentation Variants in Planner Workspaces in SAP IBP | 2508 Release Highlights & Demo
Explore with us this powerful new feature in Planner Workspaces called Segmentation Variant. It is designed to eliminate the need to scan large, unfiltered data sets to access the data you need. Traditional manual filtering can be time-consuming and inefficient, especially when dealing with large datasets. Segmentation variants allow users to create workbook variants with specific filter criteria, making data management more efficient.
Additional information about SAP Integrated Business Planning 2508 can be found in the What’s new section of the Help Portal: https://sap.to/6050fzr8i
Learn more about SAP Integrated Business Planning: https://sap.to/6051fzr8c
Q2 2025: SAP’s Customer Momentum in the Americas
In the second quarter of 2025, SAP demonstrated significant momentum in the Americas. Organizations across the region and industries are continually recognizing SAP as a premier partner for driving transformation and strategic initiatives.
SAP’s commitment to investing in innovation is delivering growth and value to organizations across the region. Thousands of companies continue to place their trust in SAP to propel their digital journeys, evident in the rising adoption SAP Business Suite and SAP Business AI, which are redefining how work is done and processes are streamlined. Businesses are increasingly implementing AI agents to automate complex tasks, freeing up valuable time and resources for innovation and growth.
Accompanying this transformative shift is the importance of SAP Business Data Cloud, which integrates both SAP and non-SAP data. This enhanced visibility and informed decision-making capability are crucial for driving effective business outcomes and maintaining a competitive edge.
In the second quarter, organizations that selected SAP Business Data Cloud include Acron Aviation, which also selected SAP Business AI and SAP Cloud ERP Private, Brown-Forman, and NEBCO, which also selected SAP Cloud ERP.
Coming off our partnership announcements at SAP Sapphire and Adobe Summit, in Q2 Adobe selected SAP Signavio, SAP Business Data Cloud, and expanded its WalkMe footprint for an enterprise-wide adoption.
Meanwhile, companies across the Americas are continually embracing RISE with SAP Methodology, leveraging SAP Cloud ERP Private to drive their digital transformations. Companies that embarked on this journey during the second quarter include:
- LEROY MERLIN Brasil, is the largest retail chain for home improvement, present in 14 states with 55 stores. The company is renowned for its significant investments in innovation and sustainability, and it stands as SAP’s largest retail customer in the country. To drive innovation, embrace AI, and build a resilient supply chain amid the fast-paced retail industry, LEROY MERLIN has migrated to SAP Cloud ERP Private.
- Mannington Mills, a fifth-generation family-owned leading manufacturer of fine flooring, selected SAP Cloud ERP Private, SAP Business AI, and SAP SuccessFactors to streamline business operations and further improve productivity.
- Iochpe-Maxion, a Brazilian multinational, is a global leader in automotive wheel production and a major manufacturer of automotive structural components in the Americas. With operations spanning Maxion Wheels and Maxion Structural Components in the automotive sector, and AmstedMaxion in the railway sector, the company produces around 50 million wheels annually. To boost its technological infrastructure and further streamline global operations, Iochpe-Maxion strategically migrated its existing SAP S/4HANA to SAP Cloud ERP Private
- Mega Alimentos, the prominent Mexican company with over three decades of experience in the candy, sauce, and chamoy industry, including its iconic brand “La Botanera,” has embarked on the path of RISE with SAP with SAP Cloud ERP Private as part of its commitment to digital transformation.
- Transpire Bio is a U.S.-based, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing inhaled drug-device combination products for serious diseases where therapeutic options are significantly lacking. The company selected SAP Cloud ERP Private to track its revenue, streamline operations, and prepare for growth as they bring their pipeline of inhaled therapies to market.
Other organizations that chose SAP in the second quarter include Gardner White, which selected SAP Cloud ERP and SAP Business AI, and Delta, a leading global airline that served more than 200 million customers in 2024. The airline selected SAP Supply Chain Management solutions to help boost logistics visibility, ensure better process controls, and effectively manage freight costs.
As we look ahead, we are committed to empowering our customers to achieve more than ever before. We’re continuing to invest in the innovations that will deliver growth, value, and success to our customers around the world.
Indeed, SAP is helping businesses lead the way into the future.
Jan Gilg is CRO, president of SAP Americas & Global Business Suite, and a member of the Extended Board of SAP SE.