At a time when global supply chains are enduring acute strain from seesawing tariff rates, escalating military conflict, and proliferating compliance requirements, enterprises large and small are turning increasingly to cloud-based business networks and emerging AI solutions to provide actionable insights, operational resilience, and, above all, confidence despite volatile times.

Visibility has always been essential for navigating uncertainty in business-to-business commerce. Yet it is also insufficient. After all, what good is merely seeing across the various tiers of the supply chain if a business lacks the ability to identify available alternatives, shift course immediately, and counter disruption before it impinges on the balance sheet?

At Supply Chain Connect at SAP Connect Las Vegas, our customers and partners had an extraordinary opportunity to explore our latest SAP Business Network innovations—and the generative and agentic AI solutions that are rapidly reshaping enterprises’ ability to extend N-tier visibility and take the decisive actions necessary to preserve the smooth flow of operations from the dual threats of volatility and risk.

To strengthen every link in the supply chain, businesses need to connect their mission-critical operational processes with those of their trading partners. Doing so enables them to achieve transparency, foster collaboration, drive efficiency, and maximize customer satisfaction. Through the vast troves of operational data that millions of trading partners accumulate in the routine course of day-to-day operations, SAP Business Network—the world’s largest business-to-business platform—is uniquely positioned to help business leaders orchestrate their supply chains for success, no matter the circumstances.

Today, SAP helps our customers to accomplish these objectives with a suite of AI-infused supply chain management applications—all of them integrated with ERP and adjacent line-of-business applications to connect seamlessly with trading partners. By applying advanced analytics, operational insights, predictive signals, and recommended actions derived from both internal and external data sources, SAP Business Network has set in motion an increasingly autonomous supply chain.

The innovations underlying it, meanwhile, are accelerating.

To further distinguish SAP as the leader in enabling supply chain orchestration, I am extremely excited that in the first half of 2026 we will deliver a new product to help provide enterprises with capabilities for issue detection, insight, and action across their supply chains. Aptly called SAP Supply Chain Orchestration, this new solution will help deliver N-tier insights and transform external and internal signals across supply chains into prioritized actions. These capabilities will rest on the SAP Business Network foundation, drawing upon master data as well as native AI solutions to help orchestrate workflows and dramatically expand visibility across every tier of the supply chain.

SAP Supply Chain Orchestration can equip our customers with the tools and inference-driven insights they need to help mitigate multi-tier risk, enhance compliance, and bolster decision-support. The goal is to head off disruption before it arises—and to offer our customers one of the most elusive yet priceless advantages that anybody can have in these turbulent times: peace of mind.

That’s why our customers entrust so many of their core operational processes to SAP Business Network in the first place: for peace of mind, for resilience, for enduring value. Our strategy to deepen that value takes root in our ongoing transition to SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), working to provide faster speeds, easier integration, faster collaboration, and continuous innovation on a grand scale, across industries. Our vision takes shape through intelligent applications, network convergence, and unmatched extensibility. Our priority to accelerate the value we make available to suppliers on the network finds example through our innovations that help simplify e-invoicing, expand automation, and facilitate discoverability by new potential trading partners. All these strategic elements take center stage in our product strategy, each of them strengthened by the unmatched generative and agentic AI capabilities that customers and partners have come to rely on from SAP in our quest to make the world run better and improve people’s lives.

Couldn’t join us in Las Vegas? Check out the Supply Chain Connect at SAP Connect Virtual keynote session, “Supply Chain Orchestration – Run Supply Chains That Think, Connect, and Adapt,” presented by Dominik Metzger, president and chief product officer, SAP Supply Chain Management.

Jörn Keller is executive vice president and chief product officer for SAP Business Network.

Today’s flood of AI information for business leaders is often overwhelming and it often lacks the guidance you really need. You want to know where to start, how to scale, and how to ensure your AI investments move the needle on business results.

On top of that, you know AI agents are the new frontier and will allow you to automate processes that today absorb a large amount of time and resources. You want to know how to be among the first to use them to gain an early advantage.

To get these answers and discover how SAP is uniquely positioned to help you leverage AI for business results, attend SAP Connect in 2025, being held October 6-8 in Las Vegas as well as virtually. It’s the destination for leaders ready to embed the latest from AI into the foundation of how their organizations run to produce real, enterprise-wide outcomes.

Learn how to become a leader in the era of AI

According to Boston Consulting Group, which analyzed the relatively small number of companies already scaling these advanced technologies, “AI’s greatest value lies in core business processes where leaders are generating 62% of the value. Leveraging AI in both core business and support functions gives these companies a competitive advantage.”

This is exactly our approach and position of strength at SAP. We infuse AI directly into the business processes, decisions, and data models that power finance, supply chain, HR, customer service, and more. That’s also how Joule and Joule Agents are enabling systems that anticipate needs, reason, act and learn and adapt in real time. And because these tools are built on SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), they operate with the scale, security, and interoperability that enterprises demand.

SAP Connect is where this vision comes to life. Over three days, the program will move from strategic framing to hands-on guidance, tailored to every role in an organization, and with each day anchored on specific business needs.

An agenda focused on moving your business forward

Day one at SAP Connect addresses strategy: how to turn geopolitical and market volatility into a catalyst for growth, unify your organization through shared data and synchronized purpose, and elevate your workforce with AI. Our first day keynote will show you how to navigate uncertainty by leveraging enterprise-wide data capability, Joule Agents, and SAP Business Suite to turn insight into action—creating a sustained advantage for your enterprise.

Day two focuses on how to use our latest innovations across SAP Business Suite applications to bring AI-driven results to life within your enterprise, plus practical road maps across your lines of business.

Day three is about execution: how to leverage SAP BTP and a unified data core to activate agile technologies, build interconnected ecosystems, and accelerate returns on innovation. Our closing keynote will show you how to use a unified foundation to smoothly extend, integrate, automate, and innovate while leveraging AI and data to transform your company.

The core theme across all three days is how to build, adopt, and scale AI that spurs impactful business outcomes. For example, you will learn from companies using embedded AI to improve forecasting accuracy, unlock working capital, boost workforce productivity, and reduce operational risk.  These enterprise use cases are already delivering measurable value.

Three days of learning and leadership

For leaders looking to advance their knowledge on AI, the agenda at SAP Connect is built for depth and relevance, and AI content and insights will be available across all tracks: spend management, supply chain, customer experience, and human capital management.

For example, in the Unlocking productivity with Joule Agents session, you will learn how AI agents are transforming enterprise agility by autonomously executing tasks, adapting in real time, and driving productivity.

SAP Connect is a working session for those ready to lead the next phase of intelligent business. For leaders building AI strategies that are real, resilient, and ready to scale, this is the place to advance them.

Register now, set up your AI sessions, and take your seat at the center of the business AI movement.

Brenda Bown is chief marketing officer for SAP Business AI at SAP.

Generative AI is widely celebrated as a powerhouse for improving productivity, automating workflows, and accelerating efficiency in the workplace.

However, its potential goes far beyond simple optimization: generative AI can be a trusted ally for personal growth and confidence building, especially when navigating unfamiliar professional territory.

Whether you’re assuming a new leadership role, mastering a complex technical skill, or simply feeling uncertain about your next career step, AI platforms can truly help you gain clarity and confidence.

Here are three straightforward ways to use AI as a growth tool when venturing beyond your career comfort zone.

1. AI as a judgment-free partner

One valuable yet often underappreciated role of generative AI is its ability to serve as a non-judgmental sounding board. Transitioning to a new role or company often brings uncertainty, questions, and sometimes self-doubt. Regardless of the change, AI offers a non-judgmental space where users can openly share thoughts and explore solutions. This use of AI can help individuals better understand their uncertainties and organize their experiences in a positive, constructive way — laying the groundwork for confident problem-solving and, ultimately, success through a transition or challenge.

2. Breaking down big hurdles into bite-size goals

Facing broad, complex objectives can feel overwhelming. Generative AI can aid career growth by breaking down daunting challenges into smaller, manageable milestones. By asking AI to convert broad objectives into “bite-size” tasks, professionals gain a clear road map to achieve their goals. This approach reduces cognitive overload and encourages momentum through steady progress. Whether leading a new team or mastering advanced analytics, these small wins build confidence and reinforce a proactive mindset.

3. Expert-curated learning tailored to your needs

Finally, generative AI can customize and deliver high-quality learning resources that address your unique knowledge gaps and career context. For instance, AI can recommend expert insights and training modules that align with your individualized development path via the SAP Learning site, which provides access a broad portfolio of self-paced and premium learning opportunities to achieve business transformation and grow your career with free, self-paced, and on-demand SAP learning resources to both obtain and maintain SAP Certifications. From exploring agile frameworks as a project manager to deepening cybersecurity expertise as an IT professional, AI acts as a personalized guide to expert-level content designed to meet your specific needs.

To further support scalable and targeted learning, the SAP Learning site provides learners access to both self-paced and guided learning resources, allowing them to follow learning journeys tailored for specific roles and skill levels in a self-paced way. This adaptive approach enhances engagement and retention, helping users not only acquire new skills, but effectively apply them in their roles. Seamlessly embedded into everyday workflows, these online courses empower employees to engage in continuous development without interrupting their daily responsibilities — strengthening both their individual growth and overall organizational capability.

Whether managing cross-functional projects, mastering data analysis, or navigating career pivots, AI-enhanced learning experiences provide dynamic support that transforms uncertainty into clarity and fosters sustained growth.

Leveraging generative AI has become essential for confident, forward-thinking career advancement as new skills and roles emerge rapidly. Integrating AI into personal development helps professionals transition into new roles with greater assurance and agility.

More than a productivity tool, AI serves as a growth partner — listening without judgment, breaking down complex challenges into clear steps, and offering tailored learning paths. By embracing AI as a trusted resource, individuals and organizations can nurture a culture of continuous learning and navigate change and growth opportunities with confidence.

Andre Bechtold is president of Industries & Experiences at SAP.

A familiar adage reminds us that “success favors the bold.” To SAP, those words are more than a saying. They’re woven into our DNA.

Since our beginnings in 1972, SAP has led with a bold strategy. That spirit continued through to our pivot to the cloud five years ago and, more recently, with Joule, our powerful AI copilot.

I spoke about this during our latest SAP Global Partner Summit at SAP Sapphire in Orlando, joined by SAP Executive Board Members, including CEO Christian Klein, COO Sebastian Steinhaeuser, and SAP Product and Engineering Head Muhammad Alam, during an exciting, live-streamed keynote.

Our boldness has paid off. SAP was named Europe’s most valuable publicly traded company this year, and our cloud revenue has surged more than 25 percent. SAP continues to dominate our market because we have the boldness to change and influence the direction of our industry.

What’s even more notable is that we are shaping the future together with our partners, which had their best year ever in 2024. Partners are leading the change with us across everything we do — from introducing new customers to SAP innovations to extending our growing portfolio, especially as demand for proven AI value continues to take off.

To top it off, it is our customers that see some of the biggest wins. Our partners ensure our customers achieve true business transformation, enabling them to operate, provide products and services, and compete at their best. We are committed to their success today and tomorrow — and that’s why we have to make our next bold move together.

SAP Business Suite: Harmonized business applications, AI, and data

The SAP Global Partner Summit highlighted the opportunities SAP Business Suite offers our partners and customers. Our vision of the suite evolves Software-as-a-Service into Suite-as-a-Service. Only SAP has it — unrivaled AI, unmatched data, unparalleled applications — offered together in one seamless experience, and the opportunity is enormous. SAP Business Suite will help customers solve their toughest business challenges like never before.

With the suite, partners can meet customers where they are and grow to unlock their full potential. It sets up customers for the clean core they need to scale, but also represents incredible upsell and cross-sell opportunities for SAP partners, regardless of partner type.

Beyond this, SAP is introducing new SAP Business Suite packages to simplify customers’ engagement with the SAP portfolio. This new approach aligns capabilities and product offerings with customers’ lines of business. Partners can guide customers to the best-fit packages that deliver the integration, intelligence, and additional functionality needed for their specific business.

Even more opportunities for partners

To drive growth and empower our partners to innovate and scale at their best, we are also bringing our “A” game with leading initiatives that demonstrate our unwavering commitment to their success:

• We announced the new SAP Referral program, launching in North America in the third quarter, that rewards partners for every lead they can’t close on their own.
• This year, we launched partner-led territories globally, allowing partners to become more self-sufficient across the entire Customer Value Journey.
• Our award-winning SAP PartnerEdge program has evolved to be even stronger,including a new leveling framework focused on cloud performance.
• We’ve adapted our commercial models for software partners to ensure they are integrated into SAP Business Suite, with new packages that include partner solutions to help deliver the full end-to-end experience to our customers.

How to capitalize on partner opportunities with SAP

There are four key actions for partners ready to seize the great opportunity that SAP Business Suite and our evolving partnership create:

• Autonomy: Learn more about partner-led territories and begin taking more control of the Customer Value Journey, with enablement and support from SAP. Always lead with SAP Cloud ERP as a sustainable growth engine. The opt-in window is now open, and SAP will continue to expand territories.
• Quality: Customers will benefit from optimal performance and scalability when partners apply RISE with SAP Methodology to every project. Ensuring that customers preserve a clean core and use our integrated toolchain will deliver a smooth transition to the cloud.
• Innovation: Building complementary solutions to SAP Business Suite using SAP Business Technology Platform. Partner solutions are a key component of our value proposition.
• Learning: Explore the SAP Learning Journey for SAP Business Suite on SAP Learning Hub and understand how we integrate applications, data, and AI across all functions to enhance business processes from end to end. Partners also have the opportunity to elevate their credibility in the market by earning SAP Business Suite certifications.

Focusing on these four key areas will allow our partner ecosystem to capitalize on the opportunity of SAP Business Suite.

Winning together

Now, more than ever, partners must demonstrate their commitment to driving customer value, backed by deep technical expertise and business transformation experience.

We need to work together, much like a sports team, each identifying our strengths, committing to the position we’ll play, and building our skills. And, as in the story of a championship team, it starts with belief. That belief will propel us to deliver exceptional value for our customers.

Be bold, and we’ll be unstoppable together.

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer of SAP.

• SAP Business Suite enables industry-leading enterprise functions and connected intelligence with AI-driven insights
• Packaged service offerings from Accenture are rightsized for speed and ease to help customers quickly grow and secure their businesses

NEW YORK and ORLANDO — Through a strategic expansion of their longstanding partnership, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) have launched ADVANCE.

For the first time, the two companies have worked together to create a pathway to the cloud for organizations pursuing high growth with annual revenue of up to US$5 billion to help create more connected, intelligent and responsive enterprises.

Drawing on more than four decades of learnings from working with the world’s largest organizations, Accenture and SAP are applying their expertise and breakthrough innovations to help fast-track business transformation with streamlined finance, procurement, supply chain and workforce management, delivered through preconfigured services. The ADVANCE offerings leverage the power of SAP Business Suite — which brings together business applications, data and AI capabilities — combined with Accenture’s industry, innovation, implementation, delivery and operations expertise to provide connected experiences across the enterprise while building resilience and enabling sustainable, top-line growth. 

Available in ready-to-consume, rightsized packages, the solutions leverage AI to help companies modernize faster, in as few as six to twelve months, while providing contextual data insights and achieving predictable outcomes. Tailored by industry and function, they provide a smooth service experience, from contracting to continuous innovation.

“This expansion of our longstanding partnership with SAP will tailor leading technologies, industry insights and innovation to meet the specific demands of high-growth companies to help them reinvent, thrive and grow,” said Julie Sweet, chair and CEO, Accenture. “By bringing together the very best of Accenture and SAP, ADVANCE can help growing companies gain the speed, agility and resilience they need to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of today’s dynamic business environment.” 

“To drive real transformation, companies need technology and services that help them move faster, operate more efficiently and scale with confidence,” said Christian Klein, CEO of SAP SE. “ADVANCE brings the full strength of SAP Business Suite with Accenture’s business transformation services to a new generation of businesses, helping them grow quickly and respond with agility to new opportunities and challenges.”

To support the unique needs of this customer segment, Accenture will invest in a dedicated practice of go-to-market and SAP-certified SaaS professionals, who will collaborate closely with SAP product specialists to deliver these packages. The purpose-built packages are focused on the following principles:

• Simple: Streamlined systems and process complexity. Preconfigured industry processes and best practices improve workflows and lower costs. 
• Secure: Reliable and secure business operations with strong encryption, access controls and centralized data management to help improve integrity and compliance.
• Fast: Rightsized solutions with transparent pricing can be implemented quickly, achieving business outcomes in months. Industry-tailored accelerators speed time to value and measurable business outcomes, from simplifying financial complexities to supply chain planning.
• Future-ready: Respond to changing market conditions faster, while leveraging continuous innovations, including AI agents. Enhance decision-making with data and AI for better customer experience and resilience.

Additional SAP Business Suite offerings and Accenture services are also available, including change readiness, business process management, cybersecurity, AI agents and more.

Visit the SAP News Center. Get SAP news via LinkedIn and Bluesky.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 801,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. Our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at accenture.com.

About SAP

As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP (NYSE: SAP) stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

Note to editors:
To preview and download broadcast-standard stock footage and press photos digitally, please visit www.sap.com/photos. On this platform, you can find high resolution material for your media channels.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products:
Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24
United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727)

For more information, press only:
Julie Schneider, SAP, +1 (650) 687-2788, julie.schneider@sap.com, EST
SAP Press Room; press@sap.com
Hannah Unkefer, Accenture, +1 (206) 839-2172, hannah.m.unkefer@accenture.com, EST
Denise Berard, Accenture, +1 (617) 488-361, denise.berard@accenture.com, EST

This document contains forward-looking statements, which are predictions, projections, or other statements about future events. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to materially differ. Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties may be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the risk factors section of SAP’s 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F.
© 2025 SAP SE. All rights reserved.
SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices.
Please consider our privacy policy. If you received this press release in your e-mail and you wish to unsubscribe to our mailing list please contact press@sap.com and write Unsubscribe in the subject line.