Key Planning Strategies in SAP S/4HANA: Long-, Mid-, and Short-Term Approaches
Effective production planning is essential for balancing supply and demand, optimizing inventory, and meeting customer expectations.
SAP Named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Cloud ERP for Product-Centric Enterprises
I am proud to share that SAP Cloud ERP has once again been recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud ERP for Product-Centric Enterprises.
For our customers—manufacturers, consumer goods leaders, and high-tech innovators—this recognition is more than a placement on a chart. We believe it reflects how SAP Cloud ERP is helping enterprises become more agile, resilient, and innovative in a world shaped by supply chain disruption, shifting customer expectations, and the imperative for sustainable operations.
This recognition comes to life in the stories of our customers.
Customer spotlight: FUWO
One example is FUWO, a fast-growing global manufacturer that turned to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition to unify its operations. By automating dozens of financial and supply chain processes, FUWO shortened its monthly close by nearly half, improved forecast accuracy by 30 percent, and boosted on-time delivery rates by 15 percent.
As Luo Jianyong, director of Business Transformation and IT at FUWO, explained: “SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition has enabled us to automate our process from production to delivery. The resulting agility and efficiency have helped us gain greater trust and more collaboration opportunities with customers worldwide.”
And from a finance perspective, Director Zhao Ziqiu added: “In a market that changes rapidly, real-time data control gives us a critical advantage in decision-making.”
Why this matters now
Cloud ERP today must go far beyond core finance. Product-centric enterprises need end-to-end capabilities to manage design, manufacturing, supply chains, logistics, and sustainability in one integrated system. That’s why SAP Cloud ERP is not only the foundation of the SAP Business Suite, but also the gateway to the world’s largest business network, connecting companies to suppliers, logistics partners, and customers in real time. By extending processes beyond the enterprise, customers can anticipate disruption, improve resilience, and unlock new opportunities for collaboration.
These benefits come even faster with our new SAP Business Suite Suite packages. Out-of-the-box integrations such as SAP Integrated Product Development bring design, manufacturing, and supply chain closer together, reducing time to market while cutting complexity. Combined with SAP Business Technology Platform for integration, data harmonization, and AI-driven insights, enterprises gain the ability to both run intelligently today and continuously adapt for tomorrow.
When we speak to customers about SAP Cloud ERP, they appreciate our global network of partners that enable customers to scale, extend, and innovate. They highlight SAP’s strong road map for agentic AI, as well as comprehensive ERP capabilities that go far beyond core finance.
For us, recognition as a Leader is an important milestone, but not the end of the journey. Customers tell us they want deeper industry-specific functionality, simpler pricing, and even greater clarity in roadmaps. We are acting on that:
- Industry depth: In 2025 we are delivering expanded capabilities for discrete manufacturing, consumer products, and high-tech.
- Clarity and simplicity: With new commercial models, customers gain more predictable and transparent ways to adopt innovation.
- Customer experience: Through our “Suite-First” approach, we are simplifying how customers consume innovations across ERP, supply chain, and spend management.
From cloud ERP to the suite
What makes SAP unique is that cloud ERP is not a standalone product, it is the doorway to the entire SAP Business Suite. By connecting processes across finance, supply chain, procurement, HCM and CX, we deliver outcomes that no single application can achieve in isolation. This is where SAP customers gain confidence: with harmonized data, AI at scale, and innovation that spans industries.
Looking ahead
We are proud of this recognition, but even more excited about what lies ahead. Together with our customers and partners, we are shaping the next decade of intelligent, modular cloud ERP – harmonizing data, automating at scale, and innovating across industries.
Read the full Gartner report here.
Dominik Metzger is president and chief product officer for SAP Supply Chain Management.
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner and Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
AI Is the Growth Engine Leaders Are Betting On
Growth, simplification, and artificial intelligence (AI) are no longer optional. That is the unmistakable signal from SAP’s Global Business Priorities Study, which surveyed nearly 12,000 executives across 20 markets and 31 industries. The results capture both urgency and possibility.
Across the world, 95 percent of companies say growth is a priority for the year ahead. Their top focus areas—including expanding market presence, broadening distribution through partners, and scaling operations—speak to leaders’ determination to create value in a climate of uncertainty and change.
In my engagements with customers, I see this reality every day. Companies everywhere want to grow, but they want to grow with confidence. They are looking for partners who understand their unique challenges, who support them with their long-term ambitions, and who can help them keep pace with rapid change.
Technology is central to this ambition. Nearly all respondents in the study rank simplifying work and improving processes alongside growth. Here, artificial intelligence stands out. Nine in 10 organizations have already made generative or agent-based AI a priority, and more than 70 percent have some form of AI in use. While concerns about data quality and talent remain, the message is clear: AI has moved beyond experimentation into the mainstream of how companies operate and unleash value.
From Frankfurt to Dubai to Singapore: How regional differences shape opportunities and risks
Regional differences tell a powerful story. In Europe, AI adoption comes with caution. Large enterprises put compliance, privacy, and transparency first, while many mid-market firms are still piloting solutions. In Asia-Pacific, the pace is different. Mid-market companies there already report strong AI use above global averages, and growth expectations run high. For them, AI is a way to seize advantage quickly in a fast-moving market.
These contrasts show why cultural intelligence matters so much for global leaders. Whether in Frankfurt, Singapore, or Dubai, I see how local realities, regulations, and expectations shape both risks and opportunities. In Europe, energy costs and geopolitical uncertainty drive supply chain strategies. In Asia-Pacific, digital adoption and market dynamism set a different pace.
Sustainability is another area where nuance matters. European companies place it near the top of their priorities, tracking or slightly exceeding global benchmarks. Asia-Pacific firms value sustainability but often rank it lower than growth and speed to market. Each is weighing trade-offs in its own context, creating exciting opportunities for SAP to bring the most relevant technology, data, and practices to each region to help organizations achieve both economic and environmental goals.
The through-line in all of this is agility. Supply chain fragility, geopolitical conflict, inflation, and regulation continue to test even the best-run organizations. Technology can enable agility, but only if leaders embrace change themselves, rethinking processes, investing in skills, and building cultures of continuous learning and exploration. Security and ethical standards must also be the cornerstones of every AI conversation.
Turning AI potential into outcomes by centering value creation and integration
I believe this is a time for grounded optimism. The appetite for growth is real and the technology to achieve it is more advanced than ever. Innovation is accelerating at an extraordinary pace, with daily breakthroughs showcasing the expanding potential of AI.
There is a recent example that demonstrates AI’s ability to process multi-step tasks for over 30 hours. This achievement highlights not only the rapid evolution of AI, but also how increasingly accessible and capable these technologies are becoming.
However, as AI systems grow more autonomous and context-aware, organizations must recognize that true value doesn’t come from raw capability alone. To harness AI effectively, especially in enterprise environments, a consistent semantic layer is essential. It ensures alignment among data, tasks, and outcomes, enabling AI to reason reliably across systems and scale impact without losing coherence.
Companies must also move beyond simply adopting AI to actively testing and refining applications to gain a significant advantage. Equally important is a deliberate approach to managing the human element of a transformation, rooted in structured and human-centric change management.
Realizing AI’s true promise requires a fundamental shift in how people, applications, and data connect. Success relies on deeply connecting every part of an organization’s business, delivering end-to-end transformational value. A seamless, integrated suite provides insight and agility, whether responding to a problem or ensuring readiness when opportunity knocks.
This is where SAP Business Suite is a game changer, integrating applications, data, and AI in a virtuous cycle that delivers tangible business outcomes. At our inaugural SAP Connect event earlier in October, we showcased new applications, strategic data partnerships with Google Cloud and Databricks, and a new network of role-based AI assistants in Joule across every line of business.
Altogether, our continuous innovation marks the beginning of a new era powered by self-reinforcing AI, data, and applications. By keeping customer needs and value realization at the center and leading with innovation, businesses can not only navigate uncertainty, but build a more resilient, intelligent, and sustainable future.
Manos Raptopoulos is chief revenue officer of APAC, EMEA, and MEE, and a member of the Extended Board of SAP SE.
Seamless Supply Chain Collaboration with SAP Business Network | Introduction
Discover how SAP Business Network connects buyers, suppliers, and logistics partners for smarter, faster, and more resilient supply chains.
In this introduction, see how SAP Business Network creates a single, unified platform for collaboration across your entire supply chain ecosystem. By connecting buyers, suppliers, manufacturers, and logistics providers in real time, the network enables seamless transactions, shared insights, and end-to-end visibility.
Learn how sharing a consistent, trusted view of orders, shipments, invoices, and inventory can streamline sourcing, improve supplier relationships, and reduce operational bottlenecks. SAP Business Network breaks down silos between trading partners, making it easier to respond to market changes, manage risks, and deliver on customer commitments—no matter the climate.
Whether you’re a procurement leader, supply chain director, or operations manager, you’ll gain insight into how SAP Business Network empowers you to act faster, work smarter, and build a more resilient business.
Learn more about SAP Business Network: https://sap.to/6059fqo47
What Are the 4 Organizational Structures of SAP Materials Management?
Materials management helps to control and execute procurement activities and inventory management.
Kimi Antonelli vs Valtteri Bottas: Who Wins the F1 Cost Cap Challenge?
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team drivers Kimi Antonelli and Valtteri Bottas go head-to-head in an exhilarating race across the desert, with only SAP’s AI co-pilot, Joule, F1 commentator David Croft, and a limited budget to help them reach the finish line.
Watch how real-time insights power smart decisions on and off the track.
Learn more about SAP’s partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team: https://sap.to/60584djs6
@MercedesAMGF1 #F1 #MercedesAMGF1
Don’t Miss SAP Sapphire in 2023 – Join Online or In-Person!
https://sap.to/60513acZJ
Understanding how to stay ahead of the next change coming your way is why we bring our global community together to connect and share knowledge at #SAPSapphire offered both in person as well as virtually. Join us May 16-17 to discover best practices, learn from innovative brands, and connect with SAP partners and experts who can help prepare your business for the future!
https://sap.to/60513acZJ
#shorts
SAP Business Data Cloud Demo: How SAP AI Predicts Attrition & People Costs | SAP Sapphire 2025
Discover how SAP Business Data Cloud empowers C-suite leaders with instant, AI-driven insights across finance, procurement, and HR.
See Joule in action as it answers complex business questions, connects data across systems, and delivers actionable intelligence, helping organizations make smarter decisions and drive better outcomes.
00:16 – Introduction to Business Data Cloud
00:32 – CFO: Cash Flow Insights
00:58 – Sustainability Targets Check
01:18 – Procurement: Spend Intelligence
01:40 – CHRO: Talent Flow Overview
03:38 – Data Science: Attrition Forecasting
Watch the full SAP Sapphire Global Keynote: https://sap.to/6058Narwp
Watch all SAP Sapphire replays on demand: https://sap.to/6059NarwV
#SAPSapphire
What Are the 3 Pillars of SAP Activate?
SAP Activate is based on three pillars: SAP Best Practices, guided configuration, and one methodology for any SAP S/4HANA implementation.
How to Configure Budgeting for Internal Orders in SAP S/4HANA
A major part of the internal orders process addresses budgeting for internal orders.
