SAP Build Apps Helped Improve High-Voltage Grid Maintenance in Germany

50Hertz, part of Elia Group, plays a crucial role in managing the high-voltage grid in the north and east of Germany, covering nearly one-third of the country’s infrastructure. As a transmission system operator, 50Hertz maintains a stable energy supply for the region while actively integrating renewable energy sources to support Germany’s ambitious energy transition plans.

With more than 1,500 employees at 50Hertz alone, the company has a well-defined digitalization strategy in place that focuses on sustaining a clean core system. To meet this objective, it chose to utilize the no-code tool, SAP Build Apps, which aids its transformation journey with SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP).

50Hertz’s citizen developers implemented a mobile application for the company’s specialized maintenance electricians that significantly reduced both the manual effort and the risk of errors. This mobile application supports them by maintaining and calculating the master data of power circuits, which are represented in the SAP system as functional locations.

Why 50Hertz decided to use SAP Build Apps

In 2023, 50Hertz conducted an analysis of its plant maintenance processes. In summary, it concluded that it was time-consuming to create new entries in its plant maintenance system and fill in master and operational data. A lot of manual effort was invested in maintaining data in Excel files and value calculations for technical objects were prone to errors. Due to the complexity of the process, the responsibility for certain areas could only be shared between a few technicians.

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After collaborating with the SAP AppHaus team in Berlin, the company identified a use case for its future accounting solution and evaluated different scenarios. Ultimately, the innovative capabilities of SAP Business Technology Platform convinced the 50Hertz expert team because the platform would allow them to scale up a new solution once it’s successfully piloted and rolled out across the entire corporation.

What’s more, in SAP Discovery Center, they discovered the “Keep the Core Clean Using SAP Build Apps with SAP S/4HANA” mission, which provides guidance and support with a repeatable actionable use case to solve exactly that. The analysis showed that SAP Build Apps could not only help enhance operational agility and speed responses to business requirements, it could also integrate seamlessly with existing SAP S/4HANA architecture.

Martin Glatzel, enterprise architect at SAP AppHaus Berlin, expressed his satisfaction with the collaboration with the 50Hertz team: “With only very limited support from our side, the 50Hertz citizen developers succeeded in using SAP Build Apps to solve their defined use case. Their four new apps will have an immense impact on the efficiency of the important high-voltage grid maintenance work in the future.”

Diagram showing the solution architecture of the 50Hertz maintenance apps

What the maintenance apps improved

SAP Build Apps enabled the team of 50Hertz citizen developers to implement the new maintenance applications with very limited support from SAP. Today, they cover the following maintenance tasks: 

  • The electric circuit display app shows circuit attributes.
  • The circuit section display app allows users to look for a specific circuit and select it. All circuit sections of the selected circuit are shown, and users can view corresponding attributes and characteristics.
  • The circuit section adjusting app allows users to search for a specific circuit and select it. All circuit sections of the selected circuit are displayed, and users can modify corresponding attributes.
  • The circuit section design app allows users to select a circuit and create a circuit section by entering and saving necessary requirements and attributes.

After rolling out the new apps to the specialized electricians, they have benefited in different ways, such as: 

  • About 15% shorter process duration for maintaining functional locations and a significant reduction in the use of both paper- and Excel-based process steps.
  • 10% faster onboarding of new technicians because the app is very easy to use, leading to quick adoption by its end users, the specialized electricians.
  • Intuitive search for technical locations based on historical data.
  • Automatic calculation of business-critical numbers, thus improving accuracy significantly.

Looking back 

Looking back, the 50Hertz team appreciates the opportunity to develop complex apps with SAP Build Apps in relatively short timeframes. Christian Salewsky and Desiree Possi, both working for the Maintenance Systems & Processes department at 50Hertz, shared about their experience: “While we still had to code at least to some extent in JavaScript and learn to keep track of all the different flows, the overall project experience was encouraging. The detailed product documentation allowed our team to grasp the basics quickly. Once we used the standard functionalities of SAP Build Apps, calculating electronic data became very simple. We found clear explanations of all the functions, and the tabular presentation of data was very helpful, too.”


Imke Vierjahn is communications lead at SAP AppHaus.

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KMD Brings the Public Sector to the Cloud with RISE with SAP

WALLDORF SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced KMD A/S, one of Denmark’s largest IT companies and a subsidiary of NEC Corporation, is moving its KMD Opus platform to SAP S/4HANA Cloud through its RISE with SAP journey on Microsoft Azure.

Modernize your SAP ERP and unlock business value by leveraging the full potential of SAP Business Suite

“The agreements with SAP and Microsoft primarily ensure long-term stability for our Opus solution. Opus customers will benefit from the most innovative technologies and a secure and compliant data and cloud setup. This will empower us to enhance the quality of our solution, and to provide even greater value in public administration, whether it concerns payroll, debtors or finances,” said Jan Gaardboe Jensen, Senior Vice President, KMD.

As a major player in the Danish IT market with operations in various European countries, KMD develops and delivers IT solutions and services, focusing on digitalization and IT infrastructure for municipal, state and business segments. By entering into a technology and cloud agreement between KMD, SAP and Microsoft, KMD will be enabled to elevate the operation of KMD Opus, its ERP system offering used by thousands of public employees in Denmark for managing payroll, debtors and finances.

By migrating to SAP S/4HANA Cloud, KMD is looking to develop a new user interface with increased AI integration to bring more automation to repetitive tasks and greater access to data-driven insights, making reporting easier and more accessible to users.

“For the past 27 years, KMD and SAP have worked together to digitize the public sector,” said Mikkel Stavnsbo, Managing Director, SAP Denmark. “It’s exciting to see KMD embark on its next chapter with a focus on new innovative technologies and automation with cloud services from SAP, such as AI. The shift to the cloud unlocks more opportunities for us to work together to contribute to an even better run society,” he added.

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The Results Are In: See Who Won the 2025 SAP Innovation Awards

Business innovation can have a tremendous impact economically, environmentally, and socially—not just for companies but also for communities and the world around us.

Businesses that have participated in the SAP Innovation Awards over the years have supported innovative solutions that meet challenges inside and outside their organizations. For instance, one previous award winner in the energy sector achieved sustainability with a new supply chain solution. Another previous winner in home appliance manufacturing successfully dismantled organizational silos to deliver better customer service.

That’s why I’m especially pleased to announce the groundbreaking winners of the 12th annual SAP Innovation Awards.

The SAP Innovation Awards have been honoring future-minded companies for 12 years. Here are this year’s winners.

What determines the winners?

This year, 217 companies entered the competition. Of that group, 46 were selected by our judges as finalists and 23 as winners.

Representing a variety of industries, the winners have demonstrated creativity, tangible outcomes, and, of course, innovation by applying SAP products and cloud technologies for the betterment of their customers, community, and organizations.

As technology constantly evolves, opportunities arise that can make the world a better place through sustainability, customer experience, and more. The winners demonstrate creative and innovative ideation that takes advantage of the following tools to make an impact:

  • Applications: Integrating and optimizing core business processes with SAP applications to generate semantically rich data that drives global economic growth
  • Data: Centralizing unmatched data from SAP and non-SAP sources into a unified semantic layer to unlock insights, advanced analytics, and AI capabilities
  • AI: Powered by accurate data, harnessing AI and generative AI to deliver a unique advantage in cross-function collaboration and enable smarter decisions and transformative outcomes

What comes with winning an SAP Innovation Award?

Award winners receive global recognition, which can add to their organization’s reputation and credibility with current and potential customers and the community. They’re also honored with a tribute event, trophy, and the option of choosing a $1,000 SAP4Good charitable donation voucher or an admission ticket to SAP Sapphire in Orlando, Florida, May 19-21, or in Madrid, Spain, May 16-28.

To everyone involved

I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the 2025 SAP Innovation Awards, especially the organizations that submitted applications and the participating SAP teams. I look forward to reading about the innovations presented at this year’s event that continue to positively transform business and the world.

Interested in participating in 2026?

In addition to global recognition, praise, and prizes, your organization will have the opportunity to receive:

  • Unique resources: Receive access to marketing materials, including full digital packages, and other branded support to help promote your greatest achievements.
  • Best of breed collaboration: Collaborate with other leading companies and industry leaders that are at the forefront of innovative change.
  • Inspiring stories: Learn about the accomplishments and creative genius of past winners and finalists to motivate your teams to foster a culture of innovation and strive for excellence.

Stay in the know

Subscribe to the SAP Innovation Awards newsletter for details on next year’s event. Want more inspiration? Watch this video and start planning how to leverage your innovative ideas for 2026.


Stephan de Barse is president of the SAP Global Business Suite Organization.

Image courtesy of SAP employee Rudragouda Sanakal.

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SAP Announces Q1 2025 Results

WALLDORF SAP SE today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

  • Current cloud backlog of €18.2 billion, up 28% and up 29% at constant currencies
  • Cloud revenue up 27% and up 26% at constant currencies
  • Cloud ERP Suite revenue up 34% and up 33% at constant currencies
  • Total revenue up 12% and up 11% at constant currencies
  • IFRS operating profit of €2.3 billion; non-IFRS operating profit of €2.5 billion, up 60% and up 58% at constant currencies

“Q1 once again underlines that our success formula is working. Current cloud backlog expanded 29% at constant currencies and total revenue saw a double-digit increase. With a share of more predictable revenue of 86%, SAP’s business model remains resilient in uncertain times. Our AI-powered portfolio enables companies to navigate supply chain disruptions in over 130 countries and to unlock efficiencies with agility and speed.”

Christian Klein, CEO

 

“Q1 marks a solid start to the year in a highly volatile environment, with strong total revenue growth and outstanding operating profit expansion. These results are a testament to our cost discipline and focused execution. While we’re encouraged by this momentum, we remain mindful of the broader environment and are approaching the rest of the year with vigilance, continuing to safeguard both profit and cash flow. “

Dominik Asam, CFO

Read the Quarterly Statement

Press Contacts:
Joellen Perry, +1 (650) 445-6780, joellen.perry@sap.com, PT
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Introducing SAP Cloud ERP Private Package to Accelerate Transformation

With more than four years in market, RISE with SAP has successfully helped thousands of SAP customers modernize their ERP systems, embrace the cloud, and drive meaningful transformation.

“Thanks to this successful transformation and the move to the RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition solution, we have become an innovation leader.”

Nils Krugmann, head of Architecture & Data, Commerz Real AG

The introduction of the RISE with SAP Methodology — along with the integrated toolchain that supports customers through their business and technical journeys — was a game changer to accelerate time to value and support the business case for transformation.

“Moving forward, we’re confident that the cloud transformation enabled by RISE with SAP will empower our organization to innovate and excel in today’s competitive healthcare market and contribute to our Fresenius vision of advancing patient care.”

Ingo Elfering, CIO, Fresenius Group

Today we announce a new commercial package that will support customers even further in this journey.

Introducing the SAP Cloud ERP Private package

The new SAP Cloud ERP Private package is designed to drive customers’ transformation, accelerate time to value, and enable business agility. It includes:

  • Business applications to modernize business processes with a comprehensive cloud ERP solution, integrated with applications designed to enhance financial agility across the entire supply chain
  • Transformation tools and services to accelerate time to value with expert support, and to streamline and transform business processes, landscape, and architecture using our comprehensive, integrated toolchain
  • Cloud optimization and extensibility services to advance the path to a clean core by eliminating data silos and ensuring custom code aligns with cloud compliance, enabling companies to continue building, extending, and innovating ERP for future growth

The package is designed to support customers every step of the way.

Business Applications

Customers can:

  • Benefit from modern cloud business applications with the latest standard capabilities
  • Continuously innovate with new features in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition in a private cloud operating model
  • Gain financial agility across the supply chain with SAP Business Network Supplier Portal for SAP Cloud ERP Private and the SAP Enterprise Service Management solution and SAP Taulia solutions

By integrating these applications, customers will enhance collaboration and agility to run operations, embodying the connected essence of the SAP Business Suite offering.

Transformation Tools and Services

The foundation of a successful transformation journey starts with a holistic assessment of the current systems and a clear understanding of the impact of transitioning to a cloud ERP. This data-driven analysis lays the groundwork for a robust foundation in the ERP transformation journey.

By including SAP LeanIX and SAP Signavio capabilities into the package, customers gain a comprehensive understanding of their current landscape helping to shape the target architecture. This results in a smoother, more agile ERP cloud transformation and long-term process efficiency. This data-driven approach ensures informed decision-making and continuous transformation monitoring, aligning perfectly with the RISE with SAP journey.

Embedded services from SAP include expert support to drive solution activation as well as onboarding and kick-off of the transformation project, ensuring that all critical aspects are addressed from the outset. It also includes workshops to align technology to the business goals that are strategic for the transition, tailored road map development, and adoption plans.

Cloud Optimization and Extensibility Services

The SAP Cloud ERP Private package includes SAP Build, enabling both on-stack and side-by-side extension of SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition with AI-powered application development and process automation. SAP Build allows customers to innovate while maintaining a clean core — a central principle of the RISE with SAP methodology. The deep integration with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, combined with the code-first, low-code, and generative AI capabilities of SAP Build, guarantees that extensions and personalization add value without complicating core operations.

This is aligned with the continual innovation and extensibility strategies encouraged by the RISE with SAP journey. SAP HANA Cloud is a cloud-native database for modernizing enterprise systems that allows customers to build and deploy intelligent data apps at scale. The package also includes the SAP Master Data Governance application to enhance data quality and help maintain a single source of truth, further aligning with the continual innovation and extensibility strategies

Summary and Next Steps

As businesses venture into the new digital era, SAP is committed to guiding and supporting every step of their journey toward integrated, cloud-powered operational excellence.

The SAP Cloud ERP Private Edition package is not just a solution; it is a gateway to a future of limitless potential and unprecedented business agility. Let us embark on this transformative journey together and redefine what’s possible for your business.

Learn more about the new offering and its bundled cloud capabilities here.


Maura Hameroff is senior vice president of Cloud ERP Product Marketing at SAP.

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Simplify Development with SAP Build, Included with SAP S/4HANA Cloud 

Businesses that innovate quickly do not just keep up in the market, they lead. Starting today, SAP S/4HANA Cloud customers gain a powerful competitive edge with full access to SAP Build.

This solution helps developers create, extend, and automate business applications faster using AI-powered, code-first, and low-code tools.

SAP Build has been designed as the optimal way to extend SAP S/4HANA Cloud and other business applications. Thousands of customers are already experiencing up to 3x faster development speeds with SAP Build according to recent analyst research — and now we’ve made it even better.

We are making it dramatically easier for SAP S/4HANA Cloud customers to develop with SAP Build. Starting today, all SAP Build capabilities, along with SAP HANA Cloud, are included in SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

Combined with deep technical integration, this unified offering empowers customers to quickly extend and personalize their SAP S/4HANA Cloud systems using AI-powered application development and automation, while maintaining a clean core and eliminating additional licensing or budgeting complexity.

SAP Build now fully included with SAP S/4HANA Cloud packages

New pricing and packaging for SAP Build provides customers with a frictionless way to innovate by gaining the freedom to choose the right tool for every job — whether it’s AI-powered code-first or low-code development, no more complexity of multiple licenses. Additionally, SAP Build and SAP HANA Cloud are now included in SAP Cloud ERP Private packages, meaning SAP S/4HANA Cloud customers can jumpstart all their development without needing to purchase additional licenses.

  • Lower total cost of ownership (TCO): The new commercial approach for SAP Build alongside SAP S/4HANA Cloud significantly lowers TCO through flexible and cost-efficient model, optimizing resource usage while reducing operational overhead. By integrating seamlessly with existing SAP S/4HANA Cloud investments and simplifying application management across the SAP ecosystem, organizations can drive greater business value.
  • Leverage deep integration with SAP S/4HANA Cloud based on proven security and technology platform following clean core best practices: With the SAP Build Extensibility Wizard users access a guided experience that helps them jumpstart their extension creation from SAP S/4HANA Cloud. The Extensibility Wizard is available now in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition and will be available in the second half of 2025 in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition.
  • Build faster with ready-made pre-built content and Joule for developers AI capabilities to generate code and app logic, create data models, sample data, automations, and code explanations with quality and precision.
  • Gain flexibility: By offering seamless access to both code-first and low-code tools under one unified license, SAP Build makes it easier for businesses to meet diverse development needs of their developers without being locked into restrictive platforms.

“SAP Build is strategic for Delaware, as we believe it is the future for our SAP developers. For our customers, it is the easiest way to achieve a clean core and accelerate innovation, boosting their businesses.”

Tim Leys, SAP Platform Unit Lead, Delaware Consulting

Get Started Today

Customers asked for more flexibility and a simpler way to build and automate. We listened and took action to make it a reality. SAP Build is the gateway to faster, more efficient application development and automation for all SAP systems.

Learn more today:


Bharat Sandhu is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Business Technology Platform at SAP.

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SAP Signavio Marks Third Consecutive Year as a Leader in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Process Mining Platforms

SAP Signavio has once again been recognized as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Process Mining Platforms, marking its third consecutive year of this prestigious acknowledgment.

Realize holistic, data-driven business transformation for faster time to insight and adaption

In today’s dynamic business landscape, process mining is vital for gaining data-driven insights that boost efficiency, smarter decision-making, and business growth, and SAP Signavio maintains an ongoing dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction in the realm of process mining.

The Gartner Magic Quadrant research methodology highlights that “Leaders execute well against their current vision and are well positioned for tomorrow.” SAP Signavio has been recognized as a Leader among 16 vendors, evaluated based on ability to execute and completeness of vision.

“Our goal is to empower our customers to build transformation as an ongoing capability, rather than a one-off project,” said Dee Houchen, chief marketing officer for SAP Signavio. “As transformation never ends, our solutions help companies secure business success as they continuously adapt and analyze their operations, receive AI-assisted improvement recommendations, and monitor their business to establish continuous process optimization. Process mining is at the heart of this approach, and we feel being recognized as a Leader for the third consecutive year by Gartner reaffirms our unwavering commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction, with value realization as our north star.”

 The repeated recognition provides useful context regarding the state of the process mining market. As a vendor, there are several fundamental aspects that differentiate SAP Signavio solutions from others:

  • Customer value realization: With customer value realization as its primary strategic goal, SAP Signavio considers process mining a crucial component for successful process transformation.
  • Enterprise observability: Customers achieve full enterprise observability, enabling them to centralize and manage transformation initiatives within a single solution.
  • AI innovations: SAP Signavio solutions offer AI innovations specific to the process world, fast-tracking and democratizing process mining for its customers.
  • Value accelerators and best practices: Thousands of value accelerators and best practices are available to expedite benefit realization in both SAP and non-SAP environments.
  • Bridging operations and experience: The gap between operations and experience is bridged, providing a clear understanding of how process execution impacts sentiment.

 The Gartner Magic Quadrant equips businesses with valuable insights to make informed decisions.

Get a complimentary copy of the latest Gartner Magic Quadrant, featuring SAP Signavio solutions, here.


Lucas de Boer is Global Marketing program lead for SAP Signavio at SAP.

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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.

Corporate Group Portrait of Cheering Staff Members

SAP CSR 2024 eBook Highlights How Real Impact Starts with Connection

If you’re looking for proof that collective action works, start here. Our new SAP Corporate Social Responsibility (SAP CSR) eBook—Helping the World Run Better, Together—unites stories, data, and momentum from across the globe. It’s a snapshot of how SAP and its partners are building ecosystems, not just programs, that aim to deliver lasting change. 

At SAP, we believe real change begins with deep connection: between companies and communities, between bold ideas and practical infrastructure, and between those willing to take risks and those who benefit from them. That’s the thread running through every initiative in this year’s eBook. 

SAP is powering equitable access to economic opportunity, education and employment, and the circular economy

Transforming supply chains into engines of impact 

One of our most powerful levers? Impact-led procurement. Through SAP Business Network, which processes over US$6.2 trillion in commerce annually, we’re bringing social enterprises into global supply chains. These are businesses solving real-world challenges and, thanks to initiatives like the People and Planet First Verification, delivered in partnership with Social Enterprise World Forum and Good Market, and the Buy Social Europe B2B Consortium co-led by Euclid Network and SAP, more than 4,400 verified impact businesses are now visible to corporate buyers. What’s particularly exciting is the infrastructure that underpins it, from verification and funding to the policies that support systemic change. Through roundtables and cross-sector alliances, SAP is helping redefine procurement as a driver of both business and social value. 

Supporting the builders 

We also support impact businesses through shared expertise. In 2024, SAP employees contributed over 47,000 hours of strategic pro bono consulting to more than 160 nonprofits and social enterprises around the world. Programs include the SAP Social Sabbatical initiative and Pro Bono for Economic Equity, in partnership with PYXERA Global and the Acceleration Collective, which allows employees to engage with the TRANSFORM Support Hub run by MovingWorlds. Whether SAP teams help a circular economy startup in India optimize operations or support a tech nonprofit in Mexico to scale its services, these high-impact engagements can offer mutual benefit. In fact, 96% of our partner organizations report long-term benefits, and employees can build skills while solving real-world problems.  

Building future-ready skills and solutions 

The future of work demands skills and fair access to labor markets. That’s why programs like SAP Educate to Employ, now active in eight countries, are so critical. In 2024, nearly 1,800 learners earned micro-credentials aligned with real SAP job roles, with many continuing to full certification and job placement. This is part of our growing public-private partnership launched by UNICEF Generation Unlimited, which has already reached 64 million young people in 50 countries. Together, we’re helping to connect education and skilling systems with employment opportunities, delivering scalable, market-relevant solutions that can meet people where they are. Together, we’re connecting skilling systems with real income opportunities—flexible, demand-based, localized, and ready to scale. 

What’s clear to us at SAP is that impact doesn’t scale through vision alone. It scales through ecosystems, through standards that build trust, and through partnerships that unlock lasting value. I invite you to explore our 2024 SAP CSR eBook, and see for yourself what’s possible when we all collaborate and when we choose to help make the world run better, together. 

Read the 2024 SAP CSR eBook.


Hemang Desai is head of Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP.

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How a Greenfield Approach Helps Valvoline Global Offer More Innovative Service

Gone are the days of customizing tech landscapes for individual customer requirements, at least for Valvoline Global. The Lexington, Kentucky-based automotive services company has created a single point of entry that helps internal and external stakeholders meet their business requirements.

“It’s no longer just good enough to sell products; you have to sell products with IT services,” Valvoline Global director of Enterprise Architecture David Beach said. “We’re now creating a standardized framework of how to do that.”

Valvoline Global chose a “back to standard,” known as a greenfield, approach — removing custom codes and add-ons — for agility, Beach said. Instead of reacting to a business demand, which often requires lengthy development times that result in cumbersome point-to-point integrations, an experience layer can now connect vendors, customers, suppliers, distributors, and internal users within Valvoline Global’s SAP S/4HANA environment.

Celebrating Bold Innovators in Challenging Times: Meet the SAP Innovation Award 2025 Finalists

The 12th annual SAP Innovation Awards arrive at a crucial moment where change isn’t politely coming in, it’s knocking down doors. 

SAP Innovation Awards celebrate companies that are shaping a better future

Business leaders worldwide now face some of the toughest challenges: adapting to shifting geopolitical environments, diversifying supply chains, and making the leap to cleaner energy solutions.

As chief sustainability and commercial officer, I’m watching these challenges unfold with urgency as we face the rising waters, raging fires, and heavy storms of today’s reality. It is a sobering reminder that the world around us is changing faster than we can sometimes keep up.

It is also a powerful call to action, one that drives the very spirit of innovation that the SAP Innovation Awards celebrate.

Meet the finalists of the SAP Innovation Awards for 2025

Our finalists are trendsetters, future-proofing their businesses with cutting-edge technology.

By harnessing the power of data, applications, and AI, they are setting new standards in operational efficiency, enhancing employee and customer experiences, fostering sustainability, and driving innovation across the entire value chain. It is the remarkable blend of all these factors paired with ambition and impact that caught the judges’ attention. 

The innovation advantage in sustainability

Globally, we are seeing more and more companies waking up to the fact that sustainability is so much more than a trend or compliance duty. It’s the bedrock of stronger, more resilient, and efficient business operations. Put simply: sustainability drives competitive edge. 

To leverage this advantage, innovators are capitalizing on intelligent solutions, from carbon capture and storage technologies to smart energy grids and vertical farming.  

What is lighting up the business landscape today is the power of AI to seamlessly integrate sustainability data, not only helping leaders automate complex, time-consuming tasks, but also to gather, analyze, and evaluate risks and possible outcomes with greater accuracy. 

SAP solutions are the roots that nourish transformative business approaches. In sustainability, for example, we don’t just collect data, we embed it directly into companies’ operational centers. Intelligent business decisions do not happen in the dark — they are driven by high-quality data. 

I passionately believe the finalists of the 2025 SAP Innovation Awards will not just respond to challenges. They will shape the future and unlock more efficient, sustainable solutions — the question is how.

Instruments of transformation

By exploring the cloud, businesses can discover a world of AI-powered possibilities that SAP offers. It is just one of many tools available for sparking every kind of innovation. SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), for example, empowers teams with generative AI-powered development, automation, integration, data, and analytics across SAP applications and beyond.

The day we announce the SAP Innovation Award finalists is always a highlight because we see how these organizations have leveraged the wide spectrum of SAP technologies as instruments of transformation to make a difference across the following 10 categories: 

  1. Industry Leader: Modernizing organizations, and even industries, by offsetting challenges while providing resiliency, transparency, and sustainability across supply chains 
  2. Partner Paragon: Developing a next-generation application by taking advantage of SAP BTP; partners can license the solution via SAP Build, a business application development and automation solution, or the company’s tech adoption program, which improves ability to adopt cloud solutions 
  3. Transformation Titan: Solving business problems while accelerating change 
  4. Business Network Innovator: Future-proofing by transforming supply chains, processes, or networks 
  5. Cloud ERP Champion: Reaping unparalleled benefits from SAP cloud ERP opportunities 
  6. Customer Experience: Enriching customer interactions by streamlining operations and making adaptations in real time 
  7. People Experience: Optimizing SAP cloud resources to improve user enablement and productivity 
  8. AI Excellence: Channeling the power of SAP Business AI to revolutionize business processes while supercharging efficiency and new levels of productivity 
  9. Sustainability Hero: Helping to build an inclusive economy, shape a sustainable future, and positively impact the environment and society (my personal favorite!)
  10. Services Superstar: Adopting SAP cloud solutions to meet or exceed business goals, optimize IT resources, increase user enablement, and improve productivity or learning

Stay tuned for the winners 

Congratulations to our finalists! Winners will be announced on April 23, 2025, and will receive a tribute event, trophy, and the option of choosing either a $1,000 charitable donation voucher or an admission ticket to SAP Sapphire in Orlando, Florida, or Madrid, Spain.

Finalists and winners are selected by our distinguished judges’ panel, made up of industry thought leaders, influencers, community members, and SAP experts. The criteria they use to identify our trailblazers and ultimately the winners are as follows: 

  • Case creativity: The ways the submission is both compelling and disruptive
  • Tangible outcome: The significance of the outcome, as well as its impact on individuals and society
  • Intelligent enterprise: The way the submission enables an organization to empower employees, reduce risk, anticipate and respond to client needs, seamlessly achieve desired outcomes, and invent new business models and revenue streams

We will celebrate winners that embody these attributes with the opportunity to be featured in media interviews, blogs, podcasts, speaking engagements, and on other platforms. Just like sustainable business transition, innovation is a continuous journey, one that requires constant reinvention.

As we continue to face the unknowns of today’s reality, let’s stay engaged, stay inspired, and together push the boundaries of what is possible with innovative ideas.


Sophia Mendelsohn is chief sustainability and commercial officer at SAP.

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