As we prepare for Climate Week and the 79^th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79) taking place in New York City this month, there are three topics of conversation that we are taking with us. We encourage you to consider how these themes might offer a more robust experience for you and your organization and, ultimately, lead to better outcomes.

In our effort to align with the UN’s theme to build a “peaceful, sustainable, and promising future for all,” we look to the following priorities to influence our decision-making and inspire others to take action in incorporating positive economic, social, and environmental impact into their end-to-end businesses.

1. The Benefits of Ecosystem Building

At the crux of gatherings like UNGA 79 and Climate Week is bringing the top minds and leaders in government, private, social, and academic sectors together to discuss collaborative solutions to pressing issues. Understanding the value of working together to create networks of resources enables sharing knowledge, funding, or diverse perspectives with each other to achieve your goals.

Multilateral partner ecosystems offer an opportunity to play to each other’s strengths. For example, SAP is not the expert in creating social and environmental impact; that expertise resides within the social sector. However, SAP understands the critical role technology can play in creating promising results in addressing issues like climate change and creating a more circular economy. At the same time, governments set the guidelines for policies that influence climate action. Each of us has a role to play and it is important to understand how we can best work together to deliver results and accelerate change.

When participating in conversations on key global issues, like climate change, remember that collaboration between government, private, and social sectors is paramount in catalyzing a positive shift in business to make progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2. The Importance of Education

Education is a fundamental human right and a key driver in economic development. Next to partnership, prioritizing education and skills development is necessary to remain resilient in a rapidly changing world and help bridge the digital divide in under-resourced communities. Yet, it is not often a topic of conversation at convenings like Climate Week.

Climate disasters disrupt the education of nearly 40 million children annually and continues to increase. The skills gap is growing. More than half the workforce in 57 of 108 countries have jobs that do not match their education level or help citizens adapt to climate change and the green transition. Universal education has an impact on climate change. Financing education can significantly reduce carbon emissions, up to 51.48 gigatons by 2050 in low and lower-middle income countries. Young impact entrepreneurs known as The Possibilists also see climate action as one of the most important issues they face and use education as a tool “[…] for reducing inequalities and creating change.”

During Climate Week conversations with partners like UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited, SAP is hoping to collaborate across sectors and embrace innovative strategies to educate and foster a new generation of environmentally skilled workforces. By building cross-sector collaboration in areas like education, we gain access to new perspectives in social innovation and a wider talent pool as we work toward a more fair, sustainable world.

Advocating for education initiatives and partnerships within climate conversations is important. Education underpins the vitality of the broader business ecosystem, nurtures the next generation of talent, and creates a pathway to environmental progress.

3. The Opportunity of Intergenerational Leadership

When discussing ecosystem building and education, we cannot forget young voices. Young people are at the frontline of issues like climate change, but often fail to appear in key decision-making spaces. SAP embraces the idea of intergenerational collaboration, bringing together diverse perspectives across the business. For example, We Are Family Foundation, with support in part from SAP, conducted a study in which 96% of respondents believed intergenerational collaboration holds significant value and can generate positive change when faced with global challenges.

Youth offer intersectional voices that hold a unique moral authority over issues like climate justice. In addition, they bring innovative and tech-driven approaches as digital natives in an everchanging world. When private, public, and social sector organizations tap into the potential of young experts, business and the world as a whole benefit.

With more than half the world under the age of 30, it’s imperative to ensure equitable representation of youth voices during the upcoming convenings, like Climate Week and COP29.

For more information on how SAP is helping the world run better and improving people’s lives all year round, visit sap.com/csr.

Selina Henn is a strategy and operations associate for Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP.

Demands on the SAP Global AI Ethics policy have fundamentally changed since the document was last updated in 2021. While the policy previously only addressed a niche audience of SAP employees developing AI, the advent of generative AI and business AI has changed both the scope of the policy as well as the number of interested stakeholders.

“Generative AI”, explains Vikram Nagendra, director of Sustainability at SAP, “led to an explosion of interest in the policy. Nearly all of the lines of business became involved, business AI is now the centerpiece of our strategy, and today nearly every employee is touched by AI, either building it or as a user.”

Now the latest version of the SAP Global AI Ethics policy is aligned to the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, covering generative AI and applicable to specific partner and third-party systems as well all employees.

The UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI is the most comprehensive global framework available for shaping the development and use of AI systems. Adopted by all 193 Member States, it comprises 10 principles that protect and advance human rights, human dignity, the environment, transparency, accountability, and legal adherence. “Knowing that SAP has aligned its ethical principles on a globally accepted standard means that as long as SAP colleagues comply to these principles during the development, deployment, use, and sale of AI, they can be truly confident that it is to the highest ethical standards,” Nagendra says.

The SAP Global AI Ethics policy comprises 10 guiding principles on AI ethics grounded on the UNESCO principles, and each principle is defined in the context of AI at SAP. A brief section on governance, Nagendra explains, “shows how individual developers and teams are not alone and can rely on both governance bodies and processes for proper handling if there is a problem.”

Why Does SAP Use the UNESCO Recommendation?

The UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI is an internationally recognized set of values that reaches beyond current legal adherence and creates ethical safeguards in the absence of national or global standards. For example, the Fairness and Non-Discrimination value commits SAP to not only protecting fairness but also to promoting it and putting in place as many safeguards as possible to avoid discriminatory or biased outcomes.  

SAP aligns with the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI because it:

Reinforces SAP’s Commitment to Human Rights

The cornerstone of the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI is the protection of human rights and dignity. This aligns with SAP’s commitment to respect and advance human rights across business operations, product lifecycle, and the extended value chain. Upholding this commitment is foundational to SAP’s approach to AI ethics.

“The UNESCO principle of Proportionality and Do Not Harm resonates with me because the power to affect the rights of individuals should correspond to the responsibility to protect the relevant human rights.”

– Camila Lombana Diaz, AI Ethics Expert and Researcher, SAP

Increases Trust with Stakeholders, Employees, and Customers

Grounding SAP’s AI ethics in the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI enables SAP to match business opportunity with human rights considerations and role model behavior for ethically developing, deploying, selling, and internally using AI systems.

Enhances the Reputation of SAP as a Responsible and Socially Conscious Organization

The 10 guiding principles on AI ethics in the SAP Global AI Ethics policy form the basis for SAP’s AI Ethics Handbook. This handbook translates the principles into actionable items and processes to guide the development and deployment of AI systems that have human oversight and determination, are fair and non-discriminatory, and protect and promote sustainability as well as individual privacy. The principles in the SAP Global AI Ethics policy combined with external guidance from the SAP AI Ethics Advisory Panel, internal guidance from the SAP Global AI Ethics steering committee, and the AI Ethics Handbook provide transparency on how SAP delivers responsible AI.

“The UNESCO principle of Sustainability resonates with me because it underlines SAP’s sustainability commitment and the need to assess and address the impacts of AI – both positive and negative – from a holistic perspective. We need to take them into account across the full range of dimensions: human, social, cultural, economic, and environmental.”

– Christine Susanne Mueller, Deputy Human Rights Officer, SAP

Supports Risk Mitigation

The UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI provides a robust, globally recognized framework to help ensure regulatory requirements for customer compliance with current and future regulations related to AI.

Useful Links

• SAP Global AI Ethics policy
• Human rights at SAP
• UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence key facts
• UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence policy

WALLDORF — SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced it has successfully completed its acquisition of WalkMe Ltd., a leading digital adoption platform company listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (NASDAQ: WKME).

WalkMe’s innovative technology enables seamless workflow execution across business software applications, improving user experience and adoption and supporting business transformation. WalkeMe^X’s AI capabilities will supercharge SAP’s copilot Joule with context-aware and proactive help across workflows, allowing users to become more productive.

As a result of the acquisition, each ordinary issued and outstanding share of WalkMe Ltd. has been converted into the right for its shareholders to receive US$14.00, subject to adjustment, per share in cash. The completion of the acquisition has been duly reported to the Nasdaq Stock Market, and trading of WalkMe’s ordinary shares is expected to be suspended at the close of market today pending delisting. With an equity value of about US$1.5 billion, this represents an approximate 45% premium to WalkMe’s closing share price on June 4, 2024, the day SAP and WalkMe agreed to binding terms of the acquisition.

Visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP at @SAPNews.

For more information, financial community only:
Alexandra Steiger, +49 6227-7-60437, investor@sap.com, CEST

For more information, press only:
Joellen Perry, +1 650-445-6780, joellen.perry@sap.com, PT
Daniel Reinhardt, +49 6227-7-40201, daniel.reinhardt@sap.com, CEST
Ofir Bloch, press@walkme.com
SAP Press Room; press@sap.com

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 2023 Annual Report on Form 20-F.
© 2024 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 (or its affiliates) in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices.

SuccessConnect, our flagship customer event, is just around the corner, and we’re beyond excited to bring you an event like no other this year. You’ll have the chance to connect with experts, partners, and peers to exchange best practices and discover innovations that are designed to bring out the best in your workforce. From seeing how AI is empowering employees, learning how to create a talent strategy built for future success, or finding ways to improve HR and business processes, you’ll be inspired by the possibilities to make every employee a success story. 

Whether you’re new to SAP SuccessFactors solutions, a longtime customer, or considering making a move, here’s what you can look forward to at SuccessConnect in 2024.

1. Join Three Inspiring Keynotes and See SAP SuccessFactors Solutions in Action

The SAP SuccessFactors leadership team will take the stage to discuss what is top of mind for HR and the latest innovations in SAP SuccessFactors solutions. You’ll also hear from industry-leading customers on how they’re adopting our AI copilot Joule and generative AI to help unlock valuable insights, achieve new levels of productivity, and accelerate business outcomes with a best-in-class user experience. Plus, we’re thrilled to have Emmy award-winning actress and singer, Hannah Waddingham, join us this year to discuss her rise to fame, the importance of mental health advocacy, and women’s empowerment.

2. Explore Road Map Sessions and Discover What’s Coming

Get a front-row seat at our product road map sessions to hear what’s new and what’s coming next for SAP SuccessFactors solutions. From expanding on the unique strength of our cloud-native, AI-enabled global HR core to using the AI-enabled talent intelligence hub to help deliver an entirely new career development experience, we will share and show the latest innovations across our solutions. Also, learn about the exciting enhancements in the SAP SuccessFactors technology foundation and how HCM can provide customers significant value as a critical part of SAP’s cloud ERP suite. Topics include integration, extensibility, security, system administration, and more. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with product experts and ask questions during the live Q&A segment.

3. Experience Hands-On Lab Sessions

Elevate your learning with hands-on lab sessions* that provide practical, real-time guidance. Dive into configuring and using our products while getting your questions answered on the spot. Topics include optimizing your position management processes with the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central solution, creating compelling stories from the data in SAP SuccessFactors HCM, uncovering new enhancements for learners in the SAP SuccessFactors Learning solution, and more. To wrap up this year’s hands-on labs, we’re hosting a friendly competition where you and your peers can team up for a series of interactive exercises in a live SAP SuccessFactors environment. The goal? Be the fastest team to accurately recruit, hire, and pay a fictional employee. The first team to complete the challenge will win a fun prize!

4. Learn Best Practices from SAP SuccessFactors Customers

Hear practical tips from peers on a range of topics, including transitioning to a skills-based organization using AI, migrating from the SAP ERP Human Capital Management solution to SAP SuccessFactors solutions, and staying compliant with complex labor laws using our core HR, time, and payroll solutions. Learn how technology can advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives, especially as expectations from environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investors and the public sector increase, or hear the experiences of SAP SuccessFactors customers that have embraced AI early on to gain a competitive edge. HR leaders from companies like McDonald’s, Volkswagen, Nestlé, Dr. Oetker, Delta Air Lines, Fujitsu, Eurobank, Aramark, and many others will inspire you with their stories. Plus, don’t miss the opportunity to engage in live Q&A with each of our customer speakers.

5. Meet SAP Experts and Have Fun!

Make the most of various networking opportunities to connect with HR executives, peers, partners, industry analysts, and more. For attendees who enjoy in-depth, one-on-one discussions with our product, services, and support experts, don’t miss the chance to join Meet the Experts sessions to ask your most pressing questions and build new connections. If you prefer interactive group discussions, join Ask SAP Experts sessions, where our team will answer your questions and advise you on how to tackle key business challenges.

And finally, don’t forget to join us at Pavilhão Carlos Lopes for an exciting after-hours party on Tuesday, October 29. Experience the true essence of Portugal with an evening full of surprises, delightful cuisine, and fantastic music.

Explore the session catalog to tailor your agenda to your specific role and interest. This year, we’re offering pre-conference trainings on Monday, October 28, and post-conference trainings on Wednesday, October 30, to expand your knowledge of the SAP SuccessFactors HCM suite. Additional fees apply.

If you are unable to attend the event in Lisbon, join us virtually by signing up for SuccessConnect Virtual on October 28-30, 2024.

*Hands-on lab session registration is required. Space is limited so speakers have time to answer attendee questions.

Lara Albert is global vice president of Product Marketing at SAP SuccessFactors.

In the bustling world of startups having a groundbreaking idea is just the beginning. To truly thrive, emerging businesses need powerful tools that can grow alongside them, adapting to ever-changing demands.

Enter SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition: a game-changing, flexible ERP solution designed to meet the unique challenges of emerging businesses. This cloud-based platform not only streamlines operations but also empowers startups to innovate and scale without limits, offering a competitive edge in today’s fast-paced market.

Let’s explore why SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition is the ultimate ally for startups looking to gain a competitive edge and aiming to transform their visions into reality.

Scalability and Flexibility for Rapid Growth

Startups often experience rapid changes in size, scope, and strategy. SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition is built with scalability at its core. As a business evolves, SAP cloud ERP solutions allow for effortlessly adding new features, modules, and users as needed. This adaptability helps ensure that an ERP system remains aligned with business goals, enabling startups to stay agile and responsive to market changes. Whether a company is a small team today or planning to expand globally tomorrow, cloud-based ERP from SAP adapts to needs without the need for costly and disruptive upgrades.

Gero Decker, general manager of SAP Signavio and co-managing director of SAP Berlin, witnessed the impact of SAP cloud ERP on business growth: “Being a founder myself, I can tell you that SAP cloud ERP is a key catalyst for achieving hockey stick growth.”

Cost-Efficiency for Tight Budgets

One of the biggest challenges startups face is managing limited resources. SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition operates on a subscription-based model, which means lower upfront costs and predictable expenses. This financial flexibility allows startups to allocate more resources toward innovation and growth rather than being tied down by expensive IT infrastructure.

Enhanced Collaboration and Real-Time Insights

In a startup environment, every decision counts. SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition provides real-time analytics and insights, empowering a team to make informed decisions quickly. The platform fosters collaboration by connecting different departments and ensuring everyone has access to the same up-to-date information. This unified approach not only streamlines operations but also enhances productivity across the board.

Robust Security and Compliance

For startups, especially those handling sensitive data, security is paramount. SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition comes equipped with world-class security features, ensuring data is protected against threats. Additionally, SAP’s compliance tools help with navigating complex regulatory requirements, offering peace of mind when expanding into new markets.

Seamless Integration with Other Tools

Startups often rely on a variety of software tools to manage different aspects of their business. SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition integrates easily with other applications, creating a seamless ecosystem where all business processes are connected. This integration reduces manual work, eliminates silos, and allows a startup to operate more efficiently.

Support and Expertise from a Global Leader

When you choose SAP, you’re not just choosing software, you’re gaining access to decades of experience and a global network of experts. SAP provides comprehensive support to help startups navigate the complexities of ERP implementation and maximize the benefits of the platform. This partnership approach ensures that a company is never alone on its journey to success.

The SAP startup community is a unique resource that is supportive for all startups, which all share SAP S/4HANA Cloud in place as their business backbone, alongside the dedicated SAP for Startups Team.

Companies like Get Your Guide, FINN, and everdrop have leveraged extensive support and expertise from SAP to achieve strategic goals and drive their businesses forward. This is just a sample of the many successful partnerships SAP has with clients.

Bits & Pretzels in Munich, September 29-30

For startups looking to transform operations and scale business, SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition is the solution they have been waiting for. Don’t miss the opportunity to see it in action: Join us at Bits & Pretzels in Munich, September 29-30, 2024, where we’ll be showcasing the full capabilities of SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition.

Curious to find out more? here.

“Attending Bits & Pretzels 2024 offers unparalleled networking, learning, and funding opportunities, bringing together 5000+ top entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders,” ” shared Stefan Wagner, managing director of the SAP Labs Munich Campus. “It’s a unique chance to gain insights, build partnerships, and experience the event’s vibrant blend of business and culture during Oktoberfest in Munich.”

As president and chief product officer for Cloud ERP, I am excited to reveal how SAP cloud ERP solutions can revolutionize startup operations, slashing costs and turbocharging efficiency. Come and discover how SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Cloud Edition can drive your startup’s success. We look forward to seeing you there!

Jan Gilg is president and chief product officer of Cloud ERP at SAP.

SAP’s Future of Work Trend Report identifies three major areas relevant to work that are undergoing massive changes with the spread of artificial intelligence (AI): future of workforce, future of people practices, and future of HR.

Here Christian Schmeichel, Chief Future of Work Officer at SAP SE, discusses these transformations.

Q: The second half of 2024 has begun, and SAP is positioning itself as a business AI company, including offering an AI assistant for its business software. What do SAP employees think about the company’s increased focus on AI?

A: AI is no longer a new topic within SAP’s workforce. According to an internal study from late 2023, 80% of respondents are optimistic about AI. This has been confirmed. It’s also because we are a software company. There are certainly industries where the workforce is more cautious about AI, but this is less the case at SAP, partly because we place a high value on privacy and data protection. Our employees also see the great opportunity that SAP has with business AI to unlock the next stage of development for our portfolio. This excites many.

Q: As chief future of work officer at SAP, your team is responsible for predicting and managing changes in the workplace. How is the spread of AI currently influencing the future of employees?

A: The race for the future has intensified with AI. Our customers want to know how their workforce structure needs to evolve and what steps they need to take as a company to ensure current and future employees have the skills and qualifications needed to collaborate effectively with AI.

Global megatrends such as climate change and the entry of younger generations into the workforce are additional challenges that interest us at SAP. Like other companies, we are also exploring scenarios to determine what skills we will need in 5 to 10 years, how roles and activities will change, and what level of AI and robotics will be required in different teams. It’s not easy for anyone to imagine where we will be in five years, which keeps things exciting.

Q: What impact does the further spread of AI have on daily work?

A: Unlike other technological changes in the past, the current development in the context of AI is a fundamental shift in the interaction between humans and machines. I believe that learning to work with AI, including learning to delegate tasks, is necessary. We already see generative AI being used in all areas of work, and the topic is becoming very tangible. This ranges from research and data analysis to creating reports, presentations, and meeting minutes. It may turn out that we will take on tasks with a completely different focus in the future. For example, we may do tasks that cannot or should not be entrusted to AI because they require decisions that are currently beyond its capabilities, such as creativity, strategic thinking, or moral judgment.

Q: Can we speak of a shift away from purely role-specific work towards skill-based tasks?

A: Certainly. Depending on the role, whether it’s in development, sales, consulting, or more, there are specific, typical applications of AI. However, it also involves developing a certain mindset that involves a lot of self-reflection: what am I best at and what can I do better than AI in the future? Where can I best apply my skills? I believe this will become increasingly important. With a stronger focus on widely applicable skills rather than rigid role profiles, there is a certain fluidity in the organization. Employees will become increasingly flexible and will not need to switch roles or departments to take on tasks that match their skill set and interests. I see this as a great opportunity to increase job satisfaction.

The second major area involves the corresponding digital application skills. These include practical skills, such as giving a prompt in a way that AI can provide what is needed, as well as knowledge of ethics and compliance.

Q: Such comprehensive changes in a short period of time demand a lot from employees. How can the right people practices support them?

A: An important first step is to be aware of the changes that are happening. We live in an era where there are ever faster and more impactful technological changes happening. Employees need a toolbox to successfully face this massive change they experience every day. Topics such as mental health have been important at SAP for some time, and we see that practical techniques for stress management and adapting to changed work situations are in high demand. However, the use of AI also offers great opportunities to promote a good work-life integration.

Q: How does the application of AI today and in the future affect HR work?

A: There are already numerous exciting use cases for AI in HR that aim to make processes more efficient. For example, in recruiting, AI can generate job postings faster and create tailored interview guides. In the area of learning, there are already good opportunities, such as providing personalized information and individual training.

In addition to possible efficiency gains, AI will help the HR department become even more strategic in the future. Transactional tasks can increasingly be automated and taken on by AI, giving HR professionals more time for strategic tasks. For example, more focus could be placed on providing personal advice for employees, which is currently often hard to do given the many daily demands on HR professionals.

Q: What does the use of AI mean for the work of the People & Culture organization at SAP specifically?

A: The goal is to fully leverage the potential of AI as part of our transformation to best support our leaders and employees with their daily work. At the same time, it’s about continuously improving the efficiency within certain areas of the People & Culture organization. There is great interest among our employees in working with AI applications. To date, more than 50,000 employees have used the generative AI experience lab tool and submitted over 5 million prompts. It can now be said that AI is seen not only as a collaborative tool but also as a partner for work. Thinking “AI first” is an important aspect for continued success and to achieve our goal of becoming the No. 1 business AI company.

Furthermore, forward-looking HR work aims to create an attractive work environment where employees can do their tasks with a high level of motivation and enjoyment. In the age of AI, it will become increasingly easier to recognize in a timely manner how the workforce is doing and where there may be issues to act accordingly. Survey and feedback formats developed and controlled from the People & Culture organization should, with the help of AI, allow for results much faster in the future, helping to respond promptly to developments and needs within the workforce.

Q: How does the spread of AI influence your own work?

A: As chief future of work officer at SAP, I am excited about the opportunity to be at the forefront of the major changes that AI brings to HR work — and in the People & Culture Board area at SAP, we are actively driving the topic as a showcase for our own SAP solutions. For my role, this means actively shaping the influence of AI on the development of our workforce and the entire HR department alongside my team. This includes strategic workforce planning, modern work methods, and impulses for the further development of the HR organization to guide the future of work at SAP toward an exciting and digitalized future. AI will fundamentally change the work of employees, and the next few years will certainly be some of the most innovative in HR and the larger technology world. This is a great opportunity to significantly shape the development of the working world at SAP.

For more information:

• Future of Work Trend Report 2024
• SAP Responsible AI Handbook
• SAP Business AI