At the end of the DSAG Annual Congress 2022, the German-speaking SAP User Group (DSAG) drew a positive conclusion. Around 3,600 participants had come to Leipzig to find out about the latest topics from the SAP world and to share ideas with the SAP community. In particular, the fact that the DSAG Annual Congress could be held as a face-to-face event again for the first time since 2019 generated enthusiasm among participants.
Day 2: People and processes as key factors for transformation
In the SAP keynote on the third and final day of the DSAG Annual Congress 2022, Sven Mulder, Managing Director of SAP Germany, addressed the question of how companies can derive a concrete process model from their change strategy. Because almost all companies have now understood that they need to do something and have set up a corresponding strategy for the transformation. This strategy defines, for example, the specific objectives of the transformation, how IT can best support the transformation, and how change management must be handled in order to anchor the changes throughout the company.
As Sven Mulder emphasized, there is no alternative to transformation. Consequently, it is not a question of whether to change, but how. The vast majority of transformation strategies encompass five key objectives: Standardization, modernization, automation, process optimization and adaptability.
In the IT landscapes of many companies, highly complex structures have emerged as a result of customer-specific enhancements: The problem is that this makes it virtually impossible to respond quickly to changing market needs. A higher level of standardization offers much better conditions for this. Modernization is relevant in terms of user experience, among other things. The intuitive use of software helps ensure that users go along with the transformation and embrace change.
The call for greater efficiency is currently louder than ever before. To ensure it, employees need to be able to focus on core issues by automating repetitive tasks and activities. In view of the shortage of skilled workers, this aspect is becoming even more important. In addition, business processes generally offer considerable potential for optimization. In order to leverage this potential, processes must be analyzed and structured, and appropriate improvement measures must be derived from the results of the analysis. In today’s world, companies simply cannot afford inefficiencies in their processes. Macroeconomic conditions and influences are changing ever faster and can only be managed with a high degree of agility. The task for companies: reduce complexity in order to increase flexibility.
Cloud solutions in particular increase the agility and speed of companies. Innovations can be used most quickly if they are consumed in the cloud. In SAP’s target picture, individualizations are to take place completely on SAP Business Technology Platform in the future. Such an IT architecture supports the identification and implementation of new business opportunities as well as the modernization of the operating model in terms of cost efficiency and security.
SAP’s process model for successful business transformation is called RISE with SAP. Sven Mulder explained that the program is the appropriate methodology for becoming an intelligent, efficient and sustainable enterprise and comprises all necessary components for this purpose. RISE with SAP paves the way from the clean core to a modular ERP system and bridges the gap between standardization and customization.
During the DSAG Annual Congress 2022, the call to think outside the box was heard in various presentations. This task was taken on by philosopher Richard David Precht in the closing keynote. He discussed the question of what the future of work will look like in the light of the digital revolution. One finding: the transformation of the world of work will continue and companies will have to find suitable answers to the change from a gainful employment society to a society of meaning. In short, an end to the transformation is not on the horizon.