DSAG Annual Congress 2024: Positive vibes at the end

After three days of exciting keynotes, inspiring presentations and intensive networking, the DSAG Annual Congress 2024 has come to an end. 5,575 participants set a new record and made the event the largest DSAG event of all time. As a further milestone, the 4,000th DSAG member, Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe, was welcomed in Leipzig. DSAG Chairman Jens Hungershausen’s conclusion was correspondingly positive: “I am proud of what we have achieved here and am completely satisfied with the entire event.”

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The coverage of the DSAG Annual Congress 2024 at a glance

• Preview: A harmonious triad for transformation

• Day 1: Setting the pace for digital transformation

• Day 2: Symphony of interaction

• Day 3: Positive vibes at the end

The speed of change as a challenge

The predominant topics at the DSAG Annual Congress 2024 were the cloud and artificial intelligence (AI), which are seen as key drivers of digital business transformation. However, companies are struggling with the rapid pace at which change is taking place. In a joint survey by DSAG and ASUG, almost a quarter of the companies surveyed stated that they are unable to keep up with the pace of technical, economic and social change. 59% are more or less successful.

The transition to the cloud is accompanied by various challenges and – at least in some industries – will not take place as quickly as SAP has propagated. DSAG therefore reiterated its call for SAP to provide clear answers regarding the added value of the cloud and the flexibility of the operating models. In order to ensure investment protection, the costs associated with increased cloud usage and the use of downstream services must be made transparent. In addition, companies that rely on SAP S/4HANA on-premise should not be excluded from the delivery of innovations.

There is still a lot of AI potential to be exploited

Companies have some catching up to do when it comes to AI. Only 8% describe themselves as experts in this field, while the vast majority are currently working on acquiring the necessary knowledge and learning more. In order for AI to gain a stronger foothold in companies, it is also important to gradually integrate helpful AI functionalities into SAP business applications and provide viable use cases for the use of AI. Companies are demanding transparency about where AI is being used and what data is being used for the models.

Transformation is teamwork

What was emphasized again and again at the DSAG Annual Congress 2024: Real teamwork is required to master the digital transformation. Companies, SAP and SAP partners must join forces and each make their own contribution to success. The harmonious triad of those involved is needed to overcome the diverse challenges of the modern business world. The role of SAP partners is to support companies and organizations with tailored services and solutions for digital transformation. With their technological and professional expertise, they make a significant contribution to improving business processes and making them more efficient.

Prof. Hans-Werner Sinn gives the closing keynote speech

In the closing keynote speech at the DSAG Annual Congress, the focus went beyond pure technology and turned to a topic that will significantly determine the framework for action for companies during the transformation: Sustainability and climate change. In his presentation “Sustainability, efficiency and European climate policy – unsolved problems in the energy transition”, Hans-Werner Sinn, professor emeritus and long-standing president of the ifo Institute for World Economic Research, took a critical look at Germany’s special approach to energy policy. For him, climate policy is the most important cause of Germany’s current economic decline, which is not cyclical but structural.

Conclusion: Successfully shaping the digital transformation

The DSAG Annual Congress 2024 provided valuable impetus for the transformation and sent an important message: It is essential for companies to actively tackle change and seize the resulting opportunities. “The digital transformation is happening and user companies, SAP and partners need to get to grips with it,” emphasizes Jens Hungershausen. “The field is prepared, many things are already possible and many things are emerging. It’s up to us to shape the transformation successfully.”

Photo: DSAG