Tackling complexity together – SAP must deliver, companies must act

New technologies are emerging on a weekly basis. IT systems communicate with one another across continental borders. Data volumes are exploding, risks are increasing, and everything is becoming increasingly important all at once. Clarity emerges when SAP and its client companies focus even more closely on the levers that have the greatest impact on their digital development. “At the 2026 Technology Days, we at DSAG will be focusing on three of these: artificial intelligence (AI), data, and IT security. These three areas are currently reshaping not only the technology sector but the entire value chain,” says Stefan Nogly, DSAG Executive Board Member for Technology.

AI as an Orchestrated System

Artificial intelligence is a key driver because it will transform every architecture and every business capability in the future. When used correctly, AI can accelerate decision-making, transform processes, and simplify tasks. In the field of AI agents, many solutions have been announced and implemented. However, these are often not yet being used across the board within companies. SAP is pursuing a clear strategy to move AI from the experimental phase into corporate reality and business processes—an approach that DSAG expressly welcomes. “Investing in a multi-agent system is the right move, because AI must not be merely a loose collection of use cases, but must function as an orchestrated system following clear guidelines,” explains Nogly. In addition, it is necessary to be able to integrate models from different providers and also to have SAP-specific models such as SAP-RPT1, which natively understands structured business data. This is a genuine strategic advantage.

„SAP has the high standard that AI should be enterprise-ready. This involves more than just having as many AI agents as possible. Performance, security, compliance, stability, and integration must also be considered and guaranteed from the very beginning,” demands the DSAG Chief Technology Officer. While SAP has already delivered many AI functionalities, it is now crucial for SAP to further simplify the adoption and use of AI for enterprises.

Clarity on future IT architectures

To make the most of AI as a strategic lever, companies also need clarity regarding their future IT architectures. In practice, companies are investing in their own AI solutions alongside their SAP strategies. On the one hand, this indicates that some companies are still in an experimental phase; on the other hand, it suggests that SAP’s barriers to entry are too high for many companies.

This is also evident in current investment behavior: According to the DSAG Investment Report 2026, the DSAG member companies surveyed have so far put few AI use cases into productive use in the AI sector. One reason for this is that the surveyed companies do not yet have any SAP Cloud applications in use. “That is why companies now need clarity regarding future architectures and application scenarios. At the same time, however, they are also required to build up their own AI expertise in a targeted, structured, and sustainable manner in order to keep pace with the rapid developments,” said Nogly.

AI that is stable, integrated, controllable, and scalable can deliver the desired value to businesses. In addition, SAP AI solutions, third-party products, and customer-specific extensions must work closely together and be operational. Today’s starting points are complex licensing models and existing heterogeneous, sometimes highly customized, customer environments. These currently pose a challenge to the widespread adoption of new AI innovations. Here, companies, partners, DSAG, and SAP must work hand in hand to reduce custom extensions and consistently follow the Clean Core principle, so that existing system landscapes can be migrated to the cloud or modernized with cloud extensions.

In recent years, many companies have invested significantly in the development of SAP Fiori apps to efficiently map individual process requirements. These solutions are deeply embedded in day-to-day operations, designed for the long term, and require investment protection. “While SAP is driving a new generation of user interfaces with Joule, it is crucial for our members that existing environments continue to be fully supported and remain strategically secure,” says Nogly. SAP has assured that it will support existing Fiori landscapes in the long term.

Data Management as a Strategic Priority

The success of AI depends crucially on a consistent data foundation, making data management a strategic priority. SAP has laid the foundation for the harmonization of SAP data and its integration with third-party sources with the SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC). For the BDC to fulfill its role as a unified data platform within enterprises, it must be continuously developed to strengthen its function as a transparent and interoperable data layer.

This is often hindered by the still-fragmented IT landscapes in companies. “The solution lies in more pre-built, documented data products with user control over the domains, plus practical and predefined training and governance packages. Companies also need clear cataloging of data products as well as mapping between customer-specific structures and standard products,” says Nogly. Implementing modern data governance ensures that data silos, redundant structures, and differing interpretations of terms and metrics are eliminated. Here, SAP BDC can provide effective support so that AI can be deployed to deliver value through AI agents, modern analytics functions, and intelligent processes.

Security as an Ongoing Process

In addition to AI innovations and a robust data foundation, companies need secure and resilient processes. IT security forms the foundation for the reliable and responsible use of the cloud and AI, as well as access to data. It must be clear that AI can also be exploited by attackers, thereby increasing security risks. Security is a mindset characterized by standards, measurability, and a clear process with established procedures and ongoing enablement. “More data, more autonomous systems, and the use of AI increase the attack surface, complexity, and demands on resilience. Data strategy is about data ownership and the traceable origin of data. Many companies have not yet internalized the necessary operational and governance model for this,” says Nogly.

From DSAG’s perspective, however, technical functions are not the whole story. As mentioned, companies also need enablement, best practices, and reference artifacts that allow them not only to define governance but to put it into practice. In the context of the SAP AI strategy, companies must understand how AI agents work, what data they use, and which guidelines and heuristics guide their decisions. “In an AI-driven world, we need transparent decision-making processes, clearly defined approvals, and trust-building traceability, both technically and regulatorily,” Nogly summarizes.

Transformation – Clarity, Guidance, and Support at Every Level

SAP’s pace of innovation in the areas of cloud, AI, and analytics is rapid, presenting companies with significant challenges. Many are still in the process of adopting new cloud technologies and need further guidance; otherwise, the technological gap between SAP and companies will widen.

To implement transformations and innovations in a timely manner, the enablement programs for SAP solutions are helpful—and DSAG would very much welcome a further expansion of these offerings. “What’s important are dedicated support programs, migration toolkits, and even more practical reference architectures for hybrid scenarios. We are working with SAP to define milestones for companies so they can estimate and plan for the effort involved,” said Nogly. In this context, DSAG member companies can also leverage their strengths by providing continuous, practical feedback to SAP on specific needs. This serves as a constructive foundation for roadmaps—from product strategy to pricing policy.

DSAG Academy Supports Transformation

The DSAG community plays a central role in supporting SAP users as they navigate innovations and challenges. The various committees continuously develop technical recommendations and offer numerous opportunities for sharing experiences. The DSAG Academy also offers a specific enablement program that effectively supports topics such as AI, data, and security through practice-oriented training formats.

“Innovation only realizes its value when it can be implemented in a manageable way within companies. Enablement is therefore not just a nice-to-have add-on, but a strategic prerequisite for successful transformation. The DSAG Academy is to be gradually developed into a practical competence hub—covering everything from architecture and governance to operational implementation,” explains the DSAG Chief Technology Officer.

www.dsag.de/techtage

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