We are ready to write our next chapter

Key Takeaways

SAP celebrates its 50th anniversary by highlighting its commitment to helping organizations adapt to change through innovative ERP solutions and cloud technology.

The company's mission extends beyond traditional business metrics to include sustainability, aiming for zero waste, zero emissions, and zero inequality by leveraging emerging technologies.

SAP's strategic initiatives, such as RISE with SAP and S/4HANA Cloud, emphasize agility and adaptability, supporting both established companies and digital natives in their transition to the cloud.

When I joined SAP a little over a year ago, it was a pivotal moment personally and professionally. I was ready to bring everything I experienced over the course of my career so far to define and shape a new chapter. I wanted to make a bigger impact on the world, and I was eager to continue to grow and learn. 

In many ways, this mirrors SAP’s journey as it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. In a world where disruption is the new normal, SAP remains uniquely positioned to help organisations across industries and of all sizes move into the future with speed, agility, and resilience. 

To navigate today’s climate of constant change, ERP is the most important and relevant foundational capability. But what SAP has to offer goes beyond our well-established ERP legacy. Our mission to help the world run better and improve people’s lives continually drives us to innovate solutions that will help solve the world’s most pressing issues. Our strategy has brought new purpose to our efforts around enabling end-to-end business processes with ERP-integrated solutions spanning supply chain, procurement, travel and expense, human capital management, and customer experience. And we are doing this with cloud-delivered innovation, unified data, embedded AI, and industry-specific solutions. 

We also help long-established companies on their journey to the cloud, and we help digital natives build out the capabilities they need to grow. With offerings like RISE with SAP, we deliver ongoing business innovation, bringing companies into a world of agility and adaptability in the cloud. With S/4HANA Cloud, we help customers adapt at scale and speed to achieve intelligent ERP without boundaries. SAP Signavio provides continual analysis, benchmarking, and optimisation of the ERP to streamline processes using AI. And, with SAP’s Business Technology Platform and global network of partners, companies can build tailored solutions for their unique needs. 

But it isn’t just about optimising the top line and bottom line for our customers. Our future rests on our ability to help customers manage their ‘green line’ and become more sustainable. We believe sustainability is the single most important opportunity of our time. Whether it’s by facilitating a circular economy, re-using waste materials, or driving clean energy, we aim to achieve zero waste, zero emissions, and zero inequality. We are excited and optimistic about the role emerging technologies can play in helping us achieve these lofty goals. 

It’s our rich history of innovation and the promise for what we’ll accomplish in the future that defines SAP today. 50 years into our journey, SAP is more relevant than ever, and, in some ways, it feels as though we’re just getting started. In this special issue, we look back so we can innovate forward – we hope you’ll join us on the journey as we write our next chapter.