In an increasingly fragmented enterprise technology landscape, NTT DATA Business Solutions is executing a rare play: bringing together SAP and ServiceNow under a unified transformation framework—built not on buzzwords, but on customer proximity, platform integration, and pragmatic innovation. In a candid conversation at NTT DATA Business Solutions’ London offices, Justin Brading, Executive Vice President UK&I/Americas & Managing Director UK&I at NTT DATA Business Solutions, and Chris Gabriel, CMO and VP of Innovation, laid out a vision rooted in long-term thinking and agile execution.
“We’re not in the volume game. We’re in the outcome game,” said Brading. With over 30 years in the SAP ecosystem and now rapidly growing its ServiceNow footprint, NTT DATA Business Solutions is one of the few global partners bridging enterprise applications with operational workflows—at scale and with nuance.
NTT DATA Business Solutions’ global SAP practice boasts more in-country consultants than any other global SI, flipping the common 80/20 offshore/onshore delivery model to prioritize domain expertise and local presence. This “in-market intimacy” is paired with technical depth: from migration accelerators for selective data transfers, to prebuilt vertical solutions for life sciences and public sector.
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With the shift to SAP S/4HANA accelerating ahead of the 2027 support deadline, NTT DATA Business Solutions is not just migrating systems—it’s optimizing business models. “We’re leading in GROW and RISE adoption, and we won more SAP Pinnacle Awards for AI than any other partner globally,” Gabriel noted.
The ServiceNow side of the story is equally ambitious. With recent acquisitions in the U.K. and Brazil, NTT DATA Business Solutions is now positioning itself as a platform partner—not just for ITSM, but across finance, supply chain, and HR workflows. “We’re not just a ServiceNow implementer,” Gabriel emphasized. “We know how businesses operate—and that’s where ServiceNow wants to be.”
NTT DATA Business Solutions isn’t just following the AI trend—it’s shaping it. The company is AI enabling its 16,000 staff as part of a global initiative to train over 200,000 employees globally in AI literacy. It has built a proprietary AI Gateway for SAP, accelerating AI adoption by up to 100 days. Customer co-innovation is a key tenet; every AI solution is built with real-world use cases, like autonomous service agents or intelligent financial planning.
Perhaps most importantly, Brading and Gabriel argue, is NTT DATA Business Solutions’ role as a trusted advisor, not just a systems integrator. “Too many digital transformations are derailed by old-world methodologies and third-party consultants who slow everything down,” Gabriel said. “We cut through that noise to help clients embrace cloud-native, outcome-driven thinking.”
What this means for ERP Insiders
Another vote for business transformation, not just systems transformation. Organizations should treat digital transformation as a business reinvention—not just a system upgrade. For SAP customers, begin by assessing readiness for RISE or GROW adoption, with an eye toward selective data migration to avoid unnecessary baggage. For ServiceNow users, explore extending the platform beyond IT into business-critical domains like procurement and HR. Companies should insist on partners who understand both platforms holistically, can advise on AI strategy, and offer vertical accelerators. NTT DATA Business Solutions’ co-innovation model and strong local delivery make it a strong candidate for such partnerships.
Brand, scale and track record buttress NDBS. NTT DATA Business Solutions offers a rare combination of global scale, local execution, and proprietary IP. Tools like the data transfer accelerator, AI Gateway for SAP, and deep vertical templates for regulated industries speed up transformation while lowering risk. Its ability to deliver across both SAP and ServiceNow—integrating AI, workflows, and governance—positions NTT DATA Business Solutions as a systems partner, not just an implementer. Its unique staffing model (majority onshore), outcome-based pricing, and early customer success stories in AI adoption add further credibility.
Looks like product-market fit. As enterprise buyers shift from product purchasing to platform orchestration, few integrators are as well-aligned as NTT DATA Business Solutions. Its dual investment in SAP and ServiceNow reflects where the market is heading: toward operational convergence and AI-led automation. The global ERP and workflow automation markets are each forecast to exceed $100 billion by 2030. With trusted brand equity, technical assets, and a pragmatic posture toward AI and transformation, NTT DATA Business Solutions is positioned to be a top-tier player across both ecosystems—particularly in the large-market and upper mid-market segments it currently dominates.
