SAP is investing massively in Enterprise Architecture (people, methods, and tools) to ensure its new platform and solutions (cloud native, AI empowered) will ensure strong market growth in the future.

Deploying an ERP is still hard

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have long been the transactional backbone of enterprises, driving core processes and storing business critical data.

Today’s business landscape demands ERP systems acting as ‘control towers’ for efficient business operations with key workflows and business metrics, but also platforms enabling integration and innovation. As ERP landscapes have grown more complex due to customizations and multi-instance architectures resulting from acquisitions, securing and renewing ERP systems has become a top priority (more here from my colleagues from BCG Platinion).

The digital transformation wave also brought cloud-based solutions to the forefront, and with it, an opportunity to upgrade to modern ERP systems. It’s not just about keeping pace with the latest technology, like the SAP S/4HANA transition, but about unleashing new capabilities that can propel your business forward (like integrating generative AI or leveraging application satellites to extend your ERP features).

SAP is betting on Enterprise Architects to help implement ERPs

SAP is convinced of the importance of Enterprise Architects to help implement ERPs and is investing in two main areas: the enterprise architect community and training.

To join the online community, it is pretty straightforward: connect to online discussion group and chat about frameworks, tools, strategy, the TOGAF standard, and more.

SAP Enterprise Architecture Community

Paul Kurchina (on the left of the picture) is the community leader and is doing an amazing job at animating and structuring the community. He is organizing the North American “Next Generation SAP Enterprise Architect Forum” in February 27–29 (priority will be given to practitioners from SAP customer organization). Join if you can, it will be a great conference.

SAP also released a new training and a certification to become a SAP Enterprise Architecture Professional . I consider the training a little bit too expensive, but if you can afford it, it seems that people having passed it are fully satisfied with it.