Last week, we learned that SAP CEO Christian Klein will make an announcement on Jan. 27 about a new initiative: RISE with SAP. ASUG dug in a bit to put the pieces together about what this is and why SAP customers should care.
Although most speculation is pointing toward the cloud, there still isn’t much known about the initiative, how it will affect customers, and what it will mean going forward. ASUG sat down with SAP EVP and Chief Performance Officer Robin Manherz to get more information and learn about next steps that can be taken in preparation for the Jan. 27 event.
“SAP will announce a new vision and commercial offering that will help customers accelerate their unique transformation journey toward becoming an Intelligent Enterprise,” Manherz stated.
RISE with SAP: Who Should Attend?
With much still unknown about the announcement, it’s hard to gauge who should be in attendance. What we know is that the announcement isn’t industry-specific. “It’s actually relevant to SAP customers and companies of all sizes, industries, and geographies that are considering SAP or are already running SAP’s on-premise solutions,” Manherz said. She hinted that the audience in attendance will learn how solutions and technology can drive transformation for any customers. “The discussion will be particularly relevant to CIOs, CTOs, and COOs,” she added.
But it’s not just limited to those with a C-level title. All the IT and business teams will benefit from learning about RISE with SAP as there will be information for everyone involved in their companywide transformation.
“ASUG has been collaborating with SAP on how we can help make RISE with SAP real for our members,” said Geoff Scott, CEO of ASUG. “There’s a lot of excitement about the announcement, and I want all SAP customers to know that we are providing access to the best experts, resources, and exclusive events so that customers can understand what RISE with SAP means for them as they continue on their journey toward becoming more intelligent enterprises.”
RISE with SAP: What Will Be in Focus?
As we noted in an earlier article about RISE with SAP, Klein has placed an emphasis on the move to the cloud and SAP’s commitment to helping customers get there. But how does that play a role in the upcoming SAP initiative, and what should customers expect?
“Cloud adoption is accelerating at a faster pace around the world,” Manherz noted. “SAP's customer-centric, comprehensive offer is much more than moving to the cloud. RISE is a tangible example of how SAP is practically delivering to ‘make good’ on our commitment to the capital markets to become a cloud growth company.”
As far as what customers should be thinking about as they head into the week of the announcement, Manherz was clear that they should come to the event wanting to hear more about how technology and solutions can help their business be transformative, agile, and resilient.
“RISE with SAP will provide answers to all the questions that customers may have related to their journey to Intelligent Enterprise,” she said. “You’ll learn about real business outcomes, reducing costs and risks, accelerated adoption of innovations, full flexibility and agility, and speed. You’ll learn how SAP will help you with all of this.”
RISE with SAP: ASUG Comes Along for the Journey
As we stated before, ASUG is prepared to help SAP customers understand the offer and how it can assist their transformation plans. A series of upcoming ASUG events will guide customers to understand what’s new, connect them with SAP experts, and get their questions answered.
ASUG Executive Exchange members can register for an ASUG member-exclusive Executive Exchange Virtual Roundtable for an expert deep dive on RISE with SAP on Feb. 2 at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT. ASUG members can register for an ASUG Exclusive: Breaking Down RISE with SAP ‒ ASUG CEO Geoff Scott on Feb. 4 at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT.
Save the date for RISE with SAP: The Introduction on Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. ET/9 a.m. CT, and keep an eye out for upcoming ASUG events around the announcement and what it means for SAP customers.