Defining the AI Opportunity for SAP Partners

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Artificial intelligence is by far the disruptor of the decade. It can search, summarize, and analyze vast data stores, putting data-driven insights at employees’ fingertips in a matter of minutes. It can also generate content, anything from text to software code, streamlining workflows and saving precious time and money.

And that’s just the surface. We are still learning just how far reaching the implications could be in the workplace.

As we explore this new realm and AI’s vast potential, SAP has adjusted its strategy with the goal of becoming not only the leading enterprise application provider but also the No. 1 business AI company. The foundation is now available with SAP Business AI that offers SAP customers a reliable, relevant, and responsible AI solution portfolio.

A key element of that strategy is leveraging SAP partners’ expertise. The trusted relationships our partners have developed with our joint customers are essential to communicating the value of AI solutions from SAP and finding the best SAP products to meet their business objectives. It also poses a great opportunity for partners to expand their business.

But first, let’s take a step back and explore why SAP is best positioned to deliver on the business AI opportunity.

SAP’s AI Advantage

Deep Business Process Knowledge
Before AI can make operations faster, data-driven, and more effective, organizations must optimize business processes. SAP brings a deep understanding of business processes to AI applications, enabling solutions that orchestrate workflows, data sharing, and automation for the greatest efficiency and productivity.

SAP Data
AI solutions require data to train their algorithms to provide accurate, relevant, real-world outputs. SAP can draw on business data from thousands of customer systems across the value chain, helping to address our customers’ challenges and drive their digital transformation.

Focus on Application Creation
SAP is partnering with technology providers to make the most of the AI opportunity by creating value with new applications. For example, large language models (LLMs) will become solution differentiators. LLMs perform a range of natural language processing tasks. Combining LLMs with AI solutions automates insight delivery, freeing users from the need to wait for help from their IT or data science departments. It allows companies to focus on data insights, rather than devoting focus to the technology that produces them.

Strong Partner Ecosystem
SAP recognizes that it cannot reach the full addressable market alone. That is why our more than 25,500 partner ecosystem is a huge advantage when offering business AI solutions. Working together, we can drive innovation, accelerate AI road maps, and expand AI capabilities beyond its own limitations.

I cannot underscore enough how important that fourth component is to our AI strategy. It is a linchpin to our success. That’s why we must ensure we are creating win-win scenarios for our partners that benefit us both for the long term.

Partner Opportunities

While AI offers a range of benefits to SAP customers, it also represents a significant business opportunity for SAP partners. As a part of the SAP ecosystem, partners can provide advanced functionality out of the box with embedded AI capabilities within SAP applications. They must also take advantage of the virtually endless opportunities that AI offers regardless of the chosen SAP partner business model:

• Sell: Partners that resell SAP solutions can leverage the embedded AI portfolio from SAP to accelerate RISE with SAP and GROW with SAP deals. Sell partners can also enhance the appeal of the cloud with AI capabilities exclusive to SAP cloud solutions and enlarge deals with AI units from SAP required for premium AI capabilities.
• Service: Service partners can drive adoption of SAP’s AI portfolio and custom AI capabilities built on SAP by bundling them with services and support. This approach enables customers to gain value through customized generative AI use cases built on the foundation of SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), including the generative AI hub, and accelerate their cloud migrations and business transformation, backed by partners’ expertise.
• Innovate: Partners also have the opportunity to develop innovative AI solutions and extensions to enhance the SAP portfolio. Partners can build customer-specific and repeatable use cases with AI services from SAP on SAP BTP and augment customer business processes.

Take the Next Step

Ready to expand your partnership with SAP to build on the AI opportunity? Explore our AI portfolio and visit SAP Partner Portal site to learn more. If you’re not currently an SAP partner, there’s never been a better time to explore the benefits of becoming a part of the SAP ecosystem.

If you’re ready to start your SAP partnership journey and provide businesses in your market with reliable, effective AI solutions, get started here today.

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer at SAP.