SAP’s AI strategy: The path to even smarter applications

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be the hot topic in IT. Used properly, it increases productivity, boosts innovation, optimizes effectiveness, and reduces costs. Generative AI models can be used seamlessly “out of the box,” which significantly reduces the effort required to implement artificial intelligence. Thanks to a growing range of options for integrating generative AI into business processes, the associated challenges within companies have decreased dramatically, while the number of possible use cases has increased enormously.

SAP Business Technology Platform: the SAP basis for artificial intelligence

How SAP is approaching AI

SAP is pursuing a consistent AI strategy. The Walldorf-based software manufacturer is increasingly aligning its organization and applications with artificial intelligence and investing heavily in expanding its AI business and training its employees to use AI. The goal is to provide companies with groundbreaking innovations while improving the efficiency of business processes. This is achieved by integrating artificial intelligence directly into the business-critical processes that companies execute using SAP software.

The direct business relevance is also reflected in the name of one of the central components in SAP’s AI cosmos: SAP Business AI. This is a comprehensive approach that seamlessly integrates artificial intelligence into business processes and provides central access to AI technologies. SAP Business AI offers companies a variety of tools for optimizing their business processes in finance, marketing, procurement, sales, IT, and human resources. From automated data analysis to trend forecasting, SAP Business AI promotes more accurate decision-making and more efficient business operations. SAP is continuously working to provide additional use cases for its entire solution portfolio. The SAP Discovery Center provides an overview of available and upcoming AI agents and features.

Copilot Joule

Joule is the name of SAP’s digital AI assistant. It was developed to help users fulfill their tasks more efficiently by providing them with contextual information, automating tasks, and supporting decisions based on data analysis. Joule links technology with business processes and understands not only the user’s instructions but also the business context.

SAP’s vision is to establish Joule as the new user interface in the AI era and redefine the user experience. Users can ask questions in natural language, and Joule provides the right answers quickly and comprehensively. More than 40 Joule agents support companies in resolving clarification cases, maintaining close relationships with their customers, carrying out follow-up activities, and performing numerous other tasks. In other words, Joule is fundamentally changing the way users interact with SAP solutions. In the long term, Joule is set to become an integral part of all SAP cloud solutions.

Expanding the AI portfolio through acquisitions

SAP is also expanding its own AI portfolio in a targeted manner by acquiring relevant software start-ups and tech companies. Three recent examples are LeanIX, WalkMe, and SmartRecruiters. LeanIX is a SaaS solution that uses artificial intelligence to help companies better organize and optimize their IT landscapes. In the future, existing functionalities will be further automated by AI, enabling companies to view and analyze their system landscapes at the touch of a button. By integrating LeanIX into its own portfolio, SAP has strengthened its position as a provider of holistic solutions for business transformation.

WalkMe is one of the leading providers of digital adoption platforms. Such platforms can supplement or replace traditional training courses for new employees. Interactive instructions make IT systems easier to use and ensure greater acceptance among users. The AI functionalities of WalkMe enhance SAP’s Copilot Joule: Users can access context-sensitive and proactive help across different workflows, enabling them to use software solutions more productively.

The SmartRecruiters software for recruiting employees is designed to complement SAP’s solutions for HR processes (SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite). Automated processes and intuitive, AI-based user interfaces improve decision-making when selecting new employees and shorten the time to hire. In addition, embedded analytics and AI-powered recommendations provide valuable insights into talent pools, avoid bottlenecks in the hiring process, and optimize workforce planning.

Innovation and progress: SAP on track

SAP’s AI strategy aims to help companies improve their business processes, make informed decisions, and drive innovation by leveraging advanced AI technologies. At the same time, SAP is committed to ensuring that AI is relevant, reliable, and responsible. What does that mean exactly? At SAP, the use of artificial intelligence is tied to clear benefits, transparency, and secure handling of the underlying data. In this way, SAP aims to position itself as a pioneer in the AI era. The integration of AI technologies into SAP software products will continue to advance rapidly in the future. Currently, around 240 AI scenarios and approximately 1,600 Joule functions are available. By the end of the year, SAP aims to provide more than 400 AI scenarios.