In Orlando last week at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference, SAP announced a new, AI-focused vision for its customer base. This week on ASUG Talks, Jim Lichtenwalter, Senior Podcast Producer and ASUG Talks Host, is joined by Isaac Feldberg, ASUG Senior Editor, to break down the event's announcements and put them in context for ASUG members. 

Key Insights 

• What the new vision of the Autonomous Enterprise means SAP customers and their IT investments 
• Our thoughts on SAP's decision to enable Joule agents and assistants for SAP ECC and hybrid SAP S/4HANA customers who have purchased RISE or GROW with SAP
• More details around the updated SAP API policy

Related Insights 

• Read ASUG's deep dive into the conference's full list of announcements and news
• Learn more about the SAP API policy and its effects on customers 

With SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference upon us, we dive into some of the key themes and announcements that are sure to be present at the event. This week on ASUG Talks, we'll not only touch on some vital SAP themes, but we'll also take a look at some recent ASUG content centered on those topics, and hear from SAP leaders. 

Key Takeaways

• Details about the new SAP API policy update 
• How agentic AI is reshaping the SAP ecosystem 
• Learn about the state of digital transformations in the ASUG community 

Related Insights

• Learn more about the updated SAP API policy
• Download the ASUG Research report "Navigating AI in SAP Landscapes: Adoption, Execution, and Value"
• Read about SAP's plans to acquire Dremio and Prior Labs
• Listen to ASUG Talks cover how agentic AI is reshaping enterprise architecture
• Learn about how SAP is using agentic AI to improve its support offerings
• Read about SAP's agentic AI strategy for commerce 
• Download the 2026 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research
• Read about King Arthur Baking's S/4 journey
• Listen to how HP approached its S/4 migration 

This week on ASUG Talks, we learn how SAP is evolving its support options, leveraging agentic AI to ensure support is predictive and preventative. This approach further enables customers as they seek to maintain organizational flexibility and contend with ever-changing business dynamics and socioeconomic disruptions. 

Key Insights

• SAP's support focuses in 2026
• Specific examples of how agentic AI is spurring support innovation 
• Customer benefits stemming from agentic AI imbued SAP support 

Related Insights

• Read how Daimler Truck North America leveraged SAP Commerce Cloud to spur a 33% year-over-year in revenue increase 
• Register for the ASUG Pre-Conference Seminars on May 11 to kick-start your week at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference

SAP unveiled its Q1 2026 financial results last week, showing growth in key areas, including overall revenue and its cloud business. This week on ASUG Talks, Isaac Feldberg, ASUG Senior Editor, and SAP analysts Joshua Greenbaum and Jon Reed once again join the podcast to discuss what these results reveal. 

Key Insights

• What growth areas mean for SAP customers
• CEO Christian Klein's comments about AI models
• The importance of AI in ERP migration

Related Insights

• Read Christian Klein's Financial Times article referenced in this episode
• Submit a question for Joshua and Jon to answer (along with ASUG CEO Geoff Scott) live at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference
• Read Isaac's deep dive into the Q1 2026 SAP Earnings 
• Learn about the agentic AI partnership between SAP and Google Cloud

This week on ASUG Talks, we dive deep into the evolving relationship between AI and enterprise architecture. As the technology becomes more widespread in enterprises, EAs are seeing AI change the their daily work and spur shifts in the way they approach their roles. On the podcast this week, we hear not only how AI can help EAs accomplish tasks, including SAP S/4HANA migration, but what the future holds enterprise architecture as the technology continues developing. 

Key Takeaways

• The three places where AI is impacting enterprise architecture 
• The role AI solutions can have in SAP S/4HANA migrations
• Specific AI tools EAS can leverage 

Related Insights

• Learn how Baillie Lumber unrolled SAP S/4HANA across all 30 of its facilities in only six years
• Learn more about the ASUG Pre-Conference Seminars at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference

This week on ASUG Talks, we hear from the ASUG Content Team, who is currently hard at work finalizing the programming for SAP Sapphire and ASUG Annual Conference. They walk listeners through what they can expect from the conference sessions along with the ASUG Pre-Conference Seminars, kicking off May 11. 

Key Insights

• How ASUG Pre-Conferene Seminars will help attendees make the most of their SAP investments 
• Programming highlights throughout the conference, happening May 11-14
• Activities scheduled at the ASUG Hub on the showroom floor

Related Insights

• More information about the ASUG Pre-Conference Seminars 
• SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference session catalog
• Submit your questions to SAP CEO & Chief Community Champion, Geoff Scott
• Read about the enterprise architecture lessons from the rebuilding of Notre Dame Cathedral
• Register for the April 21 ASUG Community Conversation "From Transformation to Business Value: How Enterprise Architects Close the Outcome Gap"

This week on ASUG Talks, Jan Gilg rejoins the podcast. In conversation with Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion, Jan discusses how SAP is working to improve private cloud adoption, the value of faster innovation cycles, how SAP's AI strategy fits into its larger vision. 

Key Insights

• How public cloud environments lead to future AI enablements
• Balancing cost pressures and realizing software value 
• What attendees can expect from the upcoming SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference 

Related Insights 

• Read more about the upcoming SAP S/4HANA Compatibility Pack use rights expiration date from Dr. Uwe Grigoleit, Senior Vice President of SAP’s Customer Evolution Program
• Register for ASUG Pre-Conference Seminars at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference

This week on ASUG Talks, we go to the cloud. As SAP customers seek to embrace innovation to spur improved business processes, cloud environments are critical to that journey. SAP's Sanjay Kulkarni joins the podcast not only to articulate the central place cloud environments play in ERP innovation, but also to address ASUG members' specific concerns with handing their entire ERP environment over to hyperscaler partners. 

Key Insights

• How cloud environments specifically enable--and spur--innovation 
• Addressing the community's cybersecurity concerns around the cloud 
• The place RISE with SAP plays in jumpstarting cloud migrations

This week on ASUG Talks, we dive into the ninth annual Pulse of the SAP Customer Research, honing in on three specific themes the research revealed. 

Key Insights 

• ASUG Members' adoption of SAP S/4HANA
• Addressing the ASUG community's budget and pricing concerns 
• The importance of cybersecurity to ASUG members

Related Insights

• Download the 2026 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research report
• Join the ASUG Cloud ERP and SAP S/4HANA Community
• Listen the HP's RISE with SAP success story
• Gain insights from Precision Drilling about its S/4 journey
• Read about Brown-Forman Distillery's brownfield S/4 conversation 
• Listen to Christian Klein's recent appearance on ASUG Talks

This week on ASUG Talks, SAP CEO Christian Klein joins Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO and Chief Community Champion, for a discussion about the ever-evolving place AI has in the SAP ecosystem, Christian's thoughts on current global business disruptions impacting SAP customers, and the future of SAP careers. 

Key Insights

• The disconnect between the perception of AI and practical, real-world execution using these solutions
• The importance data sovereignty plays for enterprises as they contend with volatile business conditions
•  How current SAP innovations are reshaping the way SAP professionals approach their work

Related Insights 

• Read ASUG editorial's piece about how the recent integration of SmartRecruiters  with SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite "establishes the foundation for a fully connected talent architecture, where hiring decisions, skills intelligence, and workforce planning can operate as one system." Read more here. 
• Join ASUG on March 19 for a Utilities Community Conversation where BC Hydro will walk attendees through how it's using SAP solutions to turn strategy into action. Register here. 

This week on ASUG Talks, we air the first in a three-part series focused on change management. ASUG VP of Content, Patty Brown, is joined by two seasoned change management professionals who off their perspectives on how enterprises should jumpstart their OCM strategies to set a foundation for success further in the technology adoption process. 

Key Insights

• The importance of kicking off OCM strategies early 
• How to obtain early buy-in from end users and organizational leadership
• Common early hurdles in OCM operations--and how to overcome them 

Related Insights 

• Read about how the ASUG Campus Connect program brings together ASUG’s expansive community of businesses running SAP with the academic network of SAP University Alliances
• Register to join ASUG on March 12 for an interactive ASUG Cloud ERP Community Conversation that will provide a clear, practical overview of the AI capabilities already embedded in SAP S/4HANA

This week on ASUG Talks, we learn how HP leveraged RISE with SAP to implement a single global SAP S/4HANA instance. Ramesh Gopinath, Senior Director of ERP and Workflow Platforms, joins the podcast to walk listeners throughout how the organization prioritized cross-organizational collaboration and managed critical systems downtime for maintenance during this digital transformation. 

Key Insights 

• HP's experience using RISE with SAP
• How the company approached testing
• Communicating with end users

Related Insights 

• Read how Heartland Dental used SAP Build Work Zone to enable 6,000 business assistants supporting patients and doctors
• Join ASUG on March 5 for a community conversation focused on beginning to use SAP AI

This week on ASUG Talks, we talk with PepsiCo, as the organization is set to begin leveraging SAP Business Data Cloud. Prasad Suram and Venkat Nalabothu, two of the organization's IT leaders who are involved with the implementation, join the podcast to discuss their learnings, advice, and insights. 

Key Insights

• The importance of SAP BDC to PepsiCo's IT goals 
• How the organization is working to leverage the solution alongside its large SAP HANA database instance 
• Advice for enterprises about to begin leveraging SAP BDC

Related Insights

• Read ASUG's conversation with Hagen Heubach, CMO of Supply Chain at SAP, about how SAP solutions can help enterprises overcome disruptions like tariffs
• Register for an ASUG Community Conversation on Feb. 24 featuring customer perspectives on ERP transformation

This week on ASUG Talks, Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion, sits down with the new SAP North America President, David Robinson. During their conversation, the two dive into David's background, responsibilities, and thoughts about IT innovation within the North American customer base. 

Key Highlights

• How David is working to help customer obtain--and maintain--a "persistent innovation state" 
• The ways AI is reshaping ERP software
• How software evaluation and purchasing are moving beyond RFP-driven processes

From the ASUG Community

• Read ASUG editorial's FAQ on compatibility packs and the upcoming May expiration date
• Dive into new ASUG research focused on SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) adoption

The ASUG Research team joins the podcast to break down its recent research project focused on change management. We dive into how members of the ASUG community are approaching change management, and the hurdles they are reporting when rolling these strategies out along side large scale digital transformation projects. 

Key Insights

• The large volume of change management projects in the ASUG community
• The importance of executive buy-in and organizational communication to change management success
• Overcoming resistance to change

Related Insights

• Read our conversation with Weyerhaeuser CIO Rebecca Straka about the organizations transition from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA
• Join the ASUG BTP Community on Feb. 17 for a community conversation focused on the SAP Build portfolio

SAP announced its Q4 and full year 2025 financial results last week. Analysts Joshua Greenbaum and Jon Reed, along with ASUG Senior Editor Isaac Feldberg, join ASUG Talks to discuss their key takeaways and highlights from the financial results call. 

Key Insights

• Why these reports matter to SAP customers
• More about the stock price drop triggered by missed cloud growth goals 
• How SAP's business AI play factored into the financial results 

Related Insights

• Read ASUG's full breakdown of the financial results
• Gain insights from Yaad Oren, Managing Director of SAP Labs U.S. and Global Head of Research and Innovation at SAP SE, about disruptions in the ERP market

In the second part of our "Setting the Stage for AI" series, Anurag Barua and Paul Modderman join the podcast to follow up their advice from the previous episode for enterprises seeking to establish a solid, sound foundation for leveraging AI solutions. 

Key Insights

• The importance of change management in enterprises' AI journeys
• Steps to overcome AI trust issues
• How to adopt a "human-centric" approach to AI adoption. 

Related Insights

• Read about how SAP is striving to make Joule the "process-native" copilot for organizations in the utilities industry
• Register for the SAP BTP and AI Community Kick Off webcast on Jan. 28

This week on ASUG Talks, we kick of the first in a two-part series focused on what critical steps organizations should take as they begin their AI journeys. 

Anurag Barua and Paul Modderman return to the podcast after their episodes focused on agentic and generative AI to offer their insights on this critical first steps. 

Key Insights

• How to approach budgeting 
• The importance of AI centers of excellence 
• How to develop and enable AI "sherpas" in your organization

Related Insights 

• Read about the recent SAP S/4HANA compatibility pack extension 
• Read ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott's thoughts on how enterprises should approach de-customization as the SAP ECC end-of-maintenance deadline approaches

In a follow-up to the live episode of ASUG Talks recorded at ASUG Tech Connect last November featuring questions submitted by the conference's attendees, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion, Geoff Scott is joined once again by analysts Joshua Greenbaum and Jon Reed. They dive in to those submitted questions left unanswered. 

Key Insights:

• The part ERP systems play in an IT environment 
• How enterprises can facilitate SAP S/4HANA user readiness
• The best SAP Cloud ALM features

Related Insights

• Listen to the trio's first episode addressing ASUG Tech Connect attendee questions
• Dive into ASUG's recent interview with Jan Gilg
• Register to join the first ASUG SAP BTP and AI Community meeting of the year on Jan. 28

ASUG Talks kicks off 2026 answering your questions. 

Last year, during an ASUG Community Conversation focused on SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC), we fielded questions from our attendees about the newest addition to the SAP portfolio. 

This week on ASUG Talks, I am joined by Sandeep Dhingra, VP & Strategic Architect Advisor of SAP BDC. He addresses the event's unanswered questions about BDC, and how it can help customers prepare their IT landscapes for AI. 

Related Insights

• I spoke with my ASUG colleagues about the insights and pieces of content from 2025 they found most beneficial 
• Tune in to my conversation with ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion, Geoff Scott, focused on his biggest takeaways from 2025

ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion, Geoff Scott, joins ASUG Talks this week to discuss three of the year's most critical theme--as revealed to us by our ASUG Talks agentic AI chatbot!

Geoff and I also walked listeners throughout our own AI use case and reflected on the year's key themes and topics in the ASUG community. 

Key Insight:

• AI growth and innovation in the SAP ecosystem 
• Cloud adoption among ASUG members 
• ASUG's own agentic AI use case

This week on ASUG Talks, I am joined by several of my colleagues, who worked hard this past year to develop content aimed at helping ASUG members make the most of their SAP technology investments. We cover the year's best insights, from conferences to podcasts, and which insights are the most helpful and critical. 

Key Resources: 

• 2025 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research
• ASUG Executive Exchange
• First Five newsletter sign-up
• ASUG Talks Roundtable: Inside ASUG's SAP S/4HANA Adoption Research
• SAP's Irfan Khan on SAP Business Data Cloud's Impact and Future Development
• Migrate First, Transform Later: J. J. Keller’s Strategic Path to SAP S/4HANA
• Hydro One’s Transformation Journey and Key Takeaways for Canadian Utilities
• Unlocking Value: How John Deere Successfully Migrated from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA
• ASUG Collective

This week on ASUG Talks, SAP Cloud ALM takes center stage. I am joined by two guests offering different perspectives about the solution. Bryce Lightner, Enterprise Solutions and Operations Architect at Woodstream Corporation, discussed his experience using the solution, while Sören Ruder, Chief Product Officer (CPO) and Head of Customer Experience & Solutions (CXS) at SAP, joined the podcast to articulate the value of SAP Cloud ALM and where it fits into the portoflio. 

Key Insights

• How SAP Cloud ALM helped Woodstream optimize its project management capabilities
• The impact SAP Cloud ALM can have on enterprises as they undertake business transformations
• How SAP Cloud ALM can also help organizations with their AI journeys

Related Insights 

• Read ASUG editorial's interview with Irfan Khan, President and Chief Product Officer of SAP Data & Analytics, about SAP Business Data Cloud

Leaders from the global SAP user groups DSAG, UKISUG, and ASUG joined the podcast this week to discuss the findings from the annual collaborative research projects the communities undertake. The three leaders not only discussed the similarities in SAP priorities, investments, and hurdles among their members, but they also parsed the differences in response among the global user groups. 

Key Insights

• The knowledge gap surrounding licensing of certain SAP solutions
• The split between private and public cloud environments among the global communities
• Security and customization concerns 

Related Insights

• Gain insights from SaskPower around its five SAP migration projects
• Dive into ASUG's recent change management and SAP Signavio research

In a special episode of ASUG Talks, we dive into several of clips from ASUG Talks episodes published throughout the year, covering topics ranging from cloud environments to IT professional development. Join us this week to hear clips from some of the podcast's most popular 2025 episodes. 

Episodes Included: 

• SAP's Thomas Saueressig on Public and Private Cloud, Enterprise Architecture, and AI Integration
• ASUG Talks Roundtable: Inside ASUG's SAP S/4HANA Adoption Research
• How Precision Drilling Drives Improved Asset Maintenance with SAP S/4HANA
• ASUG Talks Customer Success Story: How SA Power Networks Managed a Dual SAP S/4HANA Migration
• ASUG Talks Executive Interview: Philipp Herzig, Chief Technology Officer at SAP
• ASUG Talks Roundtable: The Changing Role of Enterprise Architects in Utilities
• SAP's Irfan Khan on SAP Business Data Cloud's Impact and Future Development
• ASUG Talks Roundtable: How Agentic AI is Reshaping the SAP Ecosystem
• Advice from ASUG Board Members: Building Resilient IT Careers in the Age of AI

If you have any comments (or pitches) for ASUG Talks Senior Producer, Jim Lichtenwalter, please email him at jim.lichtenwalter@asug.com. 

Related Insights

• Join the ASUG Communities team on Dec. 3 for a break down of the top insights from ASUG Tech Connect

In this live episodes of ASUG Talks, we answered your questions. ASUG CEO and Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott was joined by analysts Jon Reed and Joshua Greenbaum for an "ask me anything session." The three fielded questions submitted by conference attendees throughout the week, along with questions asked by the live audience. 

Key Topics: 

• The interoperability of SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) with non-SAP data ecosystems 
• Industry-specific challenges barring organizations to adopted "vanilla" ERP systems without much customization 
• How public cloud environments free enterprises to focus on IT innovation

Related Content:

• Read our exclusive interview with Tim Way, VP and Chief Product Officer, Business AI Product Engineering at SAP America

This week on ASUG Talks, Isaac Feldberg, Senior Editor at ASUG, joins the podcast to discuss SAP TechEd and ASUG Tech Connect. These events share many of the same topics and themes--specifically focused on SAP developers and solutions like SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC). On the podcast, we chat through our biggest takeaways and what some of the main announcements from SAP TechEd mean for SAP customers. 

Key Topics: 

• The place of both generative and agentic AI in the SAP ecosystem 
• The announcement of SAP's foundation model built specifically for structured business data: SAP RPT-1
• Key customer stories from ASUG Tech Connect 

Related Content: 

• Read Isaac's coverage of ASUG Tech Connect and SAP TechEd
• Gain insights from  Etosha Thurman, Chief Marketing Officer for Finance and Spend Management at SAP

In an exclusive interview, Irfan Khan,  President & Chief Product Officer of SAP Data & Analytics, joined ASUG Talks to lay out the SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) announcements coming out of SAP TechEd. Following up on his appearance on ASUG Talks earlier this year, Irfan also discusses the SAP customer community's reception of SAP BDC and how it fits into the software company's suite-first strategy. 

 Key Insights:  

•  How customers are leveraging SAP BDC
• How SAP BDC specifically helps customers with SAP S/4HANA adoption 
• What future development of SAP BDC might look like 

 Related Insights:  

• Read our insights from ASUG Tech Connect
• Listen to an episode of ASUG Talks focused on future-proofing IT careers
• Tune in to our exclusive with SAP executive board member Thomas Saueressig

 During a special episode of ASUG Talks recorded live at the recent Dallas-Forth Worth ASUG Chapter Meeting, Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion was joined by a panel of current and former ASUG board members: Jamie Lee, Tony Caesar, and Craig Dalziel. 

The group focused on a timely and critical topic:  future-proofing IT careers.  With advances in AI changing the ways enterprises work and shifts in the industry job markets, it has never been more important for IT professionals to take steps to ensure they are continually improving their skillsets and expanding their knowledge base. 

 Key Topics:  

•  The need for knowledge workers to effectively leverage AI
• The importance of networking and building meaningful professional relationships 
• Understanding the business needs and using AI to meet those needs. 

 Related Insights:  

• Tune into an exclusive interview with SAP executive board member Thomas Saueressig: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saps-thomas-saueressig-on-public-and-private-cloud/id1613357106?i=1000733593928

ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion, Geoff Scott, sat down with SAP leader--and member of the software company's executive board--Thomas Saueressig. Overseeing the board area focused on customer services and delivery, Thomas possesses a unique perspective on what SAP customers require from their IT investments, and how SAP is working to drive innovation among its customer base. 

Key Insight

• How developers and business process analysts can leverage SAP BTP to drive innovation 
• How SAP's suite-first strategy helps drive faster AI project delivery, and--ultimately--better business outcomes 
• The importance of easy-to-adopt business solutions as enterprises contend with altering geopolitical and economic conditions

Related Insights

• Read our recap of the recent SAP Q3 2025 earnings results, including highlights from the call: https://www.asug.com/insights/q3-2025-sap-reports-steady-revenue-growth-driven-by-cloud-expansion
• Join us at ASUG Tech Connect on Nov. 4-6: https://events.asug.com/YkMrBb?utm_source=cross-promo&utm_campaign=atc_25&utm_medium=article&utm_content=reg&RefId=insights-reg

Recorded live on ASUG Best Practices for Oil, Gas, and Energy conference keynote stage, this special episode of ASUG Talks focuses on how enterprises in these industries are using SAP solutions to drive efficient and safe operations, while spurring IT innovation. This roundtable of IT experts--approaching these topics from different areas of their businesses--shared how their organizations are leveraging SAP, and steps attendees (and listeners!) should take to set the stage for success with their SAP investments. 

Key Insights: 

• How to prepare organizational data to be effectively used in finance, supply chain, and maintenance operations
• Ways SAP solutions are enabling OGE organizations to overcome industry specific hurdles 
• The place SAP Datasphere and SAP Business Data Cloud play in setting a foundation for AI solutions

Related Insights 

• Learn about how Align Technology's used RISE with SAP to adopt SAP S/4HANA: (https://www.asug.com/insights/inside-align-technologys-journey-toward-better-business-outcomes-with-rise-with-sap) 
• On Oct. 23, tune in to a ASUG Community Conversation focused on governing enterprise architecture in the SAP landscape: (https://www.asug.com/events/from-frameworks-to-impact-governing-ea-in-the-sap-landscape)

This week on ASUG Talks, we hear from another SAP customer that has leveraged SAP S/4HANA to drive improved business processes. Elisa Smith, Global Manager of Operation Assets at Precision Drilling, sat down with us before her presentation at ASUG Best Practices for Oil, Gas, and Energy. She not only detailed the organization's S/4 journey, but also detailed how the ERP platform helped spur better data governance and improved asset maintenance and management processes. 

 Key Insights

•  The challenges Precision Drilling overcame during its S/4 implementation 
• How the ERP platform helped addressed reporting gaps and provided users with improved real-time asset visibility
• The evolution of Precision Drilling's data strategy

 Related Insights

•  Learn more about ExxonMobil's digital transformation journey and insights: https://www.asug.com/insights/asug-best-practices-accelerating-transformation-at-scale-in-oil-gas-and-energy
• Gain insights from the SAP Connect conference: https://www.asug.com/insights/sap-connect-unveils-supply-chain-orchestration-intelligent-applications-as-sap-business-suite-takes-center-stage

Subscribe to ASUG Talks on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and Spotify.

 While moving to SAP S/4HANA is top of mind for SAP users, many are unsure how to proceed. According to the 2025 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research, 47% are citing the move as a top challenge in 2025. Another 56% indicate that SAP S/4HANA skills are the most important to have this year—whether they have the talent on their team or not. Now that numerous enterprises have successfully transitioned to the platform, best practices have been tried, tested, and are poised to help those who are ready.

In this episode of ASUG Talks, Dr. Uwe Grigoleit, SVP of Customer Evolution at SAP, joins the podcast to share actionable advice for getting started on the ERP transformation journey. He guides listeners through decisions like Brownfield versus Greenfield transition, tapping AI for the heavy lifting on master data integration, and how AI tools from SAP help with testing new processes.

 Key Insights:

• Tangible steps for getting ahead of the 2027 end-of-maintenance date for SAP Business Suite 7 and SAP ECC 6
• Business transformation best practices
• The role of AI in testing automations, guiding decisions, and integrating with vendors

Related Insights: 

• ASUG Talks recent conversation with Dee Houchen, CMO of SAP Signaio and LeanIX: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/key-erp-innovation-insights-from-the-sap/id1613357106?i=1000728934206
• Read insights about the latest SAP S/4HANA research from ASUG and BearingPoint: https://www.asug.com/insights/sap-s-4hana-adoption-trends-insights-and-advice

With the looming 2027 maintenance deadline for SAP ECC 6.0, navigating digital transformations is a critical focus for many SAP customers. It's also a significant challenge. According to the 2025 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research, 47% reported migrating to SAP S/4HANA as a challenge for their enterprise. 

With that in mind, SAP is trying to help its customers through these challenges, complex, and resource-heavy digital transformation projects. The integrated toolchain--including SAP Signavio, SAP LeanIX, WalkMe, and SAP Cloud ALM--is aimed at assisting enterprises as they undertake SAP transformation projects. 

This week on ASUG Talks, we are joined by Dee Houchen, CMO of SAP Signavio and SAP LeanIX; and Kelly Downling, ASUG Director of Product Strategy. The two discussed the recent SAP Transformation Excellence Summit, where the toolchain took center stage, and how customers are leveraging these solutions to faciliate digital transformation projects. 

Key Insights: 

•  How SAP integrated toolchain solutions tackle different, vital aspects of digital transformation projects 
•  Examples of customers leveraging these solutions 
• How AI integration improves the transformation project

Related Insights 

•  Read an FAQ about the SAP Safekeeper program: https://www.asug.com/insights/your-sap-investment-unleashed-unlocking-sap-safekeeper-your-questions-answered
• Learn how Carlisle Companies unified its customer experience (CX) systems: https://www.asug.com/insights/how-carlisle-unified-its-cx-systems-to-strengthen-the-carlisle-experience

Subscribe to ASUG Talks on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and Spotify

According to the 2025 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research, over one-third (35%) of respondents indicated that finding employees with the internal skills necessary to manage new technology is a top organizational challenge. As SAP S/4HANA adoption, cloud migration, and the growing utility of AI become more and more critical to SAP customers, it has never been more important to find IT professionals equipped with the knowledge and expertise to spur IT innovation. 

In this episode of ASUG Talks, SAP education takes center stage.  Shaquille Charles, a graduate of the St. Michael's Learning Academy (SMLA) SAP Veterans to Work program and a current Customer Success Manager at SAP, and Christine Aboud,  CEO & Co-Owner of SMLA, join the podcast. They discuss the Veterans to Work Program, Shaquille's transition from the military to his current SAP role, and the importance of building the next generation of SAP professionals. 

Key Insights

• Retiring IT professionals and the gaps they fill on teams
• Shaquille's journey from U.S. Army medic to SAP professional 
• How SMLA develops education and equips its graduates with the skills necessary to IT success 

Related Content

• As Christine mentioned, register for the Dallas-Fort Worth ASUG Chapter meeting on Oct. 17
• Read insights from the SAP for Utilities conference keynote stage
• Tune into last week's ASUG Talks focused on IT challenges in the oil and gas industry

Subscribe to ASUG Talks on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and Spotify

 Efficiency and safety are critical components of oil and gas operations. As the SAP portfolio expands and evolves, how is the software company still arming its OGE customers with solutions and offerings that enable efficiency and safety? 

 Ahead of their session at ASUG Best Practices (Oct. 6-8; register here) oil and gas industry leaders Justin Lester and Bob Pennington sat down with ASUG Talks to discuss the changing world of IT in this field. Given their collective experience, the two veterans charted how OGE operations have changed, and how SAP is factoring into many enterprises' IT operations.

 Key Insights: 

• The importance of correct data input in oil and gas operations
• Training the next generation of oil and gas IT professionals
• How AI factors into oil and gas operations

 Related Insights: 

• ASUG Talks recent interview with Jan Gilg,  Chief Revenue Officer & President for SAP Americas and the SAP Global Business Suite organization, about the state of cloud, AI, and enterprise architecture in the SAP ecosystem. 
• ASUG Editorial team covered the highlights from the SAP for Utilities, Presented by ASUG conference.
• Join the ASUG Communities on Sept. 16 for a session focused on the SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC). 

As SAP encourages its customer base to undertaking innovative business transformations--including migrating to the cloud and embracing SAP S/4HANA--ASUG Talks recently sat down with Jan Gilg, Chief Revenue Officer & President for SAP Americas and the SAP Global Business Suite organization. 

During our conversations, Jan discussed the new "suite-first" approach SAP unveiled at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference along with the importance of clean core strategies, and the evolution of RISE and GROW with SAP. 

Key Takeaways: 

• The "pillars" of business transformation 
• Benefits of public cloud environments 
• The evolution of enterprise architecture in the SAP ecosystem

Related Insights

• Read ASUG Editorial's interview with Jan from earlier this year
• Learn more about SAP's updated clean core guidance strategy
• Gain insights on cloud adoption from ASUG Research
• Tune in to a recent episode of ASUG Talks to learn more about the upcoming ASUG Fall Conference schedule

ASUG is set to kick off its fall conference season, hosting three events aimed at helping attendees make the most of their SAP investments: SAP for Utilities, Presented by ASUG; ASUG Best Practices; and ASUG Tech Connect.

Ahead of these events, ASUG Talks sat down with the three ASUG programmers tasked with creating the agendas for the conferences and ensuring the content and insights present at these three events are meaningful and impactful:

• Kara Hughes, Director of Product Strategy – Experiences
• Lauren Milligan, Senior Associate Producer
• Alyssa Perna, Content Producer

The three broke down these upcoming conferences, highlighting crucial sessions, topics, and opportunities.

You can learn more about (and register for) the ASUG 2025 Fall Conferences here:

• SAP for Utilities, Presented by ASUG
• ASUG Best Practices
• ASUG Tech Connect

Organizations have contended with several "black swan" events in recent years, severely interrupting global supply chains, including the COVID-19 pandemic, global conflicts, trade route disruptions, and now the specter of tariffs. 
These events have put massive strain on supply chains, increasing prices. 

Recently at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference, SAP used the example of tariffs as a way to demonstrate how its integrated business suite can help customers contend with business disruptions. This week on ASUG Talks, we dive deep into this topic, examining the role SAP solutions can play as enterprises seeks to bolster their supply chains, and prepare for the next inevitable disruption. 

Two supply chain experts--John Buckley, Consumer Product Industry Advisor at SAP; and  Ron Gilson, Executive Advisor and Principal of Consumer Products and Agribusiness at NTT DATA--join the podcast to cover the ways supply chains have changed, and how listeners can take steps to improve them. 

 Key Insights

•  How organizations can (and should) respond to supply chain disruptions
• SAP's approach to developing solutions meeting its customers supply chain needs
• The importance of integrated business planning as a process

 Related Insights

• Read how Brent Potts, Senior Director of Global Marketing for Oil, Gas, and Energy at SAP, is seeing the industry change to embrace energy diversification. 
• Join ASUG on Aug. 28 for a customer influence opportunity focused on data privacy in the SAP HANA database

ASUG recently collaborated with Intel and Microsoft to examine two of the hottest topics in the SAP ecosystem: cloud migration and AI adoption. As SAP continues spurring its customer base to embrace the cloud, citing next-generation AI solutions as a critical benefit to this shift, this research sheds light into how the cloud environments ASUG members are choosing, and what processes they are using AI solutions to improve. 

Blake Baltazar, ASUG Senior Project & Research Analyst, and Marissa Gilbert, ASUG Research Director, join ASUG Talks this week to break down this research and its key findings. 

Key Insights

• What factors drive cloud adoption 
• The cost ASUG members reported paying for their cloud services 
• What AI solutions respondents are leveraging

Related Resources 

• Read ASUG's SAP S/4HANA focused research and listen to a recent podcast with the ASUG research team on the key findings. 
• Read how Carhartt leveraged SAP Commerce Cloud to modernize its global commerce infrastructure. 
• Join ASUG on Aug. 20 for an Ask Me Anything Community Conversation on SAP Process Integration & Orchestration (PI/PO). 

In North America, the utilities industry is contending with shifting customer expectations, growing power demands, and changing technology infrastructure. With the growing importance of AI and cloud solutions, the role of enterprise architects is altering in utility companies.

Ahead of their session focused on EAs in utilities at SAP for Utilities, Presented by ASUG, Marc Rosson, EA at Snohomish County PUD, and Martin Mysyk, Senior EA at SAP Canada, join ASUG Talks for a conversation about this changing job. We dive into how SAP is supporting EAs in the utilities space, along with ways organizations to empower and train the next generation of EAs.

Key Topics

• Major challenges faced by EAs in utilities
• How the industry's changes are impact the role
• The importance of upskilling and reskilling EAs to meet demand.

Related Insights and Resources

• Check out the ASUG Content Collection "SAP Enterprise Architecture Fundamentals" for resources aimed at EAs. 
• Learn how Gina Vargiu-Breuer, Chief People Officer and Labor Director at SAP, approaches SAP's growth strategy.
• Join the ASUG Communities team on Aug. 14 for a deep dive session focused on Cloud Application Programming Model (CAP) on SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP).
• Register to recieve the monthly The Topic:  Utilities newsletter from ASUG. 

SAP S/4HANA officially released 10 years ago. In that decade, SAP has not only encouraged its customer base to embrace the next-generation ERP platform, but it also spurred widespread cloud migration. 

The ASUG research team has monitored the adoption of both S/4HANA and cloud environments for several years. In this year's research, sponsored by BearingPoint, they found continued adoption of both S/4HANA and cloud environments among the ASUG membership. 

Marissa Gilbert, ASUG Research Director, and Blake Baltazar, Senior Project & Research Analyst, join ASUG Talks to discuss the research and the trends they are seeing. 

Key Insights

• Year-over-year S/4HANA adoption trends observed by ASUG research 
• Insights into cloud environment adoption 
• RISE and GROW with SAP adoption rates, and factors spurring organizations to leverage these offerings. 

Related Content

• Read more about SAP's recent acquisition of SmartRecruiters, a human resources solution, as a way to bolster SAP SuccessFactors HCM functions.
• Tune into an ASUG Community Conversation on Aug. 5 focused on demystifying SAP's integration landscape.  

SAP hosted its quarterly financial results call last week. The first since the litany of announcements the software company made at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference in May, the event covered SAP's continuing focus on cloud adoption and innovative AI strategies. 

But, in keeping with its most recent messaging, SAP also continued articulating how its software can help organizations deal with current economic headwinds. 

Jim Lichtenwalter, Senior Producer of ASUG Podcasts, is joined by Isaac Feldberg, Senior Editor at ASUG, to discuss the earnings results and what they means for ASUG members. 

Key Insights: 

• SAP's strong financial growth in Q2, despite uncertain economic conditions
• New customers leveraging SAP products
• SAP's new efforts in China 

Related Insights 

• Check out the full ASUG editorial breakdown of the financial results 
• Listen to the last ASUG Talks News Brief, recorded at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference
• Join the ASUG Communities team on July 31 for an "Ask Me Anything" session on demystifying AI 

AI is innovating at a rapid rate. After generative AI took the ERP ecosystem--and the larger tech industry--by storm in recent years, agentic AI is quickly capturing the attention of the community. It makes sense, as the capabilities enabled by agentic AI solutions are staggering. And SAP is introducing agentic-infused solutions, further enabling its customers. 

But what exactly IS agentic AI? What can it accomplish for users? 

In the latest ASUG Talks Roundtable, host Jim Lichtenwalter is rejoined by AI thought leaders, Paul Modderman, Founding AI Engineer at Nova Intelligence; and Anurag Barua, Transformation Leader at SAP. The three build on their previous conversation (focused on generative AI) and dive deep into the development and utility of agentic AI. 

Key Topics

• Practical applications of agentic AI 
• Measures enterprises can take to mitigate data hallucinations 
• The role SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) has in enable agentic AI solutions 

Around the ASUG Ecosystem 

• Register for the ASUG Community Conversation Business Transformation Management: Making the Case for Change—and Proving It on July 24. 

Dive into a recent collaborative research project conducted by ASUG and SAP focused on one of the chief focuses (and challenges) for ASUG Members: integration. 

Members of the ASUG Research Team, Blake Baltazar and Marissa Gilbert, join ASUG Talks host Jim Lichtenwalter to go over the second iteration of this research, specific trends they are seeing, and how ASUG Members are approaching their integration strategies. 

Key Topics: 

• Integration challenges respondents reported
• Changes from last year's research 
• How the 2027 deadline is impacting organizations' integeration efforts

Related content: 

• Join us for an ASUG Community conversation on July 22 focused on the difference between private and public cloud versions of SAP S/4HANA
• Read insights from ASUG's recent conversation with Balaji Balasubramanian, President and Chief Product Officer, SAP CX and Consumer Industries, about the growing impact of AI

Conducting a single SAP S/4HANA digital transformation is complicated enough. In this episode of ASUG Talks, we sat down with Travis Smith, Principal SAP Enterprise Architect at SA Power Networks. The Australian utility company tackled TWO RISE with SAP projects at the same time. Travis walks ASUG Talks through just how.

Key Insights:

• The reasoning for a dual digital transformation and how SA Power Networks managed such a project
• Ways the organization obtained stakeholder buy-in for this digital transformation project
• SA Power Networks’ integration strategy

Related Resources:

• ASUG Fall Conferences are gearing up. Join us for the following events:
  • SAP for Utilities, Presented by ASUG: Sept. 8-10 in Denver, CO.
  • ASUG Best Practices for Oil, Gas, and Energy: Oct. 6-8 in Houston, TX
  • ASUG Tech Connect: Nov. 4-6 in Louisville, KY
• Listen to ASUG Talks’ interview with the authors of “SAP Business Technology Platform,” a recent SAP Press release

In this latest ASUG Talks roundtable, we dive deep into the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP). The solution helps SAP customers tackle a variety of functions. But where should users begin?

We are joined by the authors of the SAP Press publication SAP Business Technology Platform : 

•  Smitha Banda
• Shibaji Chandra
• Chun Aun Gooi

They cover how enterprises can begin successfully leveraging SAP BTP and laid out some of the most interesting use cases featured in the publication. 

 Related Resources

•  Learn how Woodstream Corporation approached its SAP S/4HANA implementation. Read our interview with CIO  Melissa Oldfield.
• Gain insights from SAP President of Cloud ERP, David Robinsion around the evolving SAP cloud ERP stategy. Listen to his thoughts. 

In the final episode recorded live at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference, ASUG Talks focuses on SAP cloud offerings. 

David Robinson, President of Cloud ERP at SAP, sat down with Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion for a conversation around SAP's evolving cloud strategy. With over two decades of experience at SAP, Robinson has been crucial in the development of this strategy, along with his role in the RISE with SAP launch.
 
 Key Takeaways

• How RISE with SAP can fits into the SAP Cloud ERP strategy 
• Addressing skepticism about RISE, and how the offering can help customers set a foundation for innovation 
• Insights into SAP's "suite first" mentality

Related Insights

• Read our interview with SAP leaders--Deepti Patil, Senior Product Manager with SAP Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Customer Communication and Relations Team; and Tim Steuer, Vice President of SAP ALM--about the importance of adopting a clean core mentality, especially as you set a foundation to innovate. 
•  Join us on June 26 for a Community Conversation focused on the state of the Public Services industry. 

As SAP customers migrate to the cloud, cybersecurity is a critical component of those transformation projects. Moving your IT ecosystem and sensitive organizational data from bare-metal, on-premises environments into the cloud requires a dedicated security approach, especially as threat actors’ efforts grow more sophisticated.

In this ASUG Talks Roundtable, we dig into how enterprises should approach cybersecurity in the cloud. ASUG Talks host, Jim Lichtenwalter, is joined by the authors of the SAP Press publication Cybersecurity for SAP:  

•  Gaurav Singh
• Juan Perez-Etchegoyen 

Key Takeaways

• Initial steps enterprises should take when securing their cloud migrations
• The importance of adopting a shared responsibility security model
• The cybersecurity benefits of RISE with SAP

Related Insights

• Join the ASUG Communities team on June 17 for a Community Conversation focused on the business transformation management announcements that came out of SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference.
• Learn Zeon Chemicals’ insights from its RISE with SAP project.
• Dive into Stefan Steinle, leader of SAP’s Customer Support & Cloud Lifecycle Management organization, thoughts on how AI is impacting the SAP support strategy.

In the second live episode recorded at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference, Marissa Gilbert, ASUG Research Director, moderates a panel featuring several ASUG leaders: 

• Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion 
• Kris Cowles, ASUG Board Member
• Brendan Verni,  ASUG Board Member 

Using recent ASUG research as a foundation for the conversation, the group dives into the main focuses, investments, and hurdles relating to SAP technology and adoption as reported by ASUG members. 

 Key Takeaways

•  How enterprises are keeping abreast of the incredible pace of change and innovation in the SAP ecosystem 
• Making sense of the consumption-based credit system that enables SAP customers to leverage SAP AI solutions 
• The importance of prioritizing data governance as enterprises approach cybersecurity

 Related Insights 

• Join ASUG on June 12 for a Community Conversation focused on the AI announcements and insights from SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference
• Read our recap of the post-keynote Q&A for news outlets and analysts featuring Christian Klein, Muhammad Alum, and Philipp  Herzig 
•  Listen to Philipp Herzig articulate his vision for SAP's AI strategy and roadmap in a recent episode of ASUG Talks

The first in a series of special ASUG Talks episodes recorded in the ASUG booth at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference, we turn the mics towards the audience. 

Jon Reed, Co-Founder of diginomica, leads a brief conversation with Geoff Scott, CEO &  Chief Community Champion of ASUG, and Joshua Greenbaum, Principal of Enterprise Applications Consulting, on the event's first keynote. The three discuss their thoughts about the announcements unveiled at the address, before answering questions from the live audience. 

 Key Insights

•  The three thought-leaders' thoughts and reactions to the keynote featuring SAP  executives unveiling new SAP software capabilities 
•  Benefits of the public cloud options for SAP customers 
• How ASUG approaches bringing feedback from its members to SAP

 Related Resources 

•  Read our recap of the day one and two keynotes addresses at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference, and how the announcements impact customers
• Listen to the ASUG Editorial team's immediate reactions and responses to the event's keynote addresses 
• Register for a series of ASUG Community Conversations unpacking insights and announcements from SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference

ASUG Talks breaks down the major announcements from SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual conference. 

Jim Lichtenwalter, ASUG Talks Host, is joined by Isaac Feldberg, Senior Content Manager at ASUG, for a special news brief recorded at the conference. Following the second major keynote address delivered by SAP executive leadership, the two dive into the major announcements made at the event and what these updates mean for SAP customers. 

 Key Topics Discussed 

•  SAP's suite approach to applications and expansion of Joule
• The new generative and agentic AI offerings announced 
• How SAP positioned its offerings as a means to combat tariffs 

 Related Resource: 

•  Listen to ASUG's exclusive interview with Philipp  Herzig,  SAP Chief Technology Officer
• Tune into an exclusive discussion with Jeff Suellentrop,  Chief Information & Technology Officer of Phoenix Global, who sat down with ASUG Talks before joining SAP on the keynote stage
• Read ASUG's conversation with Jan Gilg,  Chief Revenue Officer & President for SAP Americas and the SAP Global Business Suite organization
• Dive into our breakdown of the recent SAP Q1 2025 earnings call

In an exclusive interview with ASUG Talks, Dr. Philipp Herzig, SAP Chief Technology Officer, discusses the talk of the SAP ecosystem:  artificial intelligence. The constantly-evolving technology is steadily becoming a critical component of the software company's offerings, with SAP working to embed AI capabilities across its entire suite of solutions. 

Ahead of SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference 2025, Herzig sat down with Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion, for a wide-ranging discussion about the place AI holds in the SAP ecosystem and how he is working to further enable SAP customers to embrace the technology. 

 Key Insights

•  How Herzig is specifically driving SAP’s goal of being the “number one business AI company”
• Specific examples of how SAP is embedding AI capabilities across its entire portfolio
• The vision for SAP Business Data Cloud and how it empowers enterprises to embrace AI solutions

 Related Resources

•  Read ASUG's exclusive interview with Jan Gilg,  Chief Revenue Officer & President for SAP Americas and the SAP Global Business Suite organization
• Expand your AI knowledge with the ASUG  Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals and SAP AI Solutions Content Collection
• Listen to ASUG Director of Strategic Topics and Communities, Kelly Dowling, on a recent episode of the Women in ERP Podcast, where she discusses her work building and empowering the ASUG community

 Listen to more ASUG Talks

• Jeff Suellentrop, Chief Information & Technology Officer at Phoenix Global, joins the podcast to walk through his organization's recent GROW with SAP project
• Andre Bechtold,  President of SAP Industries & Experiences, lays out how SAP approaches technology innovation and building the next generation of SAP professionals
• Geoff Scott is joined by two members of the ASUG Board-- Mark LeClair and Craig Dalziel--to break down the SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) release and Databricks partnership 

What exactly does a GROW with SAP project look like?  

ASUG Talks digs deep into this question during a conversation with Jeff Suellentrop, Chief Information & Technology Officer at Phoenix Global, a metals and mining services company. In an effort to jumpstart AI innovation and eliminate technical debt, the enterprise chose GROW with SAP to help facilitate its implementation of SAP S/4HANA Cloud. 

During the discussion, Jeff walks listeners through:  

•  Why GROW with SAP was the best option for Phoenix Global's digital transformation project and IT ecosystem
• How the team overcame specific hurdles during the go-live
• Advice for listeners about to embark on their own GROW with SAP project 

Check out these ASUG resources mentioned in the episode to stay up-to-date on what's happening around the SAP ecosystem:  

•  2025 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research: Gain insights into the top focus areas and challenges reported by 787 ASUG Members.
• ASUG Talks Executive Interview: Andre Bechtold, SAP: Listen to Andre's conversation with Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion, about how SAP is encouraging a culture of innovation and learning—both internally and among its customers.  

While visiting the SAP global headquarters in Walldorf, Germany, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott recently sat down with Andre Bechtold, President of SAP Industries & Experiences. 

As the software company looks to spur continued innovation, Bechtold focuses on building memorable customer experiences. Through his work with the SAP Experience Centers, Bechtold helps SAP embrace new, cutting-edge practices to help their customers meet modern challenges. 

During this conversation, Scott and Bechtold covered: 

·      How SAP approaches technology innovation 

·      Bechtold’s thoughts on leveraging AI to assist with upskilling and reskilling 

·      Building the next generation of SAP professionals

Be sure to check out these ASUG resources to stay up-to-date on what’s going on around the SAP ecosystem: 

·      ASUG coverage of the SAP Q1 2025 financial results: Despite uncertain economic conditions, SAP CEO Christian Klein touted key growth in total revenue and cloud revenue. Read our full coverage—and what it means for SAP customers. 

·      ASUG and SAP Integration Research: This collaborative project examined how respondents approach developing and enacting integration strategies. Overall, the research teams found that ASUG members are devoting necessary resources to jumpstart integration practices at higher rates. Learn more. 

Tune in to a special roundtable episode of ASUG Talks, where Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community, is joined by two ASUG Board Members: Mark LeClair and Craig Dalziel.  A few weeks ago, the three attended the SAP Business Unleashed event in New York, where the software company unveiled the SAP Business Data Cloud along with a new partnership with Databricks. Aimed at helping ASAP customers establish a sound data foundation in order to embrace AI solutions, the offering is yet another in SAP's business AI development journey. 

The three thought leaders leveraged their extensive SAP knowledge to offer their thoughts on what the announcements mean for SAP Customers. Key topics covered in their discussion include: 

• How SAP Business Data Cloud integrates into the larger SAP suite of solutions. 
• The ways in which SAP Business Data Cloud can enable customers to improve their data management practices and set a foundation to embrace AI solutions. 
• The three leaders' first impressions of the new solution and partnership. 

ASUG Talks dives deep into the technology of the moment: artificial intelligence. In this roundtable, Jim Lichtenwalter, ASUG Content Manager, is joined by two AI experts:  

• Paul Modderman, SAP AI Director, Mindset Consulting
• Anurag Barua, Transformation Leader, SAP

Over the past 18 months, SAP has taken massive strides in developing AI solutions and embedding them across its entire suite of solutions. During the conversation, Modderman and Barua lend their expertise to articulate the value of AI and how enterprises can embrace these solutions. Key topics covered in the discussion include:  

• Steps enterprises can take to effectively leverage AI solutions in their IT landscapes. 
• The importance of data security and governance and how SAP approaches this critical topic. 
•  The future state of AI and what development trends are telling us about where the technology is going. 

Each year, ASUG charts the shifting attitudes, focuses, hurdles, and solution adoption rates among its members with the annual Pulse of the SAP Customer Research project. With the release of the 2025 iteration, ASUG Content Manager Jim Lichtenwalter sat down with Marissa Gilbert, ASUG Research Director, and Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion.

The three discussed key highlights from the research--including popular focuses and challenges among ASUG members--and what the data is saying about how the ASUG Community is approaching SAP innovation.

Key insights from the conversation include:

• What SAP undertakings ASUG Members are prioritizing in 2025.
• Top challenges ASUG Members are facing, especially as they embrace SAP S/4HANA and migrate to the cloud.
• The breakdown of environments ASUG Members are leveraging to run their SAP investments.

Download the full 2025 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer report here.

ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott traveled to New York for the SAP Business Unleashed event, where SAP unveiled its newest offering, SAP Business Data Cloud, and its partnership with Databricks, a data analytics and  management software company.

During his trip, Scott sat down with Irfan Khan, President and Chief Product Officer of SAP Data & Analytics. They discussed SAP's new offering and partnership, and how these announcements will help enterprises develop a data foundation for business insights and artificial-intelligence applications.

Key topics from their conversation included:

• How SAP Business Data Cloud is different from SAP Datasphere.
• The way SAP Business Data Cloud will sit in the SAP suite alongside applications such as the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) and SAP Analytics Cloud.
• The importance of integrating SAP and non-SAP data into a single data layer.

For more information on these announcements and their impact on the SAP ecosystem, check out the following SAP insights:

• The trust factor: Data, resilience, and innovation
• SAP and Databricks Open a Bold New Era of Data and AI

To debrief major announcements from the most recent editions of Microsoft Ignite and ASUG Tech Connect, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott and Carolyn Szczurek, ASUG Communications Lead, recently welcomed Holger Bruchelt, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, to a special episode of the ASUG Talks podcast.

 ASUG partnered with Diginomica for a special episode of ASUG Talks. Recorded at ASUG Tech Connect,  Jon Reed, Co-Founder at Diginomica, hosted a conversation with  Geoff Scott, CEO & Chief Community Champion at ASUG, and Joshua Greenbaum, Principal at Enterprise Applications Consulting. 

 The three thought leaders fielded live questions from the audience focused on two areas of vital importance: artificial intelligence and enterprise architecture. During the session, the three experts had an insightful dialogue on how enterprises can leverage AI to drive improved business outcomes, and how the enterprise architect role is evolving.  

Tune in for a special episode of ASUG Talks dedicated to insights from the recent collaborative research project ASUG undertook alongside DSAG and UKISUG. Focused on AI, the research examined how members of the three communities are approaching the technology and implementing it into their IT ecosystems.

In this roundtable conversation, ASUG Research Director Marissa Gilbert is joined by Geoff Scott, CEO & Chief Community Champion; Conor Riordan, Chairperson at UKISUG; and Jens Hungershausen, Chairman at DSAG. The four thought leaders break down the research's highlights and key findings and discuss the impact of AI across the SAP ecosystem.

Dive into the full research project here.

Supply chains have steadily become a major priority for organizations in recent years, especially as black swan events severely disrupted normal supply chains and trade routes. Enterprises must take steps to ensure their supply chains are effective and resilient, even in the face of unplanned circumstances.

In this latest ASUG Talks Roundtable, supply chain experts Isabelle Leclerc, Vice President Supply Chain, Cascades; and Darcy MacClaren, Chief Revenue Officer for SAP Digital Supply Chain, sit down with ASUG to discuss how organizations can leverage technology to bolster their supply chains. During our conversations, we learned how SAP approaches developing effective supply chain solutions based on its customers’ needs, and how customers--like Cascades--are using SAP supply chain solutions to confront modern hurdles and drive their businesses.

In this latest episode of ASUG Talks Live, recorded at ASUG Tech Connect, AI takes center stage. Marissa Gilbert, ASUG Research Director, is joined by Geoff Scott, CEO & Chief Community Champion, ASUG; Jared Coyle, Chief AI Officer, SAP North America; and Soulat Khan, Worldwide Head of SAP Solution Architects, AWS. 

Diving into recent ASUG research focused on the community's usage and attitudes of AI solutions, the panel also discussed the way AI is driving change in the SAP ecosystem along with ways listeners can effectively embrace these solutions. 

In a special episode of ASUG Talks, Thomas Saueressig, Member of the SAP Executive Board overseeing the Customer Services & Delivery Board area, sits down with ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott. 

Their conversation, recorded at SAP's global headquarters in Walldorf, Germany, focused on Saueressig's background, how he approaches his customer-centric role, and his thoughts on the importance of enterprise architects in the SAP ecosystem. 

In this ASUG Talks roundtable, we are joined by three change management experts--Jane E. Schwartz, Senior Director of Global Financial Services, Arthur Lawrence; Karan Froom, Transformation Change Leader & Owner of KFROOMCO Consulting; and Elaine Basa, Senior Director of Global Financial Services, Arthur Lawrence--to discuss how organizations can empower their employees when rolling out new software and processes. 

During the conversation, we touch on importance of change management efforts, common pitfalls companies can avoid, and how to approach budgeting. Listen here. 

Jeff Miers, Director of Partnerships and Alliances for the Energy & Utilities Industries at AWS, and John Downie, Global Energy Industry Lead at Accenture, joined Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion, to discuss growing value and utility of AI-powered solutions, as well as how AWS and Accenture are helping customers effectively implement and leverage next-generation technology. 

The steadily growing skills gap is complicating the implementation of next-generation technology, including cloud ERP and AI solutions. We're seeing this at play in the ASUG community. According to the 2024 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research, 29% of respondents cited maintaining knowledge staff and turnover as challenges their organizations are experiencing. 

In the first episode of our roundtable discussions focused on topics vital to the ASUG Community, ASUG Talks dives deep into the technology skill gap, and how hiring companies and education institutions are working to improve current workforces and empower the next generation of SAP professionals. We are joined by three experts keenly focused on this issue: 

• Jelena Perfiljeva, Expert SAP Developer at Mindset Consulting & Chief Nerdess at Boring Enterprise Nerds
• Dr. Ronald Freeze, Director for Enterprise Systems & Professor at the University of Arkansas
• Christine Aboud, CEO of St. Michael’s Learning Academy

Listen in to our conversation, where we discuss where hiring organizations and education experts are seeing the skill gap, how both groups work with one another and SAP to improve the knowledge base of SAP professionals, and the importance of reskilling and upskilling. 

Kicking off the SAP for Utilities conference, Michael Sullivan, National Vice President of Renewable Energy and Utilities at SAP North America, joined Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion, to discuss cloud migration, the clean energy transition, the increasing relevance of AI, and how SAP is empowering its customers.

In a special, live episode of ASUG Talks recorded at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference, Marissa Gilbert was joined by Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion; Deirdre Toner Marketing Director for Specialists' Sales at Amazon Web Service (AWS); and Brendan Verni, ASUG Board Member.

Coming off the heels of SAP CEO Christian Klein's marquee keynote address where he emphasized SAP's focus on AI and announced an expanded partnership with AWS, the discussion focused on the place of AI in the SAP ecosystem and the experiences of customers working with hyperscalers. 

Listen here.

In this exclusive episode of the ASUG Talks podcast, celebrating ASUG Volunteer Week, three long-time ASUG Volunteers discuss their journeys through the SAP user ecosystem, reflecting on memorable moments from their ASUG membership and the important role of community engagement in achieving personal and professional goals. Listen now. 

Tune in to an exclusive conversation between ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott and ASUG Research Director Marissa Gilbert on key takeaways from the 2024 ASuG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research, reflecting on what these results say about the ASUG membership’s outlook on key SAP topics. 

Listen in to a special ASUG Tech Connect episode of the ASUG Talks podcast, recorded live from New Orleans, in which ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott hosts a lively discussion between Matt Schwartz, Global Head of AWS SAP Alliance and Partner Network at Amazon Web Services, and Max Wessel, Executive Vice President & Chief Learning Officer of SAP Learning. Reflecting on how organizations can develop, capture, and retain the skills and competencies needed to thrive during business transformation, the keynote conversation addresses the importance of continuous learning, the widening technology skills gap, and the need to impart SAP skills to younger generations.

In this eleventh and final episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Benjamin Deaver, Senior Solution Architect for SNP Group. 

In this tenth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Joe Leimer, VP of Technology with Design Resources, Inc.

In this ninth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Darin Schultz, AMS in Commercial and Logistics with Braskem America. 

In this eighth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Mark Richardson, Chief Technology Officer at Rich Analytics.

In this seventh episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Scott Gordon, Senior Principal IT Technical Analyst for Medtronic. 

In this sixth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Maria Hourani, Director General, Strategic Financial Governance with the Department of National Defense, Canadian Armed Forces.

In this fifth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Kris Cowles, senior vice president of IT at Topcon Positioning Systems and a member of the ASUG Board of Directors.

In this fourth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Amy Her, Associate Partner with AscendN.

In this third episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Jason Sprunk, Global Director, GRM Systems and Operations, Global Revenue Management for Rockwell Automation. 

In this second episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Chris Pelchat, Corporate Technology Applications Manager with the Nebraska Public Power District.

Season 2, Episode 1

In this first episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Tim Nguyen, consultant for the SAP S/4HANA Digital Transformation Project. Tim discussed his path to becoming a SAP professional. 

In this ASUG Talks episode, we talk with Bob Bucy, N.C. State University Teaching Support Specialist, about his career and academic pursuits.

Tune in to our newest ASUG Talks podcast episode for a Candid Career Conversation with Staci Baker. In a short 15 minutes, Staci breezes through her career experiences, educational pursuits, and what she's learned, and continues to learn about SAP tech solutions.

In this episode of ASUG Talks, we talk with Vinnie Mirchandani, founder of Deal Architect and the prolific author of the “SAP Nation” books. Vinnie walked us through how he got into writing in the first place and his thoughts on the changes in the SAP ecosystem.

In this episode of ASUG Talks, we chatted with ASUG volunteer and Consulting Director at Rizing, Kimberly Sharp. She spoke about her experiences as a woman working in IT, her first career success, and how she stays up-to-date with the SAP ecosystem. 

We sat down with ASUG CEO Geoff Scott to talk about his career progression and lessons learned during COVID-19. 

In the sixth episode of ASUG Talks, we sat down with Matthew Harmon, Solution Manager Leader of SAP S/4HANA Cloud Environment at W.L. Gore & Associates. Matthew talked with us about his career progression, how he stays up-to-date in the SAP ecosystem, and his experiences with ASUG. 

We sat down with Tammy Powlas, Senior Business Analyst at Fairfax Water and an ASUG volunteer, to talk about her career path and how she pursued certifications to expand her skill set. 

In the third episode of our Candid Career Conversations series, ASUG Talks sits down with Allison Boutilier, project delivery manager at Marine Atlantic. She talks about her path to IT, her experiences working in the male-dominated IT field, and her work at Marine Atlantic. 

In episode two of our Candid Career Conversations series, we spoke with Cindy Seaburn, an ASUG volunteer and SAP systems analyst for Duval County Public Schools in Florida. We spoke about Cindy's path to IT, how she juggles being an adjunct English professor in her spare time, and her experiences with ASUG. 

For the debut episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, we are joined by Ann Largent, a senior solution engineer at enosix and an ASUG volunteer. In celebration of International Women's Day this month, this is part of a series of content focused on the experiences of women working in the IT world. 

We discussed how Ann got started in the IT industry, her experiences working as a professional in the SAP ecosystem, and her work as an ASUG volunteer.