As is well known, the success of any software solution depends on customer acceptance. In the SAP cosmos, more than 40 user groups now make a significant contribution to ensuring that SAP solutions and strategies take the needs of users into account.

As independent, strategic players, the SAP User Groups form a strong bridge between user companies and SAP – and are therefore much more than a classic customer community: The successful model is unparalleled worldwide. Yasmin Awad, Senior Vice President Global User Group Organization, explains in an interview what makes the concept of SAP User Groups so unique.

SAP user groups now exist on all continents. While the SAP User Group Executive Network (SUGEN) bundles the interests of international user groups around the world and represents them to SAP, the German-speaking SAP user group (DSAG) plays a special role. What does this look like?

Yasmin Awad: With more than 4,000 company members, DSAG is one of the largest and most influential IT user associations in the world – and has therefore long since become an important strategic partner for us: They have been continuously providing us with representative feedback on our software solutions and strategies for around 30 years. Conversely, DSAG also actively supports us in communicating relevant innovations to the German-speaking customer base. Given the speed with which innovations in the IT industry and thus also in the SAP portfolio come to market, this is invaluable added value for us.

At the same time, regular events such as the DSAG technology or personnel days and of course the DSAG annual conference for SAP user companies offer a wide range of opportunities to exchange experiences and build up and expand know-how. Incidentally, the DSAG annual conference is now the largest German-speaking SAP event for independent, practical information – without any sales background. It's no wonder that the event has become an integral part of the calendars of SAP customers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Why DSAG and SAP can achieve more together

That sounds like a collaboration that other manufacturers can probably only dream of. What is the secret of this success?

Awad: Mutual appreciation and an open ear for each other's needs. In addition, the passion and commitment of the DSAG board members and participants, who are all volunteers, are unique – and show time and again that we can easily achieve more together. Regular dialogue with DSAG has therefore been a long-standing practice for us – and is firmly anchored from the SAP Board of Directors right through to the specialist working groups.

What does that mean specifically?

Awad: On the one hand, experts from the extended SAP Board of Directors exchange strategic views with the various DSAG boards in regular coordination rounds. This means that DSAG is always informed about SAP's strategic plans. The dialogue between DSAG and SAP also covers operational aspects: In the event of upcoming product adjustments, the publication of new products or changed pricing models, our specialist departments proactively approach those responsible in the user group, present changes and at the same time obtain feedback on them. Collaboration takes place at the most granular level in the more than 200 topic-specific DSAG working groups. Here, requirements and practical experiences are bundled, communicated to SAP in a structured manner and product strategies are further developed together in a targeted manner.

What DSAG and SAP have already achieved together

Are there any concrete examples of this?

Awad: A whole lot, actually! One of the most prominent is certainly the further development and clear classification of the SAP cloud portfolio. Just a few years ago, SAP's corresponding strategy was primarily aimed at motivating user companies to completely move their SAP systems to the public cloud. Today it does a much better job of meeting the German-speaking SAP community's desire for hybrid operating models. The continuous feedback from DSAG has made a significant contribution to sharpening our cloud messaging and successfully shaping the market entry of the SAP Business Suite and the transformation journeys RISE with SAP and GROW with SAP.

During the cloud transition itself, the close collaboration between SAP and DSAG also achieved concrete improvements: We understood that our customers need more financial and organizational support as part of the transformation. Our answer to this: In 2024 we launched the RISE Migration & Modernization Program, and in 2025 our Transformation Incentive offered concrete incentives for the accelerated transition to AI-native, cloud-based ERP systems. And we will also look at options together in 2026.

Further examples of the successful interaction between DSAG and SAP are:

• the establishment of a partner ecosystem that develops and provides needs-based successor solutions for the discontinued industry software IS-Healthcare (IS-H),
• the introduction of a cloud payroll solution that reflects the special needs of the public sector,
• the realization of a sovereign cloud for Europe that meets compliance requirements and creates secure framework conditions for the use of AI,
• the adaptation of the SAP Service & Support portfolio to changing requirements in the cloud era and
• the jointly developed approach for central harmonized document management.

What will happen next with DSAG and SAP?

The cloud age is changing customers' system landscapes and the role of SAP. What challenges does it pose for DSAG and the global SAP user groups?

Awad: In the past, SAP user groups have often focused primarily on implementation aspects. Since less and less software will have to be implemented on-premise in the future, such topics will become less important. Instead, other questions come into focus: What specific added value does the cloud and innovations such as AI offer? What does it take to develop these? Where do SAP user companies reach their limits? Where do you need special guidance and orientation?

I am sure that the strategic relevance of the SAP user groups in general and DSAG in particular will continue to increase. Only they offer the continuous feedback loops that are needed to bring innovations to the market in a targeted manner in the cloud age. This ultimately creates the basis for our visions to be successful in practice.

The constructive-critical collaboration between DSAG and SAP is based on a partnership understanding that goes far beyond pure mutual feedback. It is characterized by mutual respect and the recognition of sometimes different positions. The assessments and findings of around 4,000 DSAG member companies about SAP and the product portfolio always reflect the sometimes challenging reality in the user companies. Especially what the path from SAP to the cloud company and e.g. For example, when it comes to the increasing penetration of IT by the possibilities of artificial intelligence, the exchange is important and beneficial for everyone involved. So that in the end both sides benefit and can assert themselves successfully in an increasingly dynamic business world.

Jens Hungershausen, DSAG board member and CIO MEGA eG