ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS
he enterprise esource planning( ERP) software market faces fundamental change as companies move their core business systems to cloud computing platforms: marking the largest transformation in business software since the client-server revolution of the 1990s.
SAP – which provides ERP software to 88 % of the Fortune 500 companies – is central to this transformation. The German software company’ s core product, S / 4HANA, combines business planning, inventory management, manufacturing and financial systems in a single platform. Its transition from selling traditional on-premises software licenses to providing cloud-based services represents a significant shift in how companies buy and implement business software.
ERP systems form the operational backbone of most large organisations. These systems manage everything from procurement to payroll, making their replacement or upgrade a significant technical and operational challenge.
Christian Klein, Chief Executive Officer of SAP SE, is directing this fundamental change in the company’ s direction. His strategy emphasises cloud adoption and AI integration, while managing the complex transition of SAP’ s vast customer base from traditional ERP implementations to cloud-based services.
84 April 2025