Accelerated cloud migration is not merely a technical shift; it is a vital response to broader societal and economic changes. To support businesses in their digital transformations, SAP and its partners have announced a commitment to validated skills, ensuring that companies can innovate swiftly to remain agile and successful.
As businesses increasingly adopt cloud-first strategies, their approach to IT infrastructure and enterprise applications is significantly evolving. Recent studies show that artificial intelligence (AI) adoption has more than tripled since 2017, with over 70% of companies now integrating AI into their operations.* For SAP customers, this transition presents opportunities to leverage innovative technologies and enhance business agility. However, success relies heavily on careful planning, strong partnerships, and future-ready skills.
To help customers remain agile, respond quickly to innovations, and continuously evolve their operations, SAP and its partners are committed to maintaining certified skills. New requirements, including annual certification renewals, ensure that experts stay current. By July of this year, all partner resources in key roles—such as enterprise architects, developers, business transformation management consultants, and project managers involved in RISE with SAP projects—must hold a valid SAP Certification. Furthermore, by the end of 2025, 50% of relevant partner practitioners are expected to possess at least one valid certification across the SAP solution portfolio.
Since its launch in 2021, SAP partners have been integral to RISE with SAP transformation projects, leveraging their expertise to tailor solutions to customer needs. From designing cloud transition road maps to implementing process automation and optimizing costs, partners can enable businesses to maximize the value of SAP solutions. They help ensure organizations adopt intelligent enterprise practices efficiently while addressing unique challenges and goals.
“This mutual commitment underscores SAP and its partners’ dedication to delivering exceptional value, staying ahead of evolving industry standards, and driving customer success in an ever-evolving landscape,” says Karl Fahrbach, chief partner officer at SAP. “Working with certified innovators skilled in the latest SAP technologies enables customers to achieve significant benefits—from reducing errors and risks to fostering innovation and accelerating deployment times.”
By collaborating with certified partner experts, customers can expect to adapt more readily to change and maintain competitiveness in a dynamic market. SAP and its partners’ commitment to innovative SAP skills highlights the importance of continuous learning and upskilling, working to ensure exceptional value delivery. With the latest competencies in high-demand SAP solutions, SAP’s ecosystem of partners strives to achieve our shared goal: delivering innovation excellence to customers.
*McKinsey, The state of AI in early 2024: Gen AI adoption spikes and starts to generate value, 2024
Andre Bechtold is SVP and head of Solution & Innovation Experience at SAP.