Sydney, Singapore, Tokyo, Gold Coast, Chicago, and Frankfurt—these were the six locations where SAP Transformation Excellence Summit brought together visionary leaders and the newest technologies in business transformation. The summits shed light on how businesses can navigate the complexities of modern transformation. The event highlighted transformative strategies, with a special mention of infusing AI in transformation, data-driven tools, best practices, and a streamlined approach for enterprise success. Here are the key trends and insights from each of the events.
Accelerating business transformation with SAP Signavio and SAP LeanIX solutions
Gero Decker, general manager of SAP Signavio, SAP SE, explored how organizations can achieve rapid, data-driven transformation using SAP Signavio solutions. Described as the "bridge to successful process transformations," he added that the accelerated process discovery service with SAP Signavio Process Transformation Suite provides actionable insights swiftly. Process AI capabilities by SAP Signavio solutions and risk mining powered by Databricks (an SAP endorsed app) use generative AI to uncover hidden risks and streamline compliance and risk management. He emphasized that the future of process management lies in a shift "from automation to autonomization, from simplification to sophistication."
André Christ, general manager of SAP LeanIX, SAP SE, set the stage with a compelling discussion on the evolving role of enterprise architecture in business transformation. Emphasizing the need to modernize both architectures and processes, he highlighted the potential of AI-driven insights, improved data quality, and more-seamless integration with solutions such as SAP Cloud ALM and ServiceNow. New capabilities, including AI-assisted inventories, guided transformations, and architecture recommendations, are designed to future-proof EA and drive data-driven, AI-enabled transformation journeys.
Process AI capabilities: The AI boost for a customer-focused transformation
In a session led by Noor Zehra Naqvi (SAP) and Micha Hinn (SMA Solar Technology), the transformative potential of process AI capabilities was highlighted through real-world applications. Micha shared how SMA Solar Technology's transition to a process-oriented organization resulted in faster response times and increased customer satisfaction, substantiating the potential value of AI-supported process modeling and observability tools. This shift "is a marathon—not a sprint," added Noor, but it significantly enhances operational efficiency and aligns the organization’s processes more closely with customer needs.
Enhancing end-to-end enterprise observability
Silvio Arcangeli, senior director of product management of SAP Signavio, SAP SE, introduced the powerful integration of SAP Signavio solutions with SAP Business Technology Platform, designed to enhance process transparency and efficiency. Innovative tools such as the AI-assisted process analyzer, set for release in the first half of 2025, enable users to create dashboards from natural language prompts, democratizing process mining. The root-cause analysis tool quickly identifies process inefficiencies, streamlining decision-making. He emphasized SAP’s dedication to "scaling the enterprise readiness of transformation initiatives," helping businesses achieve desired outcomes through advanced conformance checks and personalized dashboards.
Achieving a clean core for sustainable growth
The summits stressed the vital importance of a streamlined, standardized foundation—a "clean core"— as the bedrock for successful business transformations. This approach involves a meticulous “discover and analyze” phase to pinpoint standardization opportunities, followed by the “design and implement” phase to execute changes. Continuous governance helps maintain this clean core, preventing process drift and ensuring compliance. SAP LeanIX and SAP Signavio solutions are pivotal in this strategy, providing visualization of process inefficiencies and collaborative tools that align IT and business leaders.
The summits highlighted that organizations can expect faster technology adoption, reduced operational costs, and simplified system upgrades by embracing these innovative solutions. This holistic, clean core strategy not only supports efficient change management but also ensures a resilient foundation for sustainable growth.
SAP Transformation Excellence Summit showcased how blending AI, data-driven tools, and a commitment to standardized processes can empower businesses to thrive amid change. As leaders navigate the road ahead, these insights and technologies will be vital to achieving true transformation excellence.
Customer sessions in short: Sharing industry best practices
At each summit, customer sessions emphasized hands-on approaches to leveraging SAP’s transformation tools. These sessions focused on real-world strategies to advance enterprise architecture and business process transformation, featuring customer stories from companies like NTT Holdings, Daimler Truck AG, and GE HealthCare. These sessions highlighted AI-assisted SAP solutions and demonstrated the use of digital twins and automated discovery to enable a more seamless, data-driven transformation journey, supporting companies with best practices in achieving scalable and sustainable change.
The summits offered networking opportunities and collaborative discussions to tackle common challenges, as the most valued takeaway. Collectively, more than 1,600 existing and prospective SAP customers attended the summits, making the series one of the largest business transformation–themed corporate events in the world. Don’t worry if you missed out; you can check the session recording here .
Then, catch our Business Process Transformation Tour, continuing in cities around the world.