Volatility has become structural, and boards are demanding outcomes—not pilots. The clear signal from SAP Connect 2025: AI is shifting from experiments to execution through a seamless app–data–AI flywheel. Role-based Joule assistants, Deep Research, and guarded autonomous workflows are being embedded where work happens, improving accuracy, compressing cycle times, and making trade-offs (budget vs. margin, risk vs. speed) visible in real time. Combined with updates to supply chain orchestration, source-to-pay, and the Business Data Cloud, the emphasis is squarely on measurable value in the next quarter.
This recap is written for CFOs, CIO/IT leaders, COOs/Supply Chain heads, CHROs, and CX executives who must translate announcements into operating gains. You’ll get board-ready highlights, what materially changed in SAP’s stack, and a pragmatic 30/60/90-day plan to prove value quickly. We identify where to start (P2P/O2C leakage, sourcing resilience, skills acceleration), how to govern adoption safely, and which KPIs to track so finance, IT, and operations stay aligned from day one.
Event Snapshot: Connected Intelligence, Executed
SAP Connect 2025 is SAP’s cross-functional forum where finance, spend, supply chain, people, and customer teams converge around a single idea: connected intelligence. Instead of siloed apps and bolt-on AI, the event showcased a unified app–data–AI flywheel—role-based assistants, deep research, and AI-native orchestration working where the work happens. The through-line was execution: smoother planning cycles, faster exception handling, and transparent trade-offs (budget vs. margin, risk vs. speed) visible in real time.
Our lens: value in 30–90 days, not hype. We assess every announcement by whether it can move next-quarter KPIs with minimal disruption:
- Time-to-value: Can we pilot in one role or process without re-implementation?
- Data readiness: Is a thin slice of Business Data Cloud enough to start?
- Controllability: Do assistants support guardrails, auditability, and autonomy steps?
- Measurable outcomes: Leakage recovered (P2P/O2C), DSO/DPO deltas, forecast error down, cycle times compressed.
- Adoption load: Can we upskill teams within a 45-day sprint?
What follows maps SAP’s announcements to near-term business results—and closes with a pragmatic 30/60/90-day plan to prove value.
From Local Wins to a Unified App–Data–AI Operating System
Why it matters. Optimizing a single function (procurement, HR, service) creates local wins—but the value tops out when data, processes, and AI aren’t speaking the same language. A unified app–data–AI operating system (harmonized semantics + shared governance) targets the global maximum: better accuracy, fewer integrations to maintain, and intelligence embedded where work actually happens.
The five application patterns taking shape
- Embedded/agentic AI: Intelligence inside core workflows to guide decisions, not just report on them.
- Autonomous execution: Guardrailed hand-offs from recommendations → supervised runs → no-touch execution for bounded tasks.
- AI-native apps: Built in the AI era; the model, data, and UX are inseparable from day one.
- App-less experiences: Users converse to get work done (e.g., “reconcile these disputes”), without hunting through screens.
- No-app generation: On-demand, model-generated micro-apps for niche tasks that don’t warrant permanent UIs.
Gen UI: the new front door. A conversational layer (“Gen UI”) becomes the place users start—retrieving context, navigating, invoking agents, and reviewing outcomes—while honoring existing roles/permissions and audit trails. It shortens the path from question → action → measurable result.
What this unlocks for leaders. End-to-end visibility (budget vs. margin trade-offs), faster cycle times (planning, exceptions, sourcing), and safer AI adoption (shared controls, explainability, data lineage). In plain terms: less integration tax, more usable intelligence, and a stack designed to scale outcomes—not just pilots.
What Changes Next Quarter
CFO — Cash first, clarity always
- Recover leakage: turn on Receivables/Dispute assistants to close shipped-not-billed, terms drift, and duplicates.
- Raise forecast confidence: use Deep Research to pressure-test assumptions; publish a single KPI wall.
- Autonomy ladder: move from recommendations → supervised runs → bounded autonomous actions with approvals & audit.
Track: cash recovered, DSO/DPO deltas, forecast error, write-offs.
CIO/IT — One governance plane, safer AI
- Simplify the stack: standardize on the app–data–AI flywheel; retire ad-hoc integrations.
- Govern once: define data contracts in Business Data Cloud; preserve roles/permissions for AI access.
- Operationalize agents: registry, guardrails, logging, and rollback patterns.
Track: integration count ↓, incident rate, model access audits, time-to-pilot.
COO / Supply Chain — Exceptions handled before they hurt
- Proactive exception handling: instrument OEE and fulfillment thresholds with assistant alerts.
- Graph-driven rerouting: use supply chain orchestration to sense risk and simulate alternatives.
- Procurement playbooks: codify expedite vs. cost trade-offs.
Track: on-time fulfillment, lead-time variance, expedite spend, perfect-order rate.
CHRO — Skills as the new supply chain
- Skills-first design: map critical roles to evolving skills; close gaps with 45-day sprints.
- AI-assisted people ops: performance summaries, development paths, succession readiness via assistants.
- Adoption enablement: role-based microlearning tied to live workflows.
Track: skill attainment, time-to-competency, internal mobility, manager NPS.
CX / Service — Resolution first, escalation rare
- Case→solution→survey: assistants classify, propose fixes, close, and collect feedback; escalate only when stuck.
- Personalized journeys: trigger Engagement Cloud moments from service signals.
- Quality loop: feed survey outcomes back into knowledge and routing.
Track: first-contact resolution, time-to-close, CSAT/NPS, deflection rate.
The Mobolutions Playbook: Advisory → Pilot → Scale
We turn announcements into quarter-level outcomes with a simple, controlled path: start focused, prove value in 30–60 days, then scale with guardrails.
- Advisory (2–3 weeks): Baseline P2P/O2C leakage, stand up a thin-slice Business Data Cloud, set autonomy guardrails, lock a 30/60/90 plan.
- Pilot (30–60 days): Switch on Finance Ops Agents (+1 role), use Deep Research, accelerate via BRIMIgnite / BDC Connect; track cash recovered & cycle time.
- Scale (61–90+ days): Climb the autonomy ladder (recommend → supervise → bounded auto), adopt our Post-Go-Live Operating Model, extend Engagement Cloud journeys.
- Accelerators: BRIMIgnite, BDC Connect, Finance Ops Agents, Post-Go-Live Operating Model.
- Integration stance: SAP-first; extend to non-SAP via Agent Builder (RBAC, audit).
Get yourself a quick time to identify your fastest 30-day wins!
-
30/60/90-Day Action Plan
A focused, low-disruption sequence that mirrors the SAP Connect demo—prove ROI inside a quarter, then scale with guardrails.
-
0–30 days — Establish the baseline
Do: Run a P2P/O2C value-leakage scan (shipped-not-billed, terms drift, duplicates). Stand up a Business Data Cloud thin slice (contracts, lineage, roles/permissions). Select 1–2 Joule assistants (e.g., Receivables, Sourcing). Enable Supply Chain Orchestration signal ingest (network knowledge graph). Configure Ariba S2P agentic flows for standard terms/duplicate-invoice controls. Publish a P&L snapshot so leaders see budget-vs-margin trade-offs early.
Deliverables: KPI baseline, data contracts, pilot scope, P&L view. -
31–60 days — Pilot & close leaks
Do: Turn on assistants and pilot Deep Research (account planning/profitability). Launch a live KPI dashboard and remediate the top 3 leaks. Pilot Engagement Cloud for an operational journey (e.g., supplier compliance with send-time optimization). Use Business Network for alternate sourcing; mine prior negotiated terms from email to structure an RFP. Run an OEE/asset-health exception drill (detect → reschedule → emergency PO → dispatch).
Deliverables: Cash recovered, cycle-time reductions, sourcing alternatives tested, journey live. -
61–90 days — Scale with controls
Do: Define the autonomy ladder (recommend → supervise → bounded autonomous actions) and formalize guardrails for collections/disputes and selected procurement steps (approvals, audit). Launch a 45-day skills sprint in SuccessFactors. Expand to a second function (e.g., Procurement or Service) and extend assistants to CX/Service (case → solution → survey; escalate only if stuck). Publish a Board KPI wall reflecting the demo pattern (e.g., budget 80%→110% with a transparent −1pt margin trade-off).
Deliverables: Autonomy policies, adoption targets met, second function live, executive scorecards.
Track throughout: cash recovered, % shipped-not-billed, DSO/DPO deltas, forecast accuracy, time-to-close, on-time fulfillment, expedite cost variance, gross-margin impact, budget-attainment %.
The bottom line
SAP Connect 2025 replaced hype with execution: a seamless app–data–AI flywheel, role-based assistants, and Deep Research that convert volatility into measurable outcomes. The path is practical—close P2P/O2C leakages, make sourcing resilient, upskill fast, and expose trade-offs in a live P&L—so you can show impact inside a quarter and scale with guardrails.
If your mandate is outcomes, not pilots, start small, move fast, and instrument everything. We’ll help you prove value in 30/60/90 days and then operationalize it across functions.
