Back to Newsroom

13/02/2020

DSAG's Investment Report 2020 was published at the end of January. We asked our colleague Stephan Aigner, Head of Products and Development at msg, about the report's key messages.  

Q: How do you view the central message of the latest DSAG report with regard the Business Suite’s shift towards S/4HANA?

A: Overall, it is very pleasing that the survey shows a trend shift in the direction of SAP S/4HANA. This momentum must also be used, however. Many users are still too uncertain about the path they want to take when it comes to making the switch. I see this as a clear mandate for us as consultants to support the customer in eliminating these uncertainties. Our goal is to find the best and most sustainable way forward together with the customer - and then walk that path with them. In my view, the "sustainability" aspect should also relate to the topic of "digital transformation" addressed in the report, not just the switch to SAP S/4HANA. After all, what at first glance appears to be optimal for a switchover might not necessarily be optimal for successful digital transformation in the long term. 

Likewise, we must not neglect the investment in the suite that will still be made in coming years. New extensions should therefore be built to conform to S/4 as much as possible so as not to unnecessarily increase the backlog for conversion. 

Q: What are the consequences of investment in PaaS from your point of view?

A:  Companies have clearly recognized that not every enhancement has to be carried out using the SAP system. After all, the cloud can also add value to business with its PaaS and SaaS offerings. Microsoft is the clear pioneer in this area. Given that company’s comprehensive package and penetration into the workplace, this is hardly surprising. It also shows that the SAP Embrace program between SAP and Microsoft was launched at exactly the right time and that the value added for customers can be increased even further through cooperation.   

This is also great to see from our point of view here at msg, as it fits very well into our strategy and the deepening of our partnership with Microsoft.

Q: The broader context of digital transformation was also examined in the report and DSAG observes a slight shift in trends, but there is still a long way to go. How do you think customers can counter this backlog?

A: In my opinion, we are somewhere between the "valley of disappointment" and the "plateau of productivity" in this hype cycle. Nevertheless, now is the moment for us to continue on this path. That said, expectations with regard to transformation and the innovations required should relate more closely to customers’ real lives. Even supposedly small innovations can, in sum, provide a massive boost to the digital transformation. This is reflected in what we have learned in our own Innovation Labs; the minnosphere is one example.

It is therefore better to start with smaller but manageable ideas and grow upwards from there, rather than not reaching the goal with a big idea. This is another area where I see us as partners with the responsibility to offer a consulting package that takes this into account and accompanies the customer, all the way from the idea to the productive implementation of the solution.     

Stephan Aigner has been Executive Vice President of Products & Delevopment since 2014, an industry-focused solution provider for product and individual development. As a co-founder of the msg innovation lab and Company Builders minnosphere, Aigner is pushing innovation within the msg group.