Motivation
The SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) offers an enormous range of features—from integration and extension development to data and analytics. This is precisely what makes it so powerful, yet it also presents the first hurdle for many teams: Where do you start, how do you organize the options, and what are the next logical steps?
The latest announcements from Sapphire underscore the central importance of BTP in future-proof SAP architectures more than ever: The SAP Business AI Platform builds on the core elements of BTP to combine tasks such as identity management, integration, and development environments as efficiently as possible. Thus, SAP’s new AI platform builds on a foundation that has been designed from the start to provide compliant, resilient, and scalable infrastructure. If companies have already established the BTP in combination with a governance model, the path to leveraging AI innovations is significantly shortened.
For anyone who is still at the beginning of their BTP journey and finds the Sapphire news more confusing than enlightening, two aspects should be emphasized once again:
- The Business AI Platform is NOT a replacement for the BTP! The Business Technology Platform is a part of the Business AI Platform. This actually makes the role of the BTP even MORE IMPORTANT than before.
- adesso offers a structured approach, from the first steps with the BTP all the way to a BTP Center of Excellence.
Our BTP Activation Package is designed for BTP beginners: We conduct an initial assessment and provide guidance. It’s similar to preparing for a sports competition: First, determine your starting point; then solidify the fundamentals; and finally, set specific priorities.
Our package can be understood as a training plan for a half-marathon: Although the goal is the same for everyone (a sustainable BTP strategy), the path to it is different for everyone. We bring a standardized approach and then adapt it together to your individual situation to achieve the greatest possible value from BTP as effectively as possible.
Scope
The package is structured as a modular workshop approach and guides you through three modules, from architectural classification and BTP fundamentals to a robust action plan.
Module 1: SAP Architecture Assessment (remote)
- Objective: In an initial workshop, we’ll work together to gain an overview of your current SAP system landscape, the relevance of BTP, and your current maturity level as a foundation for the next steps.
- Deliverables: Context diagrams, maturity assessment, overview of the current or planned BTP system architecture.
- Contents (excerpt): S/4HANA transformation & extension strategy (cloud vs. on-premise), current development options (ABAP, CAP, RAP), security (SSO, certificates, authorization concepts), operations (administration, licensing, metering), and organizational prerequisites for sustainable BTP usage.
Module 2: BTP Basic Cloud Platform Concepts & Extensions (1–2-day workshops)
- Objective: A broad introduction to the fundamentals, architecture, and operational/extension concepts of SAP BTP – to foster a shared understanding within the team.
- Outcomes: Workshop materials, a unified understanding of BTP use cases and capabilities, architectural integration into your SAP architecture, and a potential BTP setup as a basis for discussion.
- Content (excerpt): Account/space structure including permissions, user/role models, BTP environments, billing models (subscription vs. consumption), entitlements/quotas, and integration options into existing IT landscapes.
- Additional focus: High-level overview of development and extension options with SAP BTP (VSCode, RAP, CAP).
Added value through transparency and control
For many SAP teams, BTP is their first encounter with consumption-based billing models (“consumption-based pricing”). On the one hand, this offers the opportunity to pay only for what is actually consumed. On the other hand, it also brings with it the responsibility to monitor incurred costs and continuously optimize them (often referred to as “FinOps”).
A key lever for sustainable cost efficiency is the elimination of opacity. By establishing clear guidelines, we jointly create a framework that makes BTP costs as predictable and optimizable as possible.
Module 3: BTP Activator (remote)
- Objective: Ideas and requirements are transformed into prioritized, actionable BTP use cases – including evaluation criteria (value added, feasibility, strategic relevance) and a clear roadmap.
- Outcomes: Documentation of workshop results, optional value proposition & solution design for up to 2 prioritized use cases.
- Key outcome: an initial action plan for implementation and rollout.
- Contents (excerpt): Use case collection, evaluation & prioritization, goal/success criteria, description of actors/actions/data flows, and derivation of the next steps for implementation.
After these three modules, participants will have a better understanding of BTP’s capabilities. Additionally, a customized action plan will be in place to successfully implement BTP across the organization in a sustainable way. In addition to the technical aspects, the equally important area of organizational and cultural development is also taken into account. After all, real, genuine change can only succeed when technology AND people change together.
As an additional benefit, we bring all stakeholders involved in BTP together and create a space for jointly developing an SAP and BTP strategy. Our customers often perceive this as a significant benefit.
Conclusion
Sounds interesting? Contact Kevin Ludwig to schedule a one-hour consultation. He’ll review your current situation together with you, recommend next steps and outline a practical plan for getting started with SAP BTP.
