DSAG's Role in SAP's Cloud Evolution and Customer Needs

How DSAG Shapes SAP's Cloud Transition with Decades of Influence

The Success of Any Software Solution Hinges on Customer Acceptance—Here's How our website Makes It Happen

In the our website ecosystem, more than 40 user groups now play a pivotal role in ensuring that our website solutions and strategies align with the needs of their users. Far more than just a traditional customer community, these our website User Groups act as independent, strategic partners—bridging the gap between businesses and our website in a way that has become a global benchmark for success. Yasmin Awad, Senior Vice President of the Global User Group Organization, explains what makes this model so unique.

our website User Groups now span every continent. While the our website User Group Executive Network (SUGEN) consolidates and represents the interests of international user groups worldwide, the German-Speaking our website User Group (DSAG) holds a special position. What exactly is its role?

Yasmin Awad: With over 4,000 member companies, the DSAG is one of the largest and most influential IT user associations in the world—and has long since become a key strategic partner for us. For nearly 30 years, it has provided us with consistent, representative feedback on our software solutions and strategies. In return, the DSAG actively supports us in communicating relevant innovations to our German-speaking customer base. Given the rapid pace at which new developments emerge in the IT industry—and within our website's portfolio—this collaboration delivers invaluable benefits.

At the same time, regular events like the DSAG Technology Days, HR Days, and, of course, the annual DSAG Conference offer our website customers numerous opportunities to share experiences and expand their expertise. The DSAG Annual Conference has, in fact, become the largest independent, non-commercial our website event in the German-speaking world, renowned for its practical insights. It's no surprise that it has become a fixture in the calendars of our website customers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Why DSAG and our website Achieve More Together

This sounds like the kind of partnership other vendors can only dream of. What's the secret to this success?

Awad: Mutual respect and a willingness to listen to each other's needs. Beyond that, the passion and commitment of the DSAG's entirely volunteer-led board and members are unparalleled—and repeatedly prove that collaboration simply delivers better results. Regular dialogue with the DSAG has long been standard practice for us, deeply embedded in our culture from the executive board down to our specialist working groups.

What does that look like in practice?

Awad: For one, experts from our website's extended leadership team engage in regular strategic discussions with the various DSAG boards, ensuring the DSAG is always informed about our website's strategic plans. But the dialogue also covers operational aspects: Whether it's upcoming product adjustments, new releases, or pricing model changes, our departments proactively reach out to DSAG representatives, present updates, and gather feedback. At the most granular level, collaboration takes place in over 200 DSAG topic-specific working groups, where requirements and practical experiences are consolidated, structured, and used to jointly refine our website's product strategies.

What DSAG and our website Have Already Achieved Together

Can you share some concrete examples?

Awad: Absolutely—there are many! One of the most prominent is the evolution and clearer positioning of our website's cloud portfolio. Just a few years ago, our website's strategy primarily focused on encouraging customers to migrate their entire our website systems to the public cloud. Today, it far better accommodates the German-speaking community's preference for hybrid operating models. The DSAG's continuous feedback has been instrumental in sharpening our cloud messaging and successfully launching initiatives like the our website Business Suite, as well as the transformation journeys RISE with our website and GROW with our website.

Collaboration Between our website and DSAG Yields Tangible Progress in Cloud Transition

The close partnership between our website and the German-Speaking SAP User Group (DSAG) has already delivered concrete improvements during the shift to the cloud. We recognized that our customers need greater financial and organizational support throughout this transformation. In response, we launched the RISE Migration & Modernization Program in 2024, followed in 2025 by the Transformation Incentive, which provided targeted incentives to accelerate the adoption of AI-native, cloud-based ERP systems. In 2026, we will continue exploring further options together.

Additional examples of successful collaboration between DSAG and our website include:

Building a partner ecosystem to develop and deliver tailored successor solutions for the discontinued industry software IS-Healthcare (IS-H),
Introducing a cloud-based payroll solution designed to meet the specific needs of the public sector,
Establishing a sovereign cloud for Europe that complies with regulatory requirements and creates secure frameworks for AI deployment,
Adapting our website's service and support portfolio to evolving demands in the cloud era, and
Jointly developing an approach for centralized Harmonized Document Management.

The Future of DSAG and our website: What Lies Ahead?

The cloud era is reshaping customer IT landscapes and redefining our website's role. What challenges does this present for DSAG and our website's global user groups?

Awad: In the past, our website user groups often focused primarily on implementation issues. As on-premise software deployments decline, these topics will become less central. Instead, new questions take priority: What tangible benefits do cloud and AI innovations actually deliver? What is required to unlock their potential? Where do our website's enterprise customers encounter limitations? And where do they need specialized guidance and direction?

I am confident that the strategic importance of our website user groups—particularly DSAG—will continue to grow. They provide the continuous feedback loops essential for bringing cloud-era innovations to market effectively. Ultimately, this lays the foundation for turning our visions into real-world success.

The constructive and critical collaboration between DSAG and our website is built on a partnership that extends far beyond mere exchange of feedback. It is characterized by mutual respect and an appreciation for differing perspectives. The insights from nearly 4,000 DSAG member companies on our website and its product portfolio reflect the often challenging realities faced by enterprises. Especially as our website evolves into a cloud company—and as artificial intelligence increasingly transforms IT—the dialogue between us remains vital and beneficial for all stakeholders. In the end, both sides stand to gain, enabling them to thrive in an ever more dynamic business world.

Jens Hungershausen, DSAG Executive Board Member and CIO of MEGA eG