I’ve spent over two decades in enterprise applications—from ERP and CRM to HRIS—and I’ve seen firsthand how transformative the right technology can be. In my journey, SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) has emerged as a game changer, opening up a wealth of opportunities across the board for SAP and enterprise IT landscapes. In this blog, I share my personal insights on the four key areas where BTP truly shines: S/4HANA Clean Core implementations, App Development, Innovations, and Integrations.
Clean Core Implementations
One of the biggest challenges many organizations face when migrating to S/4HANA is dealing with decades of customizations that have accumulated over the years. I’ve worked on projects where clients were drowning in custom ABAP code—custom reports, user exits, and complex enhancements—that made upgrades a nightmare. When you move to S/4HANA or even from on-premise HCM to SuccessFactors what do you do with all the custom code? While some might be retired due to ‘fit-to-standard’ there’s always going to be need for customizations around very unique and customer specific requirements such as those around regulations, compliance, CBAs, etc. This is where BTP comes in play. BTP can help to keep the core system standard and untouched, while moving all custom extensions to a separate environment.
I recall a customer migrating from HCM on-premise to SuccessFactors and had several tens of thousands of custom ABAP code. BTP played a huge role in redesigning these processes as SuccessFactors being a SaaS product doesn’t allow such heavy degree of customizations that require coding complex logic. Another scenario I came across was during S/4HANA migration for a Pharma customer we found a z-transaction that was quite large in size focusing on business and regulatory approvals of labels and form dimensions and configurations. Traditionally what was designed using ABAP and module pool was moved to BTP giving various benefits – it improves system performance, simplifies future upgrades, and reduces technical debt. In my experience, customers who embrace this strategy often see faster ROI on their transformation efforts.
App Development
In the world of professional services, having custom applications that add real value is essential. SAP BTP provides a rich set of tools that enable agile app development. I’ve had some really exciting experiences in this area. For example, we once designed a BTP app for a chain of bakeries to forecast demand to minimize waste. We used the Predictive Analytics Library (PAL) on BTP to analyze historical sales data and generate accurate forecasts. The best part was the incredibly user-friendly UX we built for iPads, which allowed bakery managers to access insights on the go. This project was not just about coding—it was about truly understanding the user’s needs and delivering a solution that made their lives easier.
I’ve also worked on extending SAP SuccessFactors (SFSF) to handle complex seniority calculations based on employee events. In this project, every time there was a hire, termination, or change in role, the system needed to recalculate an employee’s seniority—a critical metric for benefits, compensation, and career planning. Building this extension on BTP allowed us to process these events asynchronously and update records in near real-time, all while keeping the core system untouched.
Couple of other examples were around B2B portals for vendors, distributors and dealers that integrated data from S/4HANA, ECC, and Ariba. The portal provided a unified interface for dealers and suppliers to interact with our client’s data, streamlining processes and reducing manual work.
Innovations
Innovation is where BTP truly excels by enabling organizations to incorporate cutting-edge technologies into their solutions. I’ve seen firsthand how innovative applications can completely transform everything from business operations to consumer experience.
For instance, we once worked on a Coaching Insight app for NHL. This application leveraged BTP provide coaches with performance insights, helping them make data-driven decisions during games and practice sessions. The ability to harness such innovative technologies not only improves performance on the field but also creates a competitive edge off the field.
In another project, we helped a pharmaceutical customer tackle a critical challenge with a “Time Out of Refrigeration” solution. In the pharma industry, maintaining the correct temperature is vital for product quality and regulatory compliance. We developed a solution that monitored storage conditions in real time and alerted managers when products were at risk. This innovation was built using a combination of SAP BTP services, and IOT, to ensure that the system could predict and respond to issues before they became critical.
These innovative projects have taught me that embracing technologies like AI, machine learning, blockchain, and native mobile apps isn’t just about keeping up with trends—it’s about solving real problems that have a significant impact on business outcomes. BTP offers a broad spectrum of services that can be tailored to virtually any industry need, and it has opened up endless possibilities for innovation.
Integrations
Seamless integration is the unsung hero of digital transformation. Disconnected systems can lead to inefficiencies and frustration. The beauty of SAP BTP lies in its ability to integrate disparate systems, whether they are on-premise or cloud-based. The SAP Integration Suite is one of the tools that I’ve found invaluable for ensuring smooth data flow between systems making it one of the areas with most potential.
What excites me most about SAP BTP is its ability to unify these different areas into a single, cohesive solution. Imagine a scenario where you have a unified portal that brings together clean core extensions, custom applications, innovative solutions, and seamless integrations. This portal can provide a comprehensive view of everything—from demand forecasting and resource allocation to real-time performance insights and supplier data. In my experience, when all these pieces come together, it doesn’t just streamline operations—it transforms them.
Tapping into these areas is key to extracting the full value out of investments in SAP BTP. Organizations that embrace the full spectrum of opportunities offered by BTP see significant improvements in efficiency, innovation, and overall business agility. They can manage projects more effectively, reduce manual intervention, and foster an environment where technology drives tangible business outcomes.
I’ve seen how adopting BTP’s capabilities across Clean Core implementations, app development, innovations, and integrations can be a major competitive differentiator. It’s a big reason why I always advocate for customers to take BTP seriously and start their adoption journey.