German-speaking SAP users unsure about low-code offerings • The Register

SAP users have expressed concerns about the German enterprise application provider’s latest “low-code” offering, saying the company has yet to show how much “process depth” it can demonstrate.

At last week’s TechEd, SAP introduced SAP Build, the latest iteration of its low-code concept, designed to provide an environment that gives business users access to end-to-end processes, data, and context to run applications within of its enterprise software portfolio.

It relies on the SAP Business Technology Platform, a middleware that sits between applications, allowing users to create and extend enterprise applications, automate processes, and launch business websites with “simple drag-and-drop,” according to the makers. to design.

The German-speaking user group DSAG presented itself with CEO Jens Hungershausen and CTO Sebastian Westphal and welcomed SAP Build as a solution that could effectively reduce the shortage of skilled workers in many areas of SAP software development and reduce the problem of “shadow IT”.

But they also expressed reservations. “It must be clear to everyone that this solution is not a substitute for classic software development and it therefore remains to be seen at what process depth the offer will prove itself in practice,” says a statement.

The statement said it was a positive step to enable SAP Build to integrate tightly with SAP’s core products, existing IT governance and security concepts, and be extensible and releaseable over the long term. “Ultimately, IT departments must ensure that all SAP solutions can be used, and every company must be able to provide auditors and tax consultants with information about business and IT processes at any time.”

However, large companies using SAP enterprise software still struggled with end-of-life dates for many long-standing solutions. “The SAP roadmaps are still full here and require prioritized implementation – the new SAP Build offer does not remedy this,” says the user group, which represents SAP companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

It also pointed out that SAP Build is aimed at a cloud-first strategy, which users still view with skepticism.

The integration with the cloud-focused business technology platform shows that SAP is consistently pursuing the path to the pure cloud world. “From DSAG’s point of view, it is a path that is definitely opportune and understandable. However, as one of our most recent surveys has shown, the majority of our member companies are still heavily involved in the on-premises environment.”

Alongside SAP Build, the vendor has introduced low-code approaches including AppGyver, a partnership with specialist Mendix and another SAP technology called Ruum.

Speak with The registry, Bharat Sandhu, SVP of AI and Application Development Platform at SAP, said low-code has been an evolution for most companies, including SAP. “We’ve been very focused on making sure we can offer really good value to our customers with all the insights we’ve gathered in the past. And we will hear from customers as we work with them every day. SAP Build is an evolution of our low-code strategy. What it really does is bring our previously separate products together into a unified development experience.”

SAP has built enterprise functions like authentication into the platform, he said. ®