A very different road
The door you haven't opened with the biggest difference in steps from this one.
9. Keep AI outside SAP for now
Open door 9
Door 4Draft
Connect Microsoft, AWS or Google AI to ECC
What this road promises
“Copilot Studio connects to SAP BAPIs and RFCs, including older systems.”Source: Microsoft Learn
Ask yourself:
1Pick the platformAsk yourself:We have Copilot. Is connecting it to SAP small, or a project?
Usually the one you already use.
2Set up connectivityAsk yourself:Who owns this: the SAP team or the Microsoft/cloud team?
Gateway, Cloud Connector or the ABAP SDK.
3Choose which SAP functions to exposeAsk yourself:An agent that can call any BAPI worries me. Which ones do we allow?
Decide which BAPIs and services agents may call.
4Check SAP's API policy and licensingAsk yourself:Is this indirect access? Will it show up at the next audit?Is our setup on a pathway SAP accepts for AI agents?
Check the API policy and licensing impact.
5Identity and authorizationsAsk yourself:If it runs as a technical user, my Basis lead won't sign.
Make agents act with the right permissions.
6Build agents and testAsk yourself:Does it understand our Z-fields, or only standard SAP?
Build and test on your real data.
7Run and monitorAsk yourself:Now there are two vendors to call when something breaks.
Watch usage, errors and cost.
8When we migrateAsk yourself:Every connection needs to be re-pointed to S/4.
Point connections at S/4HANA.
Where this road lands
- AI you get
- Agents in tools people already use.
- Time to production
- No public benchmark.
- Cost
- Platform licenses, build work, possible SAP fees.
- Team load
- Medium. SAP team plus cloud team.
- New systems
- Gateway or connector, agent platform.
- Survives migration
- Agents stay. Connections get re-pointed.
- Security and licensing
- API policy and indirect access apply.
- Source: SAPinsider (Independent press and analysts)
- Adoption risk
- Lower if the platform is familiar.
Add this road to my plan
Open another door
Another road you haven't opened
One of the doors you haven't opened, picked at random.
1. Get SAP's AI after moving to S/4HANA
Open door 1