2026 SAP Trends

As organizations head into 2026, many are reaching a turning point in their SAP journey. From our experience working alongside clients on their SAP initiatives, the conversation has moved away from “what’s coming” to “what needs to happen next.”  

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• SAP’s commercial strategy and technology roadmap point in the same direction: moving the remaining ECC customer base forward while making S/4HANA and BTP the center of gravity for innovation. 

• AI is moving from something people interact with to something that quietly runs in the background of everyday operations. 

• SAP Business Data Cloud’s strategic partnerships are forcing businesses to rethink what their data strategy should look like moving forward.    

• Clean Core has become a practical guiding principle for organizations running SAP ERP, while SAP steers customers toward extension and integration patterns on BTP. 

• Several SAP capabilities arriving in 2026 will deliver tangible value, making planning, execution, and manufacturing more responsive and easier to manage.   

• From IBP Demand Sensing to AI-driven explainability features, recent updates to IBP are its reliance on traditional statistical forecasting and historical sales patterns. 

The upcoming ECC end-of-maintenance deadline is forcing long-delayed decisions, while AI capabilities built directly into S/4HANA are becoming practical tools that support everyday work in meaningful ways. We’re also seeing clients rethink their data strategy, leveraging SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) to build confidence in their analytics. SAP’s Clean Core approach is also gaining momentum as teams look to simplify their systems and avoid repeating past customization mistakes. Ongoing enhancements to SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP) further reflect this shift to proactiveness, as planning teams push for faster, more adaptive decision-making that reflects what’s actually happening in the business. 

From our perspective, 2026 feels less about chasing the next big SAP innovation and more about simplifying landscapes, making smarter use of existing capabilities, and realizing value from investments already made. This report outlines the SAP trends shaping the industry for 2026 and beyond. 

DOWNLOAD THE FULL TRENDS REPORT BELOW.

This article was originally published by a partner in our business ecosystem, Clarkston Consulting. To learn more about Clarkston, click here.