During our 3rd Raven’s Nest – RISE & Resist session in Bern, we brought together a select group of SAP decision-makers for an open, peer-driven discussion on today’s SAP landscape and tomorrow’s contract challenges.

The session was deliberately designed as a conversation rather than a presentation. From the start, the tour de table created a transparent overview of where participants stand: still on ECC, in hybrid environments, or already transitioning towards S/4HANA and Cloud ERP / RISE.

A key focus was SAP’s evolving AI strategy and its impact on licensing. Participants discussed how AI-driven automation is likely to reduce traditional user-based licensing demand while shifting costs towards data consumption, APIs and usage-based pricing models.

This led to an in-depth exchange on SAP’s new API policy and the balance between control, innovation and commercial transparency. The concept of “governed openness” resonated strongly across the group as a practical way to maintain flexibility without losing control.

One clear takeaway emerged: successful SAP negotiations today start with a deep understanding of your current landscape and a structured approach to pricing, usage and contractual flexibility.