At ISG’s recent Future Workplace Summit, I discussed how greater transparency in licensing agreements would foster more transformative collaboration, faster growth and better long-term outcomes for all parties. This is why I am pleased to see this week’s announcement from SAP that it is revising its “Indirect Access” licensing policies. From experience with enterprises in the field, we have known that SAP’s prior policy was a significant source of friction and concern – and a deterrent to many potential customers.
In what it is describing as its new “sales, audit and pricing model for its Digital Access licensing policies,” SAP will specifically distinguish between “Direct/Human Access” and “Indirect/Digital Access,” which will include access by third parties (including customers and suppliers), Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications and robots that will be licensed on a per-transaction basis.
The new licensing model will apply to what SAP describes as “the digital core – SAP S/4HANA and SAP S/4HANA Cloud – as well as the SAP ERP application.” Existing clients will have the option to remain under their current licenses or migrate to the new model. SAP also is separating its audit function from its sales organization, which when combined seemed a bit unseemly.
This is all big news and will no doubt influence other licensing practices in the industry. The fact is that legacy licensing models simply were not designed for the digital era. And, while evolving licensing to better match today’s business paradigm could be a breath of fresh air to the industry, existing clients will need to sort out what this means to them and what their best option will be going forward.
Enterprises need to analyze any robotic process automation (RPA), third-party connectivity and IoT plans that touch their SAP environment, as well as the projected transaction counts (and definitions) for each of these areas over time. So, while transparency is clearly a positive goal, change involves significant (and different) financial risks, as buyers can significantly over-pay if they select the wrong option. Therefore, it will be important for each organization that uses SAP to embark on a careful strategy review – including discovery, scenario modeling, financial analysis and risk/reward decisioning – before determining its licensing path.
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About the author
Bill is a sourcing industry leader and active proponent of helping to create professional standards and best practices. His areas of expertise include sourcing strategies, shared services and contract negotiations. Throughout his career he has been responsible for both business development and delivery of strategic advisory services in procurement, vendor management and operational transformation.
About the author
Bill Huber
Bill Huber is Global Partner – Digital Platforms & Solutions and a well-known thought leader in the field of technology, sourcing and transformation. In his current role, Bill is the global leader for ISG’s Software Advisory practice, which assists clients in delivering savings, de-risking their software environment, maximizing the business value of their third-party technology investments and accelerating their digital transformations.
