As digital transformation accelerates across industries, SAP has redefined RISE with SAP into a comprehensive platform for enterprise-wide business transformation. At Sapphire 2025, SAP emphasized that RISE is no longer just about modernizing ERP systems—it’s a strategic enabler for agility, intelligence, and sustainable success.
From ERP Modernization to Strategic Enablement
Since its launch, RISE with SAP has helped companies move to the cloud and modernize their ERP landscape. But in 2025, modernization alone is insufficient. Enterprises now require resilience, built-in intelligence, and the ability to adapt rapidly.
RISE with SAP 2025 delivers on that expectation by integrating SAP S/4HANA Cloud, SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), and industry-focused capabilities—along with embedded AI, automation, and sustainability tools. This streamlined, modular approach reduces complexity and risk, enabling organizations to transform with confidence.
What’s New in RISE with SAP 2025?
1. Built-in Business AI
Artificial intelligence is now a foundational component of RISE with SAP. Embedded use cases across finance, procurement, and supply chain drive real-time forecasting, intelligent automation, and proactive decision-making. At Sapphire, SAP announced deeper Joule integration across its portfolio, acting as a personalized assistant that enhances workflows.
New AI-powered capabilities include:
Predictive analytics for supply chain and customer behavior
AI-driven financial forecasting and invoice matching
Scenario modeling and anomaly detection
Expanded generative AI support in 11 languages
SAP also introduced the AI Foundation—a developer suite that includes Joule Studio, AI Hub, and Knowledge Graph, allowing businesses to build and deploy domain-specific AI agents with ease.
2. Industry-Specific Innovation at Scale
RISE with SAP 2025 includes expanded support for industry cloud solutions. Pre-integrated capabilities are now tailored to sectors like manufacturing, consumer products, life sciences, and utilities, helping organizations accelerate time-to-value with targeted, outcome-driven tools.
3. Sustainability as a Core Pillar
With regulatory expectations rising, SAP has embedded sustainability directly into core processes. RISE now enables businesses to track carbon emissions, manage ESG reporting, and support circular economy models—all within the system landscape.
A key enabler is SAP’s continued push for a “clean core” architecture: standardized best practices at the foundation, with flexible extensions built on SAP BTP. This modular approach supports innovation while preserving system integrity, allowing organizations to adapt without the burden of excessive customizations.
4. Unified Data and Extensibility with SAP BTP
SAP BTP continues to play a pivotal role in extensibility and innovation. With a harmonized data layer, event-driven integration, and low-code/no-code tools like SAP Build, business and IT teams can co-develop new applications quickly, without disrupting core processes. This is essential for companies looking to scale innovation across geographies and functions.
5. Stronger Ecosystem and Partner Support
RISE with SAP offers flexibility in working with hyperscalers, global system integrators, and industry-specific partners. This open ecosystem, supported by SAP’s reference architectures and tools, gives organizations the freedom to shape their transformation journey while maintaining alignment with SAP’s innovation roadmap.
Security and adaptability are also core to this vision. SAP provides continuous updates and embedded guardrails to help organizations respond to cyber threats and shifting market conditions with agility.
Why This Matters for Finance Leaders
RISE with SAP 2025 brings significant value to CFOs and finance teams through intelligence, compliance, and flexibility:
AI-powered insights help improve forecasting, cash flow analysis, and anomaly detection, reducing reliance on manual intervention.
Embedded compliance features streamline audit readiness and regulatory reporting. For example, new capabilities in the SAP Business Network, now migrated to SAP BTP, support bulk certificate uploads and automated document validation.
Cloud-native agility enables finance to adapt quickly during M&A, reorganizations, or global expansion. Tools like SAP Cloud ALM and AI-powered app development via SAP Build accelerate execution while keeping systems stable.
SAP’s new AI Foundation empowers finance and development teams alike—with Joule-assisted code generation, workflow automation, and enterprise-specific AI agents ready to deploy.
RISE in Action: Business Transformation at Scale
At Sapphire 2025, customer stories demonstrated that RISE with SAP is driving tangible impact:
A leading automotive manufacturer streamlined operations across 40 countries using AI-embedded processes and SAP’s clean core principles.
A global pharmaceutical company leveraged industry cloud capabilities to shorten drug development cycles while improving compliance and traceability.
These examples reinforce that business transformation with RISE is not a future goal—it’s actively reshaping industries today.
Conclusion
RISE with SAP 2025 signals a shift from system modernization to business reinvention. It equips enterprises with a unified foundation for agility, intelligence, and innovation, tailored to today’s digital economy. For finance leaders and transformation teams alike, RISE is no longer about catching up; it’s about gaining a competitive advantage and building future-ready enterprises. Learn more here.