Growth, simplification, and artificial intelligence (AI) are no longer optional. That is the unmistakable signal from SAP’s Global Business Priorities Study, which surveyed nearly 12,000 executives across 20 markets and 31 industries. The results capture both urgency and possibility.
Across the world, 95 percent of companies say growth is a priority for the year ahead. Their top focus areas—including expanding market presence, broadening distribution through partners, and scaling operations—speak to leaders’ determination to create value in a climate of uncertainty and change.
In my engagements with customers, I see this reality every day. Companies everywhere want to grow, but they want to grow with confidence. They are looking for partners who understand their unique challenges, who support them with their long-term ambitions, and who can help them keep pace with rapid change.
Technology is central to this ambition. Nearly all respondents in the study rank simplifying work and improving processes alongside growth. Here, artificial intelligence stands out. Nine in 10 organizations have already made generative or agent-based AI a priority, and more than 70 percent have some form of AI in use. While concerns about data quality and talent remain, the message is clear: AI has moved beyond experimentation into the mainstream of how companies operate and unleash value.
Turning AI potential into outcomes by centering value creation and integration
I believe this is a time for grounded optimism. The appetite for growth is real and the technology to achieve it is more advanced than ever. Innovation is accelerating at an extraordinary pace, with daily breakthroughs showcasing the expanding potential of AI.
There is a recent example that demonstrates AI’s ability to process multi-step tasks for over 30 hours. This achievement highlights not only the rapid evolution of AI, but also how increasingly accessible and capable these technologies are becoming.
However, as AI systems grow more autonomous and context-aware, organizations must recognize that true value doesn’t come from raw capability alone. To harness AI effectively, especially in enterprise environments, a consistent semantic layer is essential. It ensures alignment among data, tasks, and outcomes, enabling AI to reason reliably across systems and scale impact without losing coherence.
Companies must also move beyond simply adopting AI to actively testing and refining applications to gain a significant advantage. Equally important is a deliberate approach to managing the human element of a transformation, rooted in structured and human-centric change management.
Realizing AI’s true promise requires a fundamental shift in how people, applications, and data connect. Success relies on deeply connecting every part of an organization’s business, delivering end-to-end transformational value. A seamless, integrated suite provides insight and agility, whether responding to a problem or ensuring readiness when opportunity knocks.
This is where SAP Business Suite is a game changer, integrating applications, data, and AI in a virtuous cycle that delivers tangible business outcomes. At our inaugural SAP Connect event earlier in October, we showcased new applications, strategic data partnerships with Google Cloud and Databricks, and a new network of role-based AI assistants in Joule across every line of business.
Altogether, our continuous innovation marks the beginning of a new era powered by self-reinforcing AI, data, and applications. By keeping customer needs and value realization at the center and leading with innovation, businesses can not only navigate uncertainty, but build a more resilient, intelligent, and sustainable future.
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