Based on “SAP’s Future Is Public Cloud. Are You Ready for It?” — A LinkedIn Live Panel by LeapGreat.
The move to SAP public cloud is no longer a long-term vision; it’s an active migration imperative. For SAP customers still anchored in ECC or highly customized landscapes, the next wave of transformation will not be about technical upgrades, but about operational simplification and strategic alignment.
Fit-to-standard is now the starting point for any viable public cloud journey.
On November 13, 2025, LeapGreat hosted a live LinkedIn panel to explore how SAP customers are approaching this shift and what executive teams must consider to succeed.
📺 Watch the Full Panel Discussion
Title: SAP’s Future Is Public Cloud. Are You Ready for It?
Date: November 13, 2025
Duration: ~60 minutes
Panelists:
- Sana Asher, ERP transformation specialist
- Patrik Fiegl, Senior SAP program leader
- Bernhard Lang, Co-founder, LeapGreat
- Moderator: Ross Orrett
📝 Full Transcript
Click to view the full transcript from the live panel. *Please note, the transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and formatting.
Ross Orrett: Well, good morning everyone, and welcome to our LinkedIn Live panel discussion. Today’s topic: SAP’s Future is Public Cloud – Are You Ready for It? I’m your host, Ross Orrett, joined by a few esteemed colleagues who’ve joined us in previous sessions. We found the discussions so engaging that we’ve brought them back for this important conversation.
To those tuning in, feel free to use the comments section on the sidebar. We’d love to hear where you’re joining from. I’m in sunny Phoenix, Arizona today, enjoying the weather. Hopefully, you’re doing the same wherever you are.
Let’s start by introducing our panel:
Joining us first is Sana Asher, CEO of MasterClass for SAP and an ERP transformation specialist with deep expertise in S/4HANA implementations.
Sana Asher: Thank you, Ross. Hello, everyone. Good morning.
Ross Orrett: Next is Patrik Fiegl, Senior SAP Program Leader at Tricentis. He brings global project experience and has a strong passion for the quality aspects critical to transformation.
And finally, we have Bernhard Lang, Co-founder of LeapGreat and former CEO of MSG Global, a global SI dedicated to SAP ERP.
It looks like Bernhard and Sana have joined from the same location, while Patrik and I are sticking with our trusty bookcases.
Patrik Fiegl: I’m joining from Vienna today and very happy to be here again. Hi, Sana, hi Bernhard, great to be back on the show with you.
Sana Asher: Absolutely. Hi, Patrik. I’m joining you from New York, from a cozy cabin.
Bernhard Lang: Same room, Munich, Germany, already afternoon here. Nice to meet you all.
Ross Orrett: A truly global presence, we even have folks joining from Vancouver. So let’s dive into the discussion.
I found it interesting: I’ve worked around SAP but not in-depth like you. I was listening to an interview with Christian Klein, SAP’s CEO, where he mentioned his day-one focus was accelerating the company’s move from on-premise to cloud. But it’s strange why is there even a debate between public and private? It feels like a no-brainer. The whole world is moving to the cloud. Salesforce, for example, went SaaS 20 years ago. Why wouldn’t ERP be the same?
Sana, maybe I’ll start with you. Why is there even a debate?
Sana Asher: Great question, Ross. The debate exists because the ERP landscape is shifting. In an on-premise setup, clients had more control. Now with SaaS solutions in the public cloud, they worry about losing that control. So first, it’s a control issue. Second, it’s about best practices. Public cloud often requires adherence to standard processes, which some clients find restrictive.
Ross Orrett: Bernhard, what about your experience with large customers, should there be a debate?
Bernhard Lang: The end goal is clear: public cloud, multi-tenant, is the future. It’s the most efficient. But customers are cautious; they’ve invested so much in previous migrations. They don’t want to keep repeating that cycle every 15–20 years. So they want this next move to public cloud to be their last major shift. The real question isn’t if we move to public cloud, but how fast and in what steps.
Ross Orrett: Patrik, from your interactions with customers, how are they making these decisions today?
Patrik Fiegl: When the business drives the initiative, it’s not even a question. If they want better employee engagement or better insight into operations, then technology becomes secondary. The key is agility, using IT not just to transact, but to predict and actively support business outcomes. That’s the shift. If the value is clear, the technical path aligns naturally.
Ross Orrett: Yet many still treat this as a technical decision. Why?
Bernhard Lang: Because it’s a massive organizational change, not just a tech upgrade. Public cloud changes how software is developed, deployed, and consumed. Efficiency improves dramatically. For example, in the past, code would take years to reach the end user. In the cloud, changes are immediate.
Ross Orrett: Patrik, thoughts on this?
Patrik Fiegl: Yes, and especially for midsize companies, it’s about access. Cloud gives them capabilities and talent they could never afford to build in-house, especially around security and innovation.
Ross Orrett: That’s insightful. And Sana, what else should companies consider when deciding on public vs. private?
Sana Asher: Time-to-market. Public cloud allows faster deployment of products and services. That speed can be a game-changer.
Ross Orrett: Can we clarify what we mean by “private cloud”? In SAP terms, are we talking about Rise vs. Grow?
Patrik Fiegl: Yes. Private cloud usually means hosted by a hyperscaler, but managed by the customer or a partner. Public cloud is fully managed by the vendor. In SAP’s language, “Rise” is private cloud with flexibility; “Grow” is public cloud more standardized.
Ross Orrett: So, for customers looking at public cloud, how should they approach the decision? Is it different than in the past?
Sana Asher: Absolutely. Start by asking: Can I standardize my processes? If yes, then public cloud could work. A Phase Zero planning effort can help you assess your current landscape and determine fit.
Bernhard Lang: Early visibility is key. Use tools like SAP’s Digital Discovery Assessment to see how much of your business can be supported by the lean core. If coverage is low, public cloud may be too expensive or limiting, for now.
Patrik Fiegl: Fit-to-standard is the new mindset. Instead of saying “I need this custom,” you ask, “Can I run this with standard processes?”
Ross Orrett: Are tools like SAP’s readiness checks and process mining enough to help with that?
Sana Asher: They’re a great starting point. Combine that with business context. Some of your customizations may now be standard in S/4HANA. So looking back helps inform a better future.
Bernhard Lang: Exactly. But don’t spend too much time on archaeology. Focus on what’s unique to your business; that’s where you want to invest. Commodity processes like invoicing shouldn’t be custom.
Ross Orrett: Great insights. How does this impact quality, Patrik?
Patrik Fiegl: Standardization improves quality. Public cloud systems are constantly validated by the vendor. Less customization means fewer variables and better testability.
Ross Orrett: Let’s talk about the ecosystem. Is it ready to support public cloud?
Patrik Fiegl: It’s changing. Some players are still clinging to old models like brownfield upgrades. But others are shifting to support true business transformation.
Sana Asher: Agreed. This is like the Y2K moment. We can either modernize or keep patching. Business transformation is the way to go.
Ross Orrett: So what would a readiness checklist or decision tree look like? Top things to focus on?
Bernhard Lang: 1) Executive decision to adopt standard. 2) Knowledge building: train your team. 3) Select the right partners who understand cloud.
Sana Asher: 4) Data strategy. Understand what you need, what to archive, what to clean. Data volume impacts cost and performance.
Patrik Fiegl: And 5) Clear business goals. Don’t start with tools; start with outcomes. What information do you need to run better?
Ross Orrett: Excellent. As we wrap up: SAP’s future is public cloud. The earlier you start, the better. Avoid kicking the can down the road.
Thank you, Sana, Patrik, and Bernhard for sharing your insights. Thank you to everyone who joined us. This session will be posted soon, and we hope to see you at our next event in mid-December. Have a great day!
Key Takeaways: The End of the Public vs. Private Debate
From the outset, the panel made one point clear: public cloud is the destination.
As Bernhard Lang stated:
“Sooner or later, everybody will be in a public cloud, multi-tenant environment… ultimately, we will be in the public cloud. There is no doubt about that.”
With that premise established, the conversation turned to the question now defining every SAP transformation: can the business run on standard processes?
As Sana Asher put it, “It’s the first step.”
The End of the Public vs. Private Debate
The panel agreed that customers must shift the conversation away from technical architecture.
Ross Orrett summarized the shift: “This is not a technical decision… this is a business decision.”
Bernhard noted that the destination is fixed; only the speed of transition varies: “The question, public cloud or not, I think that’s already answered. Just the question: how fast? Is it one step? Is it maybe an interim step?”
The strategic task for leaders is to prepare their business for that future.
Fit-to-Standard: The First Question Executives Must Ask
Fit-to-standard has become the central determinant of whether a move to public cloud is viable. Patrik Fiegl captured the essence:
“Fit to standard is precisely the term… can you actually adjust your way of working to the way the software works?”
Sana framed it from the business perspective: “Can my business run on standard processes or best practices… that’s kind of my thought process.”
Bernhard added the structural prerequisite: “Do you comply with that standard? Do you have a high degree of standardization?”
This question drives scope, cost, and feasibility more than any technical factor.
Why Fit-to-Standard Matters: Clean Core, Cost, and Complexity
The move to public cloud amplifies the consequences of customization and technical debt.
Bernhard explained the economics: “If you have a low coverage from this clean core scope, then it’s rather expensive… you need massive BTP developments.”
He also highlighted the long-term operational cost: “If you have a high degree of individualization… update cycles are painful.”
Ross summarized the strategic challenge:
“How do I get rid of this technical debt that is accumulated over all these upgrades?”
Public cloud rewards simplification. Fit-to-standard is how organizations achieve it.
Phase Zero: Getting Early Visibility Into Your Readiness
Before committing to any path, leaders need visibility into their landscape, process coverage, and custom code footprint. Sana described the required first step:
“You have to take a step back and look at the phase zero… to even understand what you have in your landscape.”
Bernhard added the key diagnostic: “Does it give you 80% of your business processes or is it only 60%?”
Ross highlighted the practical tension in legacy systems: “You often have so many different customizations… would you spend too much time looking at that?”
Phase zero gives executives a real view of what standardization will require.
Data: The Hidden Barrier That Determines Cloud Cost
Data strategy is often underestimated, yet in cloud environments, it directly affects costs and feasibility.
Sana’s view was unequivocal: “Do you really want to carry all that garbage?… You absolutely have to have a data strategy.”
She emphasized the financial implications: “Every time the data is bigger, the size is bigger, you’re paying more money.”
Cloud transformation without a data retention and archiving strategy quickly becomes inefficient.
Organizational Readiness: Skills, Mindset, and Partner Alignment
Beyond systems and data, the most significant shifts occur in people, skills, and operating models.
Bernhard outlined the challenge: “You can’t do it with the mindset from the past… sometimes you have a workforce that will not make it.”
Patrik reinforced that legacy expertise will not carry forward: “If you’re trying to sell your 40-year-old… experience… that’s probably not gonna get you very far.”
Bernhard also called out partner readiness: “Pick out the right partners who can follow you… the standard players are struggling.”
Public cloud requires different governance, different delivery models, and different talent.
Fit-to-Standard in Practice: How Customers Are Actually Moving
The panel shared examples of organizations adopting standard processes and cloud-based platforms in real programs.
Patrik: “They brought together seven ERPs into a Greenfield… as for Hana private cloud edition.”
Sana: “They’ve done a Greenfield on a public cloud… with some legacy data.”
Complexity is no longer a barrier to adopting standardization and cloud-native architectures.
The Fit-to-Standard Mandate
SAP’s future is the public cloud. As Ross stated, “If this is where the future is, better to start now and just don’t kick the can down the road.”
Fit-to-standard is the executive mandate that sets the direction. It determines the degree of simplification, agility, and the ability to eliminate technical debt.
And as Sana emphasized, “It’s the first step.”
Leaders who begin with this question and prepare their people, systems, and data for standardization will be best positioned to capture the full value of SAP’s next era.
