Following our sneak peek into IDC’s partner opportunity survey* on the SAP Partner Economy in December, today we’re excited to share that the full survey identifies an even broader opportunity for partner success within SAP’s channel ecosystem.

Specifically, IDC found that SAP partners with a fully integrated digital strategy experienced 43 percent revenue growth last year.

In recent years, digital transformation has been one of the biggest drivers for companies both large and small across industries. By 2020, IDC expects that at least 55 percent of organizations will be digitally determined, transforming markets and reimagining the future through new business models and digitally enabled products and services.

Many SAP partners are at different stages in the digital transformation process, with 55 percent currently in the early stages of maturity. This presents a unique opportunity for SAP and partners to work together to continue on this path, and realize the 43 percent revenue growth that those with a fully integrated digital strategy experienced last year.

How will we do it? Through a next-generation partnering strategy. One example of this strategy in action is our SAP-qualified partner-packaged solutions, which enable partners to target SAP’s growing small and midsize enterprise (SME) customer base. Through fixed-scope packaged solutions and predictable pricing, SAP-qualified partner-packaged solutions help partners to market and monetize their unique solutions while also upholding transparency with customers. Partners can establish peer-to-peer relationships and discover opportunities via the SAP-qualified partner-packaged solution finder.

Already, 380 SAP partners across industries have created 1,000 SAP-qualified partner-packaged solutions, including Tacit Knowledge, an SAP partner that drove FitFlop’s implementation of ncommerce, a solution that allows SME brands and retailers to take advantage of the features, flexibility, and scalability of SAP Commerce Cloud.

“FitFlop’s results following implementation have exceeded expectations,” said Denise Fender, global general manager of Digital at FitFlop. “We added top-line revenue and profit to the business on the first day and the company enjoyed a stellar Black Friday — typically the biggest shopping day of the year. With ncommerce implemented, FitFlop experienced four to five times the web traffic compared to the prior year. We’ve already seen payback. We’re two years ahead of the financial model and we have lifted the business four times what we thought it would be. We’re now able to think in days and weeks rather than months and years.”

Similarly, SAP partner Rizing helped to facilitate the Nebraska Public Power District’s (NPPD) implementation of a Rizing SAP-qualified partner-packaged solution. Rizing could provide NPPD with a pre-packaged, fixed-cost solution, along with a packaged option for end-user training that enabled the organization to launch smoothly and on time, despite the fast pace of the project.

“Implementing the Rizing HCM qualified package for SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals was a critical and successful first step in our HR modernization roadmap,” said Mark P. Olsen, manager at Nebraska Public Power District. “As a result, we were able to get employees and managers into a cloud-based talent management tool quickly and efficiently. After seeing the rapid return on investment in this implementation, we’re eager to start our second implementation project with Rizing, and look forward to seeing the same benefits to our organization.”

In addition, SAP will introduce a new set of resources — including free access for partners to test and demo systems for SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP C/4HANA and a new integrate option for SAP PartnerEdge – Build— to help partners navigate the transition to cloud-based solutions.

With these assets, SAP partners can better support their customers’ transition to the cloud to becoming intelligent enterprises.

Karl Fahrbach is chief partner officer at SAP.

*IDC Infographic, sponsored by SAP, Partner Opportunity in a Transforming World, May 2019