- Dave Blake
- Reading Time: 3 minutes
For most large enterprises, SAP is more than just a vendor. It is the backbone of mission-critical business operations spanning finance, supply chain, HR, manufacturing, and increasingly, the data and AI architecture that will define competitive advantage over the next decade.
That is precisely why 2026 will be such a pivotal year for organizations managing the SAP relationship.
SAP is entering this year with tremendous momentum: record cloud backlog, accelerating Cloud ERP adoption, and an aggressive push to reframe its value proposition around AI-enabled transformation rather than traditional software licensing.
For enterprise customers, this creates both opportunity and risk. The organizations that approach their SAP commercial strategy thoughtfully in 2026 will secure significantly better outcomes — not just in cost, but in long-term flexibility, contractual leverage, and transformation success.
SAP Negotiations Are No Longer About “Licenses”
Enterprise SAP negotiations have fundamentally changed.
SAP’s leadership has been clear: today’s deals are not centered on feature upgrades or incremental licensing. They are centered on full-scale business transformation through initiatives like RISE and GROW, bundled with AI-driven capabilities and next-generation data platforms.
In fact, SAP has noted that AI is now influencing the majority of enterprise deals.
The implication is clear: customers are increasingly being asked to commit to broader commercial structures (often before the full adoption roadmap is mature) making contract clarity and leverage more important than ever.
The Stakes Are Rising: Bigger Deals, More Complexity, Less Time
SAP’s growth strategy is now increasingly driven by large, multi-year transformation contracts.
These deals carry:
- Higher total contract value
- Longer durations
- More services complexity
- Greater downstream lock-in
Once executed, they shape enterprise operating models for years.
Customers cannot afford to treat these negotiations as routine renewals.
Data, AI, and the New Expansion Frontier
SAP’s rapid push into the Business Data Cloud is one of the most important developments enterprise leaders should be watching.
For customers, this raises critical questions:
- What is being bundled into ERP vs. Data Cloud vs. AI?
- What is optional vs. implied?
- How do entitlements evolve over time?
- What is market-competitive pricing in an emerging category?
The next generation of SAP negotiations will require navigating these new commercial layers with precision.
Services Economics Are Under Scrutiny
SAP has acknowledged what many enterprise customers already feel: the cost imbalance between SAP and systems integrators has become a major concern.
Transformation outcomes are not driven by software alone — they are driven by the total ecosystem spend surrounding migration, implementation, and operating support.
Unchecked consulting commitments and poorly structured commercial terms remain one of the greatest sources of value leakage in enterprise SAP programs.
Geopolitics and Sovereignty Are Changing Deal Cycles
Sovereign cloud requirements and geopolitical tension are increasing complexity, extending negotiation cycles, and altering deployment models.
This is particularly relevant for:
- Regulated industries
- Public sector entities
- Global companies with sensitive data environments
These dynamics introduce contractual nuance that most organizations are not structured to manage alone.
Why Independent Commercial Advisory Matters More Than Ever
In this environment, SAP is strategic and enterprise leaders must take a hard look at how they are approaching SAP negotiations.
Success increasingly depends on whether enterprises are entering these negotiations with:
- Relevant market intelligence
- Meaningful contractual leverage
- The right commercial structure
- Governance to protect long-term outcomes
SAP is confident. The vendor environment is tightening, and the decisions being made in 2026 will have multi-year impact.
Independent commercial advisory plays a critical role in this moment. Organizations who partner with unbiased advisors arm themselves with real benchmarks and proven methodologies to ensure transformation investments are structured in a way that aligns with business value, protects optionality, and reflects true market standards without unnecessary risk or downstream regret.
A Final Thought for 2026
Ultimately, 2026 represents a defining moment in the SAP ecosystem. As SAP accelerates its AI-driven cloud transformation, enterprise customers will face more complex commercial structures, greater long-term commitments, and higher-stakes decisions than ever before.
The organizations that succeed will be those that enter these negotiations with clarity, market intelligence, and an experienced partner focused on protecting their interests and maximizing value.
If your enterprise is approaching a major SAP renewal, RISE migration, or transformation decision in the year ahead, I would welcome the opportunity to share perspectives and lessons learned from the work we do with the world’s largest SAP customers.
The decisions you make in 2026 will shape the next decade. SAP negotiations are no longer routine. If your enterprise is planning a renewal, RISE program, or AI-driven transformation, engage an independent advisor before committing to long-term commercial structures. A short conversation today can prevent years of downstream cost, risk, and lock-in. Contact us today to see how we can help.
