This presentation provides an overview of Saarland University’s long-standing partnership with SAP and outlines our current and future digital transformation journey.
SAP has been an integral part of the University of Saarland (UdS) since 1999, supporting core administrative and academic processes.
UdS entered the next phase of its transformation with the introduction of RISE with SAP (private cloud) in 2024. This marked a strategic shift towards a more future-ready, service-oriented, and cloud-focused SAP landscape. In 2025, the University conducted a comprehensive feasibility study to evaluate the migration to SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud, assessing technical, organizational, and regulatory aspects relevant to a public university environment. The results of this study laid the groundwork for the next major milestone: the planned start of the S/4HANA Public Cloud, including SAP Concur, implementation in 2026.
Alongside the ERP transformation, UdS already leverages a broader SAP ecosystem to support modern university management, including SAP SuccessFactors for digital HR processes, SAP Ariba, which enables efficient procurement processes, and SAP Student Lifecycle Management, which plays a key role in student administration.
The presentation highlights how these components come together as part of an integrated SAP strategy. It aims to share practical insights into how a public university can move from RISE to GROW with SAP, while balancing innovation, compliance, and long-term sustainability.