Recorded live on ASUG Best Practices for Oil, Gas, and Energy conference keynote stage, this special episode of ASUG Talks focuses on how enterprises in these industries are using SAP solutions to drive efficient and safe operations, while spurring IT innovation. This roundtable of IT experts--approaching these topics from different areas of their businesses--shared how their organizations are leveraging SAP, and steps attendees (and listeners!) should take to set the stage for success with their SAP investments. 

Key Insights: 

• How to prepare organizational data to be effectively used in finance, supply chain, and maintenance operations
• Ways SAP solutions are enabling OGE organizations to overcome industry specific hurdles 
• The place SAP Datasphere and SAP Business Data Cloud play in setting a foundation for AI solutions

Related Insights 

• Learn about how Align Technology's used RISE with SAP to adopt SAP S/4HANA: (https://www.asug.com/insights/inside-align-technologys-journey-toward-better-business-outcomes-with-rise-with-sap) 
• On Oct. 23, tune in to a ASUG Community Conversation focused on governing enterprise architecture in the SAP landscape: (https://www.asug.com/events/from-frameworks-to-impact-governing-ea-in-the-sap-landscape)

This week on ASUG Talks, we hear from another SAP customer that has leveraged SAP S/4HANA to drive improved business processes. Elisa Smith, Global Manager of Operation Assets at Precision Drilling, sat down with us before her presentation at ASUG Best Practices for Oil, Gas, and Energy. She not only detailed the organization's S/4 journey, but also detailed how the ERP platform helped spur better data governance and improved asset maintenance and management processes. 

 Key Insights

•  The challenges Precision Drilling overcame during its S/4 implementation 
• How the ERP platform helped addressed reporting gaps and provided users with improved real-time asset visibility
• The evolution of Precision Drilling's data strategy

 Related Insights

•  Learn more about ExxonMobil's digital transformation journey and insights: https://www.asug.com/insights/asug-best-practices-accelerating-transformation-at-scale-in-oil-gas-and-energy
• Gain insights from the SAP Connect conference: https://www.asug.com/insights/sap-connect-unveils-supply-chain-orchestration-intelligent-applications-as-sap-business-suite-takes-center-stage

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 While moving to SAP S/4HANA is top of mind for SAP users, many are unsure how to proceed. According to the 2025 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research, 47% are citing the move as a top challenge in 2025. Another 56% indicate that SAP S/4HANA skills are the most important to have this year—whether they have the talent on their team or not. Now that numerous enterprises have successfully transitioned to the platform, best practices have been tried, tested, and are poised to help those who are ready.

In this episode of ASUG Talks, Dr. Uwe Grigoleit, SVP of Customer Evolution at SAP, joins the podcast to share actionable advice for getting started on the ERP transformation journey. He guides listeners through decisions like Brownfield versus Greenfield transition, tapping AI for the heavy lifting on master data integration, and how AI tools from SAP help with testing new processes.

 Key Insights:

• Tangible steps for getting ahead of the 2027 end-of-maintenance date for SAP Business Suite 7 and SAP ECC 6
• Business transformation best practices
• The role of AI in testing automations, guiding decisions, and integrating with vendors

Related Insights: 

• ASUG Talks recent conversation with Dee Houchen, CMO of SAP Signaio and LeanIX: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/key-erp-innovation-insights-from-the-sap/id1613357106?i=1000728934206
• Read insights about the latest SAP S/4HANA research from ASUG and BearingPoint: https://www.asug.com/insights/sap-s-4hana-adoption-trends-insights-and-advice

With the looming 2027 maintenance deadline for SAP ECC 6.0, navigating digital transformations is a critical focus for many SAP customers. It's also a significant challenge. According to the 2025 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research, 47% reported migrating to SAP S/4HANA as a challenge for their enterprise. 

With that in mind, SAP is trying to help its customers through these challenges, complex, and resource-heavy digital transformation projects. The integrated toolchain--including SAP Signavio, SAP LeanIX, WalkMe, and SAP Cloud ALM--is aimed at assisting enterprises as they undertake SAP transformation projects. 

This week on ASUG Talks, we are joined by Dee Houchen, CMO of SAP Signavio and SAP LeanIX; and Kelly Downling, ASUG Director of Product Strategy. The two discussed the recent SAP Transformation Excellence Summit, where the toolchain took center stage, and how customers are leveraging these solutions to faciliate digital transformation projects. 

Key Insights: 

•  How SAP integrated toolchain solutions tackle different, vital aspects of digital transformation projects 
•  Examples of customers leveraging these solutions 
• How AI integration improves the transformation project

Related Insights 

•  Read an FAQ about the SAP Safekeeper program: https://www.asug.com/insights/your-sap-investment-unleashed-unlocking-sap-safekeeper-your-questions-answered
• Learn how Carlisle Companies unified its customer experience (CX) systems: https://www.asug.com/insights/how-carlisle-unified-its-cx-systems-to-strengthen-the-carlisle-experience

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According to the 2025 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research, over one-third (35%) of respondents indicated that finding employees with the internal skills necessary to manage new technology is a top organizational challenge. As SAP S/4HANA adoption, cloud migration, and the growing utility of AI become more and more critical to SAP customers, it has never been more important to find IT professionals equipped with the knowledge and expertise to spur IT innovation. 

In this episode of ASUG Talks, SAP education takes center stage.  Shaquille Charles, a graduate of the St. Michael's Learning Academy (SMLA) SAP Veterans to Work program and a current Customer Success Manager at SAP, and Christine Aboud,  CEO & Co-Owner of SMLA, join the podcast. They discuss the Veterans to Work Program, Shaquille's transition from the military to his current SAP role, and the importance of building the next generation of SAP professionals. 

Key Insights

• Retiring IT professionals and the gaps they fill on teams
• Shaquille's journey from U.S. Army medic to SAP professional 
• How SMLA develops education and equips its graduates with the skills necessary to IT success 

Related Content

• As Christine mentioned, register for the Dallas-Fort Worth ASUG Chapter meeting on Oct. 17
• Read insights from the SAP for Utilities conference keynote stage
• Tune into last week's ASUG Talks focused on IT challenges in the oil and gas industry

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 Efficiency and safety are critical components of oil and gas operations. As the SAP portfolio expands and evolves, how is the software company still arming its OGE customers with solutions and offerings that enable efficiency and safety? 

 Ahead of their session at ASUG Best Practices (Oct. 6-8; register here) oil and gas industry leaders Justin Lester and Bob Pennington sat down with ASUG Talks to discuss the changing world of IT in this field. Given their collective experience, the two veterans charted how OGE operations have changed, and how SAP is factoring into many enterprises' IT operations.

 Key Insights: 

• The importance of correct data input in oil and gas operations
• Training the next generation of oil and gas IT professionals
• How AI factors into oil and gas operations

 Related Insights: 

• ASUG Talks recent interview with Jan Gilg,  Chief Revenue Officer & President for SAP Americas and the SAP Global Business Suite organization, about the state of cloud, AI, and enterprise architecture in the SAP ecosystem. 
• ASUG Editorial team covered the highlights from the SAP for Utilities, Presented by ASUG conference.
• Join the ASUG Communities on Sept. 16 for a session focused on the SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC). 

As SAP encourages its customer base to undertaking innovative business transformations--including migrating to the cloud and embracing SAP S/4HANA--ASUG Talks recently sat down with Jan Gilg, Chief Revenue Officer & President for SAP Americas and the SAP Global Business Suite organization. 

During our conversations, Jan discussed the new "suite-first" approach SAP unveiled at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference along with the importance of clean core strategies, and the evolution of RISE and GROW with SAP. 

Key Takeaways: 

• The "pillars" of business transformation 
• Benefits of public cloud environments 
• The evolution of enterprise architecture in the SAP ecosystem

Related Insights

• Read ASUG Editorial's interview with Jan from earlier this year
• Learn more about SAP's updated clean core guidance strategy
• Gain insights on cloud adoption from ASUG Research
• Tune in to a recent episode of ASUG Talks to learn more about the upcoming ASUG Fall Conference schedule

ASUG is set to kick off its fall conference season, hosting three events aimed at helping attendees make the most of their SAP investments: SAP for Utilities, Presented by ASUG; ASUG Best Practices; and ASUG Tech Connect.

Ahead of these events, ASUG Talks sat down with the three ASUG programmers tasked with creating the agendas for the conferences and ensuring the content and insights present at these three events are meaningful and impactful:

• Kara Hughes, Director of Product Strategy – Experiences
• Lauren Milligan, Senior Associate Producer
• Alyssa Perna, Content Producer

The three broke down these upcoming conferences, highlighting crucial sessions, topics, and opportunities.

You can learn more about (and register for) the ASUG 2025 Fall Conferences here:

• SAP for Utilities, Presented by ASUG
• ASUG Best Practices
• ASUG Tech Connect

Organizations have contended with several "black swan" events in recent years, severely interrupting global supply chains, including the COVID-19 pandemic, global conflicts, trade route disruptions, and now the specter of tariffs. 
These events have put massive strain on supply chains, increasing prices. 

Recently at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference, SAP used the example of tariffs as a way to demonstrate how its integrated business suite can help customers contend with business disruptions. This week on ASUG Talks, we dive deep into this topic, examining the role SAP solutions can play as enterprises seeks to bolster their supply chains, and prepare for the next inevitable disruption. 

Two supply chain experts--John Buckley, Consumer Product Industry Advisor at SAP; and  Ron Gilson, Executive Advisor and Principal of Consumer Products and Agribusiness at NTT DATA--join the podcast to cover the ways supply chains have changed, and how listeners can take steps to improve them. 

 Key Insights

•  How organizations can (and should) respond to supply chain disruptions
• SAP's approach to developing solutions meeting its customers supply chain needs
• The importance of integrated business planning as a process

 Related Insights

• Read how Brent Potts, Senior Director of Global Marketing for Oil, Gas, and Energy at SAP, is seeing the industry change to embrace energy diversification. 
• Join ASUG on Aug. 28 for a customer influence opportunity focused on data privacy in the SAP HANA database

ASUG recently collaborated with Intel and Microsoft to examine two of the hottest topics in the SAP ecosystem: cloud migration and AI adoption. As SAP continues spurring its customer base to embrace the cloud, citing next-generation AI solutions as a critical benefit to this shift, this research sheds light into how the cloud environments ASUG members are choosing, and what processes they are using AI solutions to improve. 

Blake Baltazar, ASUG Senior Project & Research Analyst, and Marissa Gilbert, ASUG Research Director, join ASUG Talks this week to break down this research and its key findings. 

Key Insights

• What factors drive cloud adoption 
• The cost ASUG members reported paying for their cloud services 
• What AI solutions respondents are leveraging

Related Resources 

• Read ASUG's SAP S/4HANA focused research and listen to a recent podcast with the ASUG research team on the key findings. 
• Read how Carhartt leveraged SAP Commerce Cloud to modernize its global commerce infrastructure. 
• Join ASUG on Aug. 20 for an Ask Me Anything Community Conversation on SAP Process Integration & Orchestration (PI/PO).