SAN FRANCISCO – The days when the “IT guy” gets called in to create every digital app that his human resources, procurement or operations co-workers want in the running of the business may soon be over.
One of the world’s biggest enterprise software providers, SAP, on Tuesday introduced a new suite of click-and-drag apps that lets users automate invoices and marketing e-mails, extract analytics data, make dashboards or websites, and more – without the need for coding skills.
The solutions in SAP Build put often-complicated digital processes within the reach of not only companies’ business users, but also small businesses with no budget for information technology teams, or those struggling to find developers to customise solutions.
Speaking to 65 journalists and analysts in Berlin, San Francisco and Las Vegas at a pre-launch briefing on Monday, SAP chief technology officer Juergen Mueller quoted published statistics that 70 per cent to 80 per cent of new apps will require low or no coding expertise to create by 2025.
He said it is easy enough that a 12-year-old has made an app in SAP Build.
The apps in the SAP ecosystem work seamlessly with paid SAP enterprise software, but can also be integrated with third-party apps, said the company’s executive board member for customer success, Mr Scott Russell.
Mr Chip Kleinheksel, chief technology officer for SAP solutions at Deloitte, said his team built a mobile app with a user interface and camera function and integrated it with a third-party app on their first try with SAP Build.
Low-code or no-code apps are the latest disruption in the software business, a response to a shortage of developers worldwide, as well as an appealing idea of placing digital problem-solving tools in the hands of lay users.
Besides a host of enhancements and new features for professional software developers, SAP announced that it will treble the number of free online training modules on its learning site in partnership with American online course provider Coursera. It aims to train and certify two million developers in SAP software by 2025.
“This certificate is designed for learners of all backgrounds, with no college degree or industry experience required,” said Coursera chief executive Jeff Maggioncalda. “It will prepare learners for entry-level job roles and in some of the most in-demand fields.”
Mr Manik Saha, managing director of SAP Labs Singapore, said the company is still hiring in Singapore, where it has about 1,100 employees, despite the recent spate of tech layoffs. “We are on track to reach our target of up to 500 software engineers and designers here in Singapore by 2025, and are committed to fulfil up to 25 per cent of this required incremental headcount in 2023,” he said.
The headcount will help SAP Labs Singapore become the artificial intelligence (AI) hub of the region, with an emphasis on embedded AI, he said. With embedded AI, AI modelling and responsive actions run directly on devices rather than a data centre.
Given the global crunch for engineers, SAP chief marketing and solutions officer Julia White said it is time business users took the lead in driving digitalisation.
“The answer can’t be just about making more professional developers. We need to find a new approach to unlock digital transformation,” she said.
“The finance analyst, the supply chain operator, the manufacturer, the line manager, procurement specialist, marketers...
“Today, their expertise is untapped by companies that need to drive innovation. And they are so necessary for this next wave of digital transformation.”
