adesso Turkey's SAP BTP: The Backbone of Modern SAP Landscapes

SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) is SAP’s unified platform for integration, extension development, data management, analytics, and emerging technologies such as AI. Instead of building custom code inside core systems or managing disconnected tools, BTP provides a single environment where organizations can develop, connect, and scale their business processes more effectively.

From our experience supporting enterprises through S/4HANA programs and large-scale modernization initiatives, we see SAP BTP becoming the central layer that holds these landscapes together. The platform enables companies to:

Keep their SAP S/4HANA core clean

Build cloud-native extensions without technical debt

Integrate SAP and non-SAP systems through a consistent framework

Establish a modern data and analytics foundation

Adopt AI and automation in a controlled, secure way

As organizations accelerate their digital transformation, SAP BTP is shifting from a “nice-to-have” to a strategic requirement, not only for innovation, but for long-term maintainability and architectural consistency.

Yet many companies still struggle to understand where SAP BTP fits, which capabilities to prioritize, and how to introduce the platform without adding new complexity. In this article, we explore what SAP BTP truly offers, why it has become essential, and how a structured approach can turn it into meaningful, lasting value.

The Reason SAP BTP Has Become Essential

In recent years, organizations have begun to rethink how their SAP landscapes are designed. The push toward cloud architectures, the need for faster innovation, and the shift to SAP S/4HANA have exposed a common challenge: legacy systems were not built for the pace and complexity of modern business.

Custom code inside the core, isolated integrations, and diverse development practices have created environments that are difficult to update, costly to maintain, and slow to evolve. Even small enhancements can require significant effort because the underlying architecture was never meant to support this level of agility.

This is where SAP Business Technology Platform fundamentally changes the equation. By separating extensions, integrations, workflows, data models, and analytics from the core system, SAP BTP introduces a more modular, maintainable, and scalable approach. Instead of relying on one monolithic ERP to do everything, businesses adopt a platform model where innovation happens in the right place, not inside the core.

From our perspective, this shift is no longer optional. We see companies across industries embracing SAP BTP not only to support their S/4HANA projects, but also to simplify their architectures, standardize development, and reduce long-term technical debt. SAP BTP reflects a new way of thinking: clean core at the center, innovation at the edge, and integration everywhere in between.

The Challenges that SAP BTP Solves

Fragmented and inconsistent integrations

Many organizations rely on point-to-point integrations, legacy tools, or undocumented interfaces. This makes changes risky and slows down innovation.

SAP BTP Integration Suite provides a standardized, scalable way to connect SAP and non-SAP systems while reducing long-term maintenance effort.

Custom code locked inside the core

Years of enhancements built directly into the SAP ERP core create technical debt and make upgrades more complex. With BTP, extensions enable a Clean Core that is easier to update, operate, and evolve.

Slow and inflexible development cycles

Traditional ABAP-heavy development models cannot always support the rapid iteration required today. BTP enables cloud-native development, low-code/no-code tools, reusable services, and more agile delivery.

Data silos and limited analytics capabilities

Data often sits in multiple systems with no unified access layer. BTP services such as SAP Datasphere and SAP Analytics Cloud help organizations create a modern data foundation that supports real-time insight and self-service analytics.

Uncertainty around AI and automation adoption

Companies want to leverage AI, but do not know where to start or how to ensure compliance, data security, and maintainability. BTP enables controlled, governed adoption of SAP Business AI and workflow automation tools.

How to Approach SAP BTP the Right Way

While SAP BTP offers a wide set of capabilities, the real challenge is knowing where to start and how to scale. In our projects, we often see organizations adopt BTP in an unstructured way, building isolated apps, enabling services without governance, or creating integrations that do not follow a long-term architecture.

A successful SAP BTP adoption requires more than technical enablement. It requires a strategic, governance-led approach that aligns with business priorities and supports growth over time.

A clear architectural vision

Before building anything, organizations need a blueprint that defines where integrations, extensions, workflows, and data models should live. This prevents duplication, reduces future rework, and ensures that BTP complements, not complicates, the SAP environment.

Governance and standards from day one

Without guidelines, BTP can grow in fragmented ways. Establishing naming conventions, development standards, integration patterns, and lifecycle processes early on keeps the platform maintainable at scale.

A Clean Core strategy as a foundational principle

Successful organizations use BTP to shift custom code and enhancements out of the core system. This keeps S/4HANA upgrade-friendly and protects long-term agility.

A Center of Excellence (CoE) to guide adoption

BTP is not a one-time project; it is an evolving platform. A CoE helps coordinate development, enforce standards, share best practices, and ensure that BTP continues to deliver value across teams.

An incremental rollout, not a big-bang approach

The most sustainable BTP journeys start small: one integration domain, one workflow improvement, one extension. Success is built iteratively, with measurable value at each step.

Turning SAP BTP into Long-Term Value

SAP BTP is more than a collection of services, it’s a platform that enables organizations to modernize their SAP environments without adding new layers of complexity. When approached strategically, BTP supports a clean core, streamlines integration, accelerates development, and unlocks the full potential of data and AI.

But getting there requires more than enabling tools. It requires clarity, governance, and the right architectural decisions at the right time.

At adesso, we work with organizations to shape SAP BTP into a reliable foundation for transformation. Whether you’re preparing for S/4HANA, modernizing integrations, shifting to a clean core strategy, or building new cloud-native extensions, our approach focuses on long-term stability and measurable outcomes.

If you’re exploring how SAP BTP can support your organization, we’d be happy to help you take the next step, whether through an initial assessment, a strategy workshop, or a focused deep dive into your current SAP environment.

Author Caner Mülayim

Head of Engineering SAP

Category:	Software Development
Tags:	SAP