Walk into almost any product company today, and you’ll hear the same frustrations: “We’re losing time (and trust) building ad-hoc SAP connectors for every new client.For many organisations across the UK and globally, enterprises expect their tools to connect seamlessly with SAP. Because it runs finance, supply chain, HR, and procurement operations, and much more. If your product doesn’t play nicely with SAP, you’re immediately at a disadvantage.
That’s why now is the right time for product companies to seriously consider SAP connector development.
Integration is No Longer an Optional Feature
Five or ten years ago, buyers might have tolerated manual workarounds or third-party middleware. Not anymore. Businesses are under pressure to automate, cut costs, and get real-time insights. That means they expect their tools, whether it’s an ERP, CRM, analytics platform, or niche product, to integrate seamlessly with SAP.
For product companies, this has two big implications:
- Without SAP connectivity, your product risks being seen as “nice to have” rather than “must have.”
- With it, you can position your product as a core part of the enterprise workflow.
The Business Case for SAP Connector Development
Product companies that invest in SAP connector development gain a lasting competitive edge. Meanwhile, competitors who ignore integration find themselves losing deals not because their product isn’t good, but because it can’t fit into the global ecosystem.
Let’s talk about the tangible benefits for product companies:
1. Access to Enterprise Deals
In most enterprise RFPs, SAP integration is a gatekeeper. Procurement teams often include it as a simple pass/fail requirement. If you can’t show proven SAP connectivity, you’re cut from the shortlist before anyone even looks at your product demos.
But if you can tick that box, you immediately widen your playing field. Suddenly, you’re not just selling to mid-market companies. You’re competing for enterprise contracts with significantly larger budgets, longer commitments, and higher strategic value.
2. Higher Contract Value
When SAP integration becomes part of your offering, it naturally creates room to increase contract value. Why? Because enterprises are willing to pay a premium for solutions that work seamlessly with SAP.
You can bundle SAP connectors into premium editions, package them as add-ons, or even license them separately. Some vendors turn the connector into a recurring revenue stream by offering ongoing updates and support. Instead of a one-off implementation, you now have a productised capability that generates continuous revenue.
3. Stronger Retention
Let’s talk about retention. Once your product is embedded into SAP workflows, it stops being just another app and starts becoming part of the enterprise’s backbone. Finance teams might rely on it for reporting, supply chain teams for tracking, and HR teams for data flows, and all of it is connected to SAP.
That level of dependency makes your product incredibly sticky. Replacing you wouldn’t just mean finding a new vendor; it would mean disrupting critical SAP processes, retraining users, and risking business continuity. That’s a massive deterrent to churn. In fact, many vendors find that their churn rates drop significantly once SAP integration is in place.
4. Expansion Opportunities
Here’s where things get really interesting: once an enterprise sees your product integrated successfully with SAP in one department, the natural question becomes, “Where else can we use this?”
A finance integration might lead to adoption by the operations team. A single-country deployment might expand across regions. A use case in one business unit often sparks interest from others. Integration essentially acts as a proof point; it demonstrates value in a way that makes scaling across the organisation an easy decision.
Why Now? What’s the Urgency?
You might be wondering: “Why now, specifically?” Because waiting too long risks leaving your product behind. Acting now positions you as forward-looking and enterprise-ready.
Many product companies ask, “Can’t SAP integration wait until next year’s roadmap?” The truth is, it can’t. Right now, thousands of organisations are migrating from ECC to S/4HANA, and when they do, they rethink every integration they rely on.
On top of that, SAP is pushing its Business Technology Platform (BTP) as the future of extensibility and integration, which means enterprises are actively looking for vendors that align with that vision.
At the same time, customer expectations have shifted. Business users are used to plug-and-play SaaS in their personal and professional lives. They expect the same ease of integration with enterprise systems; no lengthy custom projects, no excuses.
Acting now positions your product as enterprise-ready, future-proof, and aligned with where the SAP ecosystem is heading. Waiting too long simply leaves the door open for competitors who got there first.
Build or Partner?
The question many product companies face is whether to build SAP connectors in-house or partner with specialists. Both options are valid, but let’s weigh them:
- Building in-house gives you full ownership, but it requires significant investment in SAP expertise, which is rare and expensive.
- Partnering with SAP integration consultants allows you to go to market faster, reduce delivery risk, and focus your internal team on your core product.
For many mid-size product companies, a hybrid model works best: partner to build the foundation, then train your team to maintain and extend it.
Final Note
In today’s market, products compete as part of a larger ecosystem. For companies selling into the enterprise space, SAP is a central pillar of that ecosystem. That’s why SAP connector development isn’t just a technical project; it’s a strategic move. It’s how you future-proof your product, open new revenue streams, and build long-term relevance.
If you’re a product company aiming to scale in the UK and beyond, you should consider the SAP connector a must-have.
