SAP NOW AI Tour: Applications: Learnings from Kyndryl’s Lived Experience of SAP Modernisation: Turning Challenges to Triumphs

Justin Ciabotti and Thorsten Boeker shared Kyndryl’s large-scale SAP modernisation journey in the session Learnings from Kyndryl’s Lived Experience of SAP Modernisation: Turning Challenges to Triumphs. Within just 18 months, Kyndryl consolidated over 1,000 legacy applications into a streamlined set of core systems—including SAP, Workday, and ServiceNow—delivering significant cost savings and operational efficiency. The speakers highlighted how this transformation not only simplified Kyndryl’s IT landscape but also positioned the organisation to leverage Generative AI and structured methodologies to support their customers’ SAP transitions.Key takeaways included the value of massive consolidation, which delivered a 40% cost reduction and a simplified architecture. The importance of maintaining a clean core was stressed, with customisations moved to extensibility platforms like SAP BTP to ensure long-term agility and seamless upgrades. The team’s structured methodology was a critical success factor—anchored in master data, early involvement, weekly process owner meetings for fast decisions, and an 80/20 fit-to-standard adoption model. A standout theme was the role of Generative AI, where Kyndryl applies tools like Nova Intelligence to automatically inventory custom reports, scan ECC code against S/4HANA, identify standard functionality replacements, and even generate missing code, test scripts, and validation systems. This approach not only accelerates modernisation but also preserves value from past ECC investments by determining which customisations are still relevant and how to transition them effectively.