IDC Business Value Executive Summary: The Business Value of Using SAP’s Max Success Plan
This IDC Business Value Executive Summary highlights the value of SAP’s Max Success Plan. Read more on how the Max Success Plan delivers $12.3M average annual benefits, 521% ROI, 3.7-month payback on investment, and boosts productivity, process efficiency, and IT cost savings for digital business transformation. 下載檔案
This IDC Business Value Executive Summary highlights the value of SAP’s Max Success Plan. Read more on how the Max Success Plan delivers $12.3M average annual benefits, 521% ROI, 3.7-month payback on investment, and boosts productivity, process efficiency, and IT cost savings for digital business transformation. 1#US54437226-BVES
Elaina Stergiades
Research Director,
IT Service Strategies for
Proactive Customer Success, IDC
The Business Value of Using
SAP’s Max Success Plan
Business Value Highlights
May 2026
Business Value Executive Summary
Sponsored by SAP
Megan Szurley
Business Value Manager,
Business Value Strategy Practice, IDC
$451,000 average annual benefit per SAP cloud solution
521% three-year return on investment
3.7-month payback on investment
$2.6 million in additional net revenue per year
$4.4 million in end-user productivity gains per organization per year
24% improvement in business processes
$2.8 million in average annual IT cost reductions
24% more efficient IT administration and management team
17% more efficient system integration team
18% lower overall risk
23% more issues resolved before they become problematic
20% more productive developers
Elaina Stergiades
Research Director,
IT Service Strategies for
Proactive Customer Success, IDC
The Business Value of Using
SAP’s Max Success Plan
Business Value Highlights
May 2026
Business Value Executive Summary
Sponsored by SAP
Megan Szurley
Business Value Manager,
Business Value Strategy Practice, IDC
$451,000 average annual benefit per SAP cloud solution
521% three-year return on investment
3.7-month payback on investment
$2.6 million in additional net revenue per year
$4.4 million in end-user productivity gains per organization per year
24% improvement in business processes
$2.8 million in average annual IT cost reductions
24% more efficient IT administration and management team
17% more efficient system integration team
18% lower overall risk
23% more issues resolved before they become problematic
20% more productive developers
2May 2026 | #US54437226-BVES | Sponsored by SAP
The Business Value of Using SAP's Max Success Plan
As organizations accelerate their shift to running a digital business, C-suites are
reshaping business models to leverage technology innovations across the enterprise.
Business leaders are looking to deliver a superior customer experience and reach new
markets and segments, while the IT organization needs to make sure the technology
supporting business processes is stable, optimized, and secure. Combining rapid
implementations with the rising complexity of AI adoption leaves enterprises struggling
to translate technology investments into clear, measurable business outcomes with
sustained value realization.
To achieve these critical business and operational outcomes, more organizations are
considering premium success engagements with their application software providers.
CIOs and IT managers are looking for deep, specialized expertise at all phases of the
solution life cycle to help their business leaders adopt the technologies that can deliver
strategic business results. IDC recommends considering premium success services
for organizations that need help reshaping business models, implementing technology
innovations, and delivering sustained value realization.
IDC conducted research that explored the value and benefits that organizations achieved
by leveraging SAP MaxAttention or SAP ActiveAttention offerings, which are the basis for
SAP’s new Max Success Plan.
Based on a series of in-depth interviews, IDC calculated that these customers
achieved benefits worth an annual average of $12.3 million per organization
($451,000 per SAP application) and a three-year ROI of 521% by utilizing SAP:
• Supporting modernization and cloud optimization:
SAP guided organizations through clean core strategies, SAP Business Technology
Platform (BTP) adoption, and cloud transitions by helping rationalize legacy systems,
streamline integrations, and align to SAP’s evolving road map. This enabled customers
to adopt a best-in-class cloud operating model by modernizing the applications
landscape more efficiently, reducing technical complexity, and optimizing their cloud
and license investments.
• Assisting with long-term strategic alignment and road mapping:
Many participants described SAP as a strategic partner embedded in annual and
multi-year planning cycles. SAP provided forward-looking insight into product road
maps, infrastructure evolution, and industry trends, helping organizations align their
transformation plans with SAP’s direction and avoid stranded investments.
Executive Summary
The Business Value of Using SAP's Max Success Plan
As organizations accelerate their shift to running a digital business, C-suites are
reshaping business models to leverage technology innovations across the enterprise.
Business leaders are looking to deliver a superior customer experience and reach new
markets and segments, while the IT organization needs to make sure the technology
supporting business processes is stable, optimized, and secure. Combining rapid
implementations with the rising complexity of AI adoption leaves enterprises struggling
to translate technology investments into clear, measurable business outcomes with
sustained value realization.
To achieve these critical business and operational outcomes, more organizations are
considering premium success engagements with their application software providers.
CIOs and IT managers are looking for deep, specialized expertise at all phases of the
solution life cycle to help their business leaders adopt the technologies that can deliver
strategic business results. IDC recommends considering premium success services
for organizations that need help reshaping business models, implementing technology
innovations, and delivering sustained value realization.
IDC conducted research that explored the value and benefits that organizations achieved
by leveraging SAP MaxAttention or SAP ActiveAttention offerings, which are the basis for
SAP’s new Max Success Plan.
Based on a series of in-depth interviews, IDC calculated that these customers
achieved benefits worth an annual average of $12.3 million per organization
($451,000 per SAP application) and a three-year ROI of 521% by utilizing SAP:
• Supporting modernization and cloud optimization:
SAP guided organizations through clean core strategies, SAP Business Technology
Platform (BTP) adoption, and cloud transitions by helping rationalize legacy systems,
streamline integrations, and align to SAP’s evolving road map. This enabled customers
to adopt a best-in-class cloud operating model by modernizing the applications
landscape more efficiently, reducing technical complexity, and optimizing their cloud
and license investments.
• Assisting with long-term strategic alignment and road mapping:
Many participants described SAP as a strategic partner embedded in annual and
multi-year planning cycles. SAP provided forward-looking insight into product road
maps, infrastructure evolution, and industry trends, helping organizations align their
transformation plans with SAP’s direction and avoid stranded investments.
Executive Summary
The Business Value of Using SAP's Max Success Plan
May 2026 | #US54437226-BVES | Sponsored by SAP
IDC Custom Solutions produced this publication. This IDC material is licensed for external use, and in no way does the
use or publication of IDC research indicate IDC’s endorsement of the sponsor’s or licensee’s products or strategies.
©2026 IDC. Reproduction is forbidden unless authorized. All rights reserved. CCPA
IDC.com
IDC Blog
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• Providing transformation guidance:
SAP helped organizations design and execute SAP S/4HANA, RISE with SAP, and cloud
transformation programs with greater confidence by validating architecture, enforcing
clean core principles, and reviewing solution blueprints before go-live. This embedded
governance reduced rework, prevented unnecessary customization, and ensured
scalable, upgrade-ready environments aligned with SAP cloud standards.
• Enabling investment maximization and process standardization:
SAP helped organizations better leverage existing SAP cloud capabilities by identifying
underused functionality and guiding process design toward SAP standard models.
This drove more consistent global processes, improved usability, and supported
stronger returns on SAP investments.
• Accelerating issue resolution and strengthening operational stability:
Customers relied on SAP for rapid access to deep technical expertise when critical
issues arose, which enabled faster root cause analysis and resolution. This reduced
production risk, minimized disruption, and improved overall system stability during
upgrades, migrations, and day-to-day operations.
Read the full white paper B
May 2026 | #US54437226-BVES | Sponsored by SAP
IDC Custom Solutions produced this publication. This IDC material is licensed for external use, and in no way does the
use or publication of IDC research indicate IDC’s endorsement of the sponsor’s or licensee’s products or strategies.
©2026 IDC. Reproduction is forbidden unless authorized. All rights reserved. CCPA
IDC.com
IDC Blog
IDC on Linked In
• Providing transformation guidance:
SAP helped organizations design and execute SAP S/4HANA, RISE with SAP, and cloud
transformation programs with greater confidence by validating architecture, enforcing
clean core principles, and reviewing solution blueprints before go-live. This embedded
governance reduced rework, prevented unnecessary customization, and ensured
scalable, upgrade-ready environments aligned with SAP cloud standards.
• Enabling investment maximization and process standardization:
SAP helped organizations better leverage existing SAP cloud capabilities by identifying
underused functionality and guiding process design toward SAP standard models.
This drove more consistent global processes, improved usability, and supported
stronger returns on SAP investments.
• Accelerating issue resolution and strengthening operational stability:
Customers relied on SAP for rapid access to deep technical expertise when critical
issues arose, which enabled faster root cause analysis and resolution. This reduced
production risk, minimized disruption, and improved overall system stability during
upgrades, migrations, and day-to-day operations.
Read the full white paper B