Priority Commerce’s latest research quantifies something we encounter regularly in SAP finance searches. Despite heavy investment in ERP platforms, many organisations still run accounts payable through manual or semi-automated processes that sit awkwardly alongside their core systems. The report calls this the ‘ERP value gap’, and the term is apt.
For SAP teams in the DACH region, closing that gap has become urgent. Companies on S/4HANA migrations are discovering that their legacy AP workflows create bottlenecks. These bottlenecks undermine the speed and visibility gains they expected from the new platform. A senior finance manager we placed earlier this year was brought in specifically because she had experience with payment automation embedded directly into SAP. Her previous employer had learned the hard way that parallel processes create reconciliation headaches and audit risk.
The hiring implication is straightforward. SAP finance roles increasingly require candidates who understand how payment flows should integrate with the ERP at a technical level. Clients want people who can evaluate automation tools, work with treasury and procurement teams to redesign workflows, and build the business case for embedded solutions. Cross-functional fluency in these areas separates candidates who can contribute immediately from those who will need significant onboarding.
We expect this pattern to sharpen as more DACH companies complete their S/4HANA migrations and turn their attention to operational efficiency. The companies that moved early on core finance transformation are now asking harder questions about the processes surrounding it. For SAP professionals, hands-on experience with AP integration is a concrete way to stand out when competing for senior roles.
Prompted by reporting from ERP Today.