Co‑innovating with customers to unlock real business value from AI
Enterprise AI is moving fast—but customers are clear about one thing: value doesn’t come from more tools. It comes from AI that works where people already work, with the business context they trust. That’s why the bi‑directional integration between SAP's Joule and Microsoft 365 Copilot represents such an important inflection point for customers—and a unique opportunity for Microsoft partners. SAP and Microsoft have announced and delivered a unified AI experience that allows users to access SAP business processes and Microsoft 365 productivity capabilities without switching contexts or applications.
For partners, the real opportunity isn’t just the technology itself—it’s working side by side with customers to integrate these copilots into real business workflows, delivering measurable outcomes across finance, HR, supply chain, and sales.
One AI Experience, Wherever Work Starts
Historically, enterprise work has been fragmented. Core business data lives in SAP systems, while collaboration, communication, and decision-making happen in Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Excel, and Word. SAP and Microsoft’s Joule–Copilot integration directly addresses this disconnect by enabling a bi‑directional flow of context and actions across both platforms.
What this means in practice:
- Users in Microsoft 365 can access SAP insights and actions through Copilot, with Joule retrieving business data behind the scenes
- Users working inside SAP applications can leverage Microsoft 365 capabilities—such as email, meetings, and collaboration—through Joule
- Employees stay in the flow of work, instead of switching systems to complete end‑to‑end tasks
This is not about choosing one copilot over another. As SAP has noted, it’s about using the right copilot at the right moment, with shared context across systems.
Where Partners Create the Most Value
While the integration is powerful out of the box, customers consistently look to partners to help translate capability into business impact. This is where Microsoft partners can differentiate.
1. Grounding AI in Customer Workflows
Every organization has unique processes—from purchase approvals to workforce planning. Partners play a critical role in helping customers identify high‑value scenarios where Joule and Copilot together can reduce friction and accelerate decisions, such as:
- Reviewing SAP financial or operational data directly in Excel or Teams
- Coordinating HR or project activities using SAP data alongside Microsoft Planner and Outlook
- Enabling managers to act on SAP insights without leaving familiar Microsoft 365 tools
These outcomes don’t come from generic demos—they come from deep collaboration with business stakeholders.
2. Unlocking Contextual Intelligence Across Systems
The true power of connected copilots is context. By combining SAP’s enterprise-grade business data with Microsoft 365’s collaboration signals, customers can make decisions faster and with greater confidence.
Partners help customers design AI experiences that:
- Respect data boundaries and security models across SAP and Microsoft platforms
- Deliver insights that are relevant to the user’s role and task
- Reduce manual handoffs and rework across systems
This contextual intelligence is what turns AI from a novelty into a daily productivity multiplier.
3. Building Trust Through Responsible AI
Both SAP and Microsoft emphasize responsible, enterprise-ready AI—covering security, compliance, and governance. Partners are essential in helping customers operationalize these principles within their environments.
This includes:
- Aligning AI usage with existing compliance and data residency requirements
- Establishing guardrails for how copilots access and present business data
- Helping customers adopt AI in a way that builds confidence with employees and leaders
Trust is often the deciding factor in whether AI scales beyond pilot projects.
Co‑Innovation Is the Real Differentiator
What we’re seeing with early customers is clear: the most successful AI initiatives are co‑created, not delivered in isolation. When partners work closely with customers—combining SAP expertise, Microsoft cloud and Copilot capabilities, and industry knowledge—AI becomes embedded in how work actually gets done. The SAP Joule and Microsoft Copilot integration gives customers a powerful foundation. Partners bring it to life.
Looking Ahead
As SAP and Microsoft continue to deepen their AI collaboration, the opportunity for partners will only grow. Customers are not asking for more AI—they’re asking for better outcomes, faster decisions, and simpler ways of working.
By helping customers integrate Joule and Copilot into real business processes, Microsoft partners can lead the next wave of enterprise AI adoption—one that’s practical, trusted, and built around how people actually work.
Microsoft