After a seven-year hiatus, the United VARs Cloud ERP CoE Meeting has once again returned to China!
Hosted by Acloudear, the event took place in Shanghai from March 10 to 12. Experts and executives from SAP and various United VARs member organizations worldwide convened to exchange insights on Cloud ERP strategies, the integration of AI with enterprise systems, and global project collaboration.
As core enterprise systems increasingly migrate to the cloud, Cloud ERP is cementing its role as a crucial platform for digital transformation. Simultaneously, the accelerated pace of digital transformation among Chinese enterprises and their growing demand for global expansion are continually boosting the Chinese market’s influence within the global Cloud ERP ecosystem. Against this backdrop, the meeting served as a vital platform for global partners to share cloud migration practices and explore avenues for global project collaboration.
United VARs is the world’s only alliance of SAP Platinum Partners, boasting a membership that spans numerous countries and regions. “The core philosophy of United VARs is to empower clients to achieve global project delivery through a single local partner,” stated Alexander Herfort, Managing Director of United VARs. “Much like an airline alliance connecting the globe with a single ticket, we are committed to providing our clients with a unified, reliable, and highly efficient service experience.”
Within this network, the Cloud ERP Center of Excellence (CoE) serves as United VARs’ global collaboration platform, built upon SAP Cloud ERP technical capabilities and implementation expertise. It also stands as one of the earliest CoEs established by the alliance. Over its ten-year history, the Cloud ERP CoE has grown from just 3 founding members to nearly 20 organizations. Today, it accounts for a quarter of the alliance’s total membership, evolving into one of the largest and most active centers of excellence within the United VARs ecosystem.
The Cloud ERP CoE hosts annual meetings in different member countries, offering global partners a face-to-face opportunity to share technical practices and project experiences. This year’s event in Shanghai marked the conference’s return to the city after a seven-year gap. Driving this decision is a clear consensus: China’s rapid advancements in digital transformation and AI application, coupled with the explosive outbound growth of Chinese enterprises, have made this market an undeniable force in the global Cloud ERP ecosystem.
During the three-day conference, attendees shared updates on global Cloud ERP projects and engaged in in-depth discussions regarding cloud migration, AI applications, and cross-border project teamwork. Several participating experts agreed that as core enterprise systems continue their transition to the cloud, the ability to collaborate across borders and diverse teams has shifted from being a “nice-to-have” advantage to a “must-have” requirement for global project success.
“The true value of this meeting lies in bringing everyone together to discuss face-to-face what is often difficult to articulate online,” noted Tankler Wang, Technical Partner of Acloudear. “The real-world challenges of project implementation, the pitfalls encountered during technical execution, and the friction inherent in cross-border collaboration—these can only be distilled into replicable methodologies through this kind of direct interaction.”
With the rapid advancement of AI technology, its integration into enterprise software emerged as one of the most highly anticipated topics at the meeting. Members shared practical case studies of AI applications in Cloud ERP implementations, with SAP Joule AI’s role in implementation, development, and testing drawing widespread attention. Tools such as Joule for Consultants and Joule for Developers are actively helping consultants automatically generate code, assist with system testing, and optimize implementation documentation, thereby significantly enhancing project delivery efficiency.
However, attendees generally agreed that enterprise-grade AI applications remain in an exploratory phase. Unlike the explosive growth seen in the consumer internet sector, AI scenarios in enterprise software still require rigorous validation and refinement within real-world business processes. Consequently, identifying replicable and scalable AI use cases within ERP systems will be a key exploratory focus for the Cloud ERP CoE moving forward.
Beyond AI, the conference featured extensive discussions on Cloud ERP business models and global collaboration mechanisms. Alliance members further aligned their strategies regarding SAP Public Cloud pricing and commercialization. They also established an AMS Legal Framework Agreement, providing a standardized service and legal foundation for cross-partner cooperation. Concurrently, the International Project Delivery Manual was refined during the event, utilizing a precise RACI matrix to clarify role divisions in global projects, ensuring that cross-border implementations can advance efficiently under unified standards.
On the technical front, migrating traditional SAP ECC systems to cloud platforms was a major topic of discussion. Multiple partners shared proven solutions and cross-border implementation experiences for ECC cloud migration, exchanging insights on localized compliance and cross-team collaboration. As SAP rolls out standardized delivery methodologies like GROW Fast, implementation cycles for Cloud ERP projects are steadily shortening, signaling a more mature developmental stage for enterprise cloud adoption.
“Ten years ago, United VARs established the Cloud ERP CoE to answer the question of ‘how to execute projects together,'” remarked Tracy Zhou, Founder and CEO of Acloudear. “Ten years later, our new challenge is ‘how to execute projects with AI.’ The tools may be changing, but the underlying logic of cross-border collaboration, knowledge sharing, and unified standards remains exactly the same. As more Chinese enterprises expand their global footprint, robust digital capabilities are becoming the critical foundation for their international operations. Through the United VARs global network, our ultimate goal is to ensure these enterprises receive high-quality digital support, regardless of which country they operate in.”
About Acloudear
As an SAP Platinum Partner, 2020 Pinnacle Award Winner, and United VARs member, Acloudear specializes in SAP Cloud ERP solutions. Powered by the twin engines of “AI + Globalization,” we deliver one-stop cloud solutions—from process reconstruction to AI innovation—for over 300 customers across industries like Automotive, High-Tech, and Life Sciences. Acloudear is a pioneer in China’s cloud-native services. By combining SAP Best Practices with our unique “1+X” innovation matrix, we reshape corporate digital DNA and empower enterprises to unlock the full potential of the cloud. Our commitment to excellence has earned us multiple recognitions as the SAP Best Cloud Partner.
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