Syniti Blog

Expect More at SAP Sapphire 2026: Why Data First Matters More Than Ever

Written by Syniti | May 5, 2026 at 6:56 PM
SAP Sapphire 2026: Where Data, AI, and Transformation Come Together

SAP Sapphire 2026 is shaping up to be a defining moment for organizations navigating the next phase of enterprise transformation. Across Orlando and Madrid, the message is clear and consistent: data is no longer a supporting act to transformation. It is the foundation that determines whether SAP, AI, and innovation initiatives ultimately succeed.

As a Diamond sponsor at both events, Syniti, part of Capgemini will be on site alongside customers and partners to show how a Data First approach is helping organizations move beyond technical migration and toward businessready, AIenabled outcomes.

Here is what to expect from Syniti at SAP Sapphire in Orlando and Madrid, and why data will be central to the most important conversations.

A Shifting Conversation at Sapphire

In recent years, SAP Sapphire has evolved from a forward-looking innovation showcase into a forum for practical execution. AI is no longer positioned as a future capability. It is an active force reshaping how organizations operate, decide, and compete. At the same time, customers are increasingly candid about the challenges that stand in the way: legacy complexity, fragmented data, and risk across large-scale programs.

What is changing in 2026 is how directly these challenges are being addressed. Throughout Sapphire, the focus is on creating transformation that lasts, grounded in trusted data, governed processes, and repeatable execution.

Syniti’s presence at Sapphire reflects this shift. Across sessions, roundtables, and customer discussions, the emphasis is on how organizations are operationalizing data as a strategic asset and using it to accelerate SAP S/4HANA programs, analytics, and AI initiatives.

Where to Find Syniti at Sapphire Orlando

SAP Sapphire Orlando takes place May 10th to 13th at the Orange County Convention Center, and both Syniti and Capgemini will be active throughout the agenda as a Diamond sponsors. This combined sponsorship will be the largest coverage at Sapphire and a testament to how these two organizations are leading the industry this year.

Booth 360

At Booth 360, attendees can engage directly with Syniti experts to discuss challenges related to SAP data migration, data governance, quality management, and AI readiness. Live demonstrations and solution walkthroughs will highlight how Syniti’s platform and methodology support BusinessReady outcomes at scale.

Lockheed Martin: Data at the Core of Enterprise Transformation

Lockheed Martin’s SAP S/4HANA journey represents transformation at enterprise scale. Through multiple Sapphire sessions, Lockheed Martin will share how a structured data management approach supports its multiyear 1LMX program and enables modernization across complex business areas.

In an interactive roundtable, Lockheed Martin leaders will discuss how improving data quality, aligning manufacturing and operational data, and establishing repeatable migration processes helps reduce risk across phased releases. This session offers a candid look at how data readiness directly impacts deployment velocity, business adoption, and long-term program sustainability.

Later in the week, a large theatre session will explore how standardized data and processes are accelerating operational transformation across the enterprise. Attendees will gain insight into how trusted data supports business readiness, improves accuracy, and enables consistent execution across large SAP landscapes.

Roundtable Session
Lockheed Martin: How Using a Data First Approach Equals Transformation Success
Tuesday, May 12 | 2:00 to 3:00 PM

Large Theatre Session
Lockheed Martin: Transforming Operations with SAP S/4HANA and Syniti
Wednesday, May 13 | 1:00 to 1:20 PM

Together, these sessions highlight a common theme emerging across Sapphire: transformation success depends on treating data as a core business capability, not a technical dependency.


Watch last year's session at SAP Sapphire Orlando with ExxonMobil and Syniti

Boston Beer Company: Building an AI‑Ready Data Foundation

Customer Roundtable
Data First: Boston Beer’s Path to AIReady Data
Wednesday, May 13 | 10:00–10:55 AM

As organizations look to AI as a growth and efficiency driver, many are confronting a familiar challenge. AI ambition frequently outpaces data readiness.

During a Sapphire roundtable, leaders from Boston Beer Company will share how taking a Data First approach helped align data initiatives with business priorities, improve confidence in enterprise data, and prepare the organization for SAP S/4HANA and AI initiatives. The session focuses on lessons learned from putting data foundations in place early and how that decision supports both nearterm transformation and future innovation. Read Syniti's case study with Boston Beer

Addressing AI and Data Quality Head‑On

AI also takes center stage in a strategy session led by Syniti leaders Erin Grohs, VP of Marketing, and Cody David, Head of AI in this theatre session. The discussion "AIn't Nobody Got Time for Bad Data" examines how AI accelerates the consequences of poor data quality and why shared meaning, governance, and control are now essential to transformation success.

This session reinforces a recurring Sapphire theme: AI does not create value in isolation; it requires a Business-Ready Data foundation.

Partner‑Led Momentum with Capgemini

Sapphire Orlando will also feature a joint strategy session with Capgemini that brings together enterprise transformation leadership and deep data expertise. The session explores how organizations are shifting data from a technical afterthought to a strategic enabler, reducing risk and accelerating time to value across SAP programs.

For many customers, this partnershipdriven approach reflects a broader trend at Sapphire. Transformation success increasingly depends on integrated ecosystems, not disconnected tools.

Continuing the Conversation at SAP Sapphire Madrid

SAP Sapphire Madrid, taking place May 19 to 21, extends these conversations to the EMEA market, where organizations are navigating global ERP consolidation, parallel releases, and data industrialization at scale.

Booth 10.501 and Meeting Room 7514

Syniti will be available at Booth 10.501 with additional meeting space in Room 7514. These spaces provide opportunities for deeper discussions around SAP S/4HANA programs, data industrialization, analytics enablement, and AI readiness.

L’Oréal: Turning Data Into Momentum

Small Theatre Session
Turning Data Into Momentum: L’Oréal’s Global ERP Transformation
Thursday, May 21 | 11:00 to 11:20
Hall 10, Theatre 13

L’Oréal will share how data migration became a strategic enabler in its global ERP transformation. By consolidating more than 20 SAP ERP Central Component instances into four regional SAP S/4HANA cores, L’Oréal shifted data migration from a golive task to a scalable, industrialized capability.

The session highlights how SAP Advanced Data Migration and Management by Syniti supported trusted data, parallel global releases, and longterm transformation sustainability.

Partner Summit Panel: Business‑Ready Data in Action

Syniti will also participate in the Partner Summit in Madrid with a panel discussion featuring Kevin Campbell and Darryl Gray.

Partner Summit Panel Discussion
Tuesday, May 19 | 11:00 to 12:00

This discussion will focus on how partners are helping customers translate SAP strategy into execution. From Syniti’s perspective, the panel will explore how BusinessReady Data underpins SAP S/4HANA transformation, cloud adoption, and AI initiatives, and why data trust and control are essential for delivering consistent business outcomes at scale

SAP Sapphire Virtual: From AI Proof of Concept to Business Outcomes

Alongside the inperson events in Orlando and Madrid, Syniti will also be part of Sapphire Virtual, bringing the conversation to organizations that are actively working through the realities of AI adoption.

Break Through: Taking AI from Proof of Concept to Business Outcomes
Tuesday, May 12 | 17:30 to 17:50

James Blackmore, Head of SAP BI and Analytics EMEA at Syniti, and Frank Gundlich, Global Head of SAP Data and AI at Capgemini, will discuss why so many AI initiatives stall after short-term success and how to solve for it. James and Frank will share practical perspectives on how BusinessReady Data helps organizations move AI initiatives out of isolated proofs of concept and into scalable, trusted solutions that support real business decisions. View session

Experience “Expect More” in Action

Across both Sapphire Orlando and Madrid, Syniti’s message remains consistent: Organizations should Expect More from their data and more from their transformation programs.

More confidence in SAP S/4HANA migrations, more readiness for analytics and AI, and more predictable transformation outcomes aligned to business priorities.

SAP Sapphire 2026 reflects a market that is focused on execution, not experimentation. BusinessReady Data is the foundation that enables transformation momentum to last.

Join Us at SAP Sapphire 2026

SAP Sapphire is an opportunity to move beyond surface level discussions and engage in meaningful conversations about transformation success.

Syniti will be engaging with customers, partners, and SAP leaders throughout Sapphire Orlando and Madrid through sessions, meetings, and onsite discussions. Whether you are attending Sapphire in Orlando or Madrid, if you want to reduce SAP program risk, prepare your data for AI, or learn how a Data First approach supports longterm transformation success, connect with the Syniti team or schedule a meeting in advance.

We look forward to seeing you on the showroom floor at SAP Sapphire! Visit the event page