In today’s high-stakes automotive and manufacturing landscape, operational agility isn’t optional, it’s a competitive necessity. SAP ECC (the Enterprise Resource Planning Central Component) is the software backbone running your core business operations. And as it approaches end-of-life in 2030, many organizations are rethinking their enterprise architecture. But here’s the good news: Modernization doesn’t mean disruption. Whether you're running SAP, Oracle, or a hybrid of legacy systems, integrating Pega into your core environment unlocks smarter workflows, faster decision-making, and measurable ROI, without sacrificing existing investments.
The extension of SAP ECC’s end-of-life deadline to 2030 is itself a clear signal of the significant challenges organizations like yours are encountering. Rather than a simple technical milestone, this prolonged timeline reflects the complexity and scale of transformation required. SAP ECC is a legacy enterprise system used to manage everything from finance and HR to manufacturing and supply chain operations. With this transition, you’re facing a pivotal decision, but it’s also a rare opportunity. Forward-thinking leaders see this moment not just as a migration challenge, but as a chance to redefine how their operations run.
Take Siemens, for example. With 85,000 employees across 80 countries and 36,000 complex requests annually, Siemens was at a crossroads, needing to modernize without disrupting global operations. Instead of rebuilding everything inside SAP or replacing their investment entirely, they implemented a globally aligned, end-to-end digital workflow solution using Pega. The result? A system supporting 28 SAP locations across continents, enabling 30,000 users to resolve complex processes through intelligent automation. In the end, their SAP investment was made more powerful, not more complex.
The opportunity: Rethinking transformation
The challenge you’re facing isn’t just technical, it’s operational. You might be grappling with:
- Rigid workflows that break under exceptions
- Years of costly customizations that have created brittle, hard-to-maintain systems
- Disjointed user experiences across multiple SAP modules that frustrate your team
- Siloed data that slows down the decision-making you need to stay competitive
Most critically, you need a center-out approach. Think of it as automating the actual work people do every day, rather than just connecting systems behind the scenes. Instead of forcing people to adapt to rigid system structures, this approach wraps intelligent automation around your existing systems to meet your team where they work. This is especially urgent in automotive manufacturing, where supply chains are more complex than ever, compliance requirements evolve rapidly, and customer expectations have shifted from simply buying machines to receiving personalized, seamless experiences.
Why this matters now
Beyond the 2030 SAP ECC support deadline, four converging forces are creating unprecedented pressure on automotive and manufacturing operations, making this integration approach not just valuable, but essential:
- Supply chain resilience: The pandemic exposed vulnerabilities we can't ignore. You need real-time process automation and data sharing capabilities now. You can't afford to wait for the next crisis to build operational agility.
- Regulatory evolution: Compliance requirements are evolving rapidly, demanding seamless integration across jurisdictions and standards without slowing you down.
- Customer experience transformation: Your industry is shifting from building machines to creating superior customer experiences. This requires real-time, personalized engagement – capabilities that traditional ERP-only approaches struggle to deliver.
- Technology convergence: AI and robotics are transforming the factory floor, but they need deep integration with your existing core systems. Companies that delay this integration risk being outpaced by competitors who can adapt and respond more quickly to market changes.
The companies implementing this integrated architecture today are building the operational foundation to lead their industries tomorrow.
Six pillars of the Pega advantage
What sets Pega apart, especially when integrated with SAP or other core systems, is our ability to deliver transformation across six key dimensions:
- Omni-channel operations: This means your team can work seamlessly whether they're using a mobile device on the factory floor, a desktop in the office, a voice system, or even IoT sensors on equipment. Everyone gets consistent, connected experiences no matter how they engage.
- Enterprise-ready foundation: We extend SAP’s governance, security, and compliance to the process layer so you never have to compromise on the controls that keep your business safe and compliant.
- Gap-filling automation: Think of this as smart automation that handles all those manual handoffs, approval workflows, and exception cases that slow you down. We streamline the work between systems, allowing your core SAP environment to focus on what it does best: managing data and transactions.
- Predictable AI agents: These aren't experimental AI tools; they're enterprise-grade intelligent assistants that enhance your team's decision-making while aligning with your governance standards. They deliver real, measurable ROI you can count on.
- Built for change: When your business needs change, you can adapt quickly without expensive customizations to SAP or other systems. This agility is what keeps you competitive.
- Data integration & virtualization: We connect SAP and external sources in real time, creating a single, consistent view across your entire technology ecosystem, hunting for information across multiple systems.
Proven results: The numbers that matter
The business impact of integrating Pega with SAP or other platforms is clear. A Forrester Total Economic Impact study commissioned by Pega found:
- 70% reduction in non-value-added activities in contact centers
- 45% increase in back-office efficiency
- Improved transparency and efficiency for compliance teams
And unlike traditional ERP projects that take years to show value, Pega workflows can be built in weeks, even while S/4HANA migration (SAP's next-generation intelligent ERP system) or other modernization efforts are ongoing. You don't have to wait to start seeing results.
The strategic choice: Status quo or competitive advantage
As the 2030 ECC deadline approaches, the question isn’t whether you’ll modernize, it’s how. You’ll need to factor in these critical capabilities:
- The agility to respond when supply chain disruptions hit
- The engagement capabilities to compete in an experience-driven market
- The process intelligence to continuously improve your operations
Whether you're running SAP, Oracle, or another ERP, Pega helps you move beyond the status quo, toward a future of smarter, faster, and more resilient operations.
Ready to see what's possible? Discover how Pega can enhance your core systems and accelerate your transformation journey, connect with us today.