Who each journey serves and how to choose fast ?

GROW with SAP targets net-new, midsize customers starting fresh on SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition (greenfield). RISE with SAP serves the installed base modernizing to cloud on SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition (greenfield or brownfield), with support for 2-tier ERP that pairs private and public where it fits.

SAP’s naming update matters: GROW and RISE are “customer journeys” not products, aligned to how SAP now talks about SAP Cloud ERP (Public) and SAP Cloud ERP Private (Private Edition) and sells via line-of-business packages.

To decide quickly, Customer and SAP Partners run a Digital Discovery Assessment (DDA): a free, collaborative workspace to confirm fit, pre-select scope, capture localization/integration needs, and generate a report for your project team .

Your operating model : Public vs. Private (and how SAP delivers)

  • Public Edition = standardized cloud operations delivered as SAP Cloud ERP capabilities;
  • Private Edition = flexibility to bring forward selected processes with SAP Cloud ERP Private capabilities.

In both routes, the SAP Service Delivery Model covers technical services + software + support, while application management services are delivered alongside.

  • Public Edition (GROW): Base and Premium tiers include SAP Build Apps/Work Zone/Process Automation and CPEA credits for SAP BTP, plus finance depth (e.g., Group Reporting, Advanced Financial Close, Cash Management, Receivables) and AI/Analytics (e.g., Joule, AI Units, SAP Analytics Cloud Planning). Digital Access licensing is included.
  • Private Edition (RISE): Base/Premium/Premium Plus also include the Build tools, BTP credits, extended finance (incl. Group Reporting Data Collection), SAP Datasphere in higher tiers, Sustainability (Control Tower and Footprint Management) , and Digital Access.

A side-by-side view confirms the consistency across journeys (Build tools, BTP credits, Group Reporting, Joule/AI Units, SAC Planning) with Datasphere and Sustainability differentiating private tiers.

Finance depth & connected spend/revenue

  • Out-of-the-box Advanced Financial Management spans Group Reporting, Group Reporting Data Collection, Advanced Financial Close, Cash Management, and Receivables Management—covering consolidation, close, liquidity, and working-capital tasks.
  • To extend into Intelligent Spend & business networks, you can include SAP Business Network Supplier Portal and commercial add-ons such as Ariba Buying (base edition), Central Invoice Management, Inbound Processing, SAP Sales Cloud v2, and Concur Expense Professional.

Integrate, Automate, and Optimize Processes Using AI, Data, and Analytics

  • SAP Build on SAP BTP lets teams compose apps, automate processes, and design business sites, following the “build visually, integrate seamlessly, collaborate securely” approach.
  • The SAP Mobile Start app (iOS/Android) is supported and must be configured via SAP Build Work Zone.

On consumption, CPEA credits let you use BTP services with transparent usage and billing (pre-purchase credits annually, add credits to prevent overages, and review consumption in SAP for Me or monthly statements).

Note : Both journeys include Joule (SAP’s AI assistant), AI Units, and SAP Analytics Cloud Planning for budgeting, forecasting, predictive, and collaborative planning. SAP Datasphere (in private tiers) centralizes modeling and access across SAP and non-SAP sources.

Licensing & support essentials you shouldn’t skip

Digital Access is included in SAP packages and governs external system access through commercial models like PUPM (Public) and FUE (Private). It involves measuring specific document categories (e.g., Sales, Billing, Manufacturing) using predefined multipliers and a decision flow to classify access types (human, SAP app, or indirect). Additionally, GROW/RISE customers receive Enterprise Support for Cloud Editions, which includes tools and services like SAP Cloud ALM, Continuous Quality Checks, and access to support resources and webinars.

Conclusion

Both journeys lead to the same destination a modern Cloud ERP foundation but they’re optimized for different starting points.

  • Net-new? Choose GROW (Public Edition) for speed, standardization, and a clean core.
  • Modernizing? Choose RISE (Private Edition) to preserve selected processes, add flexibility, and support 2-tier designs.

Across both, you’ll tap into SAP Build for low-code apps and automation, BTP credits for controlled consumption, and embedded AI/analytics to drive decisions. Private tiers add Datasphere and Sustainability options when your roadmap calls for them

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