SAP has launched a new single marketplace for solutions and services from SAP and its partners. The new marketplace merges SAP App Center for partner solutions with SAP Store for SAP solutions. The new consolidated marketplace, called SAP Store simplifies the shopping experience of customers making their journeys to the intelligent enterprise. The SAP store will be available at store.sap.com.
New marketplace capabilities
The consolidated SAP Store introduces new capabilities, including a unified home page and intelligent search functionality. The platform brings together all of SAP’s digitally available solutions from SAP Store with more than 1,700 partner apps previously available through SAP App Center. It includes and builds on the many enhancements introduced on SAP App Center in 2020. Partner solutions certified by SAP and SAP Endorsed Apps continue to be prominently noted with visual identifiers. These features make it easier than ever to navigate through SAP and partner solutions. This allows customers to browse by industries, categories, SAP products and lines of business.
According to Candice Osborne, Head of Commercial Experience, SAP Digital Commerce, “Our customers told us a key lesson. The best thing about buying apps on SAP Store and SAP App Center was the assurance of simple integration with SAP software. Whether choosing an SAP or partner offering. People come to our digital marketplaces to find a solution that meets their needs. One that comes from SAP or validated by SAP, signifying a stamp of approval. So why not offer them a single search experience for both SAP and partner innovations?”
IDC Research Director Frank Della Rosa said, “The merging of SAP’s two marketplaces into one storefront is important to the success of the platform. The ability to discover SAP and partner solutions side by side is valuable to customers. The guided search also is vital to those seeking solutions in SAP Store. The clean design and intuitive site navigation make discovery quick and frictionless. This is particularly important, at a time where speed and agility are critical success factors.”
New features of SAP Store are:
- Updated category menu: Expanded categories cover additional solution areas.
- Guided search: Customers can use the same natural sentence structure as they would when speaking to a live sales agent. This reduces the need for repeat searches.
- Favourites: Product pages can be saved in a personalised favourites section, making it easier to compare and contrast with offerings
- Tips for filtering: Search results pages suggest next-best steps and popular features.
A seamless unified digital marketplace
According to Sharon Ruddock, head of SAP Digital Commerce, “The need to deliver a seamless, unified digital marketplace experience is paramount. We have to support customers and partners along their journey to become intelligent enterprises. This has never been more critical for SAP.”
Equal Visibility for All Products
SAP’s consolidated search was built with impartiality in mind. The aim to help customers discover, try, buy and deploy products and solutions that best fit their needs. Although SAP products are visually identifiable, the search functionality is fair and unbiased, presenting all products that fit the search. The same holds true for the content accompanying each search and offering. Category landing pages show customer reviews of SAP and partner solutions, with authentic quotes and ratings. SAP’s plans to provide a new experience tailored to the shopping experience.
Enterprise Times: What this means for business?
For a company of SAP’s stature, this is the case of practicing what the company preaches. The company has been positioning itself as the customer experience expert since 2013, with the launch of its innovative CRM platform. So, it’s good that the company is now walking the walk and aiming for a superior user experience for its B2B customers. SAP says the merger of its SAP Store and SAP App Center will simplify the shopping experience of customers. The company plans to support clients along their journeys to the intelligent enterprise. Designed with impartiality in mind, the unified homepage and integrated, flexible search functionality is expected to improve the customer experience.
