Hybrid Talent: The Key to Unlocking SAP’s Backlog

In early 2026, SAP reported in its annual earnings that its Total Cloud Backlog grew 30% year over year, reaching a record €77 billion. This metric reflects contracted cloud revenue that has yet to be recognized. The figure makes one thing clear: companies are signing more cloud projects than ever before. However, industry analyses show that executing those projects—especially SAP S/4HANA migrations—continues to present significant challenges.

What Cloud Backlog Really Means

In SAP’s reporting, Cloud Backlog refers to subscription revenue that has already been contractually committed and is expected to be recognized in the future. The Current Cloud Backlog, by contrast, covers the portion expected to be recognized within the next 12 months under existing contracts. In practical terms, it serves as a reliable indicator of how committed organizations are to cloud-based digital transformation.

The steady growth of this metric confirms that cloud adoption is no longer aspirational, it’s funded and formalized. Still, a growing volume of signed contracts does not automatically translate into fast or efficient implementation.

Execution as a Structural Challenge

Multiple industry reports, including coverage by CIO.com, indicate that S/4HANA migration projects are frequently running behind schedule. Published data suggests that programs can take 30% longer than originally planned, and only a small percentage of organizations complete their transition on time.

These delays are not typically caused by a lack of available technology. Instead, they stem from the technical and organizational complexity of migration efforts, along with the need to redesign business processes to align with SAP’s Clean Core model—an approach designed to keep ERP systems upgradeable, standardized, and sustainable over time.

Clean Core, BTP, and New Skill Demands

In recent years, SAP has strongly promoted the Clean Core strategy, which minimizes custom development within the ERP core and shifts extensions to environments like the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) using side-by-side models. This architecture requires professionals with cross-functional capabilities, including:

• A solid understanding of business processes
• Expertise in cloud architecture and BTP services
• Experience in modern integration and development practices
• The ability to work with advanced automation and generative AI tools integrated into enterprise environments

This blend of competencies defines what the market increasingly refers to as hybrid SAP talent—professionals who can bridge business operations, cloud architecture, and intelligent automation.

A Gap That Directly Impacts ROI

When projects are delayed, the consequences extend beyond operational setbacks. The anticipated benefit efficiency gains, cost reductions, improved analytics—are also pushed back. In an environment where contracted cloud volume continues to grow, access to qualified implementation teams becomes a critical success factor.

There are no consolidated public figures that quantify exactly what percentage of S/4HANA projects lack specialists in side-by-side extensions; however, the shortage of professionals with BTP and cloud architecture expertise is consistently cited by industry analysts and consulting firms.

Digital transformation built on SAP S/4HANA Cloud has already been contractually committed across thousands of organizations. The real challenge today is not selling the software—it’s delivering it effectively. The Clean Core model and strategic use of BTP demand an evolution from the traditional functional consultant toward a more integrated, architecture-driven skill set.

In this context, access to and development of hybrid SAP cloud talent stands out as a decisive factor in turning backlog into completed projects and measurable business results. The cloud strategy is already in place. The real question is whether organizations have the right people to bring it to life—on time and as planned.