AI Value at Scale with ZF Group | SAP Sapphire Madrid 2026

See how ZF Group is using SAP RISE, SAP Business Data Cloud, and AI to modernize a complex global manufacturing landscape. At SAP Sapphire Madrid 2026, Thomas Buck, Chief Information Officer at ZF Group, shares how ZF Group is preparing for AI at scale while transforming a highly customized SAP ECC environment shaped by years of growth and acquisitions. With more than 150,000 employees across 29 countries and 160+ plants, ZF is using RISE with SAP and SAP Business Data Cloud to move toward clean core, make data AI-ready, and build a stronger foundation for innovation. The conversation explores how ZF is applying AI to an industry-specific quality management challenge: the 8D problem-solving process. Today, teams manually review historical reports, search for similar cases, identify root causes, and assess whether issues could recur across other products. Working with SAP through a forward-deployed engineering approach, ZF built a custom AI framework with four agents to help analyze historical data, compare current cases, support root cause analysis, and propose solutions based on past cases. ZF also shares the expected business value, including faster processes, improved quality, and potential savings in the mid double-digit millions of euros. The discussion closes with how WalkMe helps users adopt new AI-enabled ways of working and how SAP Max Success Plan supports ZF’s broader transformation journey. Chapters: 00:00 - Welcome and ZF’s AI journey 00:28 - ZF’s global manufacturing scale 01:13 - Moving from complex ECC landscapes to clean core 01:56 - RISE with SAP and SAP Business Data Cloud 03:08 - Industry AI and the 8D quality process 04:24 - Building a four-agent AI framework 05:07 - Forward-deployed engineering with SAP 06:05 - AI value and expected savings 07:14 - Driving adoption with WalkMe 08:31 - What’s next for ZF and SAP Watch the full Customer Success Keynote. 👉https://sap.to/6050B8GXnq Watch all SAP Sapphire replays on demand. 👉https://sap.to/6052B8GXns Follow SAP: LinkedIn: https://sap.to/6054B8GXnQ Instagram: https://sap.to/6057B8GXnx Facebook: https://sap.to/6058B8GXnI Threads: https://sap.to/6059B8GXnL About SAP: As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit: https://sap.to/6050B8GXn0 #RISEwithSAP #SAPBusinessAI #SAPSapphireMadrid2026