This was the exact situation facing Stephen Hawkes, director of Information Technology for the City of Charlottesville, Virginia. But instead of just managing the present, he and his team decided to build the future.

The perfect storm of challenges

For the City of Charlottesville, it was a perfect storm of challenges converging at once. At the heart of it all was a ticking clock: its aging, on-premise legacy system nearing its end-of-support date. This was more than a technical issue, it was a foundational risk to its operations.

At the same time, the expectations of its own employees were skyrocketing. “Everyone is an expert now,” Hawkes explains, pointing to the powerful smartphones and intuitive apps we all use daily. 鈥淐ity employees expected the same simplicity and modern design from their workplace software, but the old systems are causing friction and frustration.鈥�

This frustration was compounded by significant workforce constraints. Like most public sector organizations, Charlottesville found it difficult to compete with private sector salaries. “We are never going to be able to compete on pay,” Hawkes admits. This made recruiting and retaining skilled talent a constant battle.

And looming over everything was the growing shadow of cybersecurity threats. With AI-powered attacks becoming more sophisticated by the day, protecting the city’s data and infrastructure was a monumental task for a small IT team.

The quest for a modern solution

Inaction was not an option. The city needed more than just a simple upgrade. It needed a fundamental shift. It embarked on a bold, 14-month quest with a full digital transformation to move operations to .

This was its answer to the storm. By migrating two decades of data to the cloud, it built a new, resilient foundation for the future.

The impact on employees was immediate and profound. The new, web-based 麻豆原创 Fiori interface delivered the modern, intuitive experience everyone had been waiting for. “That’s what we’re probably most excited about,” Hawkes says. 鈥淲ith potentially powerful new AI capabilities at their fingertips, the city鈥檚 team can now exceed expectations, instead of struggling to meet them.鈥�

This new technology also became a powerful tool in the battle for talent. Hawkes sees the integrated AI tools as a “great leveler,鈥� enabling logical, problem-solving thinkers to perform complex data analysis without needing a specialized computer science degree. This widens the talent pool and empowers the existing workforce. And with the implementation of 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors solutions, its HR professionals now have modern tools to improve recruitment and retention.

Perhaps most importantly, the move gave the city a powerful ally in the fight against cyber threats. While Hawkes is proud of his internal team, he knows they can鈥檛 be on guard 24/7. “We’re not, [but] they are,” he says of 麻豆原创’s global security operation. “That gives us some ease.”

Wisdom from the journey: lessons for fellow leaders

A journey of this magnitude is never without its lessons. When asked what advice he鈥檇 offer his peers, Hawkes shared three crucial pieces of wisdom.

First, he stressed the absolute necessity of executive buy-in. For years, the project struggled to get off the ground due to leadership turnover. It wasn’t until the city manager gave the definitive ‘let’s move forward’ that the quest could truly begin. That sponsorship is the key that unlocks everything else.

Next, he highlighted the importance of choosing the right partner. A transformation project is too complex to undertake alone. Hawkes credits the success of going live on the exact day they had planned 14 months earlier to the deep trust and true partnership they had with their system integrator.

Finally, he spoke about the critical, and often underestimated, element of change management. You can have the best technology in the world, but if your people aren’t prepared for it, the project will falter. “We were very intentional about our change management,” Hawkes recalls, emphasizing that planning for the human side of the transition is just as important as the technical one.

The City of Charlottesville鈥檚 story is a testament to what鈥檚 possible when vision, strategy, and technology align. It鈥檚 a narrative of turning daunting challenges into defining opportunities and building a government that鈥檚 ready for tomorrow.

To get the full, firsthand account of this incredible transformation, .

Jamison Braun is SVP and managing director for U.S. Public Services at 麻豆原创 America.

As the pace of digital demand accelerates and mission priorities grow more complex, it is clear that traditional modernization approaches can no longer keep pace.

To deliver on rapidly evolving government missions, agencies must move beyond lifting and shifting legacy systems. The true transformation lies in reimagining operating models to support continuous, secure, and scalable innovation.

Shift from modernization to transformation

Legacy IT structures, designed for predictability and control, often limit progress. Risk-averse approaches that once provided stability now constrain agility and innovation. Federal agencies leading the way are adopting future-ready, cloud-native architectures that emphasize interoperability, flexibility, and resilience. These architectures do more than modernize technology; they modernize how agencies work, collaborate, and deliver results.

Reducing technical debt has become a strategic imperative, but emerging technologies also demand a balance of governance and innovation. Federal leaders are reframing their approach to modernization as an ongoing process, a state of persistent transformation where technology, mission, and operations evolve in sync.

Measuring what matters: from cost to capability

As agencies embrace new models of delivery, success must be evaluated through a dual focus:

• Total cost of ownership (TCO): Sustaining efficiency by lowering infrastructure costs and simplifying operations
• Total cost to innovate (TCI): Accelerating value creation by enabling teams to activate, test, and scale new capabilities with minimal risk and complexity

This broader lens allows agencies to view modernization as an investment in agility, resilience, and readiness鈥攅nsuring they can respond to what鈥檚 next, not just what鈥檚 now.

Partnering for a smarter, more agile government

Driving this shift requires strategic collaboration across the public and private sectors. Programs such as the U.S. General Services Administration鈥檚 initiative are redefining how government acquires and deploys technology. By consolidating procurement and engaging directly with technology providers, OneGov helps create greater transparency, efficiency, and long-term value for taxpayers.

In alignment with this vision, 麻豆原创 has partnered with GSA to provide federal agencies with expanded access to both 麻豆原创 licensed-based products and white glove migration, all while avoiding data egress fees. These initiatives help agencies reduce technical debt, accelerate digital transformation, and establish a secure, cloud-native foundation for the future.

Building the innovation-ready enterprise

Modernization is not a destination, it is a capability. Agencies that continually adapt their operating models will define the next generation of public service. The path forward is clear:

• Reimagine modernization as operating model transformation, not just technology refresh
• Balance efficiency with innovation by measuring both cost savings and speed to value
• Build future-ready enterprises where mission and IT operate as one, powered by cloud, automation, and AI

Together, we are shaping a smarter, more secure, and more agile federal enterprise, one that is ready to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world and deliver enduring value to citizens.

David Robinson is president of Cloud ERP and acting managing director of U.S. Public Services at 麻豆原创.

This achievement underscores 麻豆原创鈥檚 dedication to empowering federal agencies with secure cloud-ready solutions that align with the government鈥檚 modernization and transparency goals.

麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud, the company鈥檚 next-generation 麻豆原创 Business Suite foundation, delivers comprehensive financial management capabilities specifically designed for the public sector.

With advanced automation, real-time analytics, and a secure cloud architecture, agencies can optimize financial operations, strengthen oversight, and accelerate mission outcomes. From appropriations management to budget forecasting and performance tracking, 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud enables organizations to work faster, smarter, and with greater accountability鈥攁ll while maintaining full compliance with federal policies and cybersecurity standards.

Advancing the government鈥檚 modernization agenda

The FM QSMO Marketplace, operated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is a key pillar in the government鈥檚 strategy to modernize financial management. By curating a pre-vetted catalog of approved commercial and federal solutions, the marketplace simplifies acquisition processes and enables agencies to adopt high-quality, secure, and standards-based systems with confidence.

New marketplace listings from 麻豆原创 include 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, 麻豆原创 Analytics Cloud, integration services for 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform (麻豆原创 BTP), and a full suite of risk mitigation services covering activation, transition, and operational support. Together, these offerings give agencies the flexibility and agility to modernize their core systems while achieving improved performance, transparency, and accountability.

Accelerating modernization: a win for government and industry

The FM QSMO Marketplace reduces barriers to modernization by centralizing evaluation, contracting, and compliance, streamlining the path for agencies to adopt proven solutions. For government leaders, it offers access to technologies that promote consistency, interoperability, and data-driven collaboration across departments. The result is enhanced efficiency, transparency, and value for the American public.

For 麻豆原创, this selection is both a recognition of decades-long partnership and a reaffirmation of its mission to help government operate at the聽speed of mission. By making secure cloud technology and deep public sector expertise from 麻豆原创 easily accessible, agencies can modernize confidently with solutions that deliver measurable and lasting impact.

Partnering for the future of government

麻豆原创鈥檚 inclusion in the FM QSMO Marketplace reflects a shared vision with the U.S. Treasury: to advance financial excellence, accountability, and trust in government.

Together, 麻豆原创 and its federal partners are shaping the next era of an聽AI-enabled, data-driven, and citizen-focused聽public service, one where modern technology forms the backbone of smarter decisions, stronger performance, and greater outcomes for every mission.

David Robinson is president of Cloud ERP and acting managing director of U.S. Public Services at 麻豆原创.

But what exactly is data federation? And why does it hold so much promise for customers in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere?

To counter the ever-present threat to global supply chains posed by disruption鈥攚hether arising from geopolitical conflict, labor unrest, financial crisis, natural disaster, or other upheaval鈥攂usinesses are turning increasingly to cloud-based solutions to extend visibility and instill resilience across their operations and those of their trading partners, particularly when managing supply chains, logistics, and dispersed capital equipment or other mission-critical assets. Yet just as businesses must assess risk on an international scale to stay competitive, they also must comply with a burgeoning set of regulations around the world requiring operational data to reside physically within a nation鈥檚 borders. By applying cloud-based solutions, businesses can transact commerce through global digital networks while adhering strictly to regional data residency requirements through an approach known as data federation.

Data federation permits operational information from disparate sources to be accessed and updated as though it resided in a single, unified location. Instead of moving or copying data from one system to another, federation provides users with real-time access unburdened by duplication.

Federation becomes crucial when an organization must unify its data across different storage platforms while ensuring the integrity and security of the underlying operational sources. This becomes particularly vital for companies with complex data architectures, whose data may reside in 麻豆原创 systems, cloud data lakes, or third-party applications. Data federation brings multiple advantages, especially in hybrid or multi-cloud environments, including global access, cost efficiency, unified governance and security, and faster time to insights.

But the advantages extend still further. With the launch of our KSA data center, 麻豆原创 Business Network core services have been deployed. This includes multilingual support, such as proficiency with languages read right-to-left like Arabic, and a Federated Trading Partner Index Service for routing transactions between different data centers. Saudi customers can thus adhere to local data privacy regulations while retaining the ability to collaborate and transact with trading partners around the world.

Why Is This Important?

With the deployment of 麻豆原创 Business Network in the KSA data center, public sector or critical national infrastructure (CNI) customers and prospects in KSA can rest assured that regulations have been followed strictly, allowing these organizations to transact on 麻豆原创 Business Network for Logistics and 麻豆原创 Business Network Asset Collaboration. Data federation helps ensure that trading partners can find each other, regardless of where they may be registered.

What鈥檚 Next?

The deployment of 麻豆原创 Business Network for Logistics and 麻豆原创 Business Network Asset Collaboration for Saudi customers in the public and critical national infrastructure sectors, for whom data federation is crucial, marks only the initial step. Later this year, both products will become available for private-sector customers in KSA as well. and will also be deployed in the KSA data center in coming quarters. Meanwhile, 麻豆原创 will continue to expand its data center footprint and data federation program across the globe, with the expansion of 麻豆原创 Business Network capabilities throughout 2025 and beyond.

For information on 麻豆原创 Business Network and how we are equipping enterprises with business AI and related capabilities needed to instill resilience, counter disruption, and foster collaboration, visit and .

J枚rn Keller is chief product officer for 麻豆原创 Business Network.

Hamburg has more bridges than any other city in Europe. For Germany鈥檚 second largest city it鈥檚 a complex task to maintain its 2,500 bridges and other structures like pedestrian tunnels, locks, flood barriers, and embankments.

The State Agency for Roads, Bridges and Waterways (LSBG) operates a large portion of the traffic infrastructure in Hamburg and is responsible for the entire lifespan of these public works.

鈥淲e鈥檙e an important player in flood protection and the prevention of water pollution as well as the maintenance of most roads and bridges in Hamburg,” Erdinc Karabugday, head of Planning and Controlling at LSBG, shares. “Together with our network, we build and protect everything that keeps Hamburg together.鈥�

麻豆原创 technology is one building block to perform this duty safely and efficiently.

Free Flow of Traffic as Top Priority  

Mobility plays a key role in the lives of people in Hamburg and other major cities. Bridges bear a particularly heavy load, because they are critical junctions in the city鈥檚 transportation network. Tracking the condition of bridges and planning for their maintenance needs and upgrades is vitally important to keep people moving in urban areas.

Karabugday describes the problem in a nutshell: 鈥淥ur objectives are long term, so basing operational decisions solely on the current situation isn鈥檛 enough. We need comprehensive data for the strategic context 鈥� not only economic aspects, but social and ecological impacts as well. Our 麻豆原创 solution supports us with this.鈥�

The manual entry of damage to structures like bridges used to be very expensive and time-consuming, a complex process made even more difficult by the fact that data entry and analysis are performed by both the agency鈥檚 own staff and external companies.

Digital Representation of Infrastructure

To reduce Hamburg鈥檚 renovation backlog and create a sustainable long-term solution, LSBG teamed with 麻豆原创 to develop a standardized data platform. One central aspect involves merging data from a variety of sources on , making it possible to blend data such as the location and condition of each structure. The results feed into a digital model of streets and bridges and can be used to guide decisions and generate precise forecasts for maintenance and budget planning.聽

Ulrike Brecht, architect advisor in Customer Advisory Public Sector at 麻豆原创 Germany, explains: 鈥淭he project was initially intended to handle bridge maintenance. Employees conduct the necessary maintenance work and inspections on site. They also document the condition of a structure, ensuring that necessary maintenance measures are carried out at the right time.鈥�

All available data on the structures, including road and bridge data as well as geographic and monitoring data, is merged in 麻豆原创 HANA Cloud. When combined with aging models for the structures, this information can be used for forecasting when specific road segments will require resurfacing, for instance.

These data-driven forecasts put infrastructure budget planning on a new, firmer foundation and make it possible to define the priorities for object renovation to minimize the impact on traffic flows and the lives of urban residents.

Future Urban Platforms

Cities around the world face enormous challenges in the coming years when it comes to protecting and maintaining their residents鈥� quality of life. Dr. Philipp Schulz was a research assistant at the University of Heidelberg and wrote his doctoral thesis on digital urban development. Today, he advises cities and communities on topics like revitalizing inner cities, redesigning public spaces, and civic participation.

One trend Schulz has observed in the cities and towns he works with is the development of urban dashboards that show all the data collected in a city as important parameters such as air quality, weather forecasts, and movements of people.

For Schulz, developing a long-term digital strategy is one of the pillars of modern urban planning.

鈥淔rom my perspective the term 鈥榮mart city鈥� is outdated,鈥� he says. 鈥淭oday I call it 鈥榩latform urbanism,鈥� an approach in which different players and their information are brought together on one platform.鈥� Platform urbanism describes how apps and websites are changing the way people in cities live, work, and interact with one another. It involves the digitalization of individual areas, which are then brought together incrementally.

The city of Hamburg is on the right track. 鈥淗amburg鈥檚 goal is to handle the full maintenance management of its infrastructure through a standardized data platform,鈥� says Brecht.

The city is in the process of expanding the accomplishments of this project to other areas, such as the maintenance of public parks and municipal buildings.