A Remarkable Message from our CEO

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Bill McDermott, SAP

On the first working day of the new year I found in my inbox a message from our CEO, Bill McDermott to all 75’000 employees. This fact in itself wasn’t a big surprise. But when I started reading (how many of the 75’000 will actually read this message?) I thought: Wait, this is different.

A quick excursion: Years ago – many years in fact – I was on a business trip at the SAP headquarters in Philadelphia. I had some meetings and at some time I noticed employees gathering in the hallway. It was Mid-December and I was told that this was the office Christmas event, conducted by the new sales director for North America, a man by the name of Bill McDermott. Then Bill had his speech. He was going up and down about how we would get at the throat of our largest competitor, defeat them deal by deal, be merciless and win. End of Christmas event, pretzels included.

Here we are, a dozen years later. And now please read closely.

„First and foremost, SAP should be a company that helps us all do well for our families and loved ones. Always remember that the most significant titles in life won’t appear on our business cards. Mother, father, daughter, son, friend – these are the identities that make us who we are. Don’t miss the birthdays or the family vacations or the nights out with old friends. Treasure these moments. Prioritizing family will make us more fulfilled and more inspired to be successful in our work.

„Second, we should be a company of inclusion and collaboration. One thing you all showed me last year was the deep professional courtesy of being human with each other. You supported each other’s personal causes and rallied around the families of colleagues we lost too soon. I also experienced this personally in your heartfelt notes of support. Let’s make this a hallmark of everything we do together. Whether we’re designing software or supporting customers, let’s let each other in with openness and honesty. This idea of mutual respect – for our skills, our talents and our differences – is a truly fitting aspiration for a great company like SAP.

„Finally, even as we remain humble, let’s stay hungry to make a big difference in this world. We are one of the largest, most respected technology companies on Earth. This obligates us to go beyond our own success and to leave footprints for others to follow. Ask yourself – what kind of footprints will we leave? Are we ready to honor the legacy of SAP by continuing to think about the world’s biggest challenges as our greatest opportunities?“

Sure, we are in it for success. We want our paycheck and we want our bonus. This hasn’t changed from 12 years ago. But I think Bill has found the right context for what makes a company successful. Motivation rises from „serving a purpose bigger than ourselves“.

If we can let this view shed some light on our daily decisions, I think we’re onto something good.

Environmental Sustainability at SAP Switzerland

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environmental, SAP, sustainability

At the occasion of SAP Switzerland’s 30th anniversary, in an email to all employees, the Employee Communications team gave an overview across environmentally relevant achievements and a look at future projects. The list is quite impressive, I must say.

• SAP Switzerland offers employees a half-fare travel card for all public transport throughout Switzerland to help making the switch to public transportation.
• SAP Switzerland employees have reduced printing by 24% since 2009. They saved more paper by printing double-sided by default. In 2009, 48% of printouts were double-sided; in 2014 65%. A new „badge printing“ process should reduce paper consumption further, eliminating print jobs that are never picked up.
• In 2013, SAP launched its own carpooling application TwoGo.
• Office supplies are mandated to collect and recycle the packaging of their shipped products.
• All offices are equipped with sophisticated state-of-the-art video conferencing facilities to hold virtual meetings, meaning less business travel, more time and fewer emissions.
• Server rooms at the various locations have been redesigned with the effect of reducing energy consumption by up to 70%.
• SAP’s premises in Regensdorf are one of the first office buildings to meet Switzerland’s Minergie energy efficiency standards.  Energy efficiency of the old headquarter in Biel was considerably increased by bringing the metal cladding, windows, roof, and insulation up to the latest standards, replacing lights with energy-efficient LED lighting, resulting in energy savings of up to 70%. Air-conditioning was replaced with a chilled-ceiling system: Water-cooling is much more energy-efficient than cooling with power. Most locations will implement the ISO 14001 environmental management standard from 2015. This standard applies to companies who are looking to continuously improve their environmental performance and is the starting point for a long-term sustainability strategy.
• In 2009 SAP joined the Swiss Climate Foundation, an alliance of companies that support the climate protection projects of SMEs in Switzerland. Such projects aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency in Switzerland. Since joining the foundation, SAP has donated 379,000 Swiss Francs from its CO2 rebates.
• Since 2014, SAP’s data centers and facilities have been powered by 100% renewable electricity, bringing their carbon emissions to zero. By 2020, electric cars will comprise 20% of the company’s vehicle fleet. SAP has been recognized as sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for seven consecutive years.
• The CO2 emission of the company car fleet was reduced by 20% from 2008 to 2014 (a value which obviously still is too high).

These are all internal accomplishments which will be continued. As a provider of business software, SAP supports customers to become more energy-efficient, to protect their workforce, and to mitigate risk. Being herself a champion in environmental sustainability plays a growing role in shaping SAP’s perception as a trusted and leading vendor.