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Salesforce and SAP are well-known business support tools that help organizations streamline work and centralize data. But Salesforce is a customer relationship management (CRM) software, while SAP is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with an integrated CRM suite.
While both act as single sources of truth and support more efficient work, each platform has a unique approach, focus, and features. Salesforce primarily manages sales pipelines and marketing workflows. SAP centralizes core, cross-functional business processes for departments like sales, HR, finance, and supply chain while also optimizing sales and marketing workflows through AI-driven interactions.
Here, learn how each platform can transform daily work and explore common use cases for each solution. Find out which is best for your organization.
Salesforce vs. SAP CRM: Core functionalities
Salesforce and SAP solve different core problems, even though both often appear in search results for teams seeking similar solutions.
Salesforce is a cloud-based CRM supporting aspects of the customer relationship management journey, like sales, service, and marketing workflows. It centralizes consumer data, offers automations for routine tasks like data entry or customer follow-ups, and helps teams track leads. And, thanks to this CRM software's analytical capabilities, it also enables teams to forecast sales and make data-driven decisions on improving performance with consumers.
SAP, while technically an ERP, offers CRM functionality via its Sales Cloud and CX features. In addition to providing financial accounting, manufacturing, distribution, and human capital management planning support, SAP can also automate sales workflows, help teams manage consumer data, and provide analytics to support sales and marketing forecasting and decision-making.
SAP and Salesforce differences: How they work in practice
On paper, Salesforce and SAP share several core features—especially given SAP's branch into CRM solutions. The differences in the tools become more apparent when teams start interacting with them. Here's why.
- The ways of working are different: Salesforce focuses on high-speed interactions, especially around lead management, pipeline tracking, and consumer follow-ups. Even adoption is fast; the desktop interface is customizable and user-friendly, and Salesforce also has an easy-to-use mobile app. SAP, on the other hand, focuses on aligning sales processes with back-office ones, like finance and inventory. The user experience also tends to be more involved, sometimes even requiring specialized training that can imply longer implementations.
- The way data flows between departments is distinct: Given SAP's strong focus on interdepartmental integration, data flows openly between business areas like finance, supply chain, and operations, allowing teams to collaborate well. Salesforce, however, is geared toward improving consumer interactions. It primarily drives inter-department collaboration on front-office tasks between sales and marketing.
- The reporting capacities vary: Due to the SAP CRM's ERP integration, it can pull enterprise-level data from across the organization. But Salesforce centers primarily on sales analytics and prioritizes real-time action over deep reporting.
SAP vs. Salesforce by use case
Some of the most significant determiners for teams weighing both options are the size of the operation, the complexity of data and workflows, and the need for integration with existing systems. The following real-life use cases demonstrate why different types of teams might choose one tool over the other.
- Mid-market and growth companies prioritizing sales velocity and CRM adoption: The Salesforce CRM is often a better choice for organizations in this scenario, since it supports quick deployment and user adoption. Teams can start transforming their workflows as soon as they've customized the tool properly and also leverage the tools' analytics to grow.
- Large enterprises managing finance, supply chain, HR, and sales in one system: Larger organizations that want to centralize data from departments like supply chain, sales, HR, and finance may prefer SAP because of its focus on cross-collaboration as an ERP platform. The tool can also handle the organization's front-office needs through the CRM. This said, Salesforce can still be a viable option for larger organizations, but they will have to integrate the tool into existing systems (like an ERP) to gain the same level of functionality that SAP offers in a single platform.
- Global organizations with strict compliance and reporting needs: SAP can be a stronger choice for international businesses that must maintain impeccable records, thanks to the platform's comprehensive back-office data-keeping. Teams always have the reports they need to substantiate compliance when they need them.
- Teams already invested deeply in either the Salesforce or SAP ecosystem: The right option can sometimes be the one that integrates most agilely with a team's existing systems and ways of working. A team already using the SAP ERP might just want to add on the CRM functionality, quickly integrating this tool with existing data. And sales or marketing departments hoping to streamline front-office tasks will likely find that the Salesforce CRM provides a straightforward, immediate-value solution.
How Scribe supports Salesforce and SAP rollouts
ERPs and CRMs deliver the most value when users implement them correctly. And that means intentional planning and configuration, as well as excellent end-user training to drive adoption. Scribe Capture helps organizations get the most out of a new enterprise tool by supporting implementations every step of the way. Here's how.
- Pre-go live: Scribe Capture automatically transforms current workflows into clear documentation that enables business leaders to understand how work actually happens. This way, they can recreate and improve upon processes in the new enterprise tool, correctly configuring the platform from the start.
- Go live: After configuring and customizing new workflows in the ERP or CRM, Scribe Capture will document them in user-friendly process guides that can be used in training. These playbooks support large-scale, asynchronous tutorials so that your organization doesn't need to rely on frequent live sessions. Scribe Capture's documentation also supports healthy change management, helping encourage buy-in among adequately trained users who feel confident using this new tool and can see its value in optimizing daily work.
- Post go-live: As workflows shift over time, Scribe Capture automatically maps changes, ensuring that process documentation is always up-to-date and teams have a reliable single source of truth to leverage as a reference or when training new users.
Choosing between SAP and Salesforce: 3 tips
Use the following three tips to choose the right enterprise tool: SAP or Salesforce.
- Decide whether ERP or CRM functionality is the priority: If your organization wants to quickly transform front-office sales tasks, you need a CRM, and Salesforce may be the best option—especially if you don't currently use SAP's ERP. If you do use SAP ERP already, getting the provider's CRM is likely your best move, since it will integrate easily into your existing set-up. And if you're looking for a strictly ERP tool, SAP is the right option, as Salesforce does not have this functionality.
- Consider user-friendliness: Salesforce is a ready-to-use tool that requires little training or learning curve for new users, who can also take advantage of the platform from their mobile devices while on the go. SAP, on the other hand, requires more instruction. Customizations are also more user-friendly on Salesforce, which boasts an easy setup, while SAP is likely to require technical support and a longer implementation period.
- Weigh the cost and size of the platforms: Salesforce can be a less expensive option for small to medium-sized organizations, especially at first, but as they scale up, the tool will get costlier. While more expensive at first, SAP is built to handle enterprise-level data, workflow, and requests, and larger businesses often find that their significant initial investment pays out down the road—without needing to spend more on scaling up services.
FAQs
Can Salesforce replace SAP?
No. Salesforce is a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, while SAP is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform with a CRM feature. Because SAP is a more robust tool (thanks to its core ERP functionality), Salesforce can't fully replace it, although it could take over the CRM capacity. Salesforce does integrate with the SAP ERP platform.
Is SAP or Salesforce more expensive for large enterprises?
SAP is both an ERP and CRM platform, while Salesforce is only a CRM. So, contrasting the costs of the two results in an uneven comparison. If strictly assessing CRM features, Salesforce can be the more expensive option for organizations that need many user subscriptions and custom features. That said, SAP can be pricier up-front for large businesses, but it pays out over time, especially if the organization doesn't need the full suite of SAP tools
What is SAP's biggest competitor?
Salesforce, Oracle, and Microsoft are some of SAP's biggest competitors.
