OREANDA-NEWS. August 31, 2016. SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced the Klaus Tschira Human Resources Innovation Award, an annual program for SAP partners and customers that have contributed a unique and innovative solution in the field of human resources (HR).

The award honors the late Klaus Tschira, a cofounder of SAP who had a vision for how SAP technology could revolutionize HR and business. This announcement was made at SuccessConnect, taking place August 29–31 in Las Vegas.

Tschira’s impact on SAP and the overall technology and HR communities continues to influence the way SAP innovates and delivers its HR solutions. Tschira is remembered for his dedication to helping others build their careers with integrity, and for his enormous financial and personal contributions to science education and research.

SAP Co-Founder Klaus Tschira had a vision for how SAP technology could revolutionize HR and business

Winners will be chosen based on their ability to deliver on SAP’s vision and strategy, and to reflect the SAP founder’s spirit and legacy of innovation, entrepreneurialism and courage in the field of human capital management (HCM).

“As one of the founders of SAP, Klaus Tschira’s impact on the HR community and HR technology remains significant,” said Mike Ettling, president of SAP SuccessFactors*, in announcing the award on the keynote stage at SuccessConnect. “Tschira understood global and integration better than anyone in the industry. As was noted by Thomas Otter at his passing, Tschira’s view was that HR systems should ‘help the business run better. Make plants safer, have the right people, with the right skills in the right place, and use technology to help managers and employees do a better job.’ Tschira was keen to mentor others, and his legacy of leadership in our company influences many, including myself. In the spirit of Tschira’s contributions to integrity, innovation and technology, this award will honor those who continue to innovate and simplify HR to put people and community first.”

“Tschira was the first vendor executive in the human resources management (HRM) industry to support publicly the work I had been doing in applying advanced domain modeling techniques to rethinking HRM,” said Naomi Bloom, a preeminent HR technology consultant. “Although this approach, and the enabling architectural principles, are now completely mainstream, Tschira saw the promise of my work at a time when it was viewed as interesting but academic.”

The Klaus Tschira Human Resources Innovation Award will be granted annually to an individual or team that has created HCM software or applications using SAP SuccessFactors solutions. The submission will be judged on how well the solution simplified the HR function or created a new and unique outcome for the organization.

The solution must also exemplify:

  • Breakthrough thinking, by turning challenges into opportunities and innovating with an entrepreneurial spirit in HCM
  • Simplicity, by reducing complexity and optimizing results to drive value
  • Boldness, by having the courage to take risks and learn from mistakes

Winners, announced annually at SuccessConnect, will earn permanent recognition in the Founders’ Exhibits, which will showcase each winner and nominated solution. They will receive a token of recognition and collect a cash donation of \\$10,000 to give to a charity of the winner’s choice.

Klaus Tschira (1940–2015) founded SAP in 1972 together with Dietmar Hopp, Hasso Plattner, Hans-Werner Hector and Claus Wellenreuther. He served as CEO until 1998 and on the supervisory board until 2007. By establishing the nonprofit Klaus Tschira Foundation in 1995, he created a pillar of support for the natural sciences, mathematics and computer science throughout Germany.