How Joule connects to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition
Embedded first-party copilot
Joule is part of the SAP-delivered experience, so there is no connector to build. It works on the data and authorisations of the signed-in user in the SAP system, and its scope grows with SAP releases. Check the current SAP documentation for supported scenarios in your release.
What data moves
| From | To | Data | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| User question in Joule | S/4HANA Cloud | Natural-language request, navigation intent | User asks in the Joule panel |
| S/4HANA Cloud | Joule | Purchase orders, deliveries and related business data the user may see | Question resolved |
| Joule | User | Answer, summary or app navigation link | Response |
Setting it up
- 1Confirm releaseCheck your tenant is on a release that includes Joule and which scenarios SAP lists for it.
- 2Review licensingConfirm what is included in your SAP contract and what needs an add-on.
- 3Enable the featureFollow SAP's activation steps in the tenant, with the administrator roles it requires.
- 4Check authorisationsJoule respects user roles, so review business roles before rollout.
- 5Pilot with supply chain usersStart with buyers and planners who query purchase orders and deliveries.
- 6Collect failed questionsLog questions Joule cannot answer to decide whether other tooling is needed.
What usually breaks
- !Expecting answers on custom fields or custom objects that are outside the supported scenarios.
- !Role design too broad, so Joule exposes data users should not see.
- !Assuming it reads documents, drawings or non-SAP systems; scope is SAP data.
- !Treating answers as final without checking the source document.
- !Limited insight into how an answer was produced for audit purposes.
A private AI layer across both systems
Cross-system questions
A private assistant can join S/4HANA data with MES, QMS or document stores that Joule does not see, and show the queries used.
Documents with ERP context
Answer questions that need drawings, work instructions or supplier certificates together with the purchase order.
Local model option
For companies unable to send operational data to a hosted model, run an open-weight model on their own GPUs against replicated data.
Try it here, free
SAP S/4HANA On-Prem AI Assistant Sizing and Value Calculator
Estimate peak concurrent requests, GPUs, tokens per day, index size, hours saved and payback for a private AI assistant on SAP S/4HANA.
When something else fits better
- Use Joule alone if your questions are about SAP transactions inside Public Edition.
- Standard Fiori apps and analytical queries for known, repeated questions.
- A private assistant over several systems when the answer spans SAP and non-SAP data.
Frequently asked questions
Is Joule available outside Public Edition?
This page covers S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition from the November 2024 release, per SAP's announcement. Availability for other editions differs, so check SAP's current documentation for your system.
Can Joule run on-prem?
It is a SAP cloud feature, so it does not run on a plant server. Companies needing fully on-prem or air-gapped AI usually consider a separate private assistant, typically over replicated data.
Does it write back to SAP?
The sources describe navigation and insight. Check SAP's documentation for any action capability, and keep human approval on changes to business documents.
Pairing documented at news.sap.com/germany/2025/01/joule-ki-sap-s-4hana-cloud-public-edition-supply-ch . Joule is a product of SAP; Netray is independent and not affiliated with either vendor.