Celonis, a process mining software provider, has filed a lawsuit against SAP, accusing the software giant of engaging in anticompetitive conduct designed to exclude third-party providers from its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) ecosystem. The lawsuit alleges that SAP has leveraged its market dominance to restrict customers from using non-SAP process mining solutions, including Celonis’ offerings.
According to the complaint, SAP's actions revolve around its shift in policy following SAP’s 2021 acquisition of Signavio, a competing process mining company. Celonis asserts that SAP has imposed new restrictions that make it “de facto impossible” for customers to integrate third-party solutions without incurring prohibitively high fees. The lawsuit claims that SAP had previously maintained an open ecosystem, a stance it emphasized to regulators during the approval process for its acquisition of Signavio. However, Celonis argues that SAP has since reversed its position, allegedly favoring its own product by limiting competitors' access to customer data.
Celonis states that it originally built its business in alignment with SAP’s ecosystem, having participated in SAP’s Startup Focus program since 2012. The company says it relied on SAP’s commitment to open integration to develop process mining tools that help businesses analyze and optimize workflows within SAP ERP systems.
The lawsuit further alleges that SAP has sought to undermine Celonis through a combination of punitive fees for third-party data access, financial incentives for customers to adopt Signavio, and misleading claims about the risks of using non-SAP process mining solutions. Celonis contends that these tactics are intended to drive adoption of Signavio despite what it describes as the product’s inferior capabilities.
As a result of SAP’s alleged conduct, Celonis claims it is facing significant competitive harm, while SAP customers are being deprived of innovative third-party solutions. The company is seeking an injunction to halt SAP’s practices, as well as monetary damages and other legal remedies.
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