CIO Influence Interview with Leonardo De Araujo, SAP Technology Innovation Leader at Syntax

Leonardo De Araujo, SAP Technology Innovation Leader at Syntax discusses the growing impact of GenAI when it comes to building code and how AI powered platforms will eventually transform the way developers work in this Q&A:

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Hi Leonardo, tell us about yourself and your role at Syntax.

I’ve worked in the SAP ecosystem for nearly three decades, leading the design and implementation of ERP solutions that enhance profitability and operational excellence across industries. Over the years, I’ve helped organizations align technology with strategic business outcomes, driving value through SAP-led innovation.

At Syntax, I lead the SAP Technology Innovation division. My focus is on defining and executing our technology strategy around SAP—especially on areas like solution integration, process optimization, and the adoption of next-generation technologies such as Generative AI. We aim to empower our clients with solutions that are not only intelligent and innovative but also practical and tailored to their real-world needs.

Also Read: CIO Influence Interview with Dhanesh Pai, VP of Engineering at PrimeSoft Solutions

We’d love the top highlights of Syntax’s new AI CodeGenie and its top benefits to end users?

Syntax AI CodeGenie is our latest innovation—a GenAI-powered solution designed specifically for SAP environments. It simplifies the way organizations manage their custom code by automating documentation and providing actionable insights through an intuitive chatbot interface. This is particularly valuable for companies preparing for or progressing through their SAP S/4HANA Cloud journey.

Top Highlights:

• AI-Powered Documentation: Automatically generates and updates comprehensive documentation for SAP custom code using GenAI.
• Enterprise-Grade Security: Keeps your codebase secure—nothing is sent externally or used to train third-party AI models.
• AI Chatbot Functionality: Enables users to query custom code in natural language and receive immediate, contextual insights.
• Flexible Deployment: Runs on SAP BTP and supports a wide range of SAP systems including SAP S/4HANA, SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, and on-premises SAP ECC.

Key Benefits:

• Reduced Risk: Clear and consistent documentation lowers compliance and operational risks.
• Improved Productivity: Developers can shift focus from repetitive tasks to high-value work.
• Lower Total Cost of Ownership: Automation drives down documentation-related costs.
• Accelerated Decision-Making: Instant insights lead to quicker, better-informed technical decisions.

Why are more users opening up to AI powered custom code generators and document management systems, how will this impact future developer roles?

Organizations are increasingly recognizing the inefficiencies in traditional custom code management—manual documentation is time-consuming, error-prone, and often outdated. This becomes even more critical during digital transformations, like SAP S/4HANA Cloud migrations, where aligning with SAP’s clean core strategy is essential.

AI tools like Syntax AI CodeGenie are gaining traction because they directly address these pain points. They automate documentation, surface key insights, and close knowledge gaps—transforming how teams understand, manage, and evolve their custom code landscape.

As a result, the developer’s role is evolving. Instead of spending time on administrative coding tasks, developers will take on more strategic roles—curating solutions, orchestrating intelligent systems, and leading innovation initiatives. The ability to collaborate with AI tools becomes a key differentiator in this new paradigm.

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What tips and best practices would you share with modern developers as they navigate a future and workplace where AI will soon take over most developer processes?

Today’s SAP developers must prepare for a future where AI is deeply embedded in development workflows and business applications. The expectations from clients are growing—what used to be a simple report request now comes with the assumption that it includes embedded AI insights.

To thrive in this landscape, developers should focus on two main areas:

1. Upskilling Continuously: Stay updated with AI technologies and understand how to incorporate them into SAP systems.
2. Augmenting Daily Work: Leverage AI assistants and development copilots to improve productivity and take on more complex solution design roles.

Five interesting ways in which modern developers can use AI to scale their goals, output and processes?

1. Use GenAI for Solution Design: Let AI assist in brainstorming and mapping out solution architectures.
2. Embrace Automatic Code Generation: Tools like Joule or Syntax’s internal generators can reduce coding effort by 30–50%.
3. Use AI to Review and Validate Code: Get feedback on your logic and spot inconsistencies early.
4. Enhance Testing Efficiency: Automatically identify test gaps and generate test cases with AI support.
5. Automate Documentation: Save time and ensure consistency by letting AI generate and update technical documentation (e.g., Syntax AI CodeGenie).

Few top of mind thoughts on what new upcoming features users can expect from Syntax before we wrap up.

At Syntax, we’re continuously evolving to meet the changing needs of our customers. Looking ahead, we’re investing in capabilities that will:

• Accelerate Implementation Timelines: Faster project delivery through automation and AI-powered tools.
• Improve the overall project documentation quality, beyond custom code: Enhanced tooling for project documentation that supports better project outcomes.
• Facilitate Clean Core Migrations: More tools to help clients move from in-core to clean-core architectures efficiently.

We’re excited about what’s coming next, and we encourage users to stay engaged with Syntax as we continue to innovate.

[To share your insights with us as part of editorial or sponsored content, please write to psen@itechseries.com]

Thank you, Leonardo, for sharing your insights with us.

[To share your insights with us as part of editorial or sponsored content, please write to psen@itechseries.com]
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