German software giant SAP — the company that helps corporations manage their business processes with maximum efficiency — apparently applied that same efficiency to bribing government officials across multiple countries. In January 2024, SAP agreed to pay $220 million to settle US corruption charges, admitting that its employees had engaged in corrupt practices to win government contracts in South Africa, Indonesia, and elsewhere. The US Department of Justice accepted a deferred prosecution agreement, meaning the criminal charges get quietly shelved after three years if SAP behaves itself. US Attorney Jessica D. Aber called it 'corrupt practices that hurt honest businesses engaging in global commerce,' which is a polite way of saying SAP was cheating while lecturing clients about operational integrity. SAP, listed on multiple stock exchanges and headquartered in Walldorf, Germany, accepted responsibility. The fine is large enough to generate a press release and small enough not to threaten the quarterly dividend. The message to global enterprise software companies: the cost of corruption is simply another line item.