SAP Sapphire 2022 – Key Takeaways
SAP turns 50 this year, and the leading ERP vendor’s first post-pandemic Sapphire conference could not have been any less special. TSP was on the ground in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center connecting with prospects, customers and partners to discuss how TSP can help enterprises leverage the latest in SAP technology in their transformation journey.
In an era where change is the only constant and innovation is imperative, SAP solutions run among the most mission-critical systems globally while enabling their customers to achieve and flourish. Hence the crux of Sapphire 2022 revolved around becoming an Intelligent and Sustainable Enterprise. In his opening keynote address, SAP CEO Christian Klein outlined three significant challenges that businesses are facing and how SAP technology can help overcome them:
- Accelerating business transformation,
- Disruptions to supply chains and
- Sustainability as the three major challenges businesses face today.
“Let’s Re-invent Enterprises for the next 50 years – Resilient, Intelligent and Sustainable” – Christian Klein, CEO of SAP
Business Transformation with RISE with SAP
Companies must be equipped enough to fundamentally transform the way they operate if they wish to align with the lightning pace of industry changes. According to Christian Klein, to thrive, the companies need to transform their DNA and culture, which is often the most crucial and excruciating part of any transformation, especially when its current business model is financially successful and people by nature are inclined to be risk and change-averse.
SAP addresses this challenge with RISE with SAP, an initiative launched in 2021 and dubbed business transformation as a service. RISE with SAP is architected to enable companies to migrate to the cloud infrastructure centered on the digital core of S/4HANA Cloud. The two critical components of RISE with SAP that enables business transformation are:
- SAP Signavio – a process management and data mining platform acquired by SAP in 2021.
- SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) – a development platform that allows businesses to extend and integrate SAP applications.
Klein further quoted that just migration to the cloud cannot justify a “true business transformation.” RISE with SAP embarks you on a successful business transformation journey regardless of industry or company size, existing or new SAP customers. The transformation will be tailored exactly to the customers’ requirements.
Building resilient and transparent business chains
The second business challenge is that the supply chains of this age need to be more resilient, transparent, and agile throughout the entire chain. The SAP Business Network integrates the SAP Logistics Business Network, SAP Ariba Network, and SAP Asset Intelligence Network. It provides end-to-end transparency across the supply chain, connecting you with suppliers, manufacturers, and logistics providers across 190 countries.
SAP also announced a partnership with Apple to provide supply chain-related apps for iOS devices to provide deeper supply chain visibility in manufacturing operations and logistics. The two apps already made available are:
- SAP Warehouse Operator – This app uses AI-enhanced barcode scanning and indoor location functions connecting with SAP S/4HANA which enable warehouse pick-and-pack functions on iOS devices.
- SAP Direct Distribution– An application that integrates location and camera management to empower paperless delivery for drivers.
Sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand.
SAP believes sustainability and profitability can co-exist, and Klein said that SAP aims to help companies ensure that both sustainability and profitability are not exclusive. To work in this direction, SAP is offering a “green ledger” functionality in S/4HANA that can account for carbon production in the same way companies account for financials.
Klein added that the other SAP products are integral in helping companies measure and report on sustainability business drivers, which include:
- SAP Concur – Used for tracking the carbon footprint of business travel
- SAP SuccessFactors – Addresses environmental, social, and corporate governance
- SAP Business Network – To track data across supply chains
- SAP Sustainability Control Tower – Used to aggregate sustainability data from both non-SAP and SAP systems.
SAP has strategically brought all its sustainability applications into a single cloud offering, SAP Cloud for Sustainable Enterprises. Klein believes that only transparency helps businesses take action because you can only act on what you can measure.
The attendees from The Silicon Partners Sandeep Mathur (Partner and Head of SAP Practice at TSP), Martin SooHoo (VP Cloud Services and Global Marketing and Communications), Matt Olive (VP of Sales), and Connor Mawhinney (Director, SAP Services- Digital Core, BTP, BPI) grabbed the golden opportunity to be a part of this great event. SAP Sapphire 2022 was a great hit and, as always, rightly acknowledged the growing demands and pain points of the businesses. With its deep industry expertise, SAP has helped companies worldwide run their best and aims to do the same in the coming years without a doubt and TSP will continue to deliver on its promise of Bringing SAP, RPA, AI/ML & Cloud Together!
