SAP : Your Edge as an Intelligent Enterprise Depends on an Ideal Foundation

Fueled by growing data and accelerating change, digital transformation is no longer viewed as revolutionary. The real competitive edge is how businesses build on each stage of evolution to empower people to impact operations with more strategic tasks and more meaningful outcomes.

Companies that follow this approach are what we call intelligent enterprises.

Finding the Value of Becoming an Intelligent Enterprise

Intelligent enterprises have a unique capacity to derive actionable insights from data, keep pace with emerging technologies, and pivot operations more rapidly to accomplish three key objectives:

• Do more with less while empowering employees: Data feeds algorithm models that automate repetitive, low-value processes and tasks so talent can concentrate on work that keeps them engaged and productive. In turn, employees of all levels can make more-informed, precise decisions while business processes run more efficiently.
• Deliver a best-in-class customer experience: End-customer requirements can be predicted and fulfilled proactively so the customer relationship blossoms into a strategic partnership, not a series of interactions and transactions.
• Invent new business models and revenue streams: Organizations can impact strategic performance by optimizing data connectivity, trust, and accessibility. Done well, such practices turn data into a strategic asset when, for example, creating new customer experiences, developing new products and services to market, and entering new markets.

Setting the Ideal Foundation to Support an Intelligent Enterprise Vision

The transition into an intelligent enterprise requires a suite that integrates all line-of-business applications into a digital core and uses embedded technology, such as machine learning and advanced analytics, to derive greater intelligence for new organizational scenarios. And with the inclusion of a digital platform, increasing volumes of data from disparate sources and formats can be gathered into one source.

At SAP, that intelligent suite is known as SAP S/4HANA. With this next-generation cloud ERP suite, our customers are able to acquire the connectedness, integration, speed, and agility necessary to become intelligent enterprises.

However, the idea of adding responsibilities, such as controlling costs and proactively managing risk, to an IT team with already stretched resources and expertise can be overwhelming. Meanwhile, choosing an infrastructure-as-a-service deployment option limits the ability to customize, as required.

The ideal solution for deploying SAP S/4HANA is the one that allows the company to focus on innovation as well as embrace adaptive and scalable operating practices. At the same time, it should reduce time and costs and coordinate managed services across the solution landscape.

For many of our customers, the answer is SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud. This fully scalable and secure, private-managed cloud service is driving adoption of SAP S/4HANA by helping to establish a controlled path to standardization and innovation. More importantly, it enables customers to personalize the migration to fit their business needs and preferred pace.

As a result of this approach, our customers are empowered to unlock the full value of SAP S/4HANA in the cloud to accelerate growth and innovation. Customers can choose between a traditional 'bring your own license model' and cloud subscription models to run their productive SAP solutions in a privately managed cloud environment. Plus, they can choose from a menu of functional application and technical managed services to focus on core competencies.

Discovering the True Potential of a Business with Intelligence

This is certainly an exciting time for companies undergoing their transition into an intelligent enterprise. While the opportunities to grow and innovate could set off transformational success, it can be difficult to know how to get started.

At SAPPHIRE NOW, the SAP Digital Business Services organization hopes to clear the air and give attendees the tools and insights that can help them visualize their future as intelligent enterprises. Visit us at the Services and Support Pavilion, located near the Central Showcase, to engage with peers and SAP experts and discover a cloud-driven path to your future growth.

Register to attend SAPPHIRE NOW today and check out our Services and Support Expert Station on-site next month to get the insights you need to get underway.

Dr. Juergen Mahnke is vice president of Service Engineering for SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud. Follow him on LinkedIn.