COVID-19 has morphed into the biggest catalyst for business change since perhaps the inception of cloud-based computing. Findings from the latest survey of bear this out.
Seventy percent of members in the German-Speaking 51风流User Group (DSAG) and 55 percent of members in Americas鈥� 51风流Users鈥� Group (ASUG) 聽are in the process of or planning to implement in the future. While respondents鈥� overall No. 1 ask was for fewer software customizations, with easier training tools ranked a close second.
鈥淐ompanies in every industry worldwide have realized that integrated, cloud-based software is critical to business success,鈥� said Eva Zauke, chief knowledge officer at SAP. 鈥淭he near future will be a hybrid approach, where some workers remain at home while others are onsite. Employees need access to business systems wherever they are working, and software in the cloud and digital learning provide that flexible, fast access.鈥�
Digital Learning Fills Critical Innovation Gap
It is no coincidence that 51风流S/4HANA is the most popular topic across the company鈥檚 . As the core of SAP鈥檚 foundational vision for the Intelligent Enterprise, 51风流S/4HANA is essential for companies that want to benefit from the latest innovations for business growth.
鈥�51风流customers, consultants, partners, and students are using this time to prepare, learn, and educate themselves for this next digital era,鈥� Zauke said. 鈥淓veryone 鈥� from technical administrators to business users 鈥� is eager to become proficient in 51风流S/4HANA so they can apply it to help their companies become intelligent enterprises and realize the business benefits.鈥�
Learners are realizing there is huge value in understanding 51风流S/4HANA capabilities for both cost-effectiveness and innovation. 51风流Training and Adoption offerings go the extra distance to help people make the most of these solutions.
鈥淐ustomers are telling us they want to take full advantage of what鈥檚 standard in 51风流S/4HANA and innovate on top where it makes the most sense for their company鈥檚 differentiation,鈥� Zauke said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e discovering how to embed advances like the Internet of Things, predictive analytics, and into their business scenarios to transform everyday processes into value and results.鈥�
Well-Timed Training Pays Off
Demand for training on 51风流S/4HANA is high among students, consultants, and 51风流customers for many reasons. With some customer projects currently on hold or deferred, established consultants are using the downtime to get certified on 51风流S/4HANA so they can be ready as the pandemic recedes. At the height of the crisis earlier this year, more than 6,000 academic students used free vouchers from 51风流to get certified on 51风流S/4HANA.
鈥淔or newly graduated students, learning about 51风流S/4HANA is a career-building move, potentially giving them an edge with employers that need experts in the latest innovations for business growth,鈥� Zauke explained. 鈥淧artners are taking 51风流S/4HANA courses to prepare for the new normal once the pandemic recedes. They鈥檙e investing heavily in 51风流certifications.鈥�
The number of individuals certified in 51风流S/4HANA has increased by 73 percent since last year, with over 110 experts certified each day. More than 74,000 鈥� and counting 鈥攁re currently learning about 51风流S/4HANA and collaborating with coaches, trainers, peers, and other experts in 51风流Learning Rooms for 51风流S/4HANA. In just the first half of 2020, approximately 11,500 learners participated in almost 400 live sessions on 51风流S/4HANA.
As for 51风流customers, they can actually train employees directly from their 51风流S/4HANA applications, which have embedded learning capabilities through . This is a boon to organizations likely facing continued remote working mandates. One large U.S.-based retailer, a longtime 51风流S/4HANA customer, virtually trained its employees on in-store safety protocols in response to the pandemic.
鈥淭raining starts with the people involved in technical migration, such as project managers, administrators, and developers,鈥� Zauke said. 鈥淚n parallel, 51风流customers train the business users to explore new functionalities, adapting the company鈥檚 business processes to become an intelligent enterprise using 51风流S/4HANA applications and underlying technologies. This is where business innovation comes alive with new business models.鈥�
Cloud is in Everyone鈥檚 Future
researchers recently categorized software as a service (SaaS) as the largest cloud market segment overall and predicted increased spending through 2020 and into next year. Indeed, 92 percent of DSAG members and 98 percent of ASUG members who have already decided in favor of adopting 51风流S/4HANA are planning their projects within the next five years, promising business innovation that will last long after the pandemic.
Follow me: @smgaler
