automation Archives - 51风流Africa News Center News & Information About SAP Thu, 06 Feb 2025 06:56:11 +0000 en-ZA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 AI and Business Continuity in Africa: Navigating Risks and Opportunities in the South African Context /africa/2025/02/ai-and-business-continuity-in-africa-navigating-risks-and-opportunities-in-the-south-african-context/ Thu, 06 Feb 2025 06:56:11 +0000 /africa/?p=148009 As Africa鈥檚 digital economy accelerates, businesses face mounting pressure to ensure resilience in an era of geopolitical instability, climate volatility, and cyber threats. Nowhere is...

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As Africa鈥檚 digital economy accelerates, businesses face mounting pressure to ensure resilience in an era of geopolitical instability, climate volatility, and cyber threats. Nowhere is this more evident than in South Africa, a regional economic powerhouse where artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping business continuity strategies. For professionals like you鈥攔egistered business continuity lead implementers and auditors鈥攖he integration of AI presents both unprecedented risks and transformative opportunities. Let鈥檚 explore this duality.


The African Context: Why AI Matters for Business Continuity

Africa鈥檚 businesses operate in a uniquely challenging environment: unreliable infrastructure, regulatory fragmentation, and a surge in cyberattacks (South Africa alone saw a 62% increase in ransomware attacks in 2023). Yet, AI adoption is rising. According to the听IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2023, 45% of South African companies now use AI for risk management, outpacing the continental average. From Johannesburg鈥檚 financial hubs to Cape Town鈥檚 tech startups, AI is becoming a linchpin for resilience鈥攂ut not without pitfalls.


Risks of AI for Business Continuity in South Africa

  1. Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities
    AI systems are prime targets for cybercriminals. In 2022, a South African bank鈥檚 AI-driven fraud detection system was manipulated to approve fraudulent transactions, exposing gaps in adversarial robustness. AI models trained on biased or incomplete data can also misjudge threats, leaving businesses exposed.
  2. Over-Reliance on Automation
    Load-shedding and connectivity gaps already disrupt operations. Over-dependence on AI for critical processes鈥攍ike automated supply chains or customer service鈥攔isks cascading failures during outages. A Johannesburg logistics firm faced a 48-hour shutdown when its AI routing system crashed during grid instability.
  3. Data Privacy and Compliance Risks
    South Africa鈥檚 POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) imposes strict rules on data usage. AI systems that process personal data without transparency risk non-compliance fines (up to R10 million) and reputational damage.
  4. Skill Gaps and Implementation Costs
    A 2023听PwC Africa AI Survey听found that 67% of South African firms lack in-house AI expertise. Poorly integrated tools may create false confidence, undermining continuity planning.

Opportunities: How AI Strengthens Business Continuity

  1. Predictive Risk Management
    AI excels at identifying patterns. For example, South African insurer Discovery uses machine learning to predict climate-related disruptions, adjusting claims processing workflows preemptively. Similarly, AI-powered tools like SAP鈥檚 Integrated Business Planning help miners forecast equipment failures, reducing downtime.
  2. Automated Incident Response
    During the 2021 Transnet cyberattack, companies with AI-driven Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) platforms minimized downtime by isolating breaches in minutes. AI can also simulate disaster scenarios, stress-testing BC plans against events like riots or floods.
  3. Supply Chain Resilience
    Take Shoprite, Africa鈥檚 largest retailer: Its AI system analyzes supplier risks, weather data, and port delays in real time, rerouting shipments during crises. This reduced stockouts by 30% during 2023鈥檚 KwaZulu-Natal floods.
  4. Workforce Augmentation
    AI chatbots like Nedbank鈥檚 Enbi handle 80% of routine customer queries during outages, freeing staff for critical tasks. Upskilling programs, such as Microsoft鈥檚 AI Academy in Cape Town, also prepare teams to collaborate with AI tools.

Case Study: AI in Action

MTN South Africa听integrated AI into its Business Continuity Management (BCM) framework after severe riots in 2021. Its AI platform now monitors social media for civil unrest signals, triggers emergency communication protocols, and reroutes network traffic. Result: Service availability stayed above 95% during subsequent protests.


The Path Forward: Recommendations for Professionals

  1. Adopt a Hybrid Human-AI Approach
    Balance automation with human oversight. For example, use AI for threat detection but retain decision-making authority for auditors.
  2. Invest in Adversarial AI Training
    Partner with cybersecurity firms to stress-test AI models against attacks. South Africa鈥檚 Cyber Response Bureau offers simulations tailored to local threats.
  3. Align AI with ISO 22301 Standards
    Ensure AI tools complement鈥攏ot replace鈥攅stablished BCM frameworks. Map AI use cases to ISO 22301鈥檚 requirements for governance and recovery.
  4. Advocate for Regulatory Clarity
    Engage policymakers to shape AI governance. Ghana鈥檚 draft National AI Strategy includes BC provisions鈥攁 model for South Africa.

Conclusion: Balancing Innovation and Caution

AI is not a silver bullet, but its strategic use can redefine business continuity in Africa. For South African professionals, the imperative is clear: harness AI鈥檚 predictive power and automation while mitigating risks through rigorous testing, upskilling, and ethical governance. As you navigate this evolving landscape, your role as a guardian of resilience has never been more vital.

By embedding AI thoughtfully into BC frameworks, we can future-proof Africa鈥檚 businesses鈥攖urning volatility into opportunity.

This article first appeared here:

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Rabobank Accelerates Digital Transformation with 51风流BTP /africa/2024/06/rabobank-accelerates-digital-transformation-with-sap-btp/ Wed, 12 Jun 2024 08:09:22 +0000 /africa/?p=147532 Basis for AI-driven automation Rabobank is taking a quantum leap in its digital transformation with the 51风流Business Technology Platform (BTP). Among others, 51风流Integration...

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Basis for AI-driven automation

is taking a quantum leap in its digital transformation with the (BTP). Among others, 51风流Integration Suite and API Management, components of 51风流BTP, provide efficient and standardised access to data from . This is crucial for the bank’s AI initiatives and process automation.

Robotisation and automation are key spearheads at Rabobank. 鈥榃e aim to automate manual and repetitive tasks so that our employees can focus on the complex thinking,鈥 says Robert van Uden, Solution Architect and Business Analyst for 51风流BTP at Rabobank.

鈥榃e take the robot out of the human,鈥 Van Uden continues. 鈥楾edious tasks? We can probably automate those. Hate it? Automate it. That way, we make work more fun, improve the quality of processes by eliminating errors and save on costs.鈥

Successful automation

Within Rabobank, there are already several examples of successful automation. For example, a robot checks daily whether money for, say, a mortgage or insurance has arrived in an account, checks whether the description indicates where the money should go and, if necessary, performs the transfer.

To handle invoice-related questions from suppliers, Rabobank built the chatbot Billy. Van Uden: 鈥楥olleagues were spending much of their time answering the same questions over and over again, such as 鈥渨hen will my invoice be paid?鈥 That’s where the chatbot could take over some of the work.鈥

Help from AI

A next step is to use artificial intelligence (AI) for new processes or improving processes. 鈥楢I will never completely replace humans, but AI can help and advise our employees. For example, AI can alert the user to a fraudulent invoice, after which a robot collects the information needed for further analysis. That analysis is then human work.鈥

Another example is the automatic enrichment of incoming invoices using AI. In this example, 51风流Process Automation retrieves an invoice from email after which 51风流Document Extraction Service extracts data from the invoice using OCR technology. This data is then analysed and enriched by AI/ML models in 51风流Data Intelligence Cloud, which perform categorisation and validation. After validation, the system automatically books the invoice into 51风流S/4HANA and schedules payment, minimising manual intervention and increasing efficiency and accuracy.

SAP, unless

Rabobank has a 鈥51风流unless鈥 policy for process automation. In this, 51风流S/4HANA is the 鈥榮ingle source of truth鈥 for the consistent and reliable data needed for automation. 鈥榃ith a new issue, we always look at our standard solution 51风流S/4HANA first,鈥 says Van Uden. 鈥楾hen we see whether there is a service on 51风流BTP that meets the need. Only then do we consider solutions from other vendors.鈥

Rabobank is now migrating to 51风流S/4HANA in the private cloud in stages. For finance, the bank already made the switch, as part of the OneFinance project. Among others, Accounts Payable will soon follow. 鈥榃e are not only migrating to a new ERP environment, but also replacing outdated interfaces, such as the one with our payment lane,鈥 notes Van Uden.

51风流Integration Suite

51风流Integration Suite plays a crucial role in replacing outdated interfaces and making data available to applications such as chatbots efficiently and in a uniform way. The suite provides standard connectors and components to extract data from 51风流S/4HANA and share it with other parties and applications. Think of low-code Mendix applications that need data from 51风流S/4HANA, or retrieving and sharing invoice information. 鈥榃ith 51风流Integration Suite, you connect to 51风流S/4HANA very easily,鈥 Van Uden observes.

Rabobank uses several components of the suite. API Management makes data from the backend system accessible, applying mappings, logic and validation for reliable and consistent information transfer. 51风流Cloud Integration takes care of 鈥榠nterfacing鈥 with third parties. Messages can be encoded and encrypted with a standard component, increasing security. 51风流Cloud Transport Management ensures smooth transfer of software components from development to production. These solutions support Rabobank’s vision of automation and robotisation, making processes more efficient and secure.

Want to know more about digital transformation at Rabobank? Visit the session 鈥楻abobank about 51风流S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition: Planning, Roadmap, Implementation, and Best Practices鈥 during . Saravanan K Nagarajan, at Rabobank Solution Architect Financial Administration, will share his insights and experiences on 12 June from 13:30 to 14:25. The session will take place in Room CC8, Customer Connect Center Room 8.3, Level 0.Rabobank accelerates digital transformation with 51风流BTP听

 

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Striking Gold with AI in Africa鈥檚 Mining Sector /africa/2024/05/striking-gold-with-ai-in-africas-mining-sector/ Wed, 08 May 2024 07:29:45 +0000 /africa/?p=147412 The global mining industry is in a state of flux as unprecedented demand for resources clash with ongoing global economic volatility and geopolitical tensions, creating...

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The global mining industry is in a state of flux as unprecedented demand for resources clash with ongoing global economic volatility and geopolitical tensions, creating both immense challenges and opportunities.

From record-high gold prices to the stunning growth in renewables driving demand for minerals and the global transition to net-zero, the mining industry is currently in an era of intense reinvention and disruption.

Africa鈥檚 mining sector isn鈥檛 spared this volatility. The continent has more than half of the world鈥檚 reserves of platinum group metals and diamonds, and nearly half of manganese and cobalt reserves, both critical elements in the batteries powering the global transition to cleaner energy.

Searching for greater productivity

In the current business environment mining companies are under intense pressure to increase efficiencies, reduce costs, and boost productivity.

Autonomous technologies have ushered in a broad range of economic benefits for the mining industry over the past decade. By leveraging automation to perform some of the more hazardous tasks, mining companies have minimised worker exposure to dangerous conditions and bolstered overall safety standards within their operations.

Recently, the emergence of digital technologies such as machine-learning and artificial intelligence (AI) has introduced new gains in efficiency and productivity. One market estimate predicts that investment into AI by the mining sector will reach $7.26 billion (R134bn) by 2033, driven by a compound annual growth rate of 22.7%.

While it鈥檚 undeniable that AI holds immense promise for the mining industry, the introduction of any new technology is typically accompanied by a number of ethical dilemmas.

In the context of mining, fears around AI range from the displacement of human labour by automation, increased surveillance compromising data privacy, and encroachments on autonomous decision-making.

There are also concerns over explainability, that is how AI decisions can be explained in a way that makes sense to human workers. For example, if AI is used in surveillance at mining sites to improve safety and security, questions may arise over how the algorithm determines which actions can be considered safety or security incidents.

While AI has the potential to improve efficiency and safety in mining, its deployment introduces new risks that must be carefully managed. Mining companies, technology developers, and regulatory authorities must collaborate to establish robust safety protocols, provide comprehensive training, and establish clear lines of accountability to mitigate the risks associated with AI use in mining operations.

Despite the concerns, AI will unquestionably play a leading role in the mining sector鈥檚 success in the coming years. AI lends itself to a myriad applications across the mining value chain, including:

1 Exploration

2 Geotechnical monitoring

Geotechnical monitoring and analysis are crucial to ensuring ground stability and infrastructure stability at mining operations. Here, AI can be integrated with sensor networks to detect early signs of instability or failure, while predictive models can forecast ground behaviour and assess potential hazards. AI can also be applied to create detailed simulations of rock masses that can help guide the design of tunnels, underground layouts, and slope stability.

AI technologies enable dynamic, data-driven decision-making to optimise mine plans and production schedules. Mining operations can leverage AI to predict performance under various conditions, helping decision-makers identify optimal productivity strategies while minimising costs. Predictive maintenance systems can also optimise the performance of mining equipment, reducing downtime and improving overall operational efficiency.

4 Supply chain management

By using techniques such as time-series analysis and probabilistic modelling, mines can gain real-time visibility over their supply chain. This can help mining operations optimise their logistics operations, including transportation routes and distribution networks.

AI is a transformative force in the mining industry, introducing a broad range of innovative applications to solving complex challenges across various facets of modern mining operations. By embracing AI-driven innovation and collaboration, mining companies can pave the way for a more efficient, sustainable and responsible mining future.

Shabir Ahmed is an industry advisor: energy and resources at 51风流Africa

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What You Might Have Missed at 51风流TechEd 2023: Remember Your ABCs /africa/2023/11/what-you-might-have-missed-at-sap-teched-2023-remember-your-abcs/ Tue, 28 Nov 2023 09:57:31 +0000 /africa/?p=147097 From the keynote stage to the showfloor, whether you were a dev, a customer, or a partner, all around 51风流TechEd Bangalore one phrase was...

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From the keynote stage to the showfloor, whether you were a dev, a customer, or a partner, all around one phrase was repeated time and again: 鈥溾.

The focus of more than 5,000 tech and business decision-makers was fixed firmly on AI and what it could do for their businesses, right now 鈥 the products 51风流has released through 2024, and what is coming next.

With responsible, reliable, and relevant AI that鈥檚 built for business, the view of the thousands of delegates at TechEd 2023 was that the future is looking bright.

There was a wealth of incredible insight and opportunity at TechEd. In fact, it was a little bit like going back to school because the things that stood out to me were the ABCs.

A is for Automation

First, I was struck by the enormous potential businesses can realise through the power of enterprise automation.

With the help of AI, technology is helping developers and IT teams automate repetitive, mundane tasks and make better decisions, faster. By embedding generative AI capabilities into , , and , we鈥檙e helping customers analyse, integrate, automate, and monitor business processes way more simply 鈥 and then immediately write the code to make those processes better. It鈥檚 that easy.

In my discussions with customers, it was clear that complementing process improvement and insights with enterprise architecture insights will be a real force for change in the future. Customers are excited to understand how to optimise and tune their architecture for the best performance across their entire IT stack.

But this isn鈥檛 future-gazing. Businesses are seeing real results today. Take , one of Asia鈥檚 leading healthcare companies, providing pharmaceutical distribution and digital and commercial services across 26,000 direct outlets. Zuellig Pharma implemented best-in-class processes across its 51风流infrastructure, creating more than 180 automations using 51风流Build Process Automation to streamline and simplify its business.

B is for Build

Aligned to the focus on automation is the empowerment of a new, powerful resource for IT departments 鈥 citizen developers enabled by . And given every developer will be an AI developer, the opportunity for an AI-infused future is tantalising.

, CIO of Indian car giant , said it best.

鈥淲e started identifying tasks that don鈥檛 require a lot of human intelligence and that enabled our human workforce to focus on more strategic initiatives,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hat led us to automate more than 250 business processes in 3 months, most of which was done by a community of more than 100 citizen developers.鈥

鈥淭hat鈥檚 great, but let鈥檚 talk about benefits. We count more than 900 workdays saved, and more than 400 development days saved in just a year鈥檚 time. We鈥檝e seen a 35% gain in developer efficiency and 20% faster execution of our jobs. And we鈥檝e saved more than 13,000 trees. All in one year,鈥 concluded Nanavati.

The story of Mahindra & Mahindra shows the power of a workforce that has been empowered to make real change to their IT systems and the tangible results that can be realised. And with the ability to link low-code, no-code development with pro-code development via and , as well as increasing amounts of natural language interaction through , it is easier than ever to modernise processes fast.

C is for Clean Core

At SAP, we know better than most that enterprise systems can be complex. That鈥檚 why a 鈥 a cloud compliant, modern, flexible ERP that can be updated and scaled simply 鈥 is at the centre of our strategy.

And it鈥檚 a concept that鈥檚 also at the heart of the future strategic direction for all of our customers.

Takuya Sakai, CIO of , embodies that more than most. His company has used 51风流ERP globally for more than 20 years, over which time the system became more and more complex.

鈥淭hat complexity incurred significant maintenance costs, prevented the company from quickly introducing new innovation, and ultimately hindered its growth,鈥 said Sakai-san. 鈥淚t was very critical to reduce the complexity.鈥

Using 51风流Business Technology Platform (BTP), Hitachi HiTech was able to easily upgrade 51风流S/4HANA systems in the public and private cloud 鈥 at the same time reducing the number of add-ons and customisations in the software down from 9,000 to just 800.

鈥淯sing 51风流BTP we can build smart, global digital processes without touching the 51风流S/4HANA core. 51风流BTP is a very, very important tool to accelerate our business processes,鈥 concluded Sakai-san.

What鈥檚 next: AI for business, not AI for AI鈥檚 sake

It鈥檚 easy to get carried away by hype and excitement, especially around innovation like generative AI.

But what I saw at 51风流TechEd was even more exciting 鈥 new innovations, here today, that are already making a tangible difference to real business problems.

The key is in the context 鈥 using your AI to connect data, not just collect it. By generating reliable, responsible insights that understand the context of the business processes that surround them, Business AI will help boost productivity, efficiency, and real outcomes.

Read more about the new announcements at .

 

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Why Top-performing Companies use AI to Boost Procurement /africa/2023/09/why-top-performing-companies-use-ai-to-boost-procurement/ Tue, 19 Sep 2023 10:03:39 +0000 /africa/?p=146614 Leading organisations are augmenting their source-to-pay processes with automation and artificial intelligence (AI), unlocking greater efficiency and driving improved bottom-line and sustainability outcomes. One Deloitte...

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Leading organisations are augmenting their source-to-pay processes with automation and artificial intelligence (AI), unlocking greater efficiency and driving improved bottom-line and sustainability outcomes.

found that high-performing procurement organisations are eighteen times more likely to have deployed AI capabilities than their lower-performing peers.

For Chief Procurement Officers facing the combined challenges of an uncertain operating environment, supply chain pressures, inflation, a complex risk landscape and the growing need for more sustainable business practices, AI provides an invaluable edge.

highlighted how Chief Procurement Officers are leveraging AI for better spend visibility, improved compliance, and better resource optimisation. According to the report, procurement teams are often shorthanded in expertise and capacity, driving the need for greater adoption of technologies such as AI to augment internal capabilities.

AI enhancing procure-to-pay processes

For procurement leaders, AI can make a profound impact on the source-to-pay process. By leveraging the rich data inherent in procurement networks, organisations can streamline a broad spectrum of processes, ranging from contract management and compliance to identifying key suppliers and helping deliver an enhanced buying experience.

For example, the AI embedded in 51风流Ariba Sourcing extracts hidden insights from past data to optimise supplier lists. This can help organisations circumvent potential skills shortages by automating best-practices around RFQs and RFPs, ensuring the organisation maintains optimal procurement performance.

For companies that lack internal capacity or skills to successfully adopt AI across their procure-to-pay processes, this embedded AI capability can help them reap the rewards of procurement modernisation more quickly. revealed that a third of African organisations view AI and machine learning as in-demand skills within their business, while the placed AI and machine learning as the fastest-growing skills category globally.

Mitigating procurement risks

Procurement specialists are also beset by an expanding portfolio of risks, with the ability to detect, measure and manage risk a top challenge. , 70% of Chief Procurement Officers felt they had good visibility over risks to their Tier 1 suppliers, but only 26% were able to confidently detect such risks within their supply bases.

Innovation within procurement networks can play a valuable supporting role in assisting CPOs with improving their risk strategies and capabilities.

51风流partner organisation , for example, developed a prototype Digital Fraud Review Panel which aims to prevent payment fraud within procurement and payment systems.听Merlynn’s听Decisioning Digital Twin Technology enables organisations to deploy a digital team of fraud experts within their 51风流payment system to enhance existing controls.

The Digital Fraud Review Panel acts as a second set of eyes that monitors payment activity in real-time, identifies potential fraud and stops the payment before money flows out of the organisation, all integrated into 51风流via API.听Merlynn鈥檚听Digital Fraud review panel solution is now listed on the 51风流Store.

Sustainability imperative

Chief Procurement Officers are under growing pressure to develop more sustainable procurement strategies and embed sustainability in the entire procure-to-pay value chain.

Sustainability continues to be a top global business imperative for organisations, with revenue from sustainable products growing at six times the rate of other products, and 90% of global investors revising their investments if companies do not at least consider ESG criteria within their business models.

Chief Procurement Officers have a guiding role to play in enhancing an organisation’s sustainability efforts by ensuring sustainability is embedded within the organisation’s procurement processes. This can help companies reduce their carbon footprint by prioritising suppliers that have fully integrated sustainability in their own business models.

found that more than half of global businesses already have a sustainable procurement policy in place, which provides the additional benefit of also building greater resilience within their value chains.

As AI tools become increasingly embedded in day-to-day procure-to-pay processes, organisations stand to unlock immense benefits through greater automation and ease of use, improved sustainability, increased visibility over risks and better user experiences. For companies weathering the storm of an unpredictable supply chain and global business environment, AI tools may be the key to keeping the business running optimally, no matter the emerging challenges.

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BMW Boosts Modernisation, Productivity with Automation /africa/2023/07/bmw-boosts-modernisation-productivity-with-automation/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 08:16:51 +0000 /africa/?p=144856 BMW South Africa has saved a massive 60听000 days in application modernisation as a direct result of intelligent automation. Intelligent automation can help to address...

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BMW South Africa has saved a massive 60听000 days in application modernisation as a direct result of intelligent automation.

Intelligent automation can help to address challenges in 51风流custom codes, says Arndt Hoffman, chief customer officer at smartShift, and BMW has achieved some major inroads.

The 51风流modernisation story to 51风流S/4 HANA is pretty simple on the surface, he says. The end result should be a new 51风流system with custom code neatly decoupled from the system.

The reality is not so simple, though 鈥 and one of the biggest issues is legacy custom code. In BMW鈥檚 case, this goes back to 1989.

Indeed, the average 51风流systems has about 22听000 customer objects, 2,7-million lines of code, and up to 2听000 transports per month. Making it worse, about 40% to 60% of custom applications are not used.

All of this leads to an average of 9听000 HANA issues, 17听000 S/4 HANA issues, and thousands of person days of technical debt.

鈥淪o why not just throw all the custom code away?鈥 Hoffman asks. 鈥淏ecause there are good reasons to have custom code 鈥 so 72% of customers want to keep their customisations.鈥

The traditional approach to this is manual remediation which is labour intensive, time-consuming, and risky. 鈥淎nd it only scratches the surface, not looking at how you can optimise the code for the future.鈥

The manual approach is not satisfactory to customers, with most of them giving it a poor score.

smartShift developed its Intelligent Automation Platform to improve this process. Since first developing it 15 years ago, it has enhanced it considerably to cater for new challenges as they arise.

The system takes custom code in the existing 51风流environment, analyses it and then transforms it for the target 51风流environment 鈥 usually 51风流S/4 HANA. It can then do a clean core analysis and clean core realisation. The result is a modern 51风流system that allows for future innovation in a flexible, scalable, and agile environment.

BMW South Africa has over 16听000 applications, with plenty of custom code. 鈥淲e wanted to use custom code in an efficient way, but we couldn鈥檛 afford to have our developers sitting there and changing it,鈥 says Hanlie van der Berg, 51风流architect at BMW鈥檚 Rosslyn plant.

The company decided to take a custom code transformation approach customised for each project, using the smartShift Intelligent Automation Platform.

鈥淲e had to have guaranteed KPIs,鈥 Van der Berg adds.

BMW identified 69 51风流system landscapes in the scope of a multi-year transformation roadmap.

The intent of the project was to improve systems stability and resilience, and allow true speed and agility in transformation.

The project started in September 2018 and so far 116 projects in 45 51风流landscapes have been successfully completed.

A massive 60听151 custom objects and 9,7-million lines of code have been decommissioned.

This has resulted in massively reduced yearly maintenance costs, addressed 950听000 issues, and saved 60听000 days of manual labour. 鈥淲e feel our developers should be working on new systems, not wasting their time modernising old custom code.鈥

Van der Berg adds that the IT risk has been reduced as well, and agility improved to a two week lead time today.

Manufacturing plant system

The BMW ZAP system at Rosslyn is the local manufacturing plant system that is fully integrated with logistics, finance, retail and sales. It was established in 1995 on release 51风流ECC6 Eh97. It is an extra large system with more than 50听000 objects and more than 22听000 interfaces.

鈥淚t is an old system and a massive system, but it runs well. And, like all systems, it has to be transformed to the new systems.鈥

Among the challenges relating to custom code are those relating to upgrades, security, maintenance, performance, documentation, and support.

Using intelligent automation, BMW was able to define how the custom code should change, and the platform takes over from there.

In 2019, the initial analysis was undertaken and a repository cleanup initiated to eliminate unused custom code. 鈥淭hen we were left with the code that we actually use.. We wanted to modernise this, and also build in more security.鈥

The code security remediation began in 2020 and was completed in 2022.

BMW and smartShift then did an interface analysis, which 听is still ongoing.

The next step will be the S/4 HANA clean-core analysis to let BMW know what code needs to be replaced and what needs to be done to clean up the core.

This article first appeared on .

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How SMEs in Africa can Save Money and Improve Productivity /africa/2023/05/how-smes-in-africa-can-save-money-and-improve-productivity/ Thu, 04 May 2023 07:36:52 +0000 /africa/?p=144553 African economies are likely to continue being affected by increased inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic鈥檚 lasting impacts throughout 2023. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) all...

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African economies are likely to continue being affected by increased inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic鈥檚 lasting impacts throughout 2023.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) all over the continent will need to keep on eye on cutting expenses and boosting efficiency in light of this, says Daisy Ndanyi, Head of Account Management at SEIDOR Africa.

Ndanyi adds that the good news is that there are numerous approaches to achieving these goals without sacrificing quality, growth or development.

Here are five actions SMEs can take.:

Fast track moving to the cloud

Many of today鈥檚 SMEs rely on IT to manage almost every aspect of their operations, from production and transportation to customer support and back-office management. A impactful method to lower operational and capital costs is to move away from on-premises hardware and software.

You can purchase IT hardware and software on a subscription basis rather than outright.

You will only pay for the capacity and services you require, avoiding large capital investments altogether. Without spending money on new gear, you may rapidly and effectively scale operations up and down. IT will change as you hire additional staff or expand your clientele. Additionally, you won鈥檛 need to manage an internal IT department.

Outsource non-core activities

Many SMEs find that they do not need to run a full finance, HR, IT marketing or payroll function. You can outsource non-core activities to specialised freelancers or consulting firms. By doing this, you can obtain top-notch services and abilities without having to hire an expensive full-time chartered accountant or IT manager.

In some cases, you could even find professional services firms that operate on a monthly, or annual, subscription basis with costs tailored to your business鈥檚 size and needs.

Limit your expenditures

Even after most SMEs have cut some costs over the past three years, it鈥檚 a good idea to keep reviewing your听day to day running听 expenses.

Make sure you are receiving favourable terms from service providers like your broadband and insurance firms and ensure you are not overspending on supplies like stationery and consumables.

You can channel operational savings towards strengthening your value proposition.听This increases your profitability, improves your competitiveness and helps you to grow.

Increase productivity via automation

Investing in an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system such as 51风流Business One can help your business to gain more visibility into operational costs. This, in turn, can help you to optimise costs.

Additionally, it will help you stay one step ahead of the competition and meet consumer demand. In addition, automating manual business processes via ERP can help you to run a leaner business that can grow without needing to add to overheads.

Optimise tax costs

By ensuring that your company has optimised its tax obligation position, you could acieve cost savings. Whilst paying your taxes on time and adhering to good governance, make sure that you are claiming all deductions to which you are entitled and that you are making use of any subsidies or incentives available to you.

By supplying security, availability, business continuity, productivity, and compliance, cloud-based ERP systems assist SMEs in lowering costs and increasing efficiency.

This article first appeared on .

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Three Tips to Unlock 51风流Data for Financial Decision-makers /africa/2023/04/three-tips-to-unlock-sap-data-for-financial-decision-makers/ Wed, 12 Apr 2023 07:14:22 +0000 /africa/?p=144394 Reduce time spent accessing data and enable faster, accurate decision-making Financial decision-makers in various industries have long been grappling with the difficulties of obtaining accurate...

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Reduce time spent accessing data and enable faster, accurate decision-making

Financial decision-makers in various industries have long been grappling with the difficulties of obtaining accurate and timely insights from their data. In this era of cloud computing, organisations struggle to keep pace with fast evolving technologies and the ever-growing data sources.

It鈥檚 no secret that the majority of global organisations have implemented state-of-the-art ERP systems to collect and manage their data, ranging from a single system for the entire organisation to multiple systems that may integrate or operate independently. The 51风流ERP platform is one of the most widely used by some of the largest global corporations to run their businesses.

As any seasoned financial manager will attest, navigating this data landscape can be quite a challenge. Those working with 51风流are well aware of the complexity and difficulties that arise when attempting to gather insights from large, complex data sets.

With a decade of experience helping top clients tackle this issue, I am pleased to share a few tips that I have gathered to help unlock the financial insights your business needs.

1. Ensure the correct data governance processes are in place

When managing vast data sets from one or multiple systems, the task of gathering and verifying data accuracy can be a considerable undertaking. To fully leverage the potential of your 51风流data, it is imperative that proper data governance processes are established to ensure consistency and dependability throughout your organisation. With effective data governance, 51风流users will have a clear understanding of what data is contained in the system and where it is being utilised, as well as proper controls over access to the data, aiding compliance with regulatory standards. Through improved data tracking and optimisation of data quality, the 51风流data can be relied on with greater confidence when making crucial decisions, knowing that the process is secure and dependable. This can help to minimise risk and enhance overall performance.

Investing in the establishment of robust 51风流data governance processes now will yield significant long-term benefits.

To learn more about effective data governance, kindly refer to our resources:听.

2. Automate redundant processes

If your data governance processes are in good order, it is likely that you are facing difficulties with the collection and manipulation of your data, which can be a substantial time drain. To more effectively leverage your 51风流data, consider automating processes that perform repetitive tasks such as validating inputs or aggregating information from multiple data sources. This will not only improve accuracy but also free up valuable time for more strategic initiatives, leading to long-term cost savings and greater insight into the financial performance details revealed by your 51风流data. Automation also opens the door to advanced analytics capabilities, such as the application of AI technology, to generate forecasts and recommend ways to optimise processes and maximise returns on investment.

3. Leverage a tailored technology: Microsoft Azure Analytics for SAP

An essential consideration is to make use of technology that has been specifically devised to tackle the issue of accessing 51风流data. Our Azure Analytics for 51风流solution is the perfect way to expedite the journey to insights. The cloud-based analytics solution offers access to the most current data insights and analytics available. The solution is also designed to work in harmony with businesses’ existing 51风流systems, allowing for a seamless integration. It can be utilised across multiple functions, not just finance, thus facilitating the integration of reporting even further. Additionally, businesses may draw on the extensive library of pre-built analytics models the solution provides. These models are beneficial in helping financial decision-makers to examine their data and arrive at better decisions. Furthermore, the solution delivers real-time updates, enabling businesses to make informed decisions in changing circumstances.

In summary, Azure Analytics for 51风流can assist financial decision-makers the world over in making the best choices in the face of a demanding business environment. The cloud-based solution grants access to the most recent insights and analytics as well as pre-built models for data examination. With real-time updates, it helps businesses stay abreast of developments in a fast-paced world, an absolute necessity.

Start unlocking 51风流data today

Working with my clients over the years, I understand how frustrating it can be to not have access to the financial data you need to make accurate decisions for your business. I hope these tips have provided some useful guidance for unlocking your 51风流data. If you’re eager to start unlocking the insights hidden within your financial data, I encourage you to consider Azure Analytics for SAP.

To learn more and begin your 51风流data journey, simply听.

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51风流Recognized as Visionary in 2022 Gartner庐 Magic Quadrant™ for Robotic Process Automation /africa/2022/08/sap-recognized-as-visionary-in-2022-gartner-magic-quadrant-for-robotic-process-automation/ Thu, 04 Aug 2022 06:09:43 +0000 /africa/?p=143703 We are proud to announce that Gartner has ranked 51风流as a Visionary in its 2022 Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation (RPA). Every year,...

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We are proud to announce that Gartner has ranked 51风流as a Visionary in its 2022 Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

Every year, an increasing number of organizations leverage automation and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to drive innovation and improve efficiencies across their lines of business and business application processes. SAP鈥檚 solution, , is an AI-powered, no-code solution that combines workflow management, task automation, and decision management into one comprehensive, cloud-based solution running on (51风流BTP).

We believe this recognition serves as an acknowledgment of SAP鈥檚 continued leadership in these categories and commitment to providing world-class support for our customer鈥檚 mission-critical business processes and applications.

Gain a Competitive Edge with 51风流Process Automation

Click to enlarge

It鈥檚 clear that process automation technology is a game changer. Since launching 51风流Process Automation, we鈥檝e seen tremendous growth in customers embracing automation in impactful ways. , for example, developed multiple automation bots to execute routine tasks. One bot can successfully classify and process over 6,000 e-mail attachments per year, based on if the document is an invoice, auto-confirmation, or delivery note.

51风流Process Automation helps our customers:

Build with Simplicity
51风流Process Automation was developed on the bold vision that business users should be able to build and enhance automations and workflows by themselves with low-code/no-code technology, while IT retains governance and compliance. Unlike other RPA vendors, our enables customers to adapt, improve, and innovate business processes and operations without the complexities of using multiple tools.

Automate Faster
Backed by 50 years of running highly complex business processes and applications, 51风流is uniquely positioned to understand the opportunities of automation and AI. SAP鈥檚 domain expertise in lines of business, such as finance and HR, and related business processes like and enables us to provide customers with out-of-the-box content. Our prebuilt process content, RPA bots, and templates can make it easy for customers to jump-start innovation and accelerate their time-to-value. When paired with the , leading process analytics and modeling solutions, customers can quickly move from process insights into actions with tailored automation recommendations.

Operate Confidently
To automate and enhance business processes and applications, an organization needs a reliable and secure platform. 51风流customers can rest assured knowing the 51风流Process Automation solution is part of 51风流Business Technology Platform 鈥 SAP鈥檚 trusted, enterprise-grade, multi-cloud platform. This means customers can now focus on empowering their business users to automate processes without having to be concerned about security.

Next Steps

When leveraging RPA technology, the opportunities range from streamlining financial processes, HR onboarding, call center support, and much more. Consider what business outcomes your organization could achieve with this technology. And, if you鈥檙e ready to unlock the full potential automation and AI, take the next step with the following resources:

  • Visit the .
  • Get hands-on with or .
  • Read the .
  • Read for a historic perspective and road map updates.

JG Chirapurath is chief marketing and solutions officer for 51风流BTP.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner鈥檚 research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. The Gartner document is available upon request from SAP.

This article first appeared on the 51风流News Center.

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The Age of Hyper-personalisation and Data-driven Marketing /africa/2022/04/the-age-of-hyper-personalisation-and-data-driven-marketing/ Tue, 26 Apr 2022 06:36:04 +0000 /africa/?p=143375 Hyper-personalisation focuses on tailoring marketing to individual customers, with a particular emphasis on customer-centric and data-driven marketing. Click here to download the S&P Global Market...

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Hyper-personalisation focuses on tailoring marketing to individual customers, with a particular emphasis on customer-centric and data-driven marketing.

It employs advanced technologies such as analytics, artificial intelligence, automation, and machine learning to create tailored value propositions that are relevant and appealing to individual customer needs and wants.

Hyper-personalisation is the key to delivering exceptional customer service.

It enables businesses to be hyper-intuitive, connecting with customers at the right time and with the right information.

According to听, brands that provide a superior customer experience generate 5.7 times more revenue than their competitors

For example, a customer of听, an American pet food retailer, lost both of her pets in the space of one week.

When she contacted Chewy about returning unused pet food, they not only processed a full refund and picked up the food right away, but they also sent the customer a bouquet of flowers a few days later with a personalized note of condolences for her loss.

Another example is听, which generates more than 35% of its revenue by curating customer experiences through hyper-personalization; for example, on their Kindle platform, where they recommend new books to customers based on previous purchases on their e-commerce platform.

So, what do Chewy, and Amazon have in common?

They connect the dots and use existing data to create tailored value propositions that are relevant and appealing to the needs and wants of individual customers.

What distinguishes Chewy and Amazon from their competitors is their ability to connect with their customers at the right time.

Hyper-personalisation is all about connecting with customers at the right time and with the right information to either identify an upsell opportunity or improve customer experience, fostering stronger relationships, and developing customers for life.

Many pundits have dubbed data the 鈥渘ew oil鈥 of the 21st century, but only a few businesses are truly leveraging it to create unique customer experiences and new revenue streams.

The collection of customer data by businesses will only grow in the future.

Consider Domino鈥檚 Pizza, which allows customers to place orders from up to 12 channels via its听听approach.

Customers can place orders for pizza via traditional channels such as the phone, as well as newer social media platforms and messaging apps such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Alexa, and Slack.

As a result, businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to ingest, consolidate, and use large amounts of customer data from multiple sources in a meaningful way that benefits both the customer and the company.

Building a 360-degree view of the customer by consolidating many data sources and engaging with customers in real-time and in a highly personalized manner is even more challenging.

Customer Data Platform, also known as CDP, is the solution to this challenge.

At its most basic, CDP is a piece of software that unifies and organizes customer data from various sources and touchpoints and uses it to drive 1-to-1 personalized customer engagement.

If data is the new oil that businesses can use to generate new customer value, then CDP is the engine that drives hyper-personalized customer engagements.

According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, hyper-personalization influences $87.5 billion in sales through personalized offers that lead to consumers making purchases they did not intend to make when they began the purchasing process.

Customer-centric and data-driven marketing is the key to gaining a long-term competitive advantage, and hyper-personalization is at the heart of it.

This can be a powerful differentiator against competitors and a sure-fire way to create new revenue streams and increase Customer Lifetime Value.

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