, Head of Partner Ecosystem for MEA South at SAP, says the growth is fuelled by a growing need among African organisations to improve decision-making and bring greater transparency and efficiency to core business processes. 鈥淭he future belongs to data-driven organisations that can maximise the value of their business data by leveraging insights that reveal new efficiencies and revenue opportunities. Organisations throughout the African continent are expanding their use of cloud and data solutions, paving the way for the accelerated adoption of AI and other future-ready technologies.鈥�

Investment into cloud technologies is forecast to increase sharply over the next few years, with demand for cloud services growing by 25-30%聽.

In South Africa,聽聽predicted that the country鈥檚 cloud market could surge to more than $6-billion by 2028, tripling in value from $2-billion in 2023.

Optimising ROI 鈥榓n ongoing challenge鈥�

However, says, , Business Manager: Financial Planning & Analysis聽at聽, many organisations still grapple with understanding the true cost of ownership 鈥� and return on investment 鈥� of their cloud implementations.

鈥淪calability and flexibility are among the top benefits companies seek to unlock when they shift their business processes into cloud environments. But this is dependent on reliable infrastructure. Many companies face significant challenges with forecasting the return on investment of their cloud strategies due to fluctuations in infrastructure quality and network capacity, as well as challenges with unlocking the true value of their business data. 鈥�

To develop a clear picture of ROI and ensure the business enjoys optimal benefits from cloud and data investments, Pillay recommends that companies prioritise a unified data ecosystem, close collaboration with trusted partners, and the adoption of the latest technologies. 鈥淐ompanies need new strategies to succeed in a world rapidly reshaped by technologies such as cloud and AI. By laying the groundwork now and adopting new processes and best practices, African organisations can establish a powerful foundation for future innovation and growth.鈥�

Strategy 1 鈥� Build a unified data ecosystem

Richards notes that organisations are generating data at an unprecedented rate, but often from fragmented sources instead of a unified data repository. This is driving the need for technology-led capabilities that turn that data into insights and competitive advantage.

鈥淲ith data originating from numerous disparate sources, it is crucial to establish an open ecosystem that allows seamless consolidation into a single data repository, ensuring a unified version of the truth. Within this framework, data must be enriched and transformed into actionable insights that are accessible at all levels of the organisation to enable improved decision-making.鈥�

Pillay notes that organisations are increasingly leveraging technology platforms that bring data and analytics, AI, automation and integration together in a single unified environment. 鈥淥rganisations leverage 51风流Business Technology Platform to innovate faster within the context of their own business, connecting people with data insights to improve decision-making at all levels. But it is all underpinned and dependent on a unified data ecosystem that can deliver insights based on a single source of truth.鈥�

Richards adds: 鈥淯tilising a modern data platform like 51风流Business Technology Platform to its fullest potential can unlock innovative methods for data processing, automate business processes, and accelerate the use of generative AI to enhance customer experiences.鈥�

Strategy 2 鈥� Leverage vendor, partner expertise

Digital transformation is in a phase of accelerated growth in Africa, with the market expected to grow from $22.67-billion in 2024聽to over $45-billion by 2029聽as more organisations seek to streamline their operations and enhance their customer value propositions.

鈥淕iven the multitude of options available in the market, selecting the appropriate data and information landscape technology can be a daunting task,鈥� says Richards. 鈥淢any of the concerns around cloud adoption 鈥� including cost implications 鈥� require a certain level of expertise from technology vendors to ensure companies can overcome challenges in their cloud adoption.鈥�

Pillay advises that organisations work closely with technology providers and implementation partners to develop a full understanding of cost implications. 鈥淏y adopting an approach of ongoing improvement and refinement through continuous value engineering, companies are better positioned to adapt their technology and business strategies to derive optimal value from cloud and data investments.鈥�

She adds that close collaboration with technology partners can deliver continuous value improvements over extended periods of time. 鈥淐ompanies benefit from vendor and partner input through the adoption of best practices, sharing of latest insights regarding the impact of new technologies, and access to new releases of core systems and applications. This ensures companies operate on the most powerful and advanced versions of cloud and data solutions, driving improved business outcomes.鈥�

Strategy 3 鈥� Deploy advanced technologies

In the era of hyperconnectivity, companies need to look beyond basic adoption of cloud and data solutions to the strategic deployment of advanced technologies.

Pillay notes that artificial intelligence is an obvious candidate when companies seek to deploy advanced technologies to derive business value from cloud and data investments. 鈥淎I, real-time analytics and automation unlock the full potential of cloud infrastructure, enabling businesses to enhance decision-making, streamline operations, and drive measurable value from their data assets.鈥�

Richards adds: 鈥淭he 51风流Business Technology Platform (BTP) enables organisations to automate business processes, enhance user experiences, and generate new revenue streams through data utilisation, all while maintaining a clean and optimised core system. This platform integrates various technologies, including workflow management, robotic process automation, and advanced analytics, to drive efficiency, innovation, and agility in business operations.鈥�

Pillay also notes the impact of initiatives that accelerate the deployment of cloud-based ERP solutions as a viable option for companies seeking to accelerate the value of their cloud and data solutions. 鈥淪olutions like 51风流S/4HANA Cloud help companies future-proof their business models by running core business processes in an agile operating model. This enables continuous innovation, driving substantial ROI over the short and long term.鈥�

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By examining innovative solutions, such as and the concept of a data fabric, we uncover how organisations can transcend traditional barriers, harness the full potential of their data assets, and pave the way for enhanced efficiency and competitiveness.

has seamlessly implemented Datasphere at clients and a highly-effective data-driven strategy, which has already demonstrated its immense impact and power.

As businesses aim to implement data-driven strategies, it is crucial to break down the silos that exist between different data sources. Doing so will unlock the full potential of their data assets and give them a competitive advantage in today鈥檚 digital world. With the plethora of tools available today, it is easier than ever to extract valuable insights from your own data.

For clients with multiple data hubs on heterogeneous cloud environments, including investments, the business data fabric can now help eliminate silos and lead to more significant efficiency gains.

The business data fabric provides great value to customers by simplifying the delivery of accurate data in business terms, even when dealing with highly-distributed data landscapes. This means that business innovation is no longer limited by the location of data, slowed down by the creation of new data staging plans, or hindered by incomplete business context.

A data fabric is an advanced data management architecture that allows organisations to integrate large volumes of data from various sources. It provides a consistent and reliable way to access, analyse and share data across the organisation.

With a data fabric, users of all skill levels can easily access and make sense of complex data sets, enabling them to make informed decisions based on accurate and relevant information. This can lead to improved business outcomes, increased productivity and gain a competitive advantage in the market.

Integrating AI in business operations will undoubtedly prove to be a game-changer. By offering rapid insights and enabling prompt decision-making, AI has the potential to revolutionise the way businesses operate.

The power of AI in the world of data warehousing is truly awe-inspiring, as it offers unparalleled insights on the fly. Think of it as a copilot that can assist you in determining, guiding and achieving your goals.

The new AI copilot, , in and , as well as the , enables users to find hidden insights and patterns in complex data.

It is a platform designed to be open and flexible, allowing for seamless integration with a diverse range of sources and technologies. 51风流has announced partnerships with , , , and to simplify customers鈥� data landscapes.

By integrating their data and AI platforms with 51风流Datasphere, organisations can now access their mission-critical business data across any cloud infrastructure in an open data ecosystem.

51风流Datasphere is a comprehensive data management platform that provides a centralised solution for all your data-related needs. With 51风流Datasphere, you can easily access, integrate and analyse your data in a single location, without the need for managing multiple silos. This means that you no longer need to spend countless hours tracking down information from disparate sources, but instead can focus on deriving insights and making data-driven decisions.

The ability to access data in real-time, integrated across various business functions, has been a crucial development in advancing global business innovation. Our clients can now work seamlessly with 51风流Datasphere and make the most of our existing portfolio of data platforms, business intelligence, and planning analysis solutions. This enables them to move beyond manual and siloed analysis processes and optimise their target revenue and GP, sales goals, and operational capacity requirements. With this approach, they can effectively harness their data to achieve their business objectives.

Contact Decision Inc. today to explore how the 51风流Datasphere Platform can empower your organisation’s growth journey.

The post Paving the Way for Data Management Through 51风流Datasphere appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

The Hack2Build event offers a unique opportunity for 51风流partners to address current business challenges by building a solution prototype with the support of SAP. During the event, 51风流experts assisted teams from around the world with technical support. On the final day of the event, each team had to demonstrate the prototype to a panel of judges.

As the only South African company invited to compete, Hack2Build highlighted how Decision Inc is one of the worldwide solution innovators of 51风流Analytics Cloud (SAC). “To finish as the second runner up in such a prestigious event highlights the commitment of our team to creating solutions that help overcome business challenges using SAC as a foundation,鈥� says Allan Saffy, managing executive at Decision Inc South Africa.

The Decision Inc solution focused on merchandise planning which is the process conducted by a retailer to ensure that the right product is available to the customer at the right place, time, quantity, and price. This process involves selecting the products the retailer will carry and determining the purchase quantities of these products.

The current challenge facing retailers is to connect the merchandise planning detail to the final output in financial reporting. The gap between the two plans is not always aligned, with many organisations looking for a solution that can best integrate them.

鈥淭he Decision Inc solution assists retailers to transform and adapt to changes in the planning environment. It focuses on closing the gap between merchandising and finance by using key drivers to update the planning output through scenario planning and eventually creating a forecast,鈥� Saffy adds.

The use case demonstrated by the Decision Inc showed how retailers can use the solution to transform and adapt to changes in the planning environment. Given recent global events, the team showcased how Decision Inc can assist retailers in reacting to the Covid-19 scenario by changing key levers and prices. In turn, this would show the impact on stock and volume and how that impacts the sales and cost prices within the business.

鈥淭his was the first-ever Hack2Build event attended by Decision Inc. The competition element certainly added to the excitement of the hackathon. Going head-to-head with so many other global teams was a great dynamic and I am really proud of our 51风流Planning & Analytics team for the success they achieved.鈥� Saffy says.

This article first appeared on .

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