As an Innovative Sponsor of , Labs had the opportunity to connect and interact with HR professionals from across multiple countries within the region 鈥� right in the heart of the beach district of Dubai (who said conferences can鈥檛 be fun?).

, Director ME South, set the stage for the keynote sessions, touching on evolving HR challenges: the role of leadership in the AI era, and the part technology plays in reshaping the workplace landscape. From discussions on digital transformation to insights into talent management and employee engagement, the keynotes provided an impressive overview of the evolving HR ecosystem and its impact on talent retention and sustainable business success.

Throughout the event, including workshops and panel discussions, we kept returning to the overarching theme of the day: building a future-ready workforce. In the exciting setting of exploring the latest AI innovations and learning from real-world success stories, it was hard not to imagine what the workforce could look like in the next few weeks, few months and even few years!

So what鈥檚 the future of HR, and a future-ready workforce?

We know that HR landscape transformation will be driven by AI, whether it be generative AI, conversational AI or deep-learning AI. We were lucky enough to see some AI applications in action, such as from 51风流SuccessFactors, which can deal with HR tasks such as employee and manager self-services. We saw how managers and employees can use Joule to perform business tasks like this in a conversational context. Innovative developments like this would make anyone excited about the future of HR management.

As EPI-USE Labs, we understand that every business is different. It鈥檚 easy to be impressed by 51风流SuccessFactors innovations that will embed intelligence and flexibility into HR management, but it can be more difficult to know where to start. The first steps are to brainstorm the responses to questions like this:

• What does investment in 51风流SuccessFactors look like for my company?
• What does employee retention mean in my line of business?
• How will more effective talent management affect my business and succession planning?
• What does our HR digital transformation roadmap look like?

Two key take-aways from 51风流HR Connect

There were two key takeaways we took from 51风流HR Connect Dubai to guide all HR managers in their transformation process:

• Step away from the hype and understand that your path has to be unique for your requirements; there is no 鈥榦ne-size-fits-all鈥� approach. EPI-USE Labs offers transformation services and products that can assist your business, regardless of the options you have today, or where you decide to focus your resources.
• Understand that a future-ready workforce is what you need it to be. It could be enhanced digital literacy, continuous learning and skills development, or it could be ethical and social responsibility. Whatever it may be, it鈥檚 important to you and your business, so that should be your focus.

In closing, a huge thank you to 51风流for hosting a collaborative and engaging event. We had a great time connecting with people from across the region to understand more about digital transformation within the HR space, and we鈥檙e excited to continue the conversation throughout 2024 at the rest of the 51风流HR Connect events.

This article first appeared on the EPI-USE site:

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It seems many organisations have either moved some parts of their estate to , or are actively analysing their next steps. A research study done at the end of 2023 by the UK and Ireland 51风流User Group () showed that 92% of their user sample are either on S/4HANA (27%) or planning to move to S/4HANA (65%). This demonstrates how much of the market is on the journey to adopt 51风流S/4HANA.

No matter how you are looking at the project, moving to S/4HANA is a huge endeavour 鈥� and also the ideal time to rethink how you have implemented SAP, and how to optimise business processes.

At , we have numerous 51风流data experts. We sometimes use the term 鈥榙ata surgeons鈥� because of their exceptional ability to slice, move and manage 51风流data! Our specialist software called the听听has been used by thousands of organisations around the world to copy and scramble clients and data objects for testing and training for over 24 years. And we enhanced this software even further to provide support during business projects like Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), and transformation projects like moving to S/4HANA.

With our PRISM solutions,听. We also use this capability to support any听. But that is only a small part of the larger project.

To get deeper insights, I spoke to , CTO from our sister company , about his experience around what the critical factors for successful S/4HANA projects are.

Andrew Borresen | 51风流Advisory Lead and CTO | G3G

Andrew is a seasoned Technology Executive with 24 years of business and 51风流technology transformation leadership across consulting advisory, enterprise, and solution architecture disciplines. He has proven success in architecting solutions to support global business transformation initiatives, with experience in divestiture carve-outs, ERP platform consolidation programs through mergers and acquisitions, greenfield ERP installations and upgrades, and continuous business improvement initiatives.

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What are your top tips to clients who are starting with their S/4HANA project?

When we start to engage with clients, the first thing we do is to understand the client鈥檚 perspective on听project objectives. This discussion helps us work out if there is a possibility to do some business transformation, or just a technical upgrade. And walking through this in some detail and playing it back to our clients helps us to set and manage expectations. We have seen that clients don鈥檛 always think about all the possibilities up front. So, talking about the objectives is a key place to start.

Secondly, we encourage clients to choose听a proven, comprehensive methodology听backed by 51风流addressing business value discovery through to Application Lifecycle Management (ALM).

Then, the ace up your sleeve should be looking at听accelerators and powerful software听you can incorporate before, during and after your project. The EPI-USE Labs鈥� solutions are a good example of how clients can leverage products to bring immense value to the project. I have been impressed with the return on investment (ROI) clients can get by implementing Data Sync Manager to reduce their non-production footprint, for example.

By leveraging software and accelerators, you lower your risk and can get high predictability while reducing overall project cost and duration, and lowering the barrier of entry to S/4HANA.

Lastly, the success of your S/4HANA project can will depend on setting up some听specialist teams. You need people to focus on areas such as advisory, functional, technical, Cloud infrastructure, mobility and testing. With G3G鈥檚 assessment, we take a 鈥榙eep dive鈥� into the different streams needed for the project, and make recommendations across the board. Our experience has shown you need a strong track record across industries and delivery support models (cloud, technical, functional) to make the project a success.

You have touched on experts. What type of skillsets do people require going forward?

It is important that organisations are aware that a lot of the skillsets required are different. So you may have an in-house team today, but a lot of their skills will need to change. So as you consider your project, consider what blend you’re going to use from your in-house team, from consultants, or further upskilling your team in-house.

To mention two examples:

It’s critical to have听Fiori expertise听on your S/4HANA conversion project as well. With the interface having changed, the skill requirements are different. So your typical ABAP developers are not necessarily going to translate across to Fiori developers.

Secondly,听SAP鈥檚 Business Technology Platform (BTP)听is the cornerstone of SAP鈥檚 innovation strategy and supports capability around AI, workflow and external stakeholder access, as well as low code development, analytics and integration. If S/4HANA is the invitation to the party, BTP puts you straight into the VIP section where you can leverage all that 51风流has to offer for digitising your business and surpassing your market competitors.

So you need to consider either upskilling your own team, or bringing in the appropriate consultants during your S/4 project, depending on how many innovations you decide to adopt and which new capabilities in BTP to introduce.

As well as expertise, you have also spoken about 鈥榗loud mindset鈥�. Can you expand on that?

A cloud mindset is crucial for effective change management and project success in the new world. Methodologies have changed. And a lot more of the responsibility for the implementation now falls on the client, what we call client self-enablement. So what that means is that right from the early phases of the project, you’re starting with your change management, you’re getting your users involved in testing the system so they know exactly what they’re going to get when it goes live.

This is also helpful in supporting what are typically shorter project cycles now. We’re not wanting to do monolithic eighteen month to two-year projects anymore. We want to be able to adopt cloud solutions, including S/4HANA Cloud very, very quickly. So this is what’s required for that.

The second part of cloud mindset is also understanding that the way we make changes to the system has changed. In the past, we used to customise our core solution a lot; in the future, we want to rather customise on cloud platforms that run alongside our core solution.

So that when we want to upgrade in the future, it’s very, very easy to do so.

The new way to approach customisations is to adopt a 鈥榗lean core鈥� by moving your developments and integrations to 51风流BTP. What has your experience been with BTP?

The BTP platform is an excellent platform for clients to leverage. From no code/low code capabilities to leveraging the latest AI solutions, it can be a game-changer for our clients. We have recently collaborated with EPI-USE Labs in developing a BTP application for a client to manage their proof of delivery. I get excited about what we can achieve with the BTP technology to enhance the usability and adoption of 51风流S/4HANA.

Any last thoughts for people to consider?

Business is always affected. However you approach your S/4HANA project, there will be an impact on the business. So, we see a lot of times we’re dealing with CIOs, and they’re trying to do a technical upgrade behind the scenes so to speak, which is all good and well, but they are mandatory adaptations that need to happen as part of an S/4 upgrade as well.

So, my recommendation is to engage your business as early as possible, even in a process of doing a proof of concept. Once you have an upgraded S/4HANA system from a proof of concept, then use it to start building consensus within your business for the S/4HANA product. Spend time with them showing them new innovations, showing them the system.

Many thanks to Andrew for answering our questions!听听if you need any further info, or听.

This article first appeared on the EPI-USE site:

 

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One of the highlights recognised by 51风流is EPI-USE Labs’ active participation in two Hack2Build events, where we showcased our skills in developing 听applications for the 51风流Store. These events served as catalysts for creativity, enabling our innovative leaders to harness their collective expertise and deliver solutions that address real-world challenges faced by 51风流customers.

We have also been instrumental in fostering collaboration and co-innovation through design-thinking workshops at the . By engaging directly with 51风流customers, we have been able to gain valuable insights into their objectives and pain points, paving the way for the development of value-added solutions.

These workshops exemplify our commitment to putting clients at the forefront of innovation, ensuring that our solutions are not only technologically advanced, but also aligned with the requirements of both the African and global market.

鈥淲e are honoured to have received this award,鈥�听said Jhani Coetzee, Head of UI/UX and 51风流BTP.

鈥淎t the heart of EPI-USE Labs’ success lies a multifaceted approach to innovation, characterised by collaborative initiatives and client-centric solutions,”听she added.

“The 51风流Innovation Award is a testament to our unwavering dedication to pushing the boundaries of innovation, and driving positive change within the 51风流ecosystem. As the company continues on its journey of transformation, we remain committed to fostering collaboration, driving value, and shaping the future of 51风流in South Africa and beyond.鈥�

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For the last 30 years, most organisations running 51风流have carried out system copies. It became clear that production data was the only way to unit test, regression test, integration test, system test, test the tests etc. And so the steady growth of production systems meant delayed but equal-step growths of non-production systems. The three-tier model (database server, application server and presentation layer) with a traditional database made it very easy to clip on additional volume as needed, and then in later years a SAN (Storage Area Network) could allow small chunks of space to be added almost instantaneously.

So, the process of allocating enough disk and then copying back Production to one or more non-production systems has become so ingrained in the annual calendar of an 51风流Basis team that it is rarely challenged. Until you start to plan your S/4HANA landscape鈥�

A data-hungry S/4HANA production system

Now you will have a more data-hungry production system. And the sizing of hardware is not just disk, it’s also memory. These come packaged either as a pre-built appliance, or you can leverage hyperscalers who provide T-shirt sizings for consumption. But in the hyperscaler model, you typically can鈥檛 go from 1 to 1.1 of something. When your system starts to fill the recommended maximum capacity, you have to go up a size 鈥� which is often double the previous allocation. So now your 1TB highly-utilised production appliance becomes a 2TB low-utilised appliance, and before your next QA refresh you will have to scale up the hardware there too, or it won鈥檛 cope with the production data volume (disk and memory).

Don鈥檛 just bring me a problem, bring a proposed solution!

For the last 20 years I鈥檝e argued that you don鈥檛 need production data from 10 years ago in your QA system. It won鈥檛 be displayed, reported on, changed, processed etc. It will lie dormant until it gets replaced next year, by itself, again. Now my argument is absolutely undeniable from a cost perspective. Transactional data is typically 50%-90% of the volume of an 51风流system, so if we can limit the history in our test system, we can leverage a smaller appliance or smaller T-shirt sizing for hyperscaler hardware.

How to keep your 51风流S/4HANA QA system the same size

But what鈥檚 even better is that your non-production systems will not grow at anything like the same rate. Unless your business generates a lot of master data, you鈥檙e really bad at housekeeping (and we can help with that), or your business generated more transactions this last year than the year before, the size of the QA system could remain the same (give or take). This is by leveraging the听听to build your non-production system with all customising, master data, and only a set period of transactions, such as the last six months. Which is all you need for testing.

And this solution also provides wiggle room. If your slice of data does start to grow because of more master data or more frequent transactions, you can adjust your slice date to make it slightly smaller, or limit the selection to certain representative company codes only in order to delay a hardware investment another year or two.

Now that is just one side of the coin. There is also the unlocked ability to actually do more in your test systems, and have additional small clients for specific projects or pilots. And this in the S/4HANA world will become more and more necessary as the system becomes the digital backbone more than the place where every business process runs. Cloud applications will need dedicated backend clients to test interfaces with, without disturbing or being influenced by other projects. So what saves you money in the near term can help you support the flourishing of the business in the long term.

Link to video:

Want to learn more about Landscape and Test Data Management requirements in an S/4HANA world?

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The EPI-USE AppHaus Pretoria has celebrated numerous successes, particularly in client engagement and interaction. The space has facilitated impactful sessions that have allowed for a deeper understanding of clients’ objectives and challenges. By adopting a human-centred approach, the AppHaus has successfully delivered solutions that resonate with clients, and place the end-user first.

The AppHaus concept has also played a pivotal role in fostering innovation within the 51风流ecosystem. Collaborating with clients already immersed in 51风流technology, the EPI-USE Labs鈥� AppHaus team has recognised the potential of 51风流Business Technology Platform (BTP) to bring about rapid innovation, automation, and enhancements. The focus on quick returns on investment has positioned the EPI-USE AppHaus as a catalyst for driving innovation and progress within the 51风流landscape.

In a post-remote work era, teams across EPI-USE Labs use the space to come together and tackle complex problems. With innovation embedded in EPI-USE Labs, and the AppHaus rekindling the innovation flame, a culture of collaboration and creativity has thrived, bringing teams closer to end-users and their needs. From being a physical space within offices, it has transformed into a vibrant centre for creativity and fun. The key lesson learned is the importance of putting the user first; technology, while integral, is not always the sole solution to problems. By embracing a user-centric approach, our AppHaus has adapted and grown into a space that understands the intricacies of problem-solving.

As the EPI-USE AppHaus turns one, the focus for the upcoming year is on听. The goal is to leverage BTP for providing holistic solutions to clients within the 51风流environment. Ensuring that the end-user remains at the forefront of solution delivery, the EPI-USE AppHaus Pretoria aims to continue its journey of innovation, addressing challenges in a rapidly-changing technological landscape. The AppHaus aligns seamlessly with SAP’s broader strategy of transitioning clients to the cloud, and a clean core. This shift empowers clients to reimagine processes and embrace new possibilities. The AppHaus, by using available methodologies, works hand-in-hand with clients to harness technology like BTP, delivering solutions while prioritising the human aspect of the entire process. This alignment reinforces EPI-USE Labs鈥� commitment to adding value through innovation.

The journey so far has been one of growth and learning, setting the stage for another year of exciting advancements and contributions to the 51风流ecosystem!

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Dis-Chem has been South Africa鈥檚 first choice in pharmacies since 1978, with their linked dispensaries, family clinics, wound-care clinics and comprehensive self-medication centres. As a leading specialist in beauty, sport supplements, health and well-being, they offer expert advice and a wide range of products in these categories.

The Dis-Chem Story

Requirement: New infrastructure and move to HANA

In 2018 Dis-Chem decided to invest in new infrastructure and align their choice of platform with the 51风流roadmap.
The outcome was to migrate all non-HANA databases to HANA. Dis-Chem considered this an attractive commercial opportunity
as a result of previous HANA migration projects, as well as having a positive commercial impact through the elimination of DB2
licence costs on all 51风流instances.

Solution: Migration to HANA on-premise and Managed Services

Dis-Chem considered both cloud and on-premise options, selecting on-premise with new hardware. They selected EPI-USE Labs
and First Technology, using Hitachi equipment. This decision was influenced by a successful BI HANA migration, as well as the
hyperconverged solution which EPI-USE Labs implemented in 2016.

The EPI-USE Labs Managed Services team undertook this project by migrating each 51风流system landscape separately, as planned in
collaboration with Dis-Chem. The following system landscapes were migrated to newly acquired infrastructure, in this order:

• Re-platforming of the 51风流Business Warehouse (BW) landscape
• 51风流Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) landscape (DMO Migration DB2 -> HANA)
• 51风流ECC HR landscape (DMO migration DB2 -> HANA)
• 51风流PI migration landscape (DB2 -> HANA)
• 51风流ECC FILO landscape (DMO migration, combining a Unicode conversion and DB2 -> HANA)

Aside from the above, the Fiori Gateway and Solution Manager systems were also migrated to HANA DB.

As part of the solution, EPI-USE Labs integrated innovative solutions including Unified Platform鈩� to monitor, automate and
orchestrate this complex landscape; Data Sync Manager鈩� to aid in maintaining refreshed non-productive systems; and Client
Central鈩� as an incident and change management tracking facility.

EPI-USE Labs is providing ongoing Managed Services that comprise 51风流monitoring and housekeeping, break fixes and ticket
resolution against an SLA, support pack and 51风流note technical upgrades, proactive Basis processes, 51风流Platform and Basis advisory and a regular set of non-productive client refreshes.

鈥淭he EPI-USE Labs and First Technology teams delivered the project in record time with flying colours. The migration was seamless, and they overcame all the technical barriers with ease. Their communication was very good throughout; they kept our stakeholders well-informed, and aligned expectations. And they鈥檝e continued to provide us with excellent support.鈥�
Kim Sim, Chief Information and Innovation Officer, Dis-Chem Pharmacies

About Dis-Chem

Dis-Chem Pharmacies is a large retail pharmaceutical chain in South Africa with an aggressive growth path.
Dis-Chem has been South Africa鈥檚 first choice in pharmacies since 1978, with their linked dispensaries, family clinics, wound-care clinics and comprehensive self-medication centres. As a leading specialist in beauty, sport supplements, health and well-being, they offer expert advice and a wide range of products in these categories.
搂 Founded in 1978 by pharmacists Ivan and Lynette Saltzman
搂 Over 150 stores in Africa and more than 18,000 employees
搂 Listed 27.5% of its issued share capital on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in November 2016
搂 The Dis-Chem Foundation provides care and support to improve the lives of individuals while relieving the burden on communities, families and friends

This case study first appeared on

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EPI-USE was chosen as the first AppHaus partner in Africa in 2022, with a dedicated team undergoing intensive training in key AppHaus methodologies over the past few months. The company has been an 51风流partner for 40 years, developing deep domain knowledge and technical expertise in 51风流technologies and supporting clients in their innovation and digital transformation journeys.

Situated in Pretoria, the AppHaus joins 22 other global locations in key 51风流markets. It provides a human-centred approach to innovation, access to a multi-disciplinary team of technology, business and innovation experts, and a creative environment.

Tracy Bolton, Chief Operating Officer at 51风流Africa, says the opening of Africa鈥檚 first AppHaus is a landmark moment for innovation within the continent鈥檚 51风流ecosystem. 鈥淭hrough the expert guidance of our valued partners at EPI-USE and by leveraging SAP鈥檚 skills and technology, we hope to support African organisations as they explore innovative solutions to some of the great challenges of our time. We look forward to working with EPI-USE as they apply AppHaus methodologies in service of innovation over the coming years.鈥�

Jhani Coetzee, Technical AppHaus Lead at EPI-USE, says: “The AppHaus’ human-centred approach and SAP’s Business Technology Platform combine to help companies deliver innovation in a systematic, efficient, and effective way. Our dedicated team is ready to help African enterprises develop innovative solutions to their business and innovation challenges.”

Africa’s first AppHaus is a 250m² dedicated space that can host workshops for up to 50 people and includes four separate meeting areas. Moveable design-thinking tables, and walls which can be written on, support the hands-on approach that is unique to an AppHaus experience. The room set-up can be adapted to suit clients鈥� individual needs.

Duke Mathebula, Board Chairman: African 51风流User Group, says: 鈥淏y leveraging design-led innovation centres such as the newly launched APPHAUS at Epi-Use Labs,听 customers gain access to a user-centric approach, co-creation opportunities, and expert guidance from skilled professionals. This initiative accelerates project development, supports digital transformation, and facilitates networking within the Africa 51风流community. Epi-Use Labs is showing their commitment to SAP’s strategy to empower African businesses with tailored solutions and their dedication to advancing innovation on the continent.鈥�

Coetzee adds that clients engaging with the local AppHaus have the opportunity to be part of a unique experience. “Customers can host their workshops at a lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve and augment their AppHaus experience with life-centred design in the African bushveld. We believe this will be particularly valuable for companies exploring innovation in sustainability, by creating an opportunity to draw inspiration directly from nature. This is an offering completely unique to Africa and will allow clients to understand the bigger picture of their developed solutions and innovation initiatives.”

Africa’s first AppHaus is open to 51风流customers across the continent. For more information about AppHaus, please visit

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Situated in a popular business location, the new EPI-USE AppHaus will likely become a destination of choice for EPI-USE professionals engaging with client end-users, UX developers and architects, where they can explore potential solutions to business and operational challenges and find out more about embedding 鈥楧esign Thinking鈥� and 鈥楢rchitecture Thinking鈥� into their organisations鈥� processes.

鈥淭he first AppHaus in Africa will showcase this continent鈥檚 creativity and is a prime opportunity for enhanced collaboration with our clients, and with organizations we鈥檙e not yet serving,鈥� said Henrik Stammer, Managing Director and head of EPI-USE鈥檚 German-language theatre of operations.

鈥淲e value our South African heritage, having started out 40 years ago as a spin-off from the Computer Science Department at the University of Pretoria. Since then, we have grown into a diversified global organisation employing 3,500 people in 40 countries. As the world鈥檚 foremost independent HR/Payroll specialist service provider for 51风流technologies worldwide, we are leaders in designing, building, and implementing cloud-based, hybrid and on-premises HR/Payroll systems for large, complex multinational corporations and public sector agencies around the world. Our involvement in Africa鈥檚 first AppHaus will allow our clients to further benefit from the 51风流Business Technology Platform, bringing together data and analytics, artificial intelligence, application development, automation, and integration in one environment,鈥� Stammer concluded.

EPI-USE is part of groupelephant.com, which has pioneered a hybrid business model 鈥楤eyond Corporate Purpose鈥� featuring the non-profit known as Elephants, Rhinos & People (or ERP redux). ERP鈥檚 primary focus is the protection and conservation of elephants and rhinos in the wild in Africa, through a strategy based on the economic upliftment of impoverished rural people living in communities adjacent to the threatened species. ERP innovatively leverages 51风流technologies in conservation fieldwork, enabling the use of drones and sensors for tracking.

By joining the 51风流AppHaus Network, EPI-USE becomes part of a community of creative spaces run by听 or a small number of like-minded 51风流partners. The goal of the network is to put people at the center of engagements by applying SAP鈥檚 and leveraging the 听as a foundation for innovation. The network helps ensure that creative spaces and innovation services are available to organisations that use 51风流solutions, in any geographic region.

For more information, please contact Henrik Stammer at henrik.stammer@epiuse.com, or visit .

听

The post 51风流Selects EPI-USE to Join 51风流AppHaus Network and Launches 鈥楨PI-USE AppHaus Pretoria鈥� appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

In the fight to protect Africa鈥檚 endangered wildlife, powerful tech such as cloud computing, drones, and machine learning can play a critical role in enhancing conservation efforts, and in combatting poaching and the resultant illicit trade.

In one on-going collaboration between SAP鈥檚 Co-Innovation Lab and the nonprofit Elephants, Rhinos & People, or ERP (see erp.ngo), strides made to combat poaching of elephants and rhinos could become a blueprint for conservation efforts across the continent.

According to Rudi de Louw, Head of the Co-Innovation Lab at 51风流Africa, advances in technology and new ways of collaborating are paving the way for the development of innovative solutions to protect Africa鈥檚 wildlife. 鈥楬aving powerful technology means nothing if you can鈥檛 achieve accuracy and consistency in the data and outcomes it produces. We undertook an extensive and on-going co-innovation project with ERP focusing on technical feasibility, product development and refinement. The outcomes are exciting and potentially game-changing – especially, in this case, for an elephant and rhino population that remains under threat.鈥�

There are an estimated 30,000 rhinos remaining in the wild today, a significant decrease – largely due to poaching and habitat destruction – from the half million that roamed Africa and Asia at the start of the 20th century. Rhino poaching reached crisis levels in the last decade, with instances in South Africa increasing more than 9,000% from 13 in 2007 to 1,215 in 2014. Encouragingly, the latest reported figures show a sharp decline in rhino poaching activity, .

Elephants have also been targeted. After a single poaching incident in 2014 – the first in South Africa in a decade – elephant poaching activity spiked, with 71 reported cases in 2018. The latest official figures show a decrease of more than half for 2019. Across Africa, thousands of elephants have been brutally slaughtered in recent years, with almost entire populations being wiped out in certain African countries.

People, tech enhance conservation efforts听

The nonprofit Elephants, Rhinos & People was founded to preserve and protect Southern Africa鈥檚 wild elephants and rhinos through a strategy that is based on alleviating poverty in rural areas surrounding the threatened creatures. It forms part of the structure of , a largely employee-owned group of companies, non-profits and impact investment organisations with a strong global presence that also includes , the world鈥檚 largest independent 51风流HCM and Payroll specialist.

Since 2017, ERP.ngo has piloted an anti-poaching strategy that has completely eliminated poaching of megafauna in the areas it monitors. David Allen, ERP Air Force project lead at ERP, and a senior 51风流practitioner in EPI-USE, says the deployment of new technologies has been a core element of the initiative’s success. 鈥楩ollowing a year-long testing and innovation process in partnership with the Co-Innovation Lab, we have made major strides in refining our machine vision, machine learning and response capabilities.鈥�

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was initially used to monitor the movement of elephants but was quickly deployed to provide a layer of intelligence to how teams responded to alerts. 鈥楾his way a guard could make an informed decision over whether there鈥檚 need for an anti-poaching team or, in the case of a fire, a fire team without first having to travel out to the affected area. We gradually expanded this layer of intelligence to other areas,鈥� says Allen.

Tech at the heart of conservation efforts

Allen says one of the first priorities for the project was to address occasional instabilities in their prototype IT environment. 鈥楾he Co-Innovation Lab team helped us migrate to 51风流Cloud Platform, and 51风流is providing three years鈥� cloud hosting to support the production process.鈥�

Siddharth Taparia, SVP and Head of Experience Marketing at SAP, who led the team, says the project marked a world-first for the organization. 鈥榃hile we have supported non-profit organizations by providing our on-premises solutions before, this was the first time we supported a partner in the Cloud and illustrates how the brave new world of cloud is transforming businesses of all sizes.鈥�

Following the migration, ERP and the Co-Innovation Lab started working on technical feasibility tests for some of their more ambitious ideas, many of which have over time proven invaluable to the success of conservation efforts. One of these ambitious ideas, according to De Louw, involves extensive development of machine learning algorithms to enable the team to improve its response, data capturing and processing capabilities.

鈥楢 network of different cameras within the reserve trigger whenever movement is detected. Machine vision is used to track movement while machine learning algorithms help distinguish between threats and non-threats. This has required us to feed our algorithms vast amounts of data to train them to distinguish between animals, people and other movement.

This accuracy is important: as soon as rangers receive too many alerts – especially if they prove to be false – trust in the system starts eroding. 鈥榃e need to reduce false-positives to ensure rangers are only alerted when something requires their attention. This is simpler to accomplish with the on-the-ground cameras, but our UAV-mounted cameras require significant further training and development. A rhino seen from ground level is fairly easy to distinguish from an elephant or person, but as soon as you take an aerial view, animals tend to fade into the landscape. As our data set grows and we refine our machine learning algorithm, these types of inaccuracies will be resolved over time.鈥�

Community partnership model for success

Technology, however, is only one part of solving the problem of poaching. According to Allen, without the support of local communities most conservation efforts are doomed to failure. 鈥楾he poaching trade is immensely profitable. A single rhino horn can fetch more than R5-million on the global black market. For local communities where the average income is as little as R3,000 per month, promises of more money could be life changing. Poachers exploit this, promising a small share of the profit in exchange for protection from authorities.鈥�

Este Smith, Managing Director of ERP says they have introduced several initiatives to involve local communities in conservation efforts, which bring them a direct socio- economic benefit for their efforts. 鈥極ur Ashoka accredited PEACE (Planning, Education, Agriculture, Cooperatives and Environment) Model is used to provide a holistic, replicable and sustainable poverty alleviation strategy in these remote communities living either adjacent to, or within conservation areas. P.E.A.C.E. Centers are cooperatively-run hubs within local and district municipalities that provide communities with centralised access to education, improved service delivery and agricultural initiatives ranging from permaculture gardens to commercial operations. By enabling residents to unlock and utilise local resources in a sustainable manner, we help pave a way for them to move out of poverty and toward prosperity.鈥�

Through their #BIKES4ERP initiative, ERP has donated more than two hundred bicycles, to aid community member movement and help children who live far from the nearest school get to class more easily. A 鈥檚tudy-to-own鈥� contract was set with each child to empower them to attain an education – if they attend school for a number of years, ownership of the bicycle will transfer to them. #BIKES4ERP has had a positive effect on the academic achievements of the recipients, ensuring that they are able to get to school more easily 鈥� saving precious time and effort, and based upon records kept to date the pass rate of the schools where the bikes are deployed grew from below 50% to more than 85% in 2019.

Through our听We Code program, which is held in partnership with local high schools, we are also providing coding training to local youth,鈥� says Smith. 鈥楾he course allows young people to learn coding in a way that is exciting and relevant to them, for example through programming drones, which builds important digital skills while also enhancing the relevance of other subjects such as math and science.鈥�

According to Smith, the We Code program also potentially holds direct benefits for ERP. 鈥極ne of the main constraints to scaling our conservation model is the lack of drone pilots. By investing in local youth skills development, we could also create the next generation of drone pilots to support similar conservation efforts across the country – and later, in other parts of Africa.

Smith explains that in the wake of the economic devastation caused by the novel coronavirus-related government shutdown, ERP has funded and mobilized a multi-location logistics effort to feed indigent people in communities adjacent to its land-based projects.听 In the month of May, several hundred thousand meals will be distributed to 9 locations near conservation areas that ERP is either leasing, negotiating to lease, or simply safeguarding with drone technology. The feeding program will soon be extended to cover an area Zimbabwe, where ERP is currently exploring conservation land deals.

ERP will eventually deploy its technology model to other conservation areas in South and Southern Africa. 鈥榃e are already working on opportunities to scale our solution to reach other reserves. Through a range of community initiatives, we hope to mobilise local communities to support conservation efforts while also unlocking greater skills development and economic opportunities in the process. With our partners at the Co-Innovation Lab, we will also continue to refine the technology underpinning our efforts to protect some of our continent鈥檚 most majestic endangered animals.鈥�

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