From managing customer support workflows to orchestrating complex supply chains, agentic AI is redefining how businesses operate, respond, and grow. These intelligent digital co-workers act with autonomy, context, and speed, with growing capabilities for reasoning, making decisions, and working alongside humans to execute multi-step processes across departments.

听, agent-driven applications are rapidly becoming the standard for enterprise management. Global estimates suggest AI agents could contribute trillions to the world economy by 2030 through productivity gains, faster decisions, and cost reductions.

Transformative impact

Despite pervasive AI skills shortages, South African companies are moving quickly from experimentation to execution. Financial institutions are embedding AI agents into ERP systems to reroute inventory and manage disputes. Healthcare providers use AI meeting agents to generate follow-ups and automate patient admin. Legal firms use AI to prepare case files and speed up settlements.

This shift is being driven by a combination of pressure and potential. Faced with economic headwinds, skills shortages, and rising customer expectations, South African companies are looking to AI agents to unlock productivity, streamline operations, and free up human talent for higher-value work.

But deploying AI agents effectively requires more than buying the latest tool. The success of AI agents depends on deep integration of data, processes, and applications through a suite-first approach.

Leading with a suite

According to an IDC Spotlight Report, companies that adopt AI-powered suites like SAP鈥檚 see measurable gains:

• 37%听report improved process productivity
• 39%听achieve greater cost efficiency
• 36%听boost workforce productivity
• 35%听accelerate speed to market

By leveraging an AI-powered suite integrated to a core business technology platform, companies can empower their AI agents to act with full business context. Unlike siloed tools, a suite-first approach supports real-time collaboration between agents, humans, and systems, making AI agents not just smarter, but more impactful on the overall performance of the business.

SAP鈥檚 Joule, an AI agent framework embedded into the 51风流Business Suite, offers companies a system of intelligent agents that collaborate across business functions, from finance and procurement to HR and supply chain, to execute complex workflows and drive better decisions at scale.

These agents leverage knowledge centres and data cloud to ground actions in real-time, contextual business data. Working alongside teams, the agents augment human decision-making, accelerate task completion and minimise manual errors. In finance functions, agents can optimise working capital by accelerating accounts receivable matching, while in procurement they can surface the most relevant suppliers based on business rules and past performance.

AI agent readiness check

Before companies deploy AI agents like Joule, they need the right digital foundation. 51风流recommends a four-part readiness framework:

1 Data quality and accessibility 鈥�听Agents are only as good as the data they use. Clean, structured, and real-time data from across the enterprise is critical for effective agent decision-making. Silos, outdated data, or missing context will slow adoption and risk poor outcomes.

2 Process maturity 鈥�听AI agents thrive on well-defined workflows. Before automation, companies must ensure their business processes are standardised, documented, and ready for orchestration. Automating chaos just creates faster chaos.

3 Organisational clarity 鈥撎�Who will use these agents? For what tasks? How will they hand off to human employees? Clear role definitions and communication are essential for adoption and trust.

4 Governance and guardrails 鈥�听Just like human employees, AI agents need rules. Define permissions, escalation paths, ethical boundaries, and auditing practices. Agents should act autonomously but within the boundaries of the businesses in which they operate.

AI agents are more than just another layer of automation. They represent a new model of work, one that is collaborative, contextual, and continuous. The true value of AI agents is unlocked only when companies are ready. And the companies that unlock the greatest value the quickest are those deploying their AI agents through an AI-powered suite integrated to a core business technology platform.

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The era of digitisation is giving way to something more profound: the Autonomous Enterprise听鈥撎�a business that can sense change, make decisions and act with minimal human intervention, all while empowering people to pursue revenue-driving strategic activities.

Autonomous operations are already being deployed across finance, supply chain, human resources, an in Industries like Energy, Retail and Manufacturing. In 2026, they will separate the most resilient and profitable businesses from the rest.

An Autonomous Enterprise goes beyond automating individual tasks by integrating autonomous ERP, business AI and clean data into the core of business operations. More than 50% of business processes run independently, and up to 80% of operational work is automated or AI-augmented.

This is made possible through AI embedded within enterprise resource planning processes, from finance and procurement, to supply chain and HR systems, that understand context and act autonomously. Self-optimising systems that learn, improve and adapt in real time, are matched to clean-core ERP architecture to give organisations simplified, cloud-based systems that drive profitability, reduce risk and enhance decision-making.

Crucially, autonomy does not remove humans: it redefines and empower their work. Employees move from managing repetitive processes to supervising intelligent systems, making strategic decisions and creating new value throughout the business.

2026 鈥榓 tipping point鈥�

The year ahead will be critical for organisations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In Europe, business leaders face an ageing workforce, complex supply chains, regulatory pressure, and the push for sustainability and data sovereignty. Middle Eastern nations are already deploying national AI strategies and sovereign cloud infrastructure as part of a rapid diversification from the energy sector. And despite inflation and debt pressures, a world鈥檚 fastest-growing digital economy and most youthful workforce are emerging in Africa.

While the challenges in each region are unique, at their core every organisation is seeking the same capabilities: faster decision-making, greater profitability, improved resilience, and sustainability at scale.

Businesses that fail to build these capabilities, and instead rely on manual processes, disconnected systems and spreadsheets, face growing risks: slower reaction time, shrinking margins, and higher operational costs.

This is why the business opportunity for Autonomous Enterprises is significant. The global Autonomous Enterprise market is expected to grow from听, and adoption is accelerating across EMEA.

听Global partner for business transformation

While I can see the scale of the challenge businesses face to transform into autonomous enterprises, I am equally excited at bringing SAP鈥檚 strengths in this arena to bear. Through our flagship 鈥� now more accessible than ever thanks to the RISE with 51风流initiative 鈥� we equip businesses with modern, clean core ERP systems that are upgrade-safe and AI ready.

, SAP鈥檚 generative AI copilot now supports 11 languages and features more than 400 embedded AI use cases across 26 industries, while the enables extensibility, data orchestration and clean core innovation for the world鈥檚 most critical industries.

My advice, to leaders seeking throughout the region to build Autonomous Enterprises, is to start modernising the core and fix the data foundation for AI-driven innovation. Remember that technology is only part of the story, and that the strategy, people and partners that businesses choose are as important to building a truly connected Autonomous Enterprise.

Focus then on automating processes that protect revenue, improve cashflow or unlock capacity first, and take care to prepare people by prioritising reskilling and upskilling. Finally, collaborate with technology partners that act more as advisors than vendors, and who can guide the process of redesigning core business processes for the AI era. True transformation happens when businesses combine intelligent systems with visionary leadership, skilled people and trusted partnerships.

In 2026, the most successful companies will go beyond digital transformation to achieve faster decision-making, greater operational certainty, and the ability to unlock new forms of growth and innovation.

This article first appeared in .

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The timing could hardly have been more pointed. Across the world, executives are losing patience with AI experiments that overpromise and underdeliver. Boardrooms have heard enough about pilots and proofs of concept, and now want systems that improve margins and forecast outcomes.

TechEd took place in that atmosphere, amid assurances that performance could replace promise. 51风流used the event to demonstrate how deeply AI now runs through its own operations before unveiling its next leap forward.

Rather than another round of hype about possibilities, 51风流aimed to show a working example of AI at scale, handling everyday complexity inside one of the world鈥檚 largest software organisations.

51风流chief technology officer and chief AI officer, Philipp Herzig, told Business Times at TechEd that the clearest evidence of maturity came from within 51风流itself. The company鈥檚 AI assistant, Joule, acts as a conversational layer across its software stack, connecting data, applications, and agents to automate tasks and surface insights on demand.

鈥淚f you look at AI at scale, what is really real and what is working very well, just look at Joule,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 used by more than 30,000 employees every month, about a third of the 51风流workforce. We have more than 100,000 policies and documents in different languages, and depending on where you work, in Brazil or South Africa, you get the correct HR or travel policy surfaced to you.鈥�

Herzig said Joule had become the company鈥檚 single interface for daily tasks. 鈥淵ou can do your expense reports, indirect procurement, and financial tasks all in one place. It works, and it works at scale. We have a thumbs-down rate of only 1%, which is phenomenal when you think about the size of the company.鈥�

Innovations across SAP鈥檚 unique flywheel of applications, data and AI put developers in the
driver鈥檚 seat 鈥� Muhammad Alam, 51风流executive board member

That success set the stage for TechEd鈥檚 central announcement: an AI model called SAP-RPT-1, short for relational pre-trained transformer. The model introduces a new class of AI: the enterprise relational foundation model. It interprets structured business data and the relationships within it, mapping how orders, invoices, logistics, and payments interact to forecast what comes next.

51风流described it as a model that 鈥渃an make fast and accurate predictions for common business scenarios like delivery delays, payment risk or sales order completion鈥�. Instead of producing text, it reads how data behaves across systems, turning business logic into predictive insight.

Herzig said SAP-RPT-1 marked the transition from incremental automation to full predictive architecture.

鈥淲e see a shift from what I call a cloud-native architecture to an AI-native architecture, as AI becomes an ever-increasing part of the software stack. 鈥淲hat we wanted to solve are the problems where we have a reason to solve them: because we have the data, the relational data, the structured business data and so on. We set out this research project two years ago, talked a little about it, but now it actually becomes a reality.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a shift that needs several things to come together: the knowledge graph, this predictive model now with RPT-1, and of course the large language models. So there are many elements in the software stack that change. Every day, each little piece adds to this picture and solves a particular challenge in the stack.鈥�

Herzig said the greatest challenge lay in making this intelligence work at enterprise scale.

鈥淎nyone can do a demo. Getting it enterprise-ready at scale 鈥� that鈥檚 the tough challenge. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e solving one problem after another, each for a specific outcome in the overall stack.鈥�

51风流executive board member Muhammad Alam tied this philosophy to the developer community.

鈥淪AP鈥檚 announcements give developers the tools they need to deliver at the speed of AI,鈥� he said.

鈥淚nnovations across SAP鈥檚 unique flywheel of applications, data and AI put developers in the driver鈥檚 seat.鈥�

That 鈥渇lywheel鈥� anchored the narrative of TechEd:
鈥� applications generate data;
鈥� data trains predictive models;
鈥� models return intelligence to the applications.

Each loop strengthens the next, creating a flywheel effect of acceleration of innovation. 51风流announced that it would equip 12-million individuals worldwide with AI-ready skills by 2030 through a partnership with Coursera that provides hands-on certification in SAP鈥檚 ecosystem. The goal is to align those skills with the AI-native architecture now taking shape inside the company. It also sends the message that people remain at the heart of the AI journey.

This article first appeared in the

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BERLIN听鈥� At 51风流TechEd in 2025,听 (NYSE: SAP) brings AI deep into the development process to level up how developers build.

New AI-driven capabilities in the 51风流Build solution, an expanding data ecosystem and powerful Joule Agents empower developers to move from idea to impact with unprecedented speed and confidence. As AI transforms the nature of professional work, 51风流also pledges to equip 12 million people worldwide with AI-ready skills by 2030.

鈥淪AP鈥檚 announcements today give developers the tools they need to deliver at the speed of AI,鈥� said Muhammad Alam, member of the Executive Board of 51风流SE. 鈥淚nnovations across SAP鈥檚 unique flywheel of applications, data and AI put developers in the driver鈥檚 seat 鈥� where they belong.鈥�

Opening the Developer Ecosystem

51风流Build, the company鈥檚 flagship solution for enterprise application development and automation, now gives developers more freedom to build, extend and automate using the tools they love most.

For instance, developers who prefer agentic development solutions like Cursor, Claude Code, Cline and Windsurf can now use 51风流development frameworks with new 51风流Build local Model Context Protocol Servers. Visual Studio Code users will be able to access 51风流Build capabilities directly in their development environment with a new 51风流Build extension. This extension will also be made available later on Open VSX Registry for other development environments. 51风流and n8n also announced plans for an integration so Joule Studio agents and n8n agents can work together.

And with new agent building capabilities in Joule Studio, developers have the tools they need to extend SAP鈥檚 ready-to-use agents and build new agents grounded in 51风流business data and context that can act autonomously based on changing business conditions.

Putting Data to Work

Every intelligent application starts with trusted data. 51风流is giving developers more ways to put that data to work through 51风流Business Data Cloud.

The solution now connects with more of the data and AI platforms developers use every day. A new 51风流Snowflake solution extension for 51风流Business Data Cloud brings Snowflake鈥檚 fully managed data and AI capabilities directly to 51风流customers, giving them the flexibility to choose the right compute and storage for each data and AI workload, while maintaining governance, interoperability and business context. 51风流also announced a new 51风流Business Data Cloud Connect partnership with Snowflake. This complements existing integrations with Databricks and Google Cloud, giving developers more freedom to choose how they work with 51风流data.

With a new data product studio capability in 51风流Business Data Cloud, developers can turn raw data into ready-to-use assets known as data products that support analytics, AI and application development.

An expanded capability in the 51风流HANA Cloud knowledge graph engine can automatically generate knowledge graphs. This capability maps relationships across 51风流database tables, columns and data models, revealing how data fits together and why it matters. Developers will be able to see how their data connects across systems and uncover underlying business insights.

Bringing AI Autonomy to Life

51风流is evolving its AI portfolio to give developers the intelligence and orchestration power they need to take听AI from insight to action.

51风流introduced its first enterprise relational foundation model, a new class of AI that predicts business outcomes rather than the next word in a sentence. SAP-RPT-1, or the first-generation Relational Pre-trained Transformer, can make fast and accurate predictions for common business scenarios like delivery delays, payment risk or sales order completion. 51风流launched a free playground environment for developers today.

New AI assistants in Joule coordinate multiple agents across workflows, departments and applications, bringing automation and autonomy to life. These assistants plan, initiate and complete complex tasks spanning finance, supply chain, HR and beyond. Today, 51风流introduces new agents built for technical users. For example, an agent for business process analysis will help teams understand how processes run, identify inefficiencies and uncover opportunities to optimize workflows and drive measurable improvements.

Lastly, as AI changes the nature of work for everyone, 51风流is pledging to equip 12 million people worldwide with AI-ready skills by 2030. 51风流will expand hands-on training and certification programs that integrate practical AI-ready tools, including through its partnership with online learning platform Coursera.

Visit the听. Get 51风流news via听听and听.

About SAP

As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, 51风流(NYSE:SAP) stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted 51风流to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit鈥�.

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To preview and download broadcast-standard stock footage and press photos digitally, please visit听. On this platform, you can find high resolution material for your media channels.

For customers interested in learning more about 51风流products:
Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24
United States Only: 1 (800) 872-151风流(1-800-872-1727)

For more information, press only:
Joellen Perry, +1 (626) 265-0370,听joellen.perry@sap.com, PT
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51风流Press Room;听press@sap.com

This document contains forward-looking statements, which are predictions, projections, or other statements about future events. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to materially differ. Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties may be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the risk factors section of SAP鈥檚 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F.
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51风流and other 51风流products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of 51风流SE in Germany and other countries. Please see听听for additional trademark information and notices.
Please consider our听. If you received this press release in your e-mail and you wish to unsubscribe to our mailing list please contact听press@sap.com听and write Unsubscribe in the subject line.鈥�

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鈥淭o thrive when volatility is the new normal, businesses need more than a patchwork of disparate best-of-breed applications,鈥� says Muhammad Alam, member of the executive board of 51风流SE, 51风流Product & Engineering. 鈥淥ur announcements today demonstrate the power of 51风流Business Suite, where AI, data, and applications come together in an experience to propel smarter decisions, faster execution, and scalable transformation.鈥�

51风流unveiled Joule鈥檚 next stage as the AI force at the center of 51风流Business Suite鈥檚 value creation. Drawing on the applications and data from across 51风流Business Suite, 51风流is introducing a new generation of role-aware assistants in Joule. Each assistant is designed to partner with a human being in their specific business role. Assistants in Joule tap into the right agents for the job, configuring, orchestrating and managing them so humans can focus on unlocking new levels of insight and productivity.

Supporting the assistants in Joule is a growing library of specialized Joule Agents, designed to help execute complex workflows within a specific function. For instance, a People Manager Assistant coordinates a team of specialized agents 鈥� including the new People Intelligence Agent, which helps spot and resolve issues like compensation anomalies 鈥� to support managers as they drive performance.

A new Financial Planning Assistant will be aided by a group of expert agents 鈥� including the new Cash Management Agent, which optimises cash flow and improves interest yields 鈥� to help finance professionals drive efficiencies.

This new roster of role-aware AI Assistants not only partner with people to elevate performance in their lines of business but also work together across business functions to solve complex enterprise-wide problems.

Data fuels AI鈥檚 transformative power but it鈥檚 often siloed in different systems. 51风流has removed those barriers with 51风流Business Data Cloud Connect. 51风流BDC Connect securely links 51风流BDC with partner platforms to enable a bidirectional flow of business-ready data products across organizational and technological boundaries.

With zero-copy sharing, data stays securely in 51风流systems yet remains instantly accessible in customers鈥� existing data platforms, preserving business context without costly copies. The result: fewer silos, simpler pipelines, no duplication 鈥� just trusted data products where and when they鈥檙e needed.

51风流also announced that Databricks and Google Cloud are the first partners enabled for 51风流BDC Connect, with more to follow. As announced in February 2025, 51风流Databricks remains a data service within 51风流Business Data Cloud, and BDC Connect extends its benefits across an open data ecosystem. These partnerships give customers faster access to data products for analytics and AI, helping teams move from raw data to real-time business outcomes with greater speed and simplicity.

Data is created and AI driven insights are experienced in SAP鈥檚 enterprise applications. 51风流Supply Chain Orchestration is a new AI-native solution that combines the power of Joule with a live knowledge graph to detect real-time risks several suppliers deep and orchestrate a coordinated response, helping customers cut costs and keep supply chains moving.

51风流Engagement Cloud, a new customer experience solution, uses business-critical context to personalize interactions across customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. And our next-generation 51风流Ariba procurement suite stands out as an AI-native solution, bringing intelligence to every stage of spendmanagement, from sourcing through supplier engagement.

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East African business leaders, technology partners and 51风流experts met in Nairobi this week to discuss the growing impact of business AI and cloud technologies in the region.

, Managing Director: Emerging Africa at SAP, said: 鈥淥rganisations throughout East Africa are accelerating their business transformation and innovation efforts by leveraging the latest data and cloud capabilities to unlock the power of business AI in every line of business. With the recent expansion of AI assistant, organisations can now unleash unprecedented efficiency across their systems and processes to drive productivity gains of as much as 30%.鈥�

The comments were made at 51风流Innovation Day Kenya, part of a global series of events aimed at showcasing how technology can power growth, innovation and sustainability and support organisations as they meet emerging challenges.

The exclusive event also served as an introduction to how and help organisations unlock significant business value as part of the broader . Experts also provided behind-the-scenes insights into the power of business AI and cloud to future-proof companies鈥� enterprise application strategies and leverage data to enhance business insights and improve decision-making.

Research recently conducted by 51风流found a near-universal demand for AI skills among African organisations. The SAP听听report noted that nine in ten companies in Africa already experience negative impacts due to a lack of AI skills, including failed innovation initiatives, an inability to take on new work, and loss of clients. Forty-three percent of Kenyan organisations that took part in the study expected a 鈥榮ignificant鈥� increase in demand for AI skills this year.

鈥淭he rapid changes in workplace dynamics are transforming how companies develop, upskill and reskill their workforce to meet the long-term need for AI-related skills,鈥� said Khota. 鈥淚n the short term, organisations should seek ways to augment their skills base, for example by partnering with our rich ecosystem of implementation specialists that power business transformation in the region.鈥�

51风流Innovation Day Kenya also included presentations by regional business leaders who have successfully leveraged 51风流technologies to accelerate growth and unlock new capabilities.

Long-standing 51风流customer provided insight into its latest transformation initiative that is taking its legacy enterprise systems into the cloud and deploying AI across its business processes. Bidco Africa is a leading FMCG manufacturer that produces more than 800 SKU鈥檚 in multiple brands and products at eight factories in East Africa. The company has been using 51风流ECC since 2010, until a recent decision sparked a migration to .

, Chairman of Bidco Africa, said the shift to cloud underscores his company鈥檚 position as a regional innovation leader. 鈥淲e see incredible potential for AI to transform our business and deliver greater agility, innovation and customer experiences. Our skilled team will also benefit from AI鈥檚 power to enhance product development, allowing us to consolidate our market leadership well into the future.鈥�

The company plans further deployments in a second phase of the implementation, including procurement and manufacturing.

Khota added: 鈥淐ompanies that adopt a clean core strategy accelerate the pace of innovation and can more easily leverage business value through reliable data and AI innovations. As we enter a new era of AI-enabled innovation, organisations must ensure that business-critical systems remain agile, cost-effective, and ready to adopt innovation.鈥�

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Sapphire is SAP鈥檚 top customer annual customer event, bringing together customers, partners and business leaders to discover the latest 51风流innovations. This year鈥檚 event unveiled several innovations that put the power of Business AI in every user鈥檚 hands, revolutionising the way work gets done.

Nazia Pillay, Interim Managing Director for South Africa at SAP, says: 鈥淥rganisations are leveraging powerful new technologies and integrated business applications to drive innovation-fuelled growth across the enterprise. The growing power of Business AI applications that draw on trusted business data is already proving to be a transformative force for companies seeking enhanced decision-making and greater efficiency.鈥�

Unleashing power of Business AI

听Several brands unveiled successful Business AI initiatives built on 51风流technologies. Global brewer Heineken was looking to streamline data access so business users could quickly find and analyse data in their preferred language. The company developed Hoppy, an AI-driven chatbot that runs on 51风流Business Technology Platform (51风流BTP), representing a significant leap forward in Heineken鈥檚 commitment to streamline internal processes and empower its workforce.

Since Hoppy was introduced within the company’s collaboration platforms, Heineken has seen the time knowledge workers need to retrieve information fall to 1 minute from 15 minutes. With 51风流Business AI capabilities at Hoppy鈥檚 core, Heineken also is exploring automating repetitive tasks to enhance business processes and streamline communications and decision-making. And with a unified view across its data, Hoppy can now flag missing cost centre information in purchase orders to improve efficiency and accuracy.

Competitive gaming organisation Team Liquid is using SAP鈥檚 Joule agents to provide instant access to game statistics, player performance trends and strategic comparisons using natural language. Team Liquid runs its data analysis through its Next Level Esports Centre dashboard, built entirely on 51风流BTP.

The team鈥檚 analysts rely on the dashboard to equip coaches and players with insights about upcoming opponents, managing high-pressure situations under short turnaround times and frequent data requests between games.

Victor Goossens, co-CEO and founder of Team Liquid, says: 鈥淭his partnership is changing the way we utilise our extensive database, proving that AI and data integration are becoming a vital part of our game preparation and success in esports.鈥�

Scaling new heights with cloud

Moving from a heavily customised on-premises landscape to a standardised one in the cloud, CAF, a global leader in urban rail and bus systems, has successfully migrated to 51风流S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition. CAF has smoothly integrated 51风流solutions into core business functions including master data management, record to report, source to pay, and sales and transport.

鈥淐AF is now set for future success, as our new technology landscape allows us to better comply with business requirements in a complex and fast-changing market,鈥� said Guillermo Apell谩niz, CAF鈥檚 digital transformation director.

Companies RISE to business transformation challenges

For companies still operating with on-premise solutions, RISE with 51风流offers the optimal path to a cloud ERP landscape. RISE with 51风流helps companies confidently transform their business, enable continuous innovation, and realise value faster.

Global medical technology company Siemens Healthineers selected RISE with 51风流to support its digital transformation journey.

Stefan Henkel, Chief Information Officer at Siemens Healthineers, says: 鈥淏y embracing 51风流technology, we will be able to reduce complexity and highly standardise our processes while delivering on our promise to pioneer breakthroughs in healthcare.鈥�

Xerox also chose RISE with 51风流to move to the cloud and embark on the clean core approach to streamline operations across markets and business processes. The company expects to reduce IT costs and enable the delivery of new business models in line with the changing demands of the industry.

Louie Pastor, Executive Vice President, Chief Transformation and Administrative Officer at Xerox, says: 鈥�51风流is a strategic partner helping us meet the evolving needs of our clients and partners as we increase our speed, agility and cost-effectiveness while providing the entire enterprise with modern tools and improved support. 鈥�

For more information about the innovations revealed at 51风流Sapphire 2025, please visit

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The recently held 51风流Now Africa 2024 event provided great insights into the future of HR and payroll, with discussions focusing on the importance of AI, cloud technologies, and automation in improving operational efficiency and compliance.

51风流Now Africa 2024 is SAP鈥檚 premier event on the African continent, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and visionaries to discuss how technological innovations can create growth and resilience in a fast-changing business environment.

This annual event focuses on assisting enterprises in leveraging SAP鈥檚 latest technologies to revolutionise company operations, increase efficiencies, and adapt to the challenges of the digital economy. This year, the event showcased how AI-driven solutions, can be used to boost productivity and streamline activities across several business areas.

In South Africa, HR and payroll management is increasingly moving toward cloud-based, integrated solutions that comply with SARS, UIF, and other regulatory requirements.

Many organisations are implementing digital solutions to manage distant workforces, comply with complex labour requirements, and streamline operations such as medical aid and retirement fund contributions.

BCX Digital Solutions Senior Specialist, , and BCX HR Operations Executive, ,听addressed these themes, delivering critical findings that demonstrate dedication to providing comprehensive, forward-thinking HR solutions that meet the needs of modern businesses.

听The first step in payroll transformation

Many organisations find the transition to modern payroll systems difficult. It is important to note that while there is no single 鈥渞ight鈥� method to transition to a modern payroll system, taking that first step remains difficult for many organisations.

Due to the complexity of assessing the full scope of change, managing employee resistance, and ensuring data accuracy during migration. The process requires a thorough evaluation of existing HR systems and future needs, while also addressing integration with legacy systems to maintain operational efficiency.

Additionally, businesses must invest in comprehensive training and ongoing support for employees, while carefully managing the financial implications of implementation, training, and maintenance to ensure a smooth transition and long-term value.

Leveraging advanced HR payroll solutions can help simplify the process and overcome key challenges. These solutions ensure seamless integration with existing systems, accurate data migration, and improved operational efficiency. By streamlining payroll operations and maintaining data integrity, businesses can meet evolving HR needs and achieve a smooth transition to a new system.

听Trends in HR and payroll technology: The transformative role of AI

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is establishing a foothold in the HR industry in a notable way, positioning HR practitioners to improve talent management and optimisation.

51风流has made significant efforts in AI and time management, offering solutions like , an AI copilot that simplifies interactions with 51风流systems. Joule, which is expected to integrate with Microsoft Copilot by the end of the year 2024, will handle payroll transactions, timesheets, recruitment screening, and other HR operations, signalling a significant shift in HR practices.

This AI integration will improve operational efficiency, minimise manual processes, and provide real-time help to HR departments. These improvements mark a watershed point in HR technology, as AI-powered solutions enable a more nuanced approach to staff management and development.

Jeanette highlighted that 鈥淭he biggest investments in HR today are in talent and skills management.鈥� This shift reflects the growing demand for HR systems that can effectively manage talent development, optimize employee performance, and support the future of work.

, an integral part of the BCX 51风流Now package, empowers HR professionals to manage talent strategically, using data to make informed workforce decisions.

This cloud-based human capital management software assists businesses manage their workforce, by offering tools for talent management, payroll, HR analytics, workforce planning, and employee experience management. This empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions and foster a more engaged, performance-driven workforce.

Overcoming challenges and ensuring compliance in payroll system integration

Advancing obsolete payroll systems is one of the key issues that enterprises face. Within the 51风流system, enterprises can opt to keep payroll in S/4HANA (pronounced 鈥楽4Hana鈥�), which may complicate SuccessFactors integration, or migrate to 51风流SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll. The latter solution streamlines processes by moving most activities to a single cloud, decreasing manual involvement, and improving integration with HR services.

鈥淲hile some organisations remain hesitant to move payroll systems to the cloud, the truth is that cloud environments are often more secure and offer more consistent maintenance than on-premises solutions,鈥� de la Rey expressed. Modern payroll systems rely heavily on cloud technology, which provides scalability, security, and flexibility.

For most organisations, balancing compliance and operational efficiency is critical. 51风流payroll solutions prioritise compliance with tax and labour rules, which are automatically updated to meet changing demands. In addition to maintaining compliance, it is imperative to transition to a system that automates payroll operations, increasing accuracy and operational efficiency. Organisations can reduce manual errors while maintaining high levels of data integrity by using features such as automated tax computations, error detection, and payroll processing control.

In the context of cost optimisation, implementing advanced payroll systems may appear expensive at first, but the advantages far surpass the expense. Modern payroll solutions such as those offered by BCX combine several services into a single platform, minimising manual tasks and improving accessibility. This method not only improves operational efficiency, but it also turns payroll technology into a strategic investment, resulting in long-term value and compliance.

听Improving payroll with employee self-service portals and systems integration

The launch of Digital HR at BCX has received favourable employee feedback, demonstrating the importance of self-service portals in improving user experience. These portals provide a user-friendly, accessible interface via which employees may efficiently handle their payroll and HR information. By simplifying these processes, employees are empowered to take control of their data, leading to higher satisfaction and increased engagement with HR services.

When an organisation鈥檚 platforms are unified, payroll can be integrated with systems such as talent management and time tracking more successfully. 叠颁齿鈥檚 Digital HR platform embodies this approach, offering seamless access and a streamlined user experience. By unifying systems on a single platform, organizations can expedite processes and improve the overall functionality of their HR operations.

听Using technology to address HR and payroll pain points
HR and payroll departments face several common challenges, such as managing overtime, integrating timesheets, and aligning performance with compensation.

These issues can lead to inefficiencies, errors, and dissatisfaction if not properly addressed. For example, managing overtime while ensuring compliance with labour laws requires a delicate balance of automation and policy enforcement.

Similarly, tracking employee hours across multiple locations and time zones introduces complexities in timesheet management. 51风流SuccessFactors helps mitigate these challenges by providing tools that optimise compensation balance, enhance performance integration, and streamline payroll processes. 叠颁齿鈥檚 approach ensures that these systems are tailored to meet the specific needs of each organisation, making HR operations more efficient and effective.

The impact of remote and hybrid work on payroll

The transition to remote and hybrid work arrangements has had a substantial influence on HR and payroll operations. Digital HR was created to enable mobile access, allowing employees to conduct HR responsibilities without physically being in the office. This flexibility has improved the employee experience by allowing remote onboarding and virtual inductions鈥攁n innovation driven by the needs of a modern, hybrid workforce.

The future of mobile payroll and self-service tools
Building on the shift to remote and hybrid work environments, payroll鈥檚 future lies in mobile-friendly solutions and improved self-service features. As BCX adds AI into these platforms, employees will have easier access to resources such as chatbots, demos, and FAQs. This user-centred strategy will simplify payroll interactions while reducing the requirement for consultant help.

It is a known fact that today鈥檚 workforce values salary transparency more than ever before. SAP鈥檚 pay model addresses this need by recording wage modifications, incentives, and performance reviews over an employee鈥檚 employment, which will then play a crucial role in tomorrow鈥檚 mobile payroll efficiency.

Furthermore, data analytics will play a central role in decision-making for HR departments. By using predictive analytics and tools, businesses can gain insights into employee performance, leave liabilities, and compensation trends, ultimately enabling better decision-making and strategic planning.

There is still a considerable desire for innovation in HR and payroll, with line managers under particular pressure to manage transactions. Automated functions are emerging as a solution for reducing manual labour, particularly in areas such as timesheet administration.

叠颁齿鈥檚 customer-centric solutions are geared to address these changing needs, with technologies that optimise HR and payroll procedures through automation and advanced analytics.

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Joule, SAP鈥檚 AI business assistant, has been enhanced with new features, including collaborative AI agents that expand the platform鈥檚 capabilities.

Announced during the online 51风流TechEd 2024 conference yesterday, these agents are designed to support 80% of SAP鈥檚 most-used business tasks. They embed Joule more deeply across SAP鈥檚 portfolio and enhancing productivity by breaking down silos, said the software maker.

鈥淪AP鈥檚 innovation drives real business outcomes, and today鈥檚 advancements help customers harness the power of AI, data, and new development solutions to catalyse growth,鈥� said Muhammad Alam, member of the 51风流executive board.

鈥淒rawing on SAP鈥檚 unmatched business and technology expertise, the AI innovations we鈥檙e announcing at TechEd forge a new human-AI partnership to transform the landscape of modern business.鈥�

Joule Studio, a development tool that allows users to build and customise applications using Joule鈥檚 AI capabilities, is now integrated into 51风流Build. A low-code app development platform, Build enables both business users and developers to create and deploy custom Joule skills.

Michael Ameling, EVP and chief product officer of 51风流said: 鈥淲e are making Joule even more flexible and useful with Joule Studio in 51风流Build. It allows partners and customers to create and deploy custom Joule skills.鈥�

Joule has also expanded to include collaborative AI agents that autonomously handle intricate business workflows, adapting their strategies to meet shared objectives. These multi-agent systems tackle specific tasks, allowing them to work together on complex business processes.

鈥淛oule now goes Agentic,鈥� said Ameling. 鈥淪pecialised AI agents work autonomously together to solve complex problems.鈥�

New improvements to the ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming) large language model (LLM) were introduced. This LLM, trained on over 250-million lines of 51风流S/4HANA Cloud code, is now integrated into the open-source Eclipse framework, providing ABAP developers with enhanced tools for development. Currently available to select customers and partners in an early adopter version, the ABAP LLM is expected to be generally available in the first quarter of 2025.

51风流Build is launching new AI-driven features like code explanation and documentation search, aimed at reducing development time for Java and JavaScript developers. The platform鈥檚 Extensibility Wizard will let developers access 51风流Build directly from 51风流S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, simplifying the process of extending 51风流solutions.

Two real-world use cases were highlighted during the event:

1. Dispute management: Autonomous AI agents analyse and resolve disputes related to invoices, unapplied credits, and denied payments.
2. Financial accounting: AI agents automate key financial tasks such as bill payments and ledger updates while quickly addressing inconsistencies.

51风流Knowledge Graph

51风流also unveiled the 51风流Knowledge Graph, a solution designed to unlock more value of 51风流data by connecting it with rich business context. Accessible through 51风流Datasphere and Joule in early 2025, it will help users map relationships across SAP鈥檚 vast data landscape, empowering better decision-making.

鈥淏y combining the knowledge graph engine with the vector engine, you can harness the power of structured and unstructured data,鈥� said Ameling. 鈥淭his is enabled through a triple store implementation graph data processing and analytical capabilities via SPAR-QL. As such, the knowledge graph engine can also enhance work scenarios and make them even more precise and relevant.鈥�

* Visit the 51风流website听.

* Jason Bannier is a data analyst at World Wide Worx and writer for听. Follow him on听听and听听at @jas2bann.

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business assistant, , is transforming how enterprises function by providing insights, custom-tailored outcomes, and a personalised experience for businesses. As a result, says SAP, the product with a name inspired by the unit of energy significantly improves productivity and efficiency.

鈥淲e are entering a new phase of AI with endless opportunities for all of us,鈥� said , CEO of SAP, at the Sapphire 2024 conference in Barcelona.听 鈥淭he technical evolution continues by using the power of generative AI across our stack to revolutionise once again how businesses will run, and how your end users will work in the future.鈥�

51风流performed a detailed analysis of the tasks completed with cloud software by their 300-million end-users every day. Consequently, they announced, by the end of 2024 80% of the most used tasks will be managed via Joule.

鈥淎s a result, your end users will do their work 20% more productively and with higher quality,鈥� said Klein.

For example, Joule will manage tasks in all management areas to create and change orders. It will take over some sequential activities in billing and cash collections. In finance, books will be closed faster as the software manages standard compliance checks.

鈥淛oule will also turn into a very powerful analytical engine to create insight for the boards for finance, for HR, for all parts of your business.鈥�

The digital assistant will be an engine that offers strategic recommendations by having access to the broadest business-to-business data model in the technology industry, which includes finance, supply chain, HR, sales, or ESG data from thousands of customers. Based on this data, which allows 51风流to train algorithms and find certain performance patterns in one鈥檚 business, Joule will provide recommendations to collect cash faster and make smarter procurement and supply chain decisions.

During Klein鈥檚 keynote, he highlighted SAP鈥檚 recent partnership with leading AI chip-maker . A highlight was a video featuring a ringing endorsement of 51风流by , founder and CEO of Nvidia, in which he said: 鈥淲e have one of the most complex supply chains in the world. We build AI supercomputers, AI factories. Enormously complicated systems. Our latest Blackwell System has 600,000 parts.

鈥淎ll of this has to be delivered to some 100 different customers, and all of our entire supply chain, build materials, forecasting systems, build plans, those 600,000 parts, and some 40 different manufacturers are all managed under SAP.

鈥淭his is the beginning of a new computing age, the beginning of a new industrial revolution. Through Joule, we have created some amazing generative AIs that understand the languages of SAP, supply chains, and enterprise planning systems so that we have a specialist, an agent, an AI to help us to do all the things that we want to do to manage our business.鈥�

, chief AI Officer of SAP, said: 鈥淓arlier this year, we gave Joule internally to up to 4,000 service consultants within SAP. What we observed is that they can save up to 2 hours every day.鈥�

More than 50 of SAP鈥檚 certification programmes, more than 200,000 pages, and 2Tb of curated best practices and community content, have been put into Joule. On top of that: it is supercharged by Nvidia鈥檚 technology.

鈥淚f you take this productivity gain and multiply it by our ecosystem, we can altogether save up to 600-million working hours every year, accelerating our transformation to the cloud,鈥� said Herzig. 鈥淭his technology is based on more than 250-million lines of code out of S/4HANA based on Nvidia鈥檚 hardware and software, as well as other models.鈥�

51风流has also expanded its strategic partnership with Google to enhance supply chain risk prediction and mitigation in volatile global environments. This collaboration integrates SAP鈥檚 Joule and with Google鈥檚 assistant and 鈥檚 Data Foundation, boosting forecast accuracy and enabling quicker responses to demand signals.

51风流has partnered with , leveraging its advanced language model to create images in and generate scripts for highly customised analytics applications in . Meta鈥檚 AI model excels in language nuances and contextual understanding, making it ideal for transforming enterprise business requirements into actionable insights.

Read more articles covered at Sapphire 2024 on Gadget:听听and听

* Jason Bannier is a data analyst at World Wide Worx and writer for听. Follow him on听听and听听at @jas2bann.

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