Bailey, formerly Bailey Tanks, began operations in 1973 and manufactures plastic water tanks and pipes for the primary industries and construction sectors. Relying on an outdated, heavily customised, legacy system to manage a fleet of 14 truck and trailer units across the country, and dependant on a largely paper-based production process, Bailey began moving its operations to the cloud in February 2022, to become agile, more mobile and have access to greater functionality and process visibility.听

The implementation, which took just five months, was managed by 51风流Partner, Realtech and comprised of solutions including: 51风流S/4 HANA Public Cloud, , 51风流 business process management and transportation management, and 51风流Intelligent Spend and Business Network.听听

Almost nine months on, Bailey is already realising significant business benefits. Production at its two manufacturing sites in Auckland and Christchurch are completely paperless, with tablets and screens now on the factory floor. This marks a significant departure from the previous system, where orders were printed on paper and changes required staff to find, amend and reprint orders manually. Another benefit realised was greater visibility into Bailey鈥檚 just-in-time manufacturing and integration with its fleet of trucks, which allows staff to better manage changing customer and transport requirements.听听

David Bailey, Chief Executive Officer at Bailey, said a fast rollout and having the right support team were key to the successful implementation.听听

鈥淲e鈥檙e growing quickly as a company and have other things we need to focus on. We knew a speedy implementation of 51风流cloud solutions might be hard, but the benefits would be worth the effort. And we were right, with our staff enthusiastically embracing the new technology and significant business benefits already being realised.鈥澨�听

鈥淜eeping up with the dynamic nature of planning is now simple and can be managed from anywhere in the world. Our people also feel more connected and empowered, and we now have a really scalable solution which gives us plenty of headroom to manage the growth trajectory we鈥檙e on.听听

鈥淕etting the right partner is critical for a project like this. Realtech had a good, structured approach and a detailed plan. They managed the project well, ensuring critical milestones were met and providing regular updates. Having access to direct product support from the 51风流team and after sales support also allowed us to move quickly and confidently as an organisation鈥�, continued Bailey.听听

Sofiane Ainine, Head of MidMarket, 51风流Australia and New Zealand, says that Bailey is proof that 51风流is fit for manufacturing companies of any size.听听听

鈥淚mplementing 51风流cloud solutions, including 51风流S/4HANA Public Cloud, in just five months shows the value 51风流is听delivering for our customers. The improved visibility, mobility and integration made possible by our cloud solutions gives Bailey the ability to adapt quickly to change and provides the organisation with a springboard for future growth.鈥澨�听

Andrew Spicer, Managing Director, Realtech New Zealand, says we always look forward to collaborating with customers who have a clear vision and are eager to enhance their business operations.听

“Bailey was proactive in their approach to deploying 51风流S/4HANA Public Cloud and was open to innovative ideas for process improvements; it is great to see where our knowledge and insights have significantly contributed to their business success.”听

“At Realtech, we have always taken great pride in our work, and seeing our clients achieve their objectives through collaborating with the team gives us immense satisfaction.”听

Bailey is now looking at how it can further improve its processes and workflow management.听

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The research found Australian SMBs process an average of 168 invoices each month. With a Deloitte study estimating that e-invoicing could deliver savings of up to $20 per invoice*, Australia鈥檚 SMBs could save up to $40,320**听a听year.听

The听benefits听are听clear, with听75听per cent听of听those听who听have transitioned听saying听the biggest impact has been time and money saved.听More than half said it improved the听accuracy of听recordkeeping听(56听per cent)听and听was more听secure听(53听per cent).听

鈥淩unning an SMB comes with its challenges but switching to digital processes has been key to the survival of many businesses during the pandemic. It frees up time and money to focus on other priorities like developing new products and finding new customers,鈥� said Sofiane Ainine, SMB Segment Lead, 51风流Australia and New Zealand. 鈥淣ow is the time for SMBs to review their adoption of technology. This will help them through the current crisis and set them up for future growth.鈥�听

鈥淭he pandemic has highlighted the importance of technology adoption in helping small businesses innovate 鈥� increasing efficiency and productivity, attracting new customers in different markets, improving customer and employee experiences. This helps them create more jobs,鈥� Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson, said.听听

鈥淚t鈥檚 encouraging that the research in this 51风流report shows SMBs accelerating digital technology adoption. Technologies like e-invoicing improve process efficiency and, importantly, will see small businesses paid more quickly for the products and services they provide.鈥�听

Switching听is easier than many SMBs think听听

The听research suggests听that听the fear of switching to e-invoicing is bigger than the challenge of implementing it, with 88 per cent of SMBs that had made the jump saying it was easy, and almost one in five (18 per cent)听making the transition without external support.听

Some听will still听need help to get there, with integrating the process into computer systems听(36 per cent) and understanding what software to use (31 per cent)听perceived as the biggest challenges.听

Nearly half (46 per cent)听of SMBs听are mostly digital in their invoicing and recordkeeping.听Of听this group, 26听per cent听sought advice from their internal IT department, followed by an听external IT company (24 per cent), their accountant (26 per cent), a consultant (22 per cent)听or听The听Government (18 per cent).听

鈥淪MB owners shouldn鈥檛 feel like they are alone on this journey. There are many sources of support ready to help them overcome hurdles and make the most of opportunities by sharing experiences and advising on the best approaches for their business,鈥澨鼳inine听said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about taking it one step at a time, learning what works and implementing digital initiatives that align to their goals.鈥�听

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The outlook: A digital future听

The past 18 months has fast-tracked the transition to digital processes for many SMBs and increased their appetite for transformation. The research found most SMBs who use e-invoicing听(75 per cent)听are looking to digitise other business processes. Payroll is the top focus (72听per cent), followed by forecasting (42听per cent), debt collection (38听per cent), customer experience (33听per cent), and talent management (28听per cent).听听

Over half (54 per cent) of SMBs say they will have digitised all account and account management processes within the next two years, with 44 per cent planning to do so within the next 12听months.听听

To help them get there, more than half (57 per cent) of business owners/managers agree that increased government support in the form of information, services, subsidies and grants would help their business continue to drive forward digital initiatives and change.听

听

Innovation in action听听听

Mining equipment manufacturer听Geographe听needed to update its business technology in support of its strategic vision to expand into new markets and refine its product sets around continued innovation.听

Implementing an intelligent ERP system built on 51风流S/4HANA Cloud庐 has helped the business reduce lead times by as much as 50 per cent. Automated core processes and greater operational efficiencies have reduced some workloads by more than 15 per cent.听

Geographe听CEO, Sam听Hyder, said: 鈥淒ue to COVID-19, we have moved to hybrid working. Having a scalable IT landscape with greater transparency and real-time data helped us become more responsive to customer needs. We can now confidently predict customer demand and optimise production, inventory, and our supply chain accordingly.鈥�听

听

The full听report听and听key tips on how to transform your business, please visit:听听听

听

Note to editors:听

About听the听SAP听report:听The connected SMB: Embracing digital strategies to fuel growth听

The research was commissioned by 51风流Australia and undertaken by YouGov to听understand where Australian SMBs stand with their current e-invoicing and broader digitisation efforts.听The sample comprised of 802 Australian business owners/managers with less than 200 employees:听

• 1-19 employees n= 252听听

• 20-99 employees n= 518听听
• 100-199 employees n= 32听

Fieldwork took place between 29 June听and 13听September 2021.听

*听2021听

**听168 invoices per month x 12 months x $20 saving per invoice = $40,320 per year听

The post 51风流study finds e-invoicing could save Aussie SMBs over $40,000 a year appeared first on 51风流Australia & New Zealand News Center.

Australia鈥檚 Asset Intensive Industries (AII) are a significant anchor for the nation鈥檚 economy. Together, these industries 鈥� including mining, utilities, oil and gas, chemicals and manufacturing 鈥� contribute around a quarter (24 per cent) of Australia鈥檚 GDP. This year, despite the pandemic, the natural resource and energy sectors alone are forecast to drive $256 billion in export revenue.

Despite these impressive figures, many companies in this sector are faced with more complex challenges than ever before. Challenges like how to move up the value chain, maximise profits on commodity pricing, and deliver new products to their customers, as well as how to follow through on sustainability goals to create a new industry advantage.

To achieve these objectives, the industry must rise to the task of bringing together technology, people and processes in new and more effective ways. We believe that by听 collaborating with our industry leading customers and partner ecosystem across ANZ, 51风流can build the capabilities asset intensive industries need to fully embrace digital transformation and their future potential.

Introducing the 51风流Centre of Excellence for Asset Intensive Industries

Launched late last year in Australia, SAP鈥檚 Global Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Asset Intensive Industries (AII) is already playing a lead role in enabling collaboration between SAP, its partners and customers. Based on an established global model, it will foster collaboration and harnesses the innovation capabilities of 51风流and its ecosystem to address the common challenges and opportunities facing asset intensive industries globally.

The opportunities to learn from each other are enormous. After all, SAP鈥檚 customer base represents 97 per cent of the mining sector and more than half (54 per cent) of the utilities sector alone. Together, the companies we work with in these asset intensive industries generate over $500 billion in revenue annually. In Australia and New Zealand, our customers include some of the most innovative and forward-thinking mining and utilities companies in the world, making it the perfect location for the CoE.

With a dedicated team in Australia of analysts, architects and designers, working with SAP鈥檚 product and engineering teams, the CoE will bring SAP鈥檚 global expertise, and learnings from our global customer base, to bear in ANZ. In turn, solutions developed by the centre will be made available for relevant customers worldwide. This will allow customers in Australia and New Zealand 鈥� and across the world 鈥� to more rapidly discover and deploy smart technology to solve key industry problems.

The CoE will also promote the latest industry solutions developed by SAP鈥檚 extensive partner ecosystem, as best-of-breed, industry specific cloud apps will be endorsed by 51风流and made available through .

Cloud revolution and new collaboration models

Engagement with our customers through the CoE will take several forms. Co-innovation will see 51风流and a customer jointly invest to build a solution that a particular customer requires. The CoE will create new opportunities to discover and prioritise those needs. This might involve extending a particular 51风流solution by introducing capabilities our customers need or sharing elements of a successful solution deployed by one customer with other organisations or industries.

Co-innovation will see 51风流and a customer jointly invest to build a solution that a particular customer requires. The CoE will create new opportunities to discover and prioritise those needs.

All of this is possible today because of the improved availability and faster development cycles enabled by cloud technologies, which is accelerating the pace of innovation. Traditionally, engineering was locked in long, complicated development cycles that could not rapidly take account of shifting customer needs. Today, the cloud enables a more agile development cycle, accelerating the pace of innovation from years to months. This makes it easier and faster than ever to work collaboratively and have customers directly engaging with our engineering teams.

Targeting challenges at the core of Asset Intensive Industries

The CoE sees us using the latest technologies 鈥� including predictive analytics and automation 鈥� to develop asset efficiencies and extend industry capabilities, while helping our customers to embed sustainability into all areas of their operations.

In particular, the Centre of Excellence aims to tackle four key challenges that Asset Intensive Industries are grappling with on their journey to digital transformation:

• management of contractor workforce and assets;
• embedding sustainability;
• a digital supply chain end-to-end; and
• planning and scheduling activities.

Despite the significant uptake of technology in recent years, many asset intensive organisations have struggled to digitise these businesses processes. Two examples of challenges faced by organisations in the sector, which the CoE could help to address, include:

• Efficient and effective management of assets and a contractor workforce
  For many asset intensive companies, procurement of services is a significant cost component (30-40 per cent of total spend). Unless procurement and contractors are effectively managed to maintain assets, they may suffer costly and unnecessary downtime 鈥� or worse, injuries and fatalities. Bringing together the concept of 鈥榥etworks鈥� that will allow asset owners, service providers, operators and contractors to collaborate around a single Work Order, will ensure everyone is aligned, risks are managed, and work gets executed in the safest and most efficient way.
• Embedding sustainability
  Sustainability increasingly has the potential to impact an operator鈥檚 license to do business and raise capital. The CoE will expand on SAP鈥檚 initiative to find new ways for the traditionally resource intensive industry to reduce emissions at every stage of the supply chain, from extraction to transport. Not only will this support initiatives like the Paris Climate agreement, it will also deliver business results: consulting group BCG has linked environmental, social and governance standards to a 19 per cent valuation premium and increased EBITDA margins of 3.4 per cent for top performers in the oil and gas sector alone.

The next step

The Asia Pacific market is increasingly one where innovative ideas are born, not just one where they are sold 鈥� and the CoE aims to build on this. Just look at the likes of , which is using a machine vision-enabled app to identify and schedule asset maintenance, saving time and money.

So far, the response to the launch of the CoE has been very exciting. Our customers tell us they see the CoE as an opportunity to put their challenges on the table and talk to industry experts who understand how IT can effectively help.

We are eager to begin this new phase of collaboration to more rapidly and flexibly address the most challenging problems facing ANZ鈥檚 Asset Intensive Industries 鈥� producing capable, scalable and efficient solutions that will also support our global customers along the way.

To learn more or get involved, visit the website or contact us today.

To read more about the Centre of Excellence, check out .

The post New 51风流Global Centre of Excellence supports Asset Intensive businesses through co-innovation appeared first on 51风流Australia & New Zealand News Center.

Just two months after Device Technologies drew up a COVID-19 disaster plan, its business changed dramatically. Demand from hospitals for its usual products 鈥� surgical instruments, orthopaedic implants, robotics and the like 鈥� plummeted as elective surgery was banned.

Adapting at speed

Instead, the company was deluged with orders for ventilators and personal protective equipment. 鈥淲e shifted our business model extremely quickly,鈥� says CEO Michael Trevaskis.

Fortunately, the rapid pivot was simplified by a decision taken three years earlier to transform Australia鈥檚 biggest independent supplier of medical technology into a digital leader in the healthcare sector.

Michelle Stewart, general manager of marketing and digital, headed the project, starting with the supply chain.

Using SAP鈥檚 Customer Experience platform, Device Technologies introduced a surgery booking portal, eliminating the need for phone calls and several data entry steps 鈥� instead allowing surgeons to input into an app what equipment they needed.

Putting patients first

After just one year in operation, the portal has saved more than 50,000 hours of administrative time. As well as reducing the risk of human error, it has freed up more than 100 sales staff across the surgical divisions of Device Technologies, allowing them to spend more time with surgeons improving patient outcomes.

鈥淚t puts patients ahead of paperwork,鈥� says Stewart.

It has also allowed sales staff to input surgery bookings on the go on mobile devices rather than entering data after business hours.

The company鈥檚 next biggest change is an ecommerce platform, giving customers access to a digital catalogue of more than 70,000 products and the ability to track their purchases and deliveries anytime.

Total transparency

鈥淲e鈥檙e inviting them into the business with total transparency,鈥� says Stewart, noting that a trial launch to a small group of customers shows they are three times more likely to research product details through the portal and are logging on outside business hours.

Trevaskis says the digital innovations will allow Device Technologies to continue to expand.

Five years ago, 80 per cent of its customer base was Australian hospitals and doctors. Now, the company supplies equipment to veterinary practices and aged care homes, as well as hospitals across South-East Asia.

鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 do this without technology; it鈥檚 far too labour intensive,鈥� he says. 鈥淗ealth care has to evolve into more digitised services and COVID-19 has fast-tracked this.鈥�

To discover more stories of 51风流innovation in action, visit

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