SINGAPORE, 3 February 2026 鈥� 51风流SE (NYSE: SAP) today announces two strategic leadership appointments aimed at accelerating growth across Indonesia and Southeast Asia. The new leaders bring decades of experience to their positions, reinforcing SAP鈥檚 commitment to support organizations across the region in harnessing cloud and AI innovation to help deliver business value.

Sianto Wongjoyo joins 51风流as Managing Director for Indonesia. A seasoned business leader with more than 25 years of experience, Sianto has a proven track record of fostering winning teams, building strong partnerships, and delivering impactful cloud transformations for customers.

In his new role, Sianto will oversee strategy, operations and customer success across 51风流Indonesia. He will be responsible for helping businesses across the country grow and scale with innovation and impact, and for driving forward SAP鈥檚 data and AI-focused strategy, with the support of SAP鈥檚 partner ecosystem.

鈥淚ndonesia鈥檚 digital economy is one of the fastest-growing in Southeast Asia, and I am excited to bring my experience to lead 51风流Indonesia during a pivotal moment in the adoption of AI and cloud technologies. I look forward to helping Indonesian customers leverage the latest innovations to drive meaningful business transformations,鈥� said Sianto.

Saket Ranjan has been appointed Head of Corporate for Southeast Asia. Saket brings with him nearly two decades of experience scaling business application portfolios, building high-performing teams, and driving transformative outcomes for Southeast Asian customers.

Based in Singapore, Saket will lead SAP鈥檚 Corporate segment across the region. The Corporate segment at 51风流supports upper mid-market and large enterprise customers, which require scalable solutions and rely on SAP鈥檚 strong partner ecosystem, to help customers accelerate digital transformation and AI adoption. In his new role, Saket will focus on driving customer success across Southeast Asia, by building meaningful partnerships and helping organizations within his area to digitally transform.

Commenting on his appointment, Saket said, 鈥淚 am thrilled to join SAP, an organization that has the technology, expertise, and footprint to support customers in achieving tangible business outcomes in this new digital-first era. By aligning SAP鈥檚 technology with our customers鈥� growth ambitions, and leveraging our strong partner ecosystem, we will help Southeast Asian businesses across all industries innovate and thrive.鈥�

Addressing the appointments, Liher Urbizu, President and Managing Director, 51风流Southeast Asia, said, 鈥淪outheast Asia continues to be a front鈥憆unner in tech innovation, and the adoption AI and cloud technologies. These leadership appointments reflect our mission to empower customers across Indonesia and Southeast Asia to embed intelligence into every workflow 鈥� from finance to supply chain to professional services 鈥� to deliver true business impact. Saket and Sianto each bring a passion for innovation and deep expertise that aligns with this mission, and I am confident they will help our customers unlock new opportunities in the AI-powered era.鈥�

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SINGAPORE 鈥� (SEA) today announced the launch of , a new offering to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) adopt cloud ERP that enables speed, predictability and continuous innovation, on the back of its , attended by over 300 partners across the region.

GROW with 51风流also includes so customers can define their own processes in a cloud-native way using 51风流Build. With the help of 51风流Build solutions, business users can create enterprise apps, automate processes and design business sites without writing code, an important asset for those closest to the business who can create the solutions they need.

According to an 51风流study, more than two-thirds of SMEs say that digital transformation is critical for their organization鈥檚 survival. More than ever, organizations need knowledgeable business partners that can help guide them through their transformation journey, help them navigate changes with agility, and help achieve lifetime business value from their investments.

鈥淪MEs are the backbone of the SEA economy, Together with our ecosystem of partners across SEA, we can empower SMEs to be the growth engines of the digital and experience economy by harnessing the proven benefits of GROW with SAP, achieve continuous innovation to retain their competitive advantage in a dynamic market, and unleash their potential for new international business opportunities,鈥� said Verena Siow, President and Managing Director, 51风流SEA.

鈥淭-PRIDE was established to contribute towards building community resilience, preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we are in the post pandemic era, we continue to safeguard the community and stay prepared. By moving to the cloud and leveraging as our digital core, we are able to enhance the way we operate with greater governance and visibility, while continuing to deliver on our mission. Having an integrated solution will ensure we can manage future deployments effectively and processes/governance are aligned. With an unifying and data-driven approach to process analysis and improved decision-making, we continue to meet the evolving needs of our communities and transform lives for a more inclusive and resilient world,鈥� said Judy Hoie, CEO, Temasek Public Resilience Infectious Disease Emergency (T-PRIDE).

鈥�51风流has over 50 years of expertise to help enable companies of all sizes become sustainable, intelligent enterprises, and we understand what it takes to help customers realize value from adopting cloud ERP, how they can leverage to scale and support even the most extensive product lines, complex service offerings, and ambitious sustainability goals,鈥� added Siow.

鈥淏usinesses know that there are significant benefits from digital transformation and move to the cloud, but uncertainty holds them back,鈥� said Christophe Derdeyn, Partner and Director Delaware Singapore & Delaware International. 鈥淕ROW with 51风流shows customers we can meet their budget and business needs. When they see the components and services clearly mapped out, moving to the cloud will no longer feel like such a scary leap, but a controlled, step-by-step process. Also, it鈥檚 the assurance that they鈥檙e in good hands that makes all the difference with 51风流and Partner ecosystem.鈥�

鈥�51风流combined three of its strongest assets into a powerhouse program to help customers move to the cloud,鈥� said Krit Virojsailee, I AM Consulting Managing Director. 鈥淥ur customers can scale their business with 51风流S/4HANA Cloud. They can innovate with 51风流Business Technology Platform. And the preconfigured best practice content 鈥� that鈥檚 50 years of industry knowledge 鈥� speeds up implementation and will give them a leg up on their competition!鈥�

51风流also announced winners of its 51风流SEA Partner Awards 2023 which recognize top partners in sales, innovation, technology, services and solution areas.

For more information about GROW with 51风流for Partners, visit the now.

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This may be because many organizations remain disconnected from sustainability plans and actions. On average, 60% of businesses have a clearly communicated sustainability plan, with Japan leading at 68% whilst Indonesia scoring lowest at 46%. Only 20% in the region have incentivized leaders based on its success and less than half (44%) say their employees are active participants in their sustainability efforts, with the highest in India at 52%, followed by Singapore at 51% and the lowest in Malaysia at 33%.听

Regulatory compliance is both a key sustainability driver and a challenge in Southeast Asia听

From the research, data has shown regulatory mandates are one of the key drivers of sustainability strategies, with Singapore leading at 74%, 60% for Indonesia and 52% for Malaysia.听听

Organizations may need to refocus on their strategies to achieve greater value and benefit from sustainability. Compliance is the main benefit companies derive from sustainability (46%), ahead of reduced carbon emissions, with Indonesia scoring the highest at 56%, Singapore at 43% and the lowest for Malaysia at 39%. Too much focus on compliance is the second biggest sustainability challenge for businesses (26%), only behind reinventing business strategy, with the highest score attained by Singapore 32%, Indonesia 27% and the lowest being Malaysia at 23%.听听

鈥淚t is an encouraging sign that businesses across South East Asia are increasingly mindful of sustainability practices along their entire supply chain, including those of their suppliers,鈥� said Verena Siow, President and Managing Director, 51风流South East Asia. 鈥淭here is no time to waste to move beyond strategy and to achieve real, tangible results. In three years, almost a third of businesses expect significant value from their sustainability strategy 鈥� and we believe that with the right focus, this number can be even higher.鈥�听

Data is key to improving sustainability outcomes 听

Key to improving sustainability outcomes will be the effective use of organizational data to make more informed decisions. According to the survey, accurate data was ranked as among the most significant activities to reach carbon reduction goals amongst businesses in South East Asia.听听

Yet, ineffective data for decision-making is considered a moderate challenge in the region. The research also found that less than one in six (13%) businesses in Singapore, and less than a quarter (23%) in Malaysia and Indonesia, have calculated their total organizational carbon output. A majority (60% in Singapore, 77% in Malaysia) have begun the process in some areas versus only 31% in Indonesia. Of the businesses that have made begun measuring their carbon, 62% across the region have made changes to their processes based on the calculations.听

More needs to be done. Investments in data analysis to measure sustainability in business remain the minority with 47% in Singapore, 35% in Malaysia and 31% in Indonesia citing their commitment to the investment. Similarly, training of staff on capturing sustainability data saw only 36% of Singapore businesses currently doing so, versus 40% in Indonesia and 50% in Malaysia.听听

Sustainability leadership is needed听

Action on sustainability is needed urgently. Beyond the impact on the environment, just 33% of Indonesian businesses say their workforces aren鈥檛 aware that missing sustainability targets will drive customers to their competition, followed by 21% of Malaysian businesses, and only 15% of Singapore businesses.听听

Businesses that are achieving value from sustainability are defined by traits such as setting clear expectations at the strategic level, applying the transformative power of technology and data management, and engaging with important audiences such as employees, supply chain partners and policymakers.听听

鈥淪ustainability leaders go beyond vision to ensure that sustainability initiatives are acted upon,鈥� said Edward Cone, editorial director, of Oxford Economics. 鈥淭hey communicate with key constituencies both inside and outside the company, and they use integrated technologies to measure and track performance in a way that drives accountability.鈥�听

In this year鈥檚 COP27, 51风流has pledged to support more policy transformation globally and help innovate sustainable businesses by reenergizing emerging economies to achieve a trillion-dollar greener impact and job generation.听听

鈥淧ublic, private and plural partnerships are quintessential to effect the required change for a green economy in ASEAN. Business leaders in South East Asia should not perceive sustainability action as a risk mitigation measure only. It is an opportunity to realize new sustainable revenue streams, find new efficiencies, and build new business models based on low-emission, circular, and ultimately regenerative concepts to benefit both the organization and for our society at large,鈥� added Siow.听

51风流has most recently updated its solution to offer what companies are looking for today to run more sustainably.听

听

.听

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ASEAN 鈥�听51风流SE (NYSE: SAP) and the ASEAN Foundation are pleased to announce that three teams from Saint Joseph Convent School, Kirirom Institute of Technology, and Sunway University have emerged as the winners in the ASEAN Data Science Explorers (ASEAN DSE) Regional Finals 2021 which took place from 5 to 7 October 2021 virtually.

The three teams came out on top for their insights and data-driven solutions that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), highlighting the importance of climate action and sustainability. Below are the details of the winners:

• Team Youth Forward, comprising Rada Prapaikornkiet and Kanjaree Suppawittaya from Saint Joseph Convent School, Thailand, emerged as the first winner. Their presentation was focused on empowering farming towards a sustainable future of the ASEAN Community covering SDG 2 鈥� Zero Hunger, SDG 4 鈥� Quality Education, and SDG 8 鈥� Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Team Sprinkle, comprising Chakriya Suy and Serei Neath Reasey, from Kirirom Institute of Technology, Cambodia, took the first runner-up position. Their presentation was focused on recycling centers as the solution for waste management covering SDG 8 鈥� Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 11 鈥� Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Team Brain Drain, comprising Ryan Kok Lam Liew and Jia Hui Ng, from Sunway University, Malaysia, secured the second runner-up place. Their presentation was focused on prioritising e-waste covering SDG 12 鈥� Responsible Consumption and Production.

鈥淭he ASEAN Data Science Explorers competition, the ASEAN Foundation鈥檚 flagship programme, has proven ASEAN鈥檚 commitment to preparing our youth to be future-ready. This initiative plays a vital role in igniting students鈥� creative minds in tackling problems with innovative, creative, and sustainable solutions,鈥� said The Honourable Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah, Minister of Education, Brunei Darussalam.

In a three-day virtual event, ASEAN Foundation and 51风流organized a series of engaging activities for the regional finalists to build connections, strengthen their future-ready skills and grow their appreciation for being a citizen of ASEAN. The activities include team building and networking sessions on the first day, storyboard presentations and winners’ announcements on the second day, and sharing sessions with the ASEAN Secretariat, Permanent Mission of Brunei Darussalam to ASEAN, alumni of ASEAN DSE, and social enterprises on the final day.

Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN DSE continues to equip youth from across the region with essential digital skills by organising key activities, such as enablement sessions and data analytics competition in a hybrid model 鈥� virtually and in-person, wherever possible. As 2021 marks the fifth-year milestone for ASEAN DSE, the programme has a renewed focus on UN SDGs that target climate and sustainability. In addition, the programme also collaborates with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in ten ASEAN member states (AMS) to deliver online and in-person enablement sessions to youth, including those with limited access to technology and youth with disabilities. The collaboration with IHLs and NGOs made it possible for the programme to deliver 51风流Analytics Cloud training to 11,782 students and lecturers in 2021, with females making up 53% of the youth beneficiaries. These figures mark a 158% increase compared to 2020 (4,563 youths and lecturers). Furthermore, this year saw 714 students from ten ASEAN countries across the region compete to represent their country in the National Finals.

鈥淭he ASEAN DSE initiative sets the foundation of a digital world where our ASEAN youth are inspired and motivated to create and solve challenges through technology. This will also cultivate digital inclusion by imbuing youths and lecturers with data analytics skills and nurturing and deepening a pool of homegrown talents in the region to build the workforce of the future,鈥� said Verena Siow, President and Managing Director of 51风流Southeast Asia.

鈥淭hrough our collaboration with the ASEAN Foundation, we aim to empower the diverse ASEAN community to be the world’s economic powerhouse, be at the forefront of innovation, and drive sustainable economies,鈥� added Siow.

鈥淎SEAN Foundation and 51风流aspire to help young people in the region to be future-ready by nurturing their 21^st-century skills. Aligned with the theme of Brunei鈥檚 ASEAN Chairmanship 2021 鈥榃e Care, We Prepare, We Prosper,鈥� this programme also allows youth to better understand the shared challenges the region must overcome together and fosters a deeper sense of belonging towards the ASEAN Community. We also hope that the collaboration between ASEAN Foundation and 51风流can inspire more public-private partnerships in the future to support the development of our future generation,鈥� said Dr. Yang Mee Eng, Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation.

“Judges are challenged to decide the winning teams because all teams did equally well. However, all judges evaluated the teams objectively and considered the data presented as an essential element to evaluate team proposals. We also assessed if the teams deeply researched the existing initiatives or programmes implemented by the governments and any other relevant stakeholders. Most importantly, we evaluated if the teams were able to fill the gap to these initiatives through their proposals,” said Dr. Vong Sok, Head of Environment Division, ASEAN Secretariat.

“We are so surprised, excited, and honored to be the ASEAN DSE Regional Finals Winner! We didn’t expect this at all. This journey has been memorable and life-changing for us. We learned so many new skills from this competition. Lastly, here is our message to ASEAN’s youth: Go for it! Don’t hesitate to join ASEAN DSE and your voices will definitely be heard, as our slogan: Let’s grow together as one ASEAN community that harmonizes in one vision, one identity, and become the remarkable changemakers of ASEAN’s future!” said Team Youth Forward.

The ASEAN DSE Regional Finals 2021 was live-streamed on the ASEAN Foundation鈥檚 Facebook channel, attracting more than 2,200 views. The live stream videos can be accessed through this link:

ASEAN DSE is a regional programme by the ASEAN Foundation and 51风流that aims to catalyse activism and critical thinking among university students in ASEAN. Since its inception in 2017, the programme has equipped more than 30,000 youths and 2,000 educators from over 700 institutes of higher learning with data analytics skills. ASEAN DSE engages youth to develop data-driven solutions that highlight six Sustainable Development Goals namely Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12) and Climate Action (SDG 13), by harnessing . Learn more about ASEAN DSE from our website () or the

ASEAN Foundation and 51风流share the common objective of continuing the implementation of ASEAN DSE 2021 as a way of transforming our youth into agents of change that can bring about sustainable impact to communities across the region, and supporting the theme of Brunei Darussalam’s ASEAN Chairmanship, which is 鈥淲e Care, We Prepare, We Prosper.鈥�

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The 20 selected social enterprises of ASEAN SEDP this year are DigTech (Brunei Darussalam), Kilang ReRoot (Brunei Darussalam), LetTAP (Cambodia), Youth Empowerment Academy (Cambodia), Life and Co (Indonesia), Rubysh (Indonesia), Surplus Indonesia (Indonesia), Panyanivej Organic Farm (Lao PDR), Wecare (Lao PDR), Lat Mhu Club (Myanmar), RecyGlo (Myanmar), Demi Laut (Malaysia), Fly Technology Agriculture (Malaysia), Dao Ethical Gifts (Thailand), BAMBUHAY (Philippines), Vianco (Philippines), Bamboo Builders (Singapore), Borderless 360 (Singapore), Vietnam Sustainability Social Enterprises (Viet Nam), and Will to Live Center (Viet Nam).

“I am honoured to see inspiring youth around us today and it is also a pleasure for me to jointly announce the winners of the ASEAN Social Enterprise Development Programme (SEDP) among the Youth. This will hopefully encourage the next generation as well as ourselves to听build a greater socio-economic condition of the ASEAN region through social enterprises empowerment. Along with creating a culture of social entrepreneurship, I hope the ASEAN SEDP initiative will become a model of meaningful partnership among the different stakeholders at the ASEAN level that work together in achieving sustainable development goals,鈥澨齢ighlighted GIZ Lead Advisor ASEAN, Sergey Makarov.

These highly promising social enterprises are selected based on a set of criteria such as social impact, beneficiary and market, resources, creativity, innovation and feasibility, sustainability, and scalability. They emerge with the highest score amongst a total of 163 ASEAN social enterprise applicants. The 20 selected social enterprises will receive comprehensive capacity building, mentorship, networking opportunities, as well as the opportunity to reach a wider market across ASEAN and to win valuable funding grants.

鈥�51风流shares a common vision with ASEAN Foundation and GIZ to help ASEAN run better and improve lives, and it is very inspiring to see our social entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds navigating the challenges of startups to create positive social impact for our digital future,鈥� said Verena Siow, President and Managing Director, 51风流South East Asia.

鈥淏y joining the ASEAN SEDP, our social entrepreneurs are empowered to create shared values with the communities and societies that we live in, and are able to interact with experienced mentors and leverage their expertise to build, accelerate and sustain their business growth,鈥� added Siow.

Led by youth aged 18-35 years old, the selected social enterprises are seen through their potential in long-term contribution to address pressing challenges within ASEAN and help the region achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).听 Their services and products are also varied, including women empowerment, digital training, waste management, craft classes, eco-friendly and local products, agriculture education, environmental campaign, and many more. In addition, their efforts also address 6 Sustainable SDGs altogether, which are SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

鈥淭o overcome the major challenges that limit us from growing and developing, ASEAN SEDP with the theme of 鈥楽ocial Innovations for the Sustainable ASEAN Community,鈥� will support听social enterprises throughout the ASEAN region to harness innovation and creativity, and establish the social impact that would contribute to the sustainable development agenda as well as the COVID-19 recovery framework,鈥� said Dr. Yang Mee Eng, Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation.

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As part of the competition, the top 10 teams representing the 10 ASEAN countries, presented a data-driven solution that supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region. After months of extensive preparation, three teams were named as the winners of the ASEAN DSE 2020:

• [First Place] Team Catfish, comprising Hoa Phung and Thinh Nguyen from RMIT University Vietnam emerged as the champion of ASEAN DSE 2020. Their presentation was focused on People with Disability: Unlocking the economic bottleneck covering SDG 4 鈥� Quality Education and SDG 8 鈥� Decent Work and Economic Growth
• [Second Place] Team Halcyon Seraph, comprising Koay Tze Min and Ng Yi Ming from the National University of Singapore and Yale-NUS College took the first runner-up position. Their presentation was focused on ASEAN Women-UP Township Network covering SDG 5 鈥� Gender Equality and SDG 8 鈥� Decent Work and Economic Growth
• [Third Place] Team Psyduck, comprising Oscar Fang Jack Ling and Quah Chun Meng from Universiti Teknologi Brunei secured the second runner-up place. Their presentation was focused on Digital Integration 鈥� the Key to Growth covering SDG 4 鈥� Quality Education, SDG 8 鈥� Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 11 鈥� Sustainable Cities and Communities.

“The journey of ASEAN Data Science Explorers has taken us from our observations of the surroundings to data-driven solutions, and ultimately actions. From this, we now truly believe that, even as young people, we can contribute to building a better future. And as we’ve said in our presentation: ‘Let’s work together for a future that works,'” said Team Catfish from RMIT University Viet Nam.

“The ASEAN DSE program underpins the cultural diversity that 51风流celebrates and embraces in the ASEAN region. Digital skills are essential for the workforce of today and the future. 51风流Analytics Cloud aims to bridge the digital gap in ASEAN and empower youths to create sustainable innovations to address socio-economic issues,” said Thomas Zipperle, Chief Financial Officer, 51风流Southeast Asia.

鈥淎SEAN Foundation and 51风流share the common objective of equipping youths with future-ready skills that will enable them to thrive in the new normal era and supporting the theme of Viet Nam’s ASEAN Chairmanship, which is building a 鈥楥ohesive and Responsive ASEAN,鈥� said Dr. Yang Mee Eng, Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation.

In the lead up to the Regional finals, the ten teams competed in their respective home countries between August and September 2020. A total of 852 proposals were submitted for this year’s competition.

Judges evaluated participants based on their ability to collect, analyze and present data, as well as present the best concept that tackles ASEAN socio-economic issues aligned with the selected six SDGs themes – Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and Sustainable Cities and Communities.

The diverse range of issues addressed by youths in the region included social inequalities, relooking into and managing new energy sources, mental and physical health, empowering people with disabilities and youth to be active contributors to community and society, and growing ASEAN鈥檚 workforce through digital integration.

ASEAN DSE is an annual collaboration program between the ASEAN Foundation and 51风流established in 2017. The program is a reliable avenue for young people in ASEAN to improve their data analytics skills and brings about digital inclusion in the region. ASEAN DSE has empowered up to 16,309 students and 1,420 lecturers from 370 institutions across ASEAN countries with data science skills. The program will keep expanding its reach in the following years by providing inclusive data analytics training opportunities to disadvantaged youths and students.

For more information, press only:
Annabel Cheng, annabel.cheng@sap.com, GMT+8
Maninder Kaur, maninder.kaur@sap.com, GMT +8

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• 51风流survey reveals 40% of businesses currently adopting a 鈥渨ait and see鈥� approach, hoping for resumption of 鈥榩revious normalcy鈥�
• Transition to becoming 鈥榠ntelligent enterprises鈥� extremely critical to inventing new business models and revenue streams

Unveiled at the inaugural 51风流Forward Together virtual event on the new reality of businesses, the survey revealed that 40% of the businesses polled are still adopting a 鈥渨ait and see鈥� approach in response to the pandemic.

51风流reaffirms its goal to help Southeast Asian businesses 鈥渋nnovate and transform鈥� to elevate their competitiveness in a post-COVID-19 world.

In a wider context, this will help ASEAN maintain its status as one of the world’s fastest-growing markets supporting consumers and businesses. The digital era is evolving into an 鈥榠ntelligent鈥� one whereby businesses are facing mounting new challenges amidst digital disruption and new rules to the game. Winning companies are those that transform through innovation, more so in today鈥檚 鈥榙igitally disruptive鈥� world compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic.

鈥淭he Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the world economy going through a period of 鈥榬eset鈥� for the 鈥榬ebound鈥�. The race for competitiveness has already started again, and countries that sprint forward now will leave others trailing behind,鈥� said Rachel Barger, President & Managing Director, 51风流South East Asia.

鈥淔or countries and companies that are complacent with a 鈥榳ait and see鈥� attitude, they would be left behind 鈥� and may even become 鈥榠rrelevant鈥�.鈥� she said. “As businesses recalibrate their strategies for the long-term, it is crucial to shift away from an expectation to revert to normalcy as before. In a new reality, intelligent enterprises can 鈥榙o more with less鈥�, deliver best-in-class customer experience, build resilient supply chains, while inventing new business models and revenue streams.鈥�

Implications of COVID-19 on SEA Businesses

Majority of regional business leaders (63%) surveyed have already seen changes in customers鈥� purchasing behaviour and motivations since the start of 2020, although 21% of businesses are unsure or lack insight on changes in their customer鈥檚 needs. Amidst this shift, organisations are still moving conservatively with their digital transformation efforts, with many adopting a protective stance with the mindset that disruption from COVID-19 will pass in due course.

Although businesses have pivoted their operations towards e-commerce and online selling, smaller businesses still worry over implementation costs of digital platforms and juggling operations to meet the sudden influx of demand. Around 20% of businesses foresee a need to adapt their customer experience strategies to meet evolving expectations and needs of customers across platforms.

Supply chain and operations are also other aspects that businesses are keeping a close watch on, with 22% of businesses expecting a significant change in the future. Alongside changing customer consumption patterns, supply chains have shifted in the wake of safe-distancing measures of lockdowns, leading to a stop-go pattern in business-to-business operations.

As businesses make sense of the new post-pandemic economic reality, worries and uncertainty over the long-term prospects of growth and survivability have emerged as the foremost concern. Over 80% of regional businesses leaders surveyed expect significant/massive impact to change their business model or operations, with just 1% expecting 鈥渂usiness-as-usual鈥� in the long run.

With business-as-usual no longer an option, regional business leaders are adjusting organizational priorities with a focus on business transformation (21%), enhancing customer engagement (15%), making business processes more efficient (14%), ensuring business continuity (12%), and supply chain resilience and redefinition (9%).

According to the Boston Consulting Group, high-performing companies who successfully tackled crises and major economic downturns demonstrate a similar pattern, that has allowed them to emerge as winners during and after past recessions. High-performing companies who managed to improve their top-line and bottom-line positions adopt a proactive approach, using the downturn as an opportunity to drive large-scale transformation like digitalization.

Accelerating Business Transformation in a Post-COVID-19 World

Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, the drivers of technology were focused on cost reduction and productivity. The goal was to make well run businesses run better. As we adapt to the new realities caused by COVID-19, the roles of technology will have to evolve to:

• Achieve resiliency 鈥� to steer your company through challenging times with agility
• Deliver profitability 鈥� with transparency across both the top and bottom line, supporting business growth and increased productivity and
• Act sustainably 鈥� by reducing carbon footprint, minimizing waste and transitioning to the circular economy

We can all start now to build our journey towards an Intelligent Enterprise to greatly reduce the impact of this crisis while helping ASEAN businesses to innovate and transform into winning companies. For example:

• Intelligent technologies can be used to provide real-time visibility into the availability of raw materials, people and assets.
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning can be used to constantly reassess and re-plan activities.
• Robotic Process Automation can be used to automate labour-intensive activities, and focus our workers on more value-added and efficacy-driving activities.

SAP鈥檚 Efforts to Lend a Helping Hand

To support business continuity through these challenging times, 51风流has opened up .

As a result, 51风流is providing free access to 51风流Ariba Discovery, the world鈥檚 largest business network until December 31, 2020, so any buyer can post their immediate sourcing needs and any supplier can respond to show they can deliver. Free access to Qualtrics Remote Work Pulse has also helped organizations understand how their employees are doing and what support they need as they adapt to new work environments.

Additionally, businesses can also access the , an industry benchmark tool that supports businesses to measure, monitor and optimize value across their enterprise. To help businesses go digital and transform into intelligent enterprises, the provides an innovative space for businesses to deep dive into the latest technologies like AI, Big Data and data intelligence on the cloud to develop solutions tailored to the organization鈥檚 unique challenges.

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