, a global leader in fiber-based specialty materials, together with its digital business partner , set and achieved an ambitious goal: to implement a fully operational ERP system, , at one of their factories within a month. With over 6,000 customers Ahlstrom runs 36 factories in 13 countries. Each factory鈥檚 operations are supported by an ERP system ensuring production runs smoothly without interruptions.

A New Era for ERP Implementations: From Months to Weeks

Ahlstrom was seeking a cost-effective, fast, and scalable way to implement Cloud ERP in one of its smaller production units, while also creating a replicable operating model that could be used for similar projects at other company factories.

The extremely tight schedule made the rollout historic. Traditionally, ERP renewals take months or even years, but Ahlstrom wanted to find out how quickly and cost-effectively a modern 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud implementation could be done. Vincit鈥檚 team accepted the challenge, and together with Ahlstrom, they succeeded in completing the entire rollout in less than a month.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 just implement a new system but proved that a project that used to take months and massive resources can be done in four weeks. Vincit succeeded with a truly ambitious schedule and gave us a scalable, modern foundation that will define our future 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud rollouts. This would not have been possible without their exceptional expertise in both S/4HANA implementations and manufacturing industry processes,鈥� says , Head of Shared IT Platforms, Ahlstrom.

Success Factors for a Rapid Rollout

At the core of the 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud system is the clean core philosophy: the ERP system is kept standardized, and necessary customizations are done through integrations and application extentions on the 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform. Compared to traditional ERP projects, a four-week cloud rollout requires each 麻豆原创 consultant to have very broad and versatile expertise, rather than deep specialization. Consultants must manage the entire supply chain and be able to lead change so that end users commit to the new solution. When the team is built on multi-skilled experts, the team size remains small, time use is efficient, and overall productivity increases.

Vincit had previously productized the Public Cloud implementation, which significantly accelerated the project. Ahlstrom鈥檚 strong commitment, and Vincit鈥檚 麻豆原创 expertise and knowledge of manufacturing industry processes from procurement to distribution were also significant success factors for the rapid rollout.

鈥淭his is possibly the most significant change in ERP implementations since 麻豆原创 was founded in 1972,鈥� says , Vincit鈥檚 Business Area Lead. 鈥淓RP projects have traditionally been seen as slow and expensive, but cloud-based ERP systems have permanently changed the game. Fast rollouts also motivate 麻豆原创 consultants: value can be delivered to the customer faster and with smaller teams than ever before.鈥�

Significant Business Impact

A scalable system delivers added value immediately. The Ahlstrom factory in question now has a modern ERP system that improves operational efficiency right from the start. The clean core approach enables new extensions and functionalities to be added more quickly and cost-effectively in the future.

Ahlstrom can reuse the 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud project model in its other factories. The cloud transition gives the company access to 麻豆原创鈥檚 latest innovations, including 麻豆原创 Joule鈥檚 AI capabilities. At the same time, long-term maintenance costs are significantly reduced.

The post Record-Fast 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud Implementation in Just Four Weeks appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

Over the last seven years, PwC has made signi铿乧ant investments in digital transformation. Our business urgency was driven by the need to scale global delivery, reimagine operations to manage costs, and empower our people with powerful digital experiences. The 铿乺m made signi铿乧ant investments and innovations in cloud, advanced analytics, and GenAI. But we recognized that modernizing our ERP core was a foundational dependency to applying these technologies to our operations, and to achieving the global, cost, and experience objectives.

We learned that traditional ROI methods for S/4HANA migration don鈥檛 always yield 铿乬ures that will impress a CFO. Licensing and implementation costs stack up high relative to value from conventional process improvements from new functionality. But considering the technology suite 鈥� centered on the resilient S/4HANA applications and extended by new technologies and cloud services 鈥� the potential emerges for ERP to become a modern ERP core. And a modern ERP core is key to unlocking the next wave of automation and intelligence in business operations.

PwC recognized that future-proof business systems should enable four digital pillars 鈥� each representing a shift in how users will interact with business systems and data:

These are all critical elements. Without them, it becomes signi铿乧antly harder to build reliable, agentic AI for business processes that include ERP functionality or data. They also combine to make intelligence possible. To predict 铿乶ancial performance, for example, data must become more reliable at the source, as it鈥檚 transacted and classi铿乪d. Maintaining reliable data at the source has traditionally been dif铿乧ult for humans, but automations and co-pilots will help.

It is still important to develop a set of business improvement targets that can be traced to new functionality and process simpli铿乧ations. It鈥檚 necessary for leadership approval and useful in motivating functional managers to help drive the program. But effective modernization should also aim to deliver these integral features that establish ERP as a foundational enabler for the four digital pillars. This is the digital core imperative.

The PwC global network now has multiple territories live on S/4HANA and is adding more sites quickly. We have digitally mapped each business process, deployed global standard data models, extended the solution with our own cloud-native creations (winning an unprecedented three 麻豆原创 innovation awards in a row), and began testing how to use 麻豆原创 applications with a conversational AI experience.

Achieving a digital core 鈥� combined with the lessons from our own transformation journey- has become a pivotal lens through which we can now guide clients.

So, hold on to your seats 鈥� we鈥檙e launching the next generation of business applications, and we鈥檙e just beginning to see how far this can take our 铿乺m and our clients.

We built for what鈥檚 next, so you can get there now.

Learn more about听, view system demonstrations, or discuss how to build the architectural imperatives into your enterprise鈥檚 S/4HANA migration.

The post Agentic AI and Shifts in Persona Experiences made S/4HANA Migration More Critical for PwC appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

Speaking at the event, Eskom chairman said: 鈥淪outh Africa is slowly but surely experiencing an economic uptick, with improvements in both political and infrastructural stability. This has the potential to increase foreign direct investment and boost local economic confidence, providing the private sector, and technology leaders in particular, the opportunity to focus on transformation and development within their organisations. Now is the time to look at where your businesses need to be three to five years down the line.鈥�

麻豆原创 Now is a global series of events that brings together some of the most innovative minds and technologies shaping the future of business. The African edition, held at The Forum in Johannesburg, saw 300 business leaders and experts from Africa and Europe converge to share insights and best practices for leveraging technology to drive growth and innovation on the continent.

Addressing the macroeconomic outlook for Africa, Chief Economist at Development Bank of Southern Africa said: 鈥淚nfrastructure deficit developments provide an opportunity for economic development in Africa.听 Additionally, Public Private Partnerships are critical for economic growth on the continent.听 Private entities such as 麻豆原创 with its network partners have huge responsibilities to facilitate connectivity solutions that will drive the Africa of the future.鈥�

Impact of business AI growing

, Chief Business Officer for MEA South 麻豆原创 and Managing Director for Emerging Africa at 麻豆原创, said: “Business leaders face growing complexity and increasing pressure to stay ahead of stakeholder expectations, driving demand for deeper insights into various aspects of the organisation’s performance. The power of technologies such as AI integrated to core business processes and built on trusted data is enabling greater efficiency and improved innovation capacity. Technology is transforming the way business leaders make decisions, enabling them to lead with greater foresight, precision and resilience.”

found that 96% of companies have an executive mandate to explore or implement AI technology. Of the respondents, 40% are implementing AI for specific use cases, 38% are exploring potential use cases, and 17% have a mandate to implement AI strategically across the organisation.

AI was also revealed to be the primary differentiator among customers who are evaluating systems integrators.

麻豆原创 recently announced a slew of new innovations, including an expanded set of use cases for its Joule AI copilot.

鈥� for Edition enables 95% faster informational searches and 90% faster execution of navigation and transaction tasks, speeding up internal decision-making,鈥� says Dressler. 鈥溌槎乖� Business AI for field service agents also increases dispatcher productivity by 12.5% and reduces errors by 5%, driving improved customer satisfaction, while generative AI in 麻豆原创 Product Innovation Management reduces the total cost of campaign creation by 50% and improves the quality of idea and campaign descriptions. As African organisations continue to build out their AI strategies, we expect to see immense productivity and innovation gains realised by the effective integration of data and AI into core business processes.鈥�

Thriving partner ecosystem unlocking AI benefits

麻豆原创 NOW was held in collaboration with the and 麻豆原创 ecosystem partners, with – one of 麻豆原创’s longest-standing partners – playing a key role at the event.

, Managing Director for Southern Africa at 麻豆原创, said: “The growing adoption of AI among African enterprises and SMEs is enabling faster work, smarter insights, and better business outcomes across industries. African organisations are now laying the groundwork for a new era of human-AI collaboration that will bring unprecedented productivity and unlock new revenue streams. We look forward to working with our incredible partner ecosystem to support African organisations in their efforts at unlocking the benefits of technology for sustained innovation and growth.”

, Chief Technology & Solutions Officer for Africa at Microsoft, noted the power of co-operation and partnership in supporting the AI and digital transformation ambitions of African enterprises. 鈥淥ur organisations have enjoyed 30 years of successful, value-driven听 collaboration. Our joint capabilities empower organisations to run intelligent and frictionless enterprises powered by scalable cloud solutions and the growing impact of AI. Together, we hope to continue delivering an accelerated path to growth and innovation for all our customers on the African continent.鈥�

ENDS

Visit the 麻豆原创 News Center. Follow 麻豆原创 at .

About 麻豆原创
As鈥痑 global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, 麻豆原创 (NYSE:麻豆原创)鈥痵tands at the鈥痭exus鈥痮f business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted 麻豆原创鈥痶o bring out their best by uniting business-critical鈥痮perations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit鈥�.

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漏 2024 麻豆原创 SE. All rights reserved.
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The post African Business Leaders Upbeat About Technology’s Growing Impact on Continent appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

鈥淲ith expanding economies, a burgeoning young population, and increasing digital adoption, the continent is ripe with opportunities.鈥�

Lopes added: 鈥淗owever, these prospects come with challenges that require strategic planning, technological adoption, and investment in skills.鈥�

This article explores the key trends shaping Africa鈥檚 business future, emphasizing the role of and as pivotal ERP solutions for organizations looking to streamline operations and drive growth.

1. Economic growth and diversification: A continent on the rise

Africa鈥檚 GDP is projected to grow steadily, with sectors such as agriculture, technology, and services leading the charge.

According to the World Bank, Sub-Saharan Africa鈥檚 economy is expected to expand by 4.0% in 2025, driven by increased trade, investment, and digital transformation.

Notable economies like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa are seeing continued growth, while emerging markets such as Rwanda and Ethiopia are gaining momentum.

Key statistics:

• Africa鈥檚 tech sector secured $4.9 billion in venture capital funding in 2022, a 2.5x increase from 2021, with fintech and e-commerce startups leading the way.
• The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) aims to boost intra-African trade by over 50% by 2025, creating a market of 1.3 billion people.

2. The role of ERP Solutions: 麻豆原创 Business One and S/4HANA Public Cloud

As businesses across Africa scale, the need for robust systems to manage complex operations becomes essential.

ERP systems like 麻豆原创 Business One and 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud offer tailored solutions for small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large corporations, respectively.

These cloud-based platforms streamline business processes, facilitate real-time data insights, and help companies manage everything from finance to supply chains seamlessly.

Why 麻豆原创 Business One and S/4HANA Public Cloud?

听is designed for growing SMEs, providing an affordable yet comprehensive ERP solution that manages everything from sales and inventory to financials. For larger enterprises,听听delivers a robust, scalable, and flexible cloud ERP that integrates seamlessly with various business functions, supporting faster decision-making and reducing operational costs.

Case example: Small enterprises benefiting from 麻豆原创 Business One

A mid-sized manufacturing company in Kenya adopted 麻豆原创 Business One to streamline its supply chain and financial management.
By integrating their operations into a single system, they reduced inventory holding costs by 15% and improved order processing times by 30%.

This not only improved customer satisfaction but also enabled them to scale operations efficiently to serve international markets.

3. Cloud adoption and the benefits of S/4HANA Public Cloud

麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud is becoming the go-to ERP for enterprises seeking flexibility and scalability.

By leveraging the cloud, businesses can avoid heavy upfront IT investments, benefit from automatic software updates, and ensure that their systems are always running on the latest technology.

The SaaS model offers predictable costs, making it easier for businesses to budget for digital transformation.

Key statistics:

• Gartner reported that 67% of S/4HANA deals in 2023 were through 麻豆原创鈥檚 RISE program, which packages ERP, infrastructure, and services into a single contract, making it easier for businesses to transition to the cloud.
• Companies using S/4HANA Public Cloud have reported a 40% reduction in IT costs due to streamlined operations and automated updates.

These are critical stats that show the power of the SaaS model.

Human example: Modernizing operations with 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud

A global aerospace company, leveraged 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud to unify its operations across multiple regions.
The ERP allowed them to standardize processes, enabling them to manage production schedules and supply chains more efficiently.

This transformation not only improved operational efficiency but also gave Bombardier a competitive edge against larger aerospace competitors.

4. Navigating challenges: infrastructure, skills, and digital integration

While the future looks promising, businesses in Africa still face infrastructural deficits, a skills gap, and challenges in digital integration.

Connectivity in rural areas, for instance, remains a concern, and there鈥檚 a pressing need to upskill the workforce to manage sophisticated digital tools like ERP systems.

Building Digital Skills To fully benefit from 麻豆原创 Business One and S/4HANA Public Cloud, organizations need skilled personnel who can leverage these platforms effectively.

Companies investing in training and upskilling report smoother transitions and higher returns on their ERP investments.

For example, 麻豆原创鈥檚 鈥溾�� initiative focuses on supporting small and mid-sized businesses in adopting S/4HANA Public Cloud, with a structured learning program designed to help them maximize their ERP capabilities.

5. Collaboration and strategic partnerships: The way forward

Strategic collaborations will be essential for businesses in Africa to navigate the evolving digital landscape.

Partnerships with technology providers like 麻豆原创 are critical for accessing the latest ERP solutions and technical expertise.

麻豆原创 has made it easier for companies to transition to cloud-based ERPs through programs like , which bundles software, infrastructure, and services, simplifying the migration process for businesses with limited IT resources.

Greenfield vs. brownfield ERP implementation

For businesses considering a move to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud, two approaches are available: greenfield (a fresh implementation) and brownfield (system conversion).

Greenfield implementations allow companies to re-engineer business processes from scratch, while brownfield conversions are suitable for businesses looking to migrate existing setups with minimal disruption.

Each method has its advantages, depending on the company鈥檚 strategic goals and resources.

Shaping Africa鈥檚 business future with ERP solutions

As we look toward 2025, Africa鈥檚 business landscape is set for significant growth, with technology playing a central role.

麻豆原创 Business One and 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud will be pivotal in supporting businesses of all sizes across the continent.

By enabling real-time data analysis, streamlined operations, and flexible cloud-based solutions, these ERPs help companies navigate the complexities of scaling in a rapidly evolving market.

C-suite executives must prioritize digital transformation, supported by the right ERP systems, strategic partnerships, and investment in human capital.

Companies that embrace cloud-based ERP solutions like 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud and 麻豆原创 Business One will be better positioned to harness the opportunities presented by Africa鈥檚 dynamic business environment, paving the way for sustainable growth and enhanced global competitiveness.

Let us at SEIDOR assist you in moving your business towards the future.

The post The Future of Business in Africa by 2025 鈥� and the Role of ERP Solutions appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

The banking sector is set for a tidal wave of innovation as the adoption of a broad range of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions accelerates in the years ahead, supported by the growing power and scalability of the cloud.

The strategic use of AI is nothing new to the banking sector. Due to the data, processes and tech-intensive operations typical of the industry, banks have leveraged AI and machine learning to improve data classification and process automation, as well as uncover hidden patterns and predicting events, which is particularly useful in governance and compliance efforts.

The global banking, finance and insurance accounts for an听, second only to the ICT sector. This adoption is only set to grow as Generative AI is deployed to a broad range of use cases.

The new wave of generative AI promises new advances in employee productivity, system efficiencies, and innovation. The impacts of this innovation will likely be seen in critical areas including greater differentiation, improved financial performance, and enhanced risk management capabilities.

For banks, continued success and growth may depend on how effectively they leverage the power of business AI and the scalability of the cloud to power innovation.

AI powering strategic decision-making

One of the highest-value areas of AI-powered banking innovation is in improved strategic decision-making, especially at a CFO level.

In a banking and financial services context, the strategic role of the CFO is critical to the company’s performance and its ability to both identify and adapt to emerging risks and opportunities.

To fulfil this strategic role, CFOs need access to accurate, real-time information about the performance of the business at every level of granularity, enabled by powerful modern data management technologies. However, this level of real-time insights has not been available to CFOs at the speed at which the business moves, affecting strategic decision-making.

The introduction of business AI is set to revolutionise the strategic role of the CFO by automating manually intensive tasks to free up time and resources for strategic initiatives, improving reporting accuracy, and mitigating risks related to fraud through improved anomaly detection and prevention.

A recent survey by IDC听found that CFOs expect AI to dramatically improve the performance of their finance functions, ranging from payments and expense management to financial close, forecasting, budgeting and planning. The report highlights the role of AI to enable CFOs to predict and model complex business scenarios in real time, using AI-powered insights to draw on historic patterns as well as capture and adjust to business events as they happen.

However, the success of business AI depends on the quality and relevance of the data it ingests. Here, the role of business technology platforms leveraging the cloud become indispensable to banks’ efforts at adopting AI for innovation and decision-making.

Cloud provides platform for banking innovation

Banks are in a perpetual state of innovation to meet changing customer needs, adapt to regulatory changes, and design and deliver new banking products and customer experiences. However, the high levels of complexity within their operations can make it hard for banks to adopt the new technologies they need for their innovation efforts.

Here, the power of the cloud and global best practices are critical to banks’ efforts. The introduction of 麻豆原创 Signavio to enterprise resource planning transformation efforts equips banks with standardised software processes to reduce human error, optimise the allocation of existing tech resources, and ensure core processes are sustainable and resilient.

Banks leveraging 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud also gain access to insights at a local and global level into aspects such as best-practice processes, regulatory compliance, change management and more. By drawing on the insights from global peers, banks can make improved strategic decisions over core business and technology processes to reduce complexity and accelerate business transformation efforts.

Smaller Africa-based subsidiaries of larger global banking organisations can also leverage public cloud for a lighter approach to adopting new technologies that still easily integrates with the parent company’s core systems.

The adoption of 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud among smaller fintech companies such as neobanks, payment providers, insurance agents and brokerages also makes it easier for banks to integrate third-party innovations into their core banking offering.

Considering the speed at which fintechs can acquire new customers, especially in non-traditional markets where banks don’t have a strong presence, the ability to integrate these customers into the broader banking offering provides a compelling commercial opportunity for banks seeking revenue and customer growth.

The impact of business AI and the scalability and flexibility offered by the cloud will transform Africa鈥檚 banking sector and power the next wave of innovation and growth. By leveraging global best practices and investing in a business technology platform that enables the adoption of business AI and other innovative technologies, banks can transform their decision-making capabilities, unlock new growth opportunities, and build sustainable and resilient business models.

This article first appeared via Banking’s bright future powered by Business AI, Cloud (topco.co.za).

The post Banking’s Bright Future Powered by Business AI, Cloud appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

Successful implementation of 麻豆原创 S/4HANA庐 Public Cloud ERP during COVID-19 lockdown, across borders

Diamond miner, Lucara Botswana, the 100% owner of the Karowe Diamond Mine asset, headquartered in Gaborone, has not allowed the COVID-19 pandemic to stand in the way of its important transformation programme.

As part of its expansion strategy, the company embarked on a technology transformation journey with Deloitte in February 2020. The programme included the implementation of the 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system鈥攁 suite of integrated business applications with core business processes in finance, sourcing, procurement, manufacturing, sales, supply chain, plant maintenance and project systems.

Lucara operates the Karowe mine, close to the Lethlakane village, mining large, high-value diamonds. It employs approximately 550 permanent workers, approximately 1,100 contractors, and turns over $192.5 million per annum.In March, the Deloitte team travelled to Gaborone and Lethlakane to kick-start the project. The 麻豆原创 S4/HANA Public Cloud implementation was to be completed within a tight, four-month deadline. Two weeks into the work the team travelled back to South Africa, just as the country announced the COVID-19 lockdown. These restrictions meant they could not go back to Botswana to finish the job.

In adapting to the situation, the team strategised and came up with a plan on how to complete the task under the unusual circumstances of COVID-19 restrictions. Deloitte proposed a Project Continuity Plan, which allowed for the team to deliver the 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud Implementation project remotely from Johannesburg. The plan included innovative governance forums that were optimised, streamlined and replaced with shorter, more frequent, interventions and engagements.

This approach continued during the lifecycle of the project and proved very effective. Quick, short, turnarounds and regular playbacks were also incorporated to ensure requirements were met and gaps identified early on to speed up the work. 鈥淭he Executive Leadership team at Lucara, including the MD and CFO, provided much needed executive level sponsorship, and demonstrated courage, resilience and agility, by allowing the combined Lucara and Deloitte implementation to deliver the first ever 麻豆原创 Public Cloud implementation remotely at a mining client on the African continent,鈥� said Jaco van Niekerk, Lucara Lead Client Director.

鈥淭he Covid-19 pandemic presented a rare but perfect opportunity for both Deloitte and Lucara to explore and adopt a virtual 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud implementation approach – using various Deloitte remote methods and tools, which allowed for the continuation and successful implementation of the project,鈥� says Kevin Govender, Deloitte Africa ERP Leader, Enterprise Technology & Performance.

The Lucara and Deloitte teams were able to execute the project despite the difficulties and challenges of working remotely from another country. All major milestones were achieved remotely, from across borders.

鈥淭he Lucara 麻豆原创 project has shown that delivering complex ERP projects remotely is indeed possible. Through the commitment and support of Lucara鈥檚 exco and other team members it was proven that with the right attitude, focus, delivery approaches and methodologies these kinds of projects can be delivered on time and on budget. As a Deloitte delivery team, we were challenged to re-visit various aspects of project delivery methods and learnt that client relationships and empathy go a long way in the absence of being able to engage face-to -face,鈥� says Christiaan Barnardo, Project Manager Deloitte Africa.

The Lucara 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud Project went live on 2 July 2020, on time and on budget, via a streaming go-live activation event. The launch was attended by the Lucara Managing Director, Naseem Lahri, Project Sponsor, and various other stakeholders at the Karowe mine and Lucara head office in Gaborone, as well as Deloitte team members who connected remotely from locations in South Africa and Botswana.

鈥淟ucara Botswana was required to be agile and responsive to the requirements of the organisation and its strategic objective during the pandemic. As a result of the dynamic team within Lucara, the decision to go ahead with the project in these uncertain times was an easy one. The teams of Deloitte and Lucara worked well together to ensure that the project was delivered successfully,鈥� says Naseem Lahri, Managing Director at Lucara Botswana, 鈥淭he success of this project was based on the clear collaboration of both teams and the ability to correct any anomalies immediately and move on to deliver an extremely successful project. Both teams worked extremely hard during these uncertain times to deliver the objective. This was as a direct result of their resilience, determination and commitment to make this work and understanding of the objective at hand.鈥�

This article first appeared on Deloitte.com:

The post Deloitte Africa Delivers Cloud System to Lucara Botswana via Virtual Implementation appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

Rob Coombe, Group IT Manager at , says the new technology platform will support the company’s business strategy by unlocking greater agility, cost-efficiency and innovation capability. “Our 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud deployment drives greater efficiency across our business by allowing us to leverage best-practice standards that keep processes running smoothly while unlocking significant cost savings. The power and scalability of the platform can also support our business as we enter new product segments and markets, allowing us to quickly and efficiently bring new processes and business capabilities online.”听

Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation is one of Eswatini’s largest companies, employing more than 4500 people and producing two-thirds of the country’s sugar and more than 35-million litres of ethanol per year. The company has a long history of leveraging 麻豆原创 solutions to power its business processes, and in 2014 became the first company in Southern Africa to commission more than 25 麻豆原创 modules.听听

“We sought a replacement for our 麻豆原创 ECC systems and did extensive research, even looking beyond the 麻豆原创 landscape,” explains Coombe. “We were impressed with 麻豆原创’s vision for the public cloud, and the quick and efficient execution of that vision. We identified 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud as the best fit for us, and opted for a Public Cloud deployment to support our end-to-end business processes while unlocking significant cost savings across our business.”听

One of the contributing factors to the success of the deployment is Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation’s use of best-practice processes and templates. “麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud has benefited from immense development work that has helped it mature into a very attractive business proposition,” says Coombe. “There was nothing about our business needs that differentiated us to the point of needing more customisation. We adopted the standard processes offered by S/4HANA Public Cloud, leaving us free to spend time and resources on areas of the business where we do want to differentiate.”听

Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation plays a vital role within local communities, providing housing and infrastructure to the more than 2500 families that are involved in sugar cane farming. The company also supports seven government-owned schools serving its communities and supports broader infrastructure around its farms and production facilities.听

“Using our new 麻豆原创 capabilities, we can support every part of our business, from the production of sugar and ethanol to running estates and roads in our villages,” explains Coombe. “The modern architecture offered by 麻豆原创 allows us to spin new processes and capabilities up when needed, or scale down underutilised processes. This is helping us drive efficiencies across every facet of our business, unlocking significant value along the way.”听

Innovation is a key part of Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation’s strategic business goals. To encourage his teams to seek opportunities for innovation, Coombe has instituted a ‘free Friday’ where IT teams are encouraged to explore the 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform and find novel solutions to common business problems. “After only a few weeks, we’ve seen incredible excitement among our employees over the possibilities offered by our new 麻豆原创 platform. It has brought new energy to the IT department that has spilled over to the rest of the business as users become more aware of what the platform offers.”听

Cameron Beveridge, Regional Director for Southern Africa at 麻豆原创, lauds the excellent use of technology and best-practices to drive innovation and efficiency across Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation鈥檚 business. 鈥淭he world鈥檚 leading companies leverage technology to support ambitious business strategies, empowering every layer of the organisation with powerful new capabilities. With Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation鈥檚 outstanding utilisation of 麻豆原创鈥檚 latest S/4HANA Public Cloud platform, the business can confidently step into the next phase of its growth and innovation journey, knowing that critical business processes will be enhanced and supported for years to come.鈥�听

ENDS听

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麻豆原创鈥檚 strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent, sustainable enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 麻豆原创 customers generate 87% of total global commerce. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers鈥� businesses into intelligent enterprises. 麻豆原创 helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want 鈥� without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, 麻豆原创 helps the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives. For more information, visit .听听听

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The post Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation Hits Tech Sweet Spot with 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud Deployment appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

We are thrilled to announce the release of our latest podcast episode, featuring a captivating conversation with Rob Coombe, IT Manager at Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation.

The episode dives into their groundbreaking S/4HANA public cloud migration, which supports 1,100 users and focuses on digital transformation. As they stayed with 麻豆原创 for cost efficiency, they adopted Business Technology Platform tools such as 麻豆原创 Analytics and prioritized upskilling young talent. By implementing a data management strategy centered around cleanliness and extensibility, they tackled technical debt during transitions.

Key discussions in the episode include:

• Overcoming post-COVID digital transformation challenges
• Navigating staff resistance and security concerns
• Leveraging 麻豆原创 Analytics, Cloud Integration, and upskilling through BTP capabilities
• Shifting towards more technical aspects of business consulting
• Simplifying conversational alignment and processes
• Creating value with conversations, boot camps, and collaborative problem-solving
• Ensuring technology alignment with business strategy

鈿on’t miss out on the actionable insights and inspiring stories in this phenomenal episode. Tune in to learn more about Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation’s digital transformation journey and the innovative minds behind it.

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The post Discover the Digital Transformation Journey of Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation | New Podcast Episode Out Now! appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

If the answer is yes, then you have faced at least one or all of these difficulties: complexity, mistrust, slowness, high risk etc.

Ibrahim Niangado, founder of Mali-based 麻豆原创 Partner instead of complaining and suffering from such a challenging market, decided to do things differently.

He leveraged his consulting expertise acquired in France to give back to his home country. In 2017 he started an 麻豆原创 Business One practice in Bamako from scratch and identified a few small companies in urgent need of digitisation. He then recruited high skilled talents to deliver best-in-class experience to his 麻豆原创 customers.

Safir Consulting cumulated awards and customer success stories one after the other and quickly realised they could also address companies of larger size with higher business volume. It was the perfect timing to align their strategy with 麻豆原创鈥檚 public cloud mindset.

After identifying a couple of companies seeking cloud business management software, Safir Consulting ups-killed their resources in 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud solution by taking advantage from the online resources and webinars offered by the Partner Solution Adoption team at 麻豆原创.

Few weeks later, Safir Consulting signed their first 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud project and came to Casablanca to attend a bootcamp organized by the Partner Solution Adoption for 麻豆原创 partners based in Francophone Africa.

The bootcamp was successful and Safir鈥檚 founder and CEO Ibrahim Niangado leveraged his presence in Morocco to attend a 1:1 speed dating with our team to deep dive in some selected topics necessary for the success of his public cloud strategy.

They also participated in the localisation workshop held in 麻豆原创 Dubai office last summer to identify the must knows before implementing a public cloud solution in the Sub-Saharan market.

What an incredible story!

6 years ago Ibrahim started his business as a solopreneur implementing 麻豆原创 Business One for small structures. During my last visit to Mali I was impressed by seeing him sitting at the tables of the most powerful local CEOs in the Oil and Gas industry. He is now running a subsidiary in Ivory Coast and ready to conquer the Francophone Africa region thanks to his adoption of the Cloud mindset.

Are you an 麻豆原创 Business One partner and would like to live the same journey as Ibrahim?听听to hear from him directly what were the steps, challenges and key success factors of his strategy shift.

The post From the Ground to the Cloud appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

Mukwano Industries is one of the great success stories of the Ugandan business world. From humble beginnings as a general dealer in Kampala in the 1980s, the company has grown into one of the leading FMCG conglomerates in East Africa, with interests that include manufacturing, agriculture and property development. Its products, ranging from petroleum jelly and detergents to cooking oil and soap; from drinking water to household and commercial plastics; can be found in every home across Uganda.

The major challenge for the company was that its technology infrastructure had not kept pace with its growth. It had implemented 麻豆原创 ECC 6.0 back in 2008, and the now dated platform was creating a host of issues: numerous custom developments, plant maintenance and operations not implemented, and an enduring dependency on paper-based systems and Excel spreadsheets.

鈥淲e had data everywhere, but information nowhere,鈥� says Mukwano CEO Tony Gadhoke. 鈥淭his meant we had low cost insights and a growing need for operational efficiencies. Something had to give. So we decided to shed our legacy systems and move our core business processes to the Cloud using the 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Public Cloud platform. In doing so, we aimed to leverage Cloud capabilities to improve technical and operational agility, enhance real-time visibility across the business, harmonise data, improve reporting, and enable future growth and innovation.鈥�

There was just one catch: the business insisted on a rapid implementation strategy to reduce the amount of time and resources needed, by around 35%, to implement the project. In effect, this meant replacing Mukwano鈥檚 core systems and training the necessary people to be able to go live, within five and a half months.

There were a couple of factors working in Mukwano鈥檚 favour: the company wanted a 鈥渂est practices鈥� 麻豆原创 system, which meant minimal customisation time. And partner iMark Technologies鈥� 鈥榸ero fat鈥� approach to getting projects done, combined with Mukwano鈥檚 highly structured project management approach, ensured the implementation never deviated from its time scale for a moment.

鈥淎part from the incredibly tight timeframe for the implementation, our biggest challenge was that we were changing the organizational structure completely to align to the 麻豆原创 system. This meant we had to ensure the right people were in the right positions. To ensure immediate buy-in and adoption of the new system by its users, we ran extensive training sessions every day, with ongoing monitoring of skill absorption, to ensure as high a level of ownership as possible,鈥� said Gadhoke.

This meant cancelling all leave for the duration of the project 鈥� including over Christmas and New Year 鈥� to ensure every individual was onboard and the project didn鈥檛 deviate from the timeline. 鈥淚t was tough, but we had no choice. There was no room for a redo, and we had to make sure we got it right first time,鈥� said Gadhoke.

Ultimately, the effort was worth it, with the results of the implementation exceeding Mukwano鈥檚 already high expectations. In a first for Uganda, the business put its core business systems into the Cloud by the agreed deadline, with minimal disruption to the business. The company has already seen significant gains in productivity and faster time to market. It has greater visibility into its operations than ever before, through an intuitive, unified platform from which it can oversee its business operations from end-to-end. It has also seen a 鈥榟uge鈥� reduction in capex on its server infrastructure and IT resources.

Gadhoke said partner iMark Technologies鈥� experience in the digital transformation of organisations in the East African region was critical to the success of the project. S Iyer, the managing director of iMark, said: 鈥淚t has been very exciting for us to see how organisations like Mukwano are realising the promise of digital transformation by leveraging 麻豆原创 technologies and solutions to effect transformational change.

Mukwano has already been able to achieve significant progress in its operational excellence with S/4 HANA, thanks to the incredible analytics functionality that has been unlocked. 鈥淭he next steps in our journey will be to focus on people performance and excellence. But we鈥檙e confident that we have the right platform in place to take the business to the next level,鈥� said Gadhoke.

The post Mukwano Industries Reaps Benefits of Cloud Transformation appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.