We live in an age awash with , mental health days, and modern benefits like which all revolve around the idea that it is important to recognise employee well-being for a variety of reasons. But what does Robotics Automation have to do with employee well-being? In some ways it seems like organisations are interested in the well-being of robots more than people. And aren鈥檛 these BOTS just here to take away our jobs?

鈥渋ts is about enhancing the experience and putting people where it matters, so automation is highly used鈥�

In a nutshell RPA, when done correctly, can remove the need for some employees to engage in tasks that are largely repetitive but perhaps high value. By doing this, these employees can instead focus on other, higher value tasks that more fully use their skill set. I was very privileged recently to meet with Tammy Ryder, General Manager of People and Culture Central for Coles and discuss this topic with her.

I was interested in her view on this topic as she runs Coles HR Shared Services as well as People and Culture Digital Transformation. She was deeply involved in the rollout of , integrated with for Talent Acquisition where much of the RPA solutions implemented were used. As part of that project Tammy implemented RPA in the form of several BOTS to close some gaps and bring greater efficiency to the whole process. In discussing this topic, she said that one of her team鈥檚 key learnings was 鈥溾�� it is about enhancing the experience and putting people where it matters, so automation is highly used鈥�.

Tammy mentioned that early on there was a misconception at Coles that RPA automation would take away jobs or replace people. Tammy and her team were careful to select automated tasks that were important to the business because they are related to critical processes like pay or hiring but were also highly repetitive.

These choices meant that these workers could use the time that automation frees up to instead train team members, interact with customers and other higher value tasks for example, however the BOTs were also providing a valuable service. She said 鈥淸Coles employees] want to do worthwhile work, they want to do work that makes them feel that it has real purpose and meaning behind it.鈥�

鈥�83% [of Australian consumers] are prepared to pay more money for products or services that enhance their feelings of well-being鈥�

While well-being itself as a concept is a hot topic in HR circles these days, trying to quantify the business benefits of well-being can be challenging for HR professionals. Tammy mentioned that when meeting with the executive board, they were, not surprisingly, interested in facts and figures more than feelings.

So how does an HR executive get funding or support for programs like this that support well-being?

We discussed what metric could be used when proposing one of the benefits of RPA as being related to employee well-being. At present there isn鈥檛 any such industry metric and it is challenging to articulate the benefits in numbers, but she was optimistic that over time this kind of metric could be developed and socialised, especially given the strong support for well-being and well-being programs at Coles like . A recent Australian showed that 鈥�83% are prepared to pay more money for products or services that enhance their feelings of well-being鈥�, so the desire for support of well-being programs is real.

I asked Tammy what were some of the challenges in implementing effective RPA? She said there were challenges around understanding how the technology works of course, but an unexpected challenge was the misperception and stigmatism among employees that 鈥淏OTS are going to take over the world鈥� and people would lose their jobs.

Therefore, being clear that, in reality, the aim was to have 鈥減eople where it matters鈥� so that employees could instead focus on high value work was key for success. Tammy鈥檚 advice was to carefully examine if the proposed RPA solution had any measurable benefit, not just automation for the sake of automation. She said that in the end her team got very proficient at looking for tasks that had a clear decision tree, and minimal human centric intervention.

In conclusion, RPA can be a strong contributor to employee well-being by , allowing employees to focus on high value work and potentially reducing employee turnover, which is a useful metric to justify such a program. The key, as always, is not to assume that any given automation is a benefit just because it automates something. Additionally, leaders need to be sensitive to employee鈥檚 perception that BOTS are here to take away their jobs.

With the right discussions, and communication, RPA can be a benefit to the organisation, to employees and even to customer鈥檚 well-being. I, for one, embrace the arrival of our robot friends and look forward to less drudgery.

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In 2021, an making it the most expensive NFT ever sold in an auction. Since then, NFTs have been making headlines with people buying digital arts, tweets and other assets online.

NFTs provides many opportunities for global industries like consumer goods, sports, retail to change the way they engage with their customers, enhance the value of their existing products, tap into new markets, and come up with new business models.

Impact on Global Industries
Many leading consumer brands have started to engage with their loyal fans using NFTs. For example, for auction on International Friendship Day, July 30, to engage with their customers. The highest bidder not only gets access to those rare collectibles, but also an in-real-life Coca-Cola refrigerator which would be released in the market later in year.

NFTs have opened new opportunities and business models for artists and musicians. With NFTs created for their digital artwork or music, they can engage and sell directly to their fans without middlemen, such as third-party services or distribution platforms. The American Rock band – which generated close to $2 million in sale. The token owners would enjoy perks like fronts row seat in concerts for life, VIP experience with access to lounge, hangout with the band before the show and many more.

NFTs are also starting to revolutionize fan engagement in Sports Industry too. Take for example, which is a marketplace where sports fans can buy, sell and trade NFTs of NBA video highlights. Many of top sports brands have also started collaborating with other platforms to come up with interesting and new ways of engaging with their fans. For example, ASICS has partnered with move-to-earn to encourage and reward their customers to stay fit.

Though NFTs have gained lot of popularity as collectibles, digital arts, music and gaming industry, they are slowing starting to enter enterprise segments. is an area where companies are increasingly using blockchain and NFT technology to reduce cost, eliminate bottlenecks, and have transparency with their consumers.

For example, when dealing with perishable products like strawberries, its important to know the distribution centers, the owner of the product at various stages of the supply chain and be able to calculate the freshness and shelf life of the product. NFTs can be created to not only track the movement of such perishable products, but also to obtain real-time visibility and better manage inventories in the supply chain.

Today consumers want to have visibility on how the product was created and where it came from and if sustainable practises were employed in the overall process. NFTs will be the key to providing that transparency to consumers and making it easier for them to make the best decision when making a purchase.

The role of NFTs in Metaverse
NFTs are the fundamental building blocks for the Metaverse. A metaverse is a collection of virtual reality worlds which people can access through browsers, mobile apps, gaming consoles and virtual reality equipments. Within a metaverse you can create your own avatar and navigate the virtual world to make friends, meet people, attend concerts, play games, buy virtual products, or have real-world products delivered to you. In essence, you would have a digital identify of yourself in the virtual world.

Gartner Predicts 25% of people will spend at least by 2026 and 30% of the organisations in the world will have products and services ready for metaverse.

NFTs provide a certificate of authenticity for all the digital assets in the metaverse. NFTs can be used to represent ownership of any digital asset in the metaverse 鈥� real estate, vehicles, clothing, artwork etc. The underlying technology that enables this is blockchain. NFTs are essentially cryptocurrency assets that run on blockchain making them immutable. It helps in providing a complete history of the item right from its creation to surrender with the possibility to track the ownership and the authenticity.

How to get involved with NFTs
There are several marketplaces where you can create, buy and sell NFTs. is one of the largest marketplaces and offers several NFT categories to explore. If you are an 麻豆原创 customer and looking to explore the potential of NFTs in your business, you can join this to open doors and help create new business models or find new ways of engaging with your customers.

This article was originally published on .

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These insights have been revealed in new SME research released today, which explores the impact of the Great Resignation on New Zealand鈥檚 SMEs. The study, Transformational Talent: The impact of the Great Resignation on in APJ鈥檚 SMEs commissioned Dynata to survey 1,363 small and medium business owners and decision-makers across eight countries in the region, including 101 in New Zealand.听

The impact of the Great Resignation on SME digital transformation in New Zealand听

As the world economy recovers from the pandemic, businesses now face another challenge 鈥� the 鈥楪reat Resignation鈥�. Coined in 2021, the phrase refers to a worldwide trend of millions of employees across the world leaving their jobs.听

麻豆原创鈥檚 research found the Great Resignation is real and impacting SMEs in New Zealand today. Three quarters (79%) of respondents agreed that more employees are resigning now compared to just 12 months ago, easily the highest in Asia Pacific and Japan. 36 percent of SMEs said they are not finding it easy to cope with the impact of the Great Resignation. 听

The talent crunch is impacting organisation鈥檚 ability to digitally transform their businesses. In fact, lack of skilled talent ranks alongside difficulty balancing priorities as the top challenges to achieving successful transformation for New Zealand SMEs, ahead of traditional obstacles like cyber security or lack of budgets.听

鈥淭his study reveals how the Great Resignation can be seen as an existential threat to many organisations,鈥� said Adrian Griffin, Managing Director 麻豆原创 New Zealand. 鈥淒igital transformation is a fundamental way SMEs not only build resilience, but how they create agile, innovative paths to growth. But without the right people, any transformation will struggle. In order to survive and thrive, New Zealand businesses have to invest in people, invest in culture and invest in innovation.鈥�听

Investing in talent and training to mitigate the Great Resignation听

SMEs in New Zealand are investing in their workforce to mitigate the effects of the Great Resignation and to bolster their organisations鈥� ability to deliver digital transformation.听听

Survey respondents said they were focusing on introducing flexible working arrangements (33%) to boost talent retention over the next 12 months. Yet, beyond that focus, SMEs are also focusing on training. Almost a third (29%) of SMEs said they would provide upskilling opportunities to retain key talent in the next 12 months.听

The focus on training can鈥檛 come too soon. Over eight in ten (81%) SMEs say upskilling to support digital transformation is urgent, leading to 88 percent of New Zealand SMEs who say they will focus on digital training throughout this year.听听

鈥淭he Great Resignation has often been misconstrued as employees leaving to pursue their purpose. That鈥檚 not the whole story,鈥� said Griffin. 鈥淓mployers need to look at the wider workplace. People want to work at organisations with a diverse and inclusive culture, a welcoming and flexible workplace, and a clearly communicated progression journey. Prioritising upskilling and career progression and supporting it with access to the right technology and partners is proven to be a win-win for employees and for SMEs here in New Zealand.鈥�听

Optimism abounds as SMEs move from resilience to focus on growth听

Having managed significant challenges over the past two years, SMEs in New Zealand are looking beyond a focus on resilience.听听

Two-thirds (69%) of New Zealand SMEs say their organisation is highly or fully resilient in weathering the pandemic鈥檚 impact. Just three percent of respondents said they are not resilient at all.听听

That confidence in their ability has resulted in a feeling of optimism about their growth prospects. 91 percent of SMEs in New Zealand said they are moderately, very, or extremely confident in their growth over the next 12 months.听听

That mindset can only be a positive thing for the region, according to Griffin.听

鈥淥ur small and medium sized businesses are a bellwether for the wider economy. I firmly believe that when SMEs thrive, economies grow, and New Zealand prospers鈥�, said Griffin. 鈥淏y harnessing this optimism and putting it together with great innovation, a commitment to talent, and a strong partner ecosystem we can chart a course to the next decade of SME success in New Zealand.鈥澨�听

The full report of Transformational Talent study is available for download upon request.听

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Yet compared with many private sector industries, it鈥檚 fair to say that public sector adoption of AI technology has been more measured. Governments and other public sector organisations face a number of significant challenges, from the availability of skills and investment funding, to demonstrating value and ensuring transparency about how decisions are made.

These challenges are reflected in the 麻豆原创 Institute for Digital Government鈥檚 latest report 鈥撎�� developed in partnership with the University of Queensland. While 80 per cent of public sector organisations are actively working towards data-driven transformation, fewer than 15 per cent have progressed beyond prototypes.

In order to drive greater uptake, the public sector needs to develop best practice frameworks and solutions for the development and use of AI systems that are accurate, robust, and scalable, but also reliable, fair, and transparent.

When building AI systems to meet these high levels of expectation, it鈥檚 vital that public sector workers are able to understand how these systems generate decisions and explain how this impacts results. This is known as AI explainability.

Read more of the article on Government News .

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This ethos underpins our digital strategy at听听(ARP), as a longstanding provider of retirement accommodation and aged-care services in Southern Queensland.

麻豆原创 and Health Metric鈥檚 joint solution has totally transformed our finance management processes. Our staff can now more quickly and easily find and share relevant information, and we鈥檝e seen a tangible rise in the time our staff can spend with residents as a result.

Read more

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鈥淐ompanies that recognize the role of technology in transforming their business models are the ones that have been able to thrive,鈥� said Chris Willcocks, head of intelligent spend management at 麻豆原创 ANZ. 鈥淐ustomers are focused on driving visibility in their supply chains and through their data, becoming an agile , increasing the resilience of their functions in business, and identifying and reducing risk.鈥�

Intelligent enterprises innovate with business networks

Speaking with Baber Farooq, senior vice president of intelligent spend management at 麻豆原创, during the event, Willcocks gave the virtual audience a glimpse into the future of procurement. It鈥檚 built on insights from quality data across supply chains, bringing buyers much closer to their suppliers. Noting that procurement doesn鈥檛 exist in a vacuum, Willcocks said that collaborative business networks are foundational to digital transformation.

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e connected not only to your suppliers, but to your customers and their customers, you make the move to being an intelligent enterprise,鈥� he said.

Autonomous procurement for intelligent spend

Just when the world needs to boost productivity to recover from the worldwide pandemic, markets are facing potentially dire shortages of both goods and labor. The answer lies in intelligent procurement where people do the things that machines cannot replicate.

鈥淧rocurement is at the heart of solving these [productivity] problems,鈥� said Farooq. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we鈥檙e focused on automating more and more processes 鈹� what we call autonomous procurement. Intelligent spend is finding out what machines can do and letting machines do that, and getting people to focus on the things that people do, which is establishing strategic relationships with suppliers.鈥�

Digitalized procurement translates to business innovation

In digitalizing forecasting, inventory management, and other collaboration points between buyers and suppliers, business networks have profoundly changed procurement. Teams have the time to be more productive, which translates to innovation.

鈥淚 was talking to an automotive customer who said that over 90 percent of the innovation they have in their cars came from their suppliers,鈥� said Farooq. 鈥淎nother customer in Asia recently launched an initiative where they used the 麻豆原创 business network supporting the goal of paying all suppliers within seven days. The network allows you to foster that amazing relationship with the supplier because everything is digital鈥eople can do what they do best, which is driving relationships and working on innovation.鈥�

Farooq challenged the audience to ask themselves, despite all the technological innovations the world has experienced in the past decade, if they had more time today for their work than they did 10 years ago.

鈥淭echnology has come about to make people more productive, but it has to get out of the way,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he heart of AI is to make businesses more effective鈥f we can make procurement organizations more productive, procurement organizations can make their entire business more productive, becoming a strategic advisor to the C-suite.鈥�

As for those organizations that regret not digitalizing fast enough to head off the worst business impacts from this pandemic, it鈥檚 not too late to prepare now for the next supply chain disruptions headed our way soon.

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鈥淲e鈥檙e responsible for managing critical energy infrastructure nationwide, and need flexible technology in order to operate and respond to crises. As we expand and innovate through acquisitions and partnerships, we needed an integrated system with standardised technology and processes,鈥� said Shaun Code, general manager of enterprise technology at AGL Energy. 鈥淲ith a rich API layer, the 麻豆原创 S/4HANA ERP platform provides a core ecosystem with the ability to adapt and extend operations, directly supporting our business growth and differentiating innovation.鈥�

Tech boosts health and safety innovation

replaced over 50 disparate legacy ERP applications with , dramatically simplifying systems with consistent processes throughout the organisation. Teams are taking advantage of the integrated core platform to build extensions on top of critical business processes, such as health and safety requirements.

鈥淲e conduct walks to identify potential hazards in facilities or the field,鈥� said Code. 鈥淏uilding on top of the , we鈥檝e developed a mobile app that allows our people to capture and share incidents and hazardous conditions immediately. We can conduct more walks over a shorter time period, increasing our ability to meet health and safety commitments.鈥�

AGL Energy recently won an for its AGL One iOS app. Built on 麻豆原创 S/4 HANA with 麻豆原创 Integration Suite and 麻豆原创 Extension Suite, the mobile app provides employees with one seamless digital experience, allowing them to access the right tool at the right time from anywhere.

Digital platform minimizes plant downtime

As the largest electricity generator in Australia, plant maintenance for AGL Energy is not just about scheduling work orders and completing tasks in a timely manner. Integrating data from 麻豆原创 cloud solutions, including and , provides AGL Energy with visibility across systems, including procurement and its important contract workforce.

鈥淭he platform is a unifying hub for effective integration and automation that streamlines our end-to-end daily processes,鈥� said Code. 鈥淲e can make sure that we have the parts to maintain operations, the contingent workers to complete the job, and the speed to pay our suppliers efficiently.鈥�

Sixty percent time-savings from continuous innovation

AGL Energy has made a number of valuable process improvements on top of 麻豆原创 S/4HANA, notably an intuitive mobile app that reduced the number of steps in job site environmental analyses by 60 percent. Before work can be done on sites with hazards, teams need to have effective controls in place for people鈥檚 safety. Previously, teams used different processes and places to collect and store information.

鈥淲e鈥檝e sped up the process with automatically prepopulated data to complete forms, and unified approvals with consistent documentation across the company,鈥� said Code. 鈥淧eople now can spend less time navigating paperwork and more time ensuring their work is completed safely. With a continuous data loop feedback we are constantly improving processes that matter to our business.鈥�

Flexibility for resilient business

When AGL Energy鈥檚 employees switched to remote work at the height of the pandemic last year, the company鈥檚 automated system literally helped power business continuity. Employees in different locations were easily trained to step in as health and weather-related events unfolded.

鈥淗aving a well-designed cloud-based system meant we could quickly scale up to thousands of employees working from home,鈥� said Code. 鈥淚t also gave us greater planning control during a highly uncertain time, with the flexibility to shift operations between Australia and India in the wake of major disruptions, including a cyclone.鈥�

Cloud platform connects data and insights

Business results from centralising ERP systems on one platform have been palpable company-wide. Because leaders have a clear line of sight through inventory and procurement, work completion rates are faster with fewer instances of costly rescheduling. Sharing inventory data between warehouses at different generator sites saves time and reduces costs. The company can easily find and reuse available equipment, instead of ordering new parts from far flung suppliers. In procurement, teams can more easily source the right goods and services from the right suppliers at the best price. The impact on financial systems has also been profound, reducing the time spent on month-end closings from days to hours.

epitomises the evolving business opportunities from the collision between technology and the industry itself.

鈥淭here鈥檚 never been a more exciting time to be in the energy industry,鈥� said Code. 鈥淲e are committed to this digital transformation journey with our customers and partners. Whether customers are getting power from solar panels, charging battery-operated EVs and other devices, going online, or just staying comfortable and connected at any time, technology underpins our determination to make services more sustainable, reliable and affordable.鈥�

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This year鈥檚 offers extensive resources to help you achieve it.

Future-Focused Procurement Track

For the first time, 麻豆原创 is offering a full day of procurement sessions focused on enabling you to optimize outcomes and chart a successful path forward. Launching on June 22, the Procurement track at 麻豆原创PHIRE NOW will feature a wide array of leaders, experts, and peers exploring how 麻豆原创 helps users align every spend decision to business strategy in today鈥檚 networked economy.

Customers like TAFE NSW, Coles and Ventia will share their experience and best practices, while 麻豆原创 partners and executives will offer insights on next-generation intelligent spend management solutions, recent and planned innovations, and a vision for the future.

To accommodate different schedules and interests, sessions will be offered in a variety of short- and long-term formats and divided into several sub-tracks, including digital transformation of procurement, trading partner collaboration and innovation, and external labor spend optimization. This content will offer valuable skills and information on how to:

• Shift procurement from an operational function to a strategic business force
• Deliver a smarter, guided, more autonomous process across all categories of spend
• Get closer to and collaborate better with suppliers, providers, and other trading partners through the world鈥檚 largest unified business network
• Enhance efficiency and connection through an open, extensible platform that integrates procurement into strategic planning and supports the goals of finance, operations, and the entire company
• Effectively manage external labor procurement to reduce security risks, increase business agility, and drive greater value in this critical and fast-growing spend category
• Adopt digital transformation strategies used by procurement and supply chain leaders to meet key goals and attain competitive advantage

Fast-Paced Studio Broadcast

Before starting the sessions, we鈥檒l kick things off with 麻豆原创PHIRE NOW studio, an engaging and quick-moving broadcast covering the latest procurement news, announcements, and conversations with analysts and top regional businesses. Attendees will hear from John Wookey, president of Intelligent Spend and Business Network for 麻豆原创, along with Thomas Saueressig, member of the Executive Board of 麻豆原创 SE, Product Engineering, who will discuss what is happening now and what is ahead to accelerate your digital journey.

Exciting Activities Expand the Experience

Tune in on June 3 for the 麻豆原创PHIRE NOW global keynote, where 麻豆原创 CEO Christian Klein will deliver exciting strategy updates and examine their impact with other special guests. And don鈥檛 miss the hands-on Digital Showcase Procurement Agility Tour, where you can see bicycle manufacturer 72 Bikes tap the power of a future-proof spend management system and global business network to launch a new sustainable product line.

Register Today

Registration is free for 麻豆原创PHIRE NOW in 2021. to secure your spot, then watch your inbox for detailed information to set your schedule and make the most of this industry-leading event.

This article originally published on the 麻豆原创 News Centre

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One year into its grip on the global economy, COVID-19 continues to disrupt job markets, with new volatility arising from overstretched health-care systems, emerging variants of the virus, and uneven distribution of vaccines. Despite the ongoing turbulence, businesses are taking steps, not only to recovery, but toward a more resilient future in which greater flexibility and visibility render them less vulnerable to disruption.

At the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), these steps include investing in digital transformation, with a focus on procuring and managing external workers such as specialist contractors.

The bank set up a 鈥榗ontractor hub鈥� with the help of 麻豆原创 to function as a single place to source, engage and manage its 2,000 strong contingent workforce. Enabled by the 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solution for vendor management, CBA鈥檚 Contractor Hub is now known as the largest managed service program in Australia.

Cloud-based technologies have allowed CBA to maintain seamless operations, despite immense disruption due to the pandemic. The bank was able to access and attract the best contingent talent in the marketplace, which in turn allowed them to stand out as an employer of choice for this increasingly important demographic.

Additionally, visibility into the bank鈥檚 highly skilled external workforce allowed the business to improve contractor productivity, gain relevant insights and reduce overall costs to the business.

But how much of a difference does digitalising the process of procuring and managing contingent labour and services providers actually make? According to new research from 麻豆原创, it can unlock newfound value and make a world of difference.

What the numbers tell us

In collaboration with 听into the impact of technology and process digitalisation in the procurement function. The report surveyed 1,000 procurement and supply chain executives responsible for direct and indirect spend and services, including the management of contingent labour and services providers.

Over half of executives (55 per cent) say their company would be unable to conduct business as usual without an external workforce, with over 60 per cent saying contingent labour and services providers help them compete in a digital world, lend extra capacity to help manage peaks in demand, and are essential for getting work done.

Over half of executives (54 per cent) specifically credit the external workforce with helping their businesses to recover from downturns. Meanwhile, seven in ten say contingent labour and services providers are 鈥渋mportant鈥� or 鈥渆xtremely important鈥� in enabling organisations to manage costs, operate at full capacity, and improve the customer experience.

The freelance boom

Many of the executives surveyed cite the pandemic as a watershed event for their businesses, where external workers proved decisive in maintaining the smooth flow of operations and keeping the promises made to customers.

This reliance on the highly skilled external workforce is only expected to grow in Australia. With the Federal Government鈥檚 JobKeeper program ending soon, many Australian businesses will need to start thinking about ways they can to do more with fewer resources. It鈥檚 predicted that flexible work will experience a boom as companies rethink their traditional team set up and opt for a more agile, cost effective structure.

The bigger picture

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the research reveals that organisations that embrace the digital transformation of procurement tend to outperform those who have yet to do so. Stronger reliance on data, analytics and automation helps procurement leaders make better-informed decisions and respond faster to emerging risks. But even firms far along in their digital strategies have much to gain from applying cloud-based tools more broadly and deeply to managing the external workforce. They, like others, struggle with incomplete data, manual processes, and opaque or inconsistent measures of performance.

A perfect example is the means by which organisations manage the external workforce, consisting of contingent and temporary labour, independent contractors, consultants and other services providers. Together, on average, they account for 42 per cent of total workforce spend, with payroll employees comprising the remainder. Though highly skilled external workers lend businesses the flexibility they need to achieve resilience in times of disruption, they are often under-managed, constraining organisations from reaping the full value from their talents.

Through the digital transformation of external workforce management, however, businesses gain critical visibility, enabling them to manage with rigor and improve the return on investment. By actively managing their external workforce with the transparency and real-time insights made possible by cloud-based applications, businesses can expand value, strengthen compliance and reduce risk.

As business leaders plan for a return to less anxious times, look for the digital transformation of external workforce management to play an increasingly prominent role in enabling organisations to rebuild and reemerge stronger on the other side of the pandemic.

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To find out more, visit the 麻豆原创 Australia Intelligent Spend

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Fionn noted that he joined AGL in May 2017. 鈥淭hat was a few days just before we kicked off our digital transformation program, otherwise known as PT3,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚 had several roles throughout the program, primarily starting in the work management space and then moving into some analytics and BPC areas 鈥� so I got a really good spread of experience across the program.鈥�

https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=802392

With over 11 years working in the utilities and 麻豆原创 space, Fionn鈥檚 primary role now is supporting AGL鈥檚 energy-generation sites. 鈥淚 work with the technology team and focus on delivering new capability on our brand new S4/HANA platform. The focus is really delivering new solutions and capabilities to our integrated business energy unit, so AGL is really focused on all our power stations throughout Australia, which includes our coal, thermal science, gas, wind, solar, hydro, and soon, very excitingly, our grid-scale batteries.

鈥淲hat we also do is support AGL in our drive around acquiring new business. Every time we buy a new company, they come into our technology team to help bring them onto our existing S4/HANA platform.鈥�

Fionn said shifting from an on-premise to a cloud-based solution has given AGL greater consistency, transparency, and control over its vast network of sites and functions. 鈥淧rior to PT3, we had over 50 legacy ERP applications around the business because we鈥檇 acquired a lot of energy businesses to secure those energy sites.鈥�

According to Fionn, this transformation journey was delivered by AGL internally, collaborating with various partners throughout the program鈥檚 implementation. 鈥淲e decided not to go outside and bring in a large consulting company, so it was effectively managed and delivered by AGL people with a lot of help from obviously 麻豆原创, but also a lot of consulting partners as well. It was a really great project team because it was heavy with businesspeople and technology people, so quite a unique deployment.鈥�

AGL has been making ongoing investments into its technology, Fionn explained, not only in digital transformation, but other backend processes that helped a majority of its 4,000 staff members move to remote working during the pandemic outbreak.

鈥溌槎乖� S4/HANA was just one of the key ingredients, but it has given us far more operational transparency across our business.鈥�

鈥淥ne of the challenges of having 50 ERPs across your business is that it makes it very hard to have visibility of activities happening or have trust in data. Having a single platform certainly gives a greater view of information that comes out of our various business units, providing a lot more trust in that we know the data is right in having one platform.鈥�

Another key benefit Fionn highlighted was the significant improvement in AGL鈥檚 flexibility for managing business change. 鈥淎GL, just like any other utility at the moment, is going through a period of change where the future is very uncertain, so we have to be flexible and nimble. Having one platform provides that flexibility.

鈥淚n recent times, we purchased a new energy business in Western Australia, and over a period, we were able to bring that onto our existing so that business aligns with the AGL way of working, which has been great to see.鈥�

AGL implemented other 麻豆原创 cloud-based solutions to further streamline and standardise its internal processes. 鈥淥ur business has a lot of contingent workers that support us, so we rely on quite heavily for that,鈥� Fionn said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also using to support our procurement process. It was quite exciting to see those two cloud products heavily integrated into our platform as well.

鈥淲e digitalised 78 business processes, so it鈥檚 been fantastic that all those processes are on state-of-the-art technology that works whether you鈥檙e sitting inside the office or at home, maybe if you鈥檙e lucky enough even on the beach, or even on mobile devices. With that technology, it has certainly given us a lot of flexibility as an organisation.鈥�

Fionn expressed that the big two factors for a successful transformation are about business support and basing decision on people. 鈥淭hrough our digital transformation, we had business people from across our business and corporate functions that were embedded in the team. That enabled us to make sure we weren鈥檛 just delivering a technology solution, but we were also delivering a business solution.

鈥淭he second thing I would like to call out with these activities is that your people should always be the focus in everything that you do. Ultimately, it鈥檚 a people-based solution, so you need to make sure you鈥檙e thinking about how they鈥檒l be using the tool in the future and what sort of change impacts that might have.鈥�

For businesses considering this cloud-based solution, Fionn offers some important tips for kickstarting a digital transformation journey. 鈥淥ne 鈥� don鈥檛 be afraid of S4/HANA. There are a lot of known unknowns in that space, but I highly recommend getting onto that platform and doing it as quickly as you can. All the incredible new capabilities that 麻豆原创 are releasing are all built for the .

鈥淭wo 鈥� focus on people and change. It really is the most important area because if people don鈥檛 embrace the technology, you won鈥檛 be able to deliver on the benefits of such an implementation.

鈥淭hree 鈥� user experience should always be front of mind, so make sure you put the right focus and attention into delivering solutions that help people through their day-to-day activities.

鈥淎nd finally 鈥� study the S4/HANA simplification lists just to understand what is in and out from each version. There is a lot of critical information in those documents, so I highly recommend you study those so there aren鈥檛 any surprises.鈥�

To hear more from my discussion with Fionn, check out the .

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