Q: Your team recently made a comprehensive update to 鈥淢apping your journey to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition.鈥� Why?

A: Since the first edition of the guide was published in 2018, the technological landscape has changed significantly and, of course, we want to provide our customers with the most up-to-date information. That鈥檚 our ongoing goal: to offer comprehensive guidance to companies looking to transition to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition. There鈥檚 plenty of information on the subject online, coming from different perspectives and with various focal points. We wanted to create a central, reliable source of information that can serve as a planning tool. The entire transition process is covered, from initial considerations to go-live. At the same time, you can read the chapters independently if a specific topic feels more relevant. And it鈥檚 all written in a practical, hands-on way 鈥� no buzzwords, just real value for the reader.

鈥淎 successful 麻豆原创 migration starts with the right mindset. The cloud mindset makes all the difference.鈥�

Q: What sources did you use?

A: Our approach draws heavily on external sources and focuses on addressing real customer pain points. We gathered insights from various user groups and institutions, such as Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, to document the specific challenges customers face 鈥� or perceive they face. While our internal experts, such as the Regional Implementation Groups and the Customer Care Center, played a role, they primarily contributed 麻豆原创鈥檚 best practices and expertise to answer these customer-driven questions. Using the Pareto principle, we identified the challenges that account for 80% of project success. But we didn鈥檛 stop there. We are actively updating the guide based on ongoing customer feedback. For example, we were recently asked to add a chapter on our acquisition of WalkMe 鈥� and we鈥檙e on it!

Q: Were there any challenges that surprised you?

A: Surprised might not be the right word, but there are two main areas where I see easily avoidable issues.

First, there鈥檚 the lack of a cloud mindset. Some decision-makers still struggle to understand that a cloud environment has different requirements compared to an on-premise infrastructure. Throughout the guide, we address this need in several chapters, including the 鈥淐lean Core鈥� chapter, which emphasizes standardizing processes and moving away from old customizations. A true cloud mindset requires attention to multiple components, all aimed at achieving greater flexibility, simplicity, and innovation. Everyone involved needs to understand this before the project starts or else you end up with misunderstandings and delays.

Second, there鈥檚 often room for improvement in project management. A project setup with clearly defined responsibilities and the right expertise is crucial. And those in charge need to be empowered to make decisions 鈥� otherwise, too much time gets wasted on unnecessary approvals or multiple iterations for validation and consensus discussions.

Q: Considering the entire guide, what are the most important recommendations?

A: Having a clear goal is the foundation. It serves as the central guiding element for all individual decisions. The goal must be clearly defined from the outset and, most importantly, pursued consistently. It may sound simple, but it鈥檚 so easy to lose sight of the bigger picture in the heat of the moment! For example, does a company primarily want to reduce existing dependencies or get prepared for digital business models? Depending on the objective, the processes will be shaped quite differently.

The Only Book You Need to Read About 麻豆原创 S/4HANA

鈥淢apping your journey to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition鈥� provides IT leaders with the perfect blend of theoretical insights and practical guidance to help keep their company digitally prepared beyond 2027.

Thomas Bamberger is president of 麻豆原创 Customer Evolution.

IT executives should focus on three strategic considerations: choosing between the GROW with 麻豆原创 and RISE with 麻豆原创 offerings, exploring possible migration paths, and making necessary IT infrastructure adjustments.

Implementation Approach

and differ significantly in terms of methodology, target audience, and objectives.

GROW with 麻豆原创 is ideal for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) that want to move to a modern cloud ERP system quickly and cost-effectively. With preconfigured solutions and standardized processes, companies can easily take advantage of the benefits of the cloud with minimal effort and in a short timeframe. They can choose from several scenarios based on industry best practices.

RISE with 麻豆原创, on the other hand, is designed for large enterprises and corporations seeking a comprehensive transformation. The offering goes well beyond ERP functionality to help provide comprehensive management and optimization services as well as migration support. This robust support can enable companies to migrate their entire IT landscape to the cloud while developing new digital business models.

Transformation Paths

A key aspect of migrating to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA is the variety of transformation paths available to companies. These paths can offer the flexibility needed to tailor the migration to specific requirements and the existing system landscape.

• System conversion (brownfield approach): This approach enables the migration of an existing 麻豆原创 ERP system to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA. It is particularly suitable for companies that want to retain their existing business processes. A key advantage is that the existing database and configuration are retained, which significantly reduces the transition time.
• New implementation (greenfield approach): This method involves starting from scratch and allows organizations to redefine their business processes without being constrained by existing limitations. It provides the opportunity to implement the latest best practices. However, the planning and preparation phases typically take a relatively long time.
• Selective data transition (hybrid approach): This approach combines elements of the two methods described above. It is best suited for organizations that want to preserve certain historical data and processes while phasing in new functionality.

Infrastructure: Adapt or Transform?

Migrating to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA requires adapting the IT infrastructure to take full advantage of the platform鈥檚 capabilities.

• Cloud migration: Many companies choose to migrate to the cloud to improve scalability and flexibility. The choice of public or private cloud depends on an organization鈥檚 specific requirements and security strategy.
• Integration and data management: Migrating to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA requires a thorough review and optimization of integration scenarios and data management strategies. 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform (麻豆原创 BTP) can provide many tools to help support and enhance these processes.
• Security and compliance needs: Moving to the cloud brings new security and compliance challenges. Careful planning and implementation are essential to protect sensitive data and meet regulatory requirements.

By aligning these three key components 鈥� implementation approach, migration path, and infrastructure 鈥� organizations can achieve a successful 麻豆原创 S/4HANA migration.

Guide to a Successful Transformation

The points above provide an initial overview of the challenges and decisions involved in migrating to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA. However, this only scratches the surface. For IT executives who want to go deeper, the new 鈥淢apping Your Journey to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA鈥� guide is a comprehensive resource. It provides detailed background information, real-world examples, and additional links that can be valuable to organizations planning to migrate to cloud ERP and those amid the process.

Thomas Bamberger is president of 麻豆原创 Customer Evolution.

The digital landscape is changing rapidly, and companies must constantly adapt to new circumstances. Failure to keep pace can lead to significant challenges, as the automotive industry and its supply chains are currently experiencing. To help companies navigate this dynamic environment, 麻豆原创 introduced a guide in 2018 that quickly became a standard reference. A completely revised edition is now available.

Dozens of 麻豆原创 experts from across the company have contributed to this comprehensive guide, which addresses all issues related to the transition to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition. By focusing on the essential technology, IT decision-makers can confidently plan their road map to cloud ERP, avoid pitfalls, and accelerate the time it takes to go live.

At the heart of the guide is the consolidated experience of thousands of successful transformation projects, presented in text and images. It also includes numerous links to additional resources, making the guide a single point of reference for all transformation issues at every project stage. The concept has been well received by customers, with more than 180,000 downloads since the first edition.

鈥淭he paper offers a comprehensive and detailed overview of the success factors and essential activities for your journey toward the latest 麻豆原创 product portfolio.鈥�

– Geoff Scott, CEO, ASUG

Updating an Essential Reference

Why a new edition now? 鈥淲e have regularly updated the guide because it was always intended to be a living document,鈥� said co-authors Bjoern Braemer, head of Adoption Execution & Enablement for 麻豆原创 Customer Evolution, and Niclas Weidner, senior project consultant. 鈥淗owever, the 麻豆原创 world has changed dramatically in the last six years with the emergence of many innovative tools and methodologies. In addition, the RISE with 麻豆原创 offering, which we use to help customers move to cloud ERP, has grown significantly. As a result, we have completely revised and reissued the guide, incorporating valuable feedback from our customers and partners.鈥�

鈥淲hy invest effort in forging your own path when you can follow the well-traveled paths of fellow community members?鈥�

– Geoff Scott, CEO, ASUG

The goal remains the same: to provide IT managers with all the information they need to successfully implement 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition in one place. The guide is divided into three sections:

1. Strategic Choices

The first section provides guidance on making informed decisions about various aspects of transitioning to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA, including choosing between public and private cloud options, understanding the benefits and features of the GROW with 麻豆原创 and RISE with 麻豆原创 offerings, and the implications of changes to cloud operations.

2. Ingredients for Project Success

The second section focuses on the critical factors for project success. These include change and knowledge management, customer and supplier master data integration, the partner ecosystem, and more.

3. Essential Tools from 麻豆原创

The final part describes the 15 most important tools that companies can use to assess their system’s current state, plan and implement the migration, and monitor the project鈥檚 progress. These tools include 麻豆原创 Data Services, 麻豆原创 Readiness Check, ABAP development tools, and the 麻豆原创 S/4HANA migration cockpit.

The Only Book You Need to Read About 麻豆原创 S/4HANA

鈥淢apping Your Journey to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA鈥� is designed to help IT leaders navigate the transformation journey with confidence. It provides the right combination of theoretical knowledge and practical tips to help keep organizations digitally fit beyond 2027. You can read it from cover to cover for a complete understanding or keep it handy for quick, targeted advice on specific stages or challenges.

Thomas Bamberger is president of 麻豆原创 Customer Evolution.

We鈥檝e Come a Long Way Together

As we deeply value your continuous success, it’s crucial to acknowledge that those currently operating on 麻豆原创 ERP 6.0 will soon face the imminent end of mainstream maintenance provided by 麻豆原创. This is scheduled to take place in 2025, 2027, and 2030, depending on your 麻豆原创 enhancement package. Without proactive measures following the end of mainstream maintenance, your ERP solution will not receive any further legal updates or support packages. Additionally, mission-critical support and service-level agreements for your ERP solution will be impacted.聽

This is a pivotal moment, and you must start thinking about the trajectory of your ERP system. However, you do not need to worry about getting lost in the various options that lie upfront 鈥� 麻豆原创 is here to empower you with adequate information and tailor-made business cases. We can help you make the decision and choose the path that suits you the best to support your future innovation and success.

Explore the Future Path of Your ERP with 麻豆原创

As your trusted advisor on this evolution journey, we are pleased to present several paths for you to explore further:

• If you currently have no 麻豆原创 enhancement package or 麻豆原创 enhancement packages 1-5, you could extend your mainstream maintenance to 2027 by upgrading to 麻豆原创 enhancement packages 6-8, which typically takes several months to complete. Please note that this path would still require a shift to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA by 2027 or 2030.
• You might continue with your current system, venturing into customer-specific maintenance. However, this path will lead to limited support and potential costs associated with addressing new issues.
• You could initiate a migration to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA with various transitioning paths available for you to choose, empowering you to:
  • Streamline your system by discarding unnecessary custom code, extensions, and workarounds.
  • Boost productivity through more straightforward processes and a more intuitive user interface.
  • Enhance user acceptance with easy-to-access help and content solutions exactly when they are needed.
• Our top recommendation for you is to adopt to be able to enjoy multiple benefits of the latest innovation of 麻豆原创. This option can encompass all the advantages mentioned in the third option and also allows you to innovate using your data to solve business challenges with the use of generative AI.

Embracing RISE with 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud, private edition can offer a multitude of benefits. Join the ranks of numerous companies across diverse sizes and industries by initiating your cloud transition today to help enhance the agility and resilience of your business.

Take inspiration from B-ON’s success story, backed by 麻豆原创 support. In just four months, it seamlessly migrated to its new ERP and CRM platform, resulting in an impressive 200% increase in production capacity and 100% financial visibility across subsidiary operations.

As another example, after using 麻豆原创 ERP Central Component 6.0 system for nearly two decades, Shanghai Clyde Bergemann Machinery encountered challenges such as operation complexity and high maintenance costs. Opting for RISE with 麻豆原创 allowed SCB to improve its financial operations, with an 85% reduction in financial closing time and a 50% decrease in IT expenses.

Discover the transformative power of RISE with 麻豆原创 through our , showcasing enhanced efficiency and innovation and paving the way for your own seamless transition.

Navigate to the Future

Learn more about adopting the latest cloud offering, RISE with 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud, private edition.

The 麻豆原创 Customer Evolution team is here to support you in your future transformation, helping you define and realize the next steps of your business and IT evolution so you can be well prepared for the upcoming opportunities. Enhance your digital transformation journey with the 麻豆原创 Customer Evolution kit 鈥� a cost-free, quick, and efficient engagement model. Elevate your transition to the cloud through personalized, one-on-one sessions with dedicated 麻豆原创 experts, leveraging powerful tools like 麻豆原创 Readiness Check and Process Discovery.

today, and we look forward to unlocking the potential together with you!

Thomas Bamberger is president of 麻豆原创 Customer Evolution.

The economic and business challenges posed by the pandemic have served as a catalyst for establishing the value of cloud computing and encouraged companies to accelerate their cloud journey. Be it remote working, disrupted supply chains, or the need to shift to a virtual business — companies were forced to step up their efforts to enable seamless online collaboration and agile work processes, adapt supply chains with real-time insights into their business and those of their ecosystems, and digitize key business processes.

Additionally, sustainability has become a business imperative to protect the planet and stay successful. Studies show that up to 70% of profits can be at risk when companies are not running sustainably, and a company鈥檚 responsibility toward the planet has become key for customers, employees, investors, and governments. Cloud solutions enable organizations to transform their business through environmental, social, and governance (ESG) capabilities.

It is no wonder that cloud computing has turned into one of the most compelling IT options for companies of all sizes and in all industries.

Gartner predicts that enterprise IT spending on public cloud computing will overtake spending on traditional IT in 2025. While the writing about the dominance of cloud over traditional IT is clearly on the wall, many customers I exchange with still are hesitant when it comes to moving to the cloud.

Here are the top four obstacles I encounter when talking to our — and how to solve them:

1. Legacy Applications and Process Standardization

When moving to the cloud, applications must be modified or rewritten and data must be cleaned up — and this takes time and resources. Many customers I talk to are running complex and highly customized legacy systems with years-old applications and thousands of lines of custom code. These systems might still meet current business needs, but they hinder the ability to adapt to changing business needs and market requirements. It prevents companies from being able to innovate, grow, and scale. At the same time, many companies consider these customized applications as their competitive advantage, which they fear losing when moving to a 鈥渟tandardized鈥� cloud solution.

The solution: Our cloud journeys are exactly tailored to our customers situations, and we are with them during every step of the way. We start with their unique innovation needs and evaluate their existing landscape and core business processes, pinpoint the best place to start, and prioritize the steps we need to take. The 麻豆原创 Signavio portfolio helps customers to analyze their current processes, benchmark them against best practices, and then reconfigure future processes as needed. Our tools and those of our partners facilitate and automate code, data migration, or application lifecycle management, among other things. Across all solutions, we provide a huge collection of applications built by both 麻豆原创 and our global partner ecosystem, and all these solutions are integrated through the 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform (麻豆原创 BTP) and can be easily extended to enable customizations.

2. Security Concerns and Trust

Security remains among the top concerns for many companies when considering moving to the cloud. Studies show that data loss/leakage is the biggest concern, with issues regarding data privacy and confidentiality, as well as accidental exposure of credentials coming in second and third. Also, with data oftentimes being a company鈥檚 biggest asset, many fear a loss of control when handing things over to a third party.

The solution: Interestingly enough, 70% of all security breaches originate from on-premise systems, only 24% originate from the cloud. Software security is part of our core business, and data security and protection are part of our DNA. We have 50 years鈥� experience in managing customer data, and today鈥檚 cloud customers are benefiting from this. We place the highest priority on security while taking a service-driven, agile, and cloud-centric approach, and we will always act in the best interest our customers.

3. Integration

Many IT landscapes have been expanded over the years with point solutions to solve specific business needs, resulting in fragmented stacks, poorly integrated software, disconnected duplicate master data, and inconsistent user experience (UX) — all of which both frustrate users and slow down innovation. Turning data into meaningful insight to get the complete picture in real time and make decisions with knowledge of all inter-dependencies within the organization, however, requires companies to integrate all their functions and processes based on a harmonized data model.

The solution: Only integrated enterprises are intelligent enterprises, as we are very well aware. In core processes like HR, payroll, or procurement, we have harmonized and standardized the data models and user interfaces for 麻豆原创 S/4HANA and our acquired solutions, and our integration road map is fully loaded with many valuable business scenarios. We also offer integration for hybrid landscapes between our cloud solutions and 麻豆原创 S/4HANA on premise. 麻豆原创 API Business Hub has more than 3,000 APIs, around 2,500 ready-made integrations, and 240 connectors for every application, and 麻豆原创 BTP is the platform to build, extend, and integrate. No other vendor can deliver this deep business process integration across the entire value chain, which goes far beyond a solely technical integration.

4. Organizational Change

A cloud transformation is not just about changing technology. It not only fundamentally changes how IT departments are structured and run, it affects the entire organization and it is changing skills, roles, and processes. Even though they clearly see the benefits of moving to the cloud, many companies try to avoid this organizational change for as long as possible.

The solution: The technology aspect of a cloud transformation is a huge change, but if companies only focus on that aspect, they will not see the full range of benefits that the cloud can deliver. Every transformation starts and ends with people, and a business cannot transform unless 鈥� or until 鈥� its people transform. Such a transformation needs everyone within the company — from the executive board to each individual employee across lines of business and across organizations. Based on our very own transformation, we are ready to share our insights and best practices with our customers.

There is no doubt that moving from an on-premise landscape to the cloud is a complex technical and organizational transformation for any company. However, in 麻豆原创, you have a trusted partner to accompany you on your journey and together, we will lead your transformation to success.

Thomas Bamberger is president of 麻豆原创 Customer Evolution.

Be it catering to ever-changing consumer expectations; establishing new business models; making products, services, and operations more efficient and sustainable; or delivering market-making innovations: to stay competitive, companies must continuously adapt, reinvent themselves, and make technology core to their business strategy. However, while the need to change is clear, many companies are struggling with the 鈥渉ow.鈥�

From my personal experience with many customers, they are oftentimes running complex and highly customized legacy systems with years-old applications and thousands of lines of custom code. And while these systems might still need current business needs, such complexity hinders the ability to adapt to changing business needs and market requirements, and it prevents companies from being able to innovate, grow, and scale.

There is no doubt that making such complexity simple can seem like a daunting task. The good news: we at 麻豆原创 are here to support you on this journey. We help reduce complexity and redesign systems toward a modular, agile, integrated, and highly secure enterprise resource planning (ERP) landscape that provides you with a holistic view of and real-time insights into the entire business.

In January this year, we launched the 麻豆原创 Customer Evolution Program. Its aim is simple: to help our reinvent their business — at their own pace and on their own terms, for unmatched business value. Using best practices and our latest innovations, we guide them toward a holistic landscape and business process transformation that is tailored to their unique business needs and requirements — no matter if we are talking cloud or hybrid environments.

We accelerate our customers鈥� journey toward an intelligent, sustainable enterprise in three simple and straightforward steps: plan, execute, and innovate.

Starting with the planning phase, experts across 麻豆原创 evaluate customers鈥� unique situation and innovation needs. Together with them, we define business goals and core business processes, and identify the main roadblocks that hinder agility and innovation. Jointly, we evaluate their existing landscape and define the best transformation path.

Second comes execution. Based on customer input and using our consolidated experience, we build a custom-made value case, followed by a phased transformation plan that is tailored to their pace and fully aligned with 麻豆原创鈥檚 product road map. This helps ensure our customers plan the right step at the right time while making use of our state-of-the-art innovations.

After that, we use the combined power of 麻豆原创 and our powerful ecosystem of more than 23,000 partners to implement the designed road maps. Automated tools for the most critical phases of the deployment and outcome-driven services help our customers lower the total TCO and time to value — no matter what their deployment path is, whether greenfield, system conversion, or selective data transition.

And as transformation journeys are continuous, we maintain an ongoing feedback loop to be a trusted partner also for future innovations. Using our best practices and building a standardized and agile landscape, customers can easily consume every innovation and further evolve their business processes — today, tomorrow, and in the future.

Our promise holds true: we remain committed to leaving no customer behind, helping them to be ready for whatever lies ahead. We provide them with a vision for their unique transformation into an intelligent, sustainable enterprise, fitting their industry, current landscape, key business processes, and priorities. We turn this vision into reality with an evolution journey that is tailored exactly to their needs.

Jointly with our ecosystem, we will drive a smooth and intelligent execution, plugging in the right services, accelerators, and tools based on their target architecture. Because this is our joint journey 鈥� and we are only getting started!

Thomas Bamberger is president of 麻豆原创 Customer Evolution.

Gratitude shapes the perspective we all need to evaluate what truly matters most in our lives. Typically, it鈥檚 the people around us. At home and in our communities, we cherish our family and friends. In the workplace, meanwhile, it鈥檚 our colleagues and customers who cheer on each other鈥檚 successes and reinforce a sense of shared purpose.

For businesses grappling with the disruption associated with COVID-19 since last year, that shared purpose has been put to the test. Amid fractured supply chains, logjammed seaports, and uneven public health measures, an agile workforce has often meant the difference between maintaining operational continuity and falling short on promises made to customers. Business leaders seeking to extend competitive advantage in these uncertain times have had to rethink how to recruit and retain an agile workforce and 鈥� just as importantly 鈥� how to manage it to sow customer success.

In nearly every instance I鈥檝e observed since the coronavirus crisis began, businesses that adapt successfully to rapid shifts in supply and demand have relied on the contributions of highly skilled external talent, ranging from contingent labor and independent contractors to freelancers, consultants, and temporary staff. These non-traditional workers supplement the skills of their traditional counterparts by lending organizations the flexibility they need to instill resilience, ride out labor shortages, and come out stronger on the other side of the pandemic.

Just as external workers have proved crucial to enabling businesses to take steps toward recovery, cloud-based technologies have become increasingly essential to providing the visibility needed to manage these workers effectively. Research that external labor accounts for 42% of workforce spend overall. But even though 70% of business leaders indicate they use digital platforms for services procurement, only half as many turn to technology to help manage their contingent workforce. Thus, nearly two in three business leaders fail to capture significant value created by these vital workers. Yet the need to reap maximum value from them remains acute, particularly as COVID-19-related disruption tightens its grip on supply chains across many regions and industries.

Performance unmeasured equals value untapped and, ultimately, ambitions unrealized. Customer satisfaction typically rises or falls in direct relation to an organization鈥檚 agility and responsiveness to the accelerating pace of change. That鈥檚 why the external workforce is so consequential to strengthening operational interdependencies. It鈥檚 also why cloud-based platforms for managing this pool of talent deepen the resilience of businesses and their customers alike, even as ongoing disruption bears down on both. Visibility into the engagements of the external workforce 鈥� as well as into other core, increasingly integrated operational processes 鈥� improves an organization鈥檚 predictive capabilities, restores regularity to its trading patterns, and augments its ability to meet or exceed customer expectations.

For nearly two years, the external workforce has played an indispensable role in keeping commerce flowing 鈥� and customers satisfied 鈥� across all industries. Some of the most vivid examples include those associated with infrastructure critical to us all: the nurse practitioner who, pulling a double shift, renders aid to the ill and lends comfort to anxious loved ones; the truck driver who, passing fewer open petrol stations than there used to be, replenishes remote grocers with fresh produce; the safety engineer who, after reminding her children to turn in their homework online, works the night shift at the nuclear plant to ensure the lights stay on for millions.

As we raise a glass this holiday season, acknowledging the many people in our midst for whom we鈥檙e grateful, let鈥檚 be sure to include a special word of thanks for the external workers who鈥檝e made our lives fuller, safer, and healthier 鈥� and for the technologies that magnify the favorable outcomes of their sacrifice on behalf of us all.

Thomas Bamberger is president of 麻豆原创 Customer Experience & Engagement.

That鈥檚 what I thought until COVID-19 changed everything.

In March 2020, the pandemic reshaped all our lives. It also happens to be when I began leading 麻豆原创鈥檚 global customer satisfaction efforts. Suddenly, for many businesses, digital infrastructure meant the difference between continuity and calamity. The pandemic thrust our 麻豆原创 customer teams into helping to resolve some of the toughest challenges any of us had ever encountered. But how well suited are quantitative-oriented business leaders to respond with the empathy needed to match the moment?

What I鈥檝e learned over the past 18 months is that empathy and data can be mutually reinforcing. If anything, leaders informed by data are precisely who a business should call upon when empathy matters most. That鈥檚 because empathy without the data-driven insights to shape corresponding action rings hollow. The visibility made possible by increasingly integrated business networks marshals the analytics and the vital context to instill the resilience that organizations need to counter disruption and extend competitive advantage in uncertain times. Aided by a 360-degree view of the interconnected operations of its buyers, suppliers, logistics partners, and managed service providers of contingent labor, a business can adjust rapidly to volatile shifts in supply and demand. Deprived of this expansive view across the value chain, organizations lie captive to disruption and vulnerable to falling short on promises made to customers.

As unified digital business networks replace fragmented supply chains and siloed business processes, visibility illuminates the path to customer satisfaction. In this way, a business sheds light on a customer鈥檚 pain points, enabling prompt remedy. Just as importantly, when a business connects its core operational systems with those of its trading partners via cloud-based applications, it can often anticipate聽those points of concern even before the hurt becomes noticeable. Consider, for example, the bottlenecks, stockouts, labor shortages, and backed-up transportation hubs we鈥檝e seen mount as the pandemic recedes in some parts of the world while surging forward in others. These have contributed to an uneven recovery in which regions and industries grapple with seesawing supply with demand. Amid these shifts, digital business networks have become a decisive competitive differentiator not only by lending visibility to businesses seeking alternatives for procurement, logistics, and contingent labor, but by instilling confidence across the entire value chain in the successful mitigation of shared operational risk.

Digital transformation holds the promise of creating stronger, more transparent bonds between businesses and their trading partners as they methodically and responsibly navigate their way toward a post-COVID-19 future. Yet the implications for redefining customer engagement and experience across all types of industries may be even more profound in the preventive sense: what if, thanks to the visibility made possible by increasingly integrated cloud-based commercial platforms, businesses can pinpoint operational weaknesses, whether inside their four walls or within those of their trading partners, and rectify them with alacrity 鈥� before a customer gets the opportunity to discern a problem in the first place?

As the future of digital business takes shape around integrated, cloud-based networks and collaborative operational processes, we can strengthen not only the creation of newfound value but also the quality of the experience at every touchpoint between enterprises and their customers.

Thomas Bamberger is president of 麻豆原创 Customer Experience and Engagement.

Instead, we鈥檝e both been reading through this year鈥檚 麻豆原创 Innovation Award entries. Honestly, how could these stories not inspire the 麻豆原创 community? They are creative, impactful, motivating, and, indeed, astonishing!

Today, we are proud and honored to announce the finalists for the 2021 麻豆原创 Innovation Awards and share in the amazing achievements these outstanding members of the 麻豆原创 ecosystem delivered to improve customer experiences, solve complex challenges, and serve the greater good. Before we do, it鈥檚 worth reminding everyone how hard it is to even get to the finalist stage. There was a total of that were carefully reviewed 鈥� that鈥檚 44% more than last year and a new record 鈥� from across 27 vertical categories encompassing airlines to wholesalers.

We also want to thank our judges who had the unenviable task of narrowing down the submissions to a list of 70 finalists representing seven categories: Social Catalyst, Industry Leader, Transformation Champion, Business Innovator, Cloud Genius, Adoption Superhero, and Partner Paragon.

Without further ado, this year鈥檚 finalists include well-known brands like Philips, PayPal, and Vodafone; technical innovators such as IBM, Capgemini, and Accenture; and organizations making a difference in the world like GENYOUth and Heidelberg University Hospital. Congratulations everyone on this tremendous accomplishment!

Be sure to check back next month when, on April 14, we share the winners of the 2021 麻豆原创 Innovation Awards. The lucky winners receive a trophy, a US$1,000 donation to charity, a celebratory awards ceremony, and, of course, are entitled to bragging rights with their peers, co-workers, and relatives. Some finalists and winners will also have their stories amplified on Forbes and The Wall Street Journal, participate in the podcast, interview with the media, be promoted on social media, and more. We know how to make our winners feel special! Follow #麻豆原创Innovation to stay up-to-date on the latest.

Thanks again to all of our customers and partners that submitted entries, the teams that supported them, and our judges who evaluated them. We can鈥檛 wait to celebrate with our winners, finalists, and everybody in the 麻豆原创 Innovation Awards community!

It is a great opportunity to learn more about 麻豆原创 customers and partners that enter: their stories, their creativity, their inspiring solutions to business problems. As we get closer to the deadline of February 1, in my new role as co-sponsor of the awards, I’m sharing the top reasons why I would encourage people to enter the 麻豆原创 Innovation Awards.

1. Earn your 15 Minutes of Fame — and Beyond

American artist Andy Warhol is credited with saying that everyone will have their 15 minutes of fame. Winning an 麻豆原创 Innovation Award will not lead to press outside your door, but it can add to your professional accomplishments and might get you on Forbes.com, the Wall Street Journal, or other similar platforms. Award winners have opportunities to participate in major promotional opportunities such as blogs on or ; press releases, media interviews, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media exposure; and podcasts like the series.

2. Document your Success

A strong submission includes a concise summary of the challenge your organization faced, the solution implemented, and the key benefits and outcomes across business, IT, and human empowerment. Most entrants have this information in pockets across their organization, but many have not compiled the project objectives, solution, architecture, and outcomes in a pitch deck package.

The story you build about faster time to revenue, shorter order fulfillment, lowering costs, etc., is key for the award submission. It can also be used for things like internal performance reviews, quarterly business reviews, internal newsletters, case studies, as well as building personal brand via resume or LinkedIn profile.

3. Network with Other Winners and 麻豆原创 Executives

With 麻豆原创PHIRE NOW a virtual event in 2021, we will not host an in-person winners鈥� get together, but that won鈥檛 stop us from still getting together online for a little fun and recognition. We had a great virtual celebration with 2020 winners last spring and will do the same for 2021 winners with an entertaining and informative celebration in the summer.

4. Win an Exclusive Trophy

There are no participation point ribbons; rather, each winning entry receives an impressive and custom engraved trophy to display in the office or at home to proudly show your success.

5. Give Back and Help Improve Lives

Each winner will receive a $1,000 charitable donation.* 麻豆原创 is also making charitable contributions of $100 per submission (up to a total of $20,000) on behalf of customers to a pair of charities: The Acumen Fund, a global nonprofit changing the way the world tackles poverty, and Global Business Coalition for Education, a movement of businesses committed to ending the global education crisis and unleashing the potential of the next generation.

How to Enter the 2021 麻豆原创 Innovation Awards

Now that I鈥檝e shared my top five reasons why you should enter, here are some helpful resources on how to enter.

• Visit the , which has submission guidelines, templates, FAQs, and more
• Read more about , , and the
• showing how to enter and read to enter

To trigger your creativity, check out a few of the , including:

• How is navigating crises by using current technology to face new challenges during the pandemic
• How is pioneering the use of intelligent bots to improve operational efficiency and customer experience

With only two weeks until the submission deadline of February 1, check one item off your 2021 to-do list and enter the today.

*Entries from non-eligible countries, government, and government related entities are not eligible for the charitable contribution.

Words can never accurately describe the events of this year. But the transformation efforts of 麻豆原创 customers will undoubtedly outlive them all. From to see the path ahead to establishing new business models to prepare for recovery, our customers are closing the gap between expectations and reality 鈥� and setting the foundation to make it last.

It鈥檚 times like these that make me so proud to be part of a company that鈥檚 helping businesses 鈥� large and small 鈥� overcome unimaginable challenges. Some of our customers are redefining their processes to enhance supply chain efficiency and engage in more transparent customer interactions. Others are manufacturing completely new product lines to fulfill surging demand for nontraditional goods. A few organizations are even responding to today鈥檚 healthcare crisis by ensuring every patient has a bed.

No matter how chaotic the world around us may be, the achievements shared by some of these companies are uplifting reminders of the power of innovation and resilience supported by unrelenting commitment and customer focus. And as 2020 comes to a close, I wanted to share some of their stories with you.

A Future Ensured with a Resilient Foundation

For many of our customers, the secret to navigating uncertainty and preparing for the journey back to better economic conditions is building a resilient technology foundation based on 麻豆原创 S/4HANA. Building intelligent technologies 鈥� such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and advanced analytics 鈥� into intelligent enterprise resource planning (ERP) software transforms business processes with intelligent automation, real-time processing speeds, and a dramatically simplified data model.

For companies such as , a fast-paced implementation of 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud is accomplished with the assistance of . 麻豆原创 experts provided knowledgeable guidance on adopting relevant features throughout the preparation stage, as well as regression testing and post-upgrade issue support. Access to exclusive learning content was also included, such as success checks, regular Web seminars, and customer success resources in . All the while, a designated customer success manager coordinated communication between the migration team and Royalstar to help ensure all questions and concerns were addressed promptly and thoroughly.

(AAF) also embarked on an intelligent enterprise transformation with cloud solutions from 麻豆原创. The clean air products and systems developer and manufacturer relied on a dream team of talented professionals from 麻豆原创 and our partner Allgeier, working together under the approach. The end-to-end customer experience enabled AAF to standardize 10 legacy systems into one ERP platform enabled by 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud, igniting a significant transformation for its culture. In return, AAF taps into a constant flow of analytics and real-time data to make decisions that simplify its customers鈥� lives.

Fears Conquered Where Innovation Flourishes

In high-pressure settings, every decision is critical. Such situations call for an empowered workforce fueled with real-time data they can trust, well-defined processes, and insight-driven debates and assessments of potential scenarios 鈥� all delivered through a single ERP platform such as 麻豆原创 S/4HANA.

Consider the experience of , a leading provider of a range of packaging, dispensing, and sealing solutions. With the expertise and guidance of and services, Aptar implemented the 麻豆原创 Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain solution. This initiative gave its 14,000 employees in 20 countries and manufacturing facilities the insights necessary to innovate packaging technologies that respond to ever-evolving customer behaviors and value on health and home life.

Another prime example of a brand overcoming their fear of disruption is . The custom marketing products e-retailer began deploying 麻豆原创 S/4HANA across five countries. At the same time, its implementation team collaborated with 麻豆原创 and our partner TCS remotely across 60 locations during the onset of the pandemic. Two days before going live, Vistaprint shifted its production processes to produce and sell face masks online in response to surging demand for personal protective equipment. Nevertheless, the implementation was still delivered as planned.

For , critical decision-making is a matter of life and death. To replace layers of manual decision-making processes based on nightly reports with day-old data, Parkland developed an ER dashboard with 麻豆原创 Analytics Cloud, powered by 麻豆原创 HANA and 麻豆原创 Cloud Platform. Now, administrators and medical staff are informed with the real-time insights necessary to improve ER wait times and provide access to quality care to even the most vulnerable patients.

also strengthened its decision-making powers by integrating its operations and leveraging real-time insights with 麻豆原创 S/4HANA. The core automobile components manufacturing arm of Hyundai Motor Group drew on to explore and follow industry best practices, shrinking its project planning process by 50 percent and energizing its digitalization strategy. 麻豆原创 experts offered guidance on custom code and data volume management, thorough business and technical analysis of HYUNDAI TRANSY鈥檚 麻豆原创 software environment, and content and modeling support for integrated process management.

Hope Shines Through Complicated Times

When it comes to overcoming the complexity of constant change, businesses can choose from a wide variety of technologies, providers, experts, and support services. However, in our experience, reaping early and lasting dividends that matter comes down to a single platform for data-driven intelligence, access to relevant expertise and guidance, and a unified customer experience that is highly satisfying.

Stay in the conversation by following 麻豆原创 Services and Support on
, , , and .

Thomas Bamberger is president of Customer Engagement and Experience at 麻豆原创.

The program celebrates the achievements of companies and individuals around the globe that are harnessing the power of 麻豆原创 solutions to thrive in our new reality and do more for their business, people, and the world. We鈥檙e excited to accept the position of executive sponsor for the , along with 麻豆原创 Executive Board Member Adaire Fox-Martin.

As the chief customer innovation officer for North America and the president of Customer Engagement and Experience at 麻豆原创, innovation and unforgettable customer experiences are at the heart of what we do. Being involved in a program that honors and rewards the achievements of our customers and partners creating positive social impact and helping the world run better is truly energizing.

Since inception in 2014, the 麻豆原创 Innovation Awards has shown tremendous growth, from 27 submissions in the first year to almost 300 in 2020. We can鈥檛 wait to see what 2021 will bring. It is inspiring getting to know the incredible stories of innovation from all parts of the world, and we are proud to help amplify and shine a spotlight on these achievements.

For those not familiar with the 麻豆原创 Innovation Awards, learn more by visiting the competition鈥檚 , where you can find information on , the , and , as well as submissions by other participants.

To inspire your own 2021 entry, please take a look at a few of the winners from this past year:

• : Using smart data analytics, predictive analytics, and machine learning, Kaiserwetter developed its ARISTOTELES platform to provide more certainty over changeable factors that impact renewable energy. It aggregates and correlates technical, meteorological, and financial data from wind and solar parks to maximize performance, minimize investment risks, and increase transparency. ()
• : Using Qualtrics CustomerXM and Qualtrics CoreXM, Autodesk reinvented its customer experience, transforming it from a reactive approach to one that proactively identifies customers that are struggling and allows them to take quick action to remedy issues. As a result, Autodesk increased its NPS score by 11 points, reduced support cases by eight percent, and much more. ()
• : To gain more control over its indirect spend across 10 countries, Coca-Cola FEMSA digitalized its procurement process using 麻豆原创 Ariba, consolidating its multiple country and facility-based procurement functions into one centralized platform. It allows the company to leverage intelligence in its procurement decisions and gives it complete visibility and transparency into supplier negotiations. Coca-Cola has seen an 80 percent adoption rate with buyers and suppliers and achieved savings two years ahead of schedule. (2020 Winner)

For more inspiration, check out . We hope you will join in the fun of the 2021 麻豆原创 Innovation Awards and share your own success with us. Be sure to submit your story before February 1. We look forward to !