The anniversary offers an opportunity to look beyond any single year and consider how procurement has changed since the first year of this survey in 2022. What stands out is that the function has not followed a simple path from tactical to strategic. Its mandate has broadened, but so has the expectation to prove its value: control cost, anticipate risk, strengthen supply continuity, and turn technology investment into measurable outcomes.

Five takeaways from the research help show where procurement has been and where it may be heading next.

Takeaway 1: cost never left the job description鈥攂ut it鈥檚 now more important than ever

In 2022, procurement leaders were still operating in the shadow of the pandemic. Supply chain risk ranked as the leading organizational risk, while COVID-19 disruption was the top driver of digital transformation.

As conditions changed, procurement鈥檚 agenda expanded to resilience, visibility, supplier diversification, and digitalization. But cost never disappeared. In 2022, cost savings led the areas where respondents believed procurement could deliver greater value. In the 2026 study, 54% of executives identify cost savings and optimization as procurement鈥檚 primary contribution to the organization. The line of questioning is not directly comparable year over year, but the broader pattern reveals that a more strategic mandate has not lessened the importance of financial discipline.

That is not a retreat. Modern cost management requires understanding demand, supplier economics, working capital, risk, and the operational consequences of commercial decisions. Procurement鈥檚 cost mandate has become more sophisticated, not less important.

Takeaway 2: digital transformation has moved from funding to execution

One of the clearest changes is what now stands in the way of transformation.

In 2022, budget was the leading barrier to digital transformation at 30.2%. By 2026, it dropped to fourth on the list, as ease of deployment became the primary concern of 71.7% of executives, a category that did not exist as a response option in 2022. Budget still matters, but it is no longer the defining obstacle.

Procurement spent years making the case for technology investment. The conversation has moved past 鈥淐an we afford it?鈥� to 鈥淐an we actually implement it?鈥� Procurement leaders are now challenged to embed technology across real processes, data environments, and organizations.

The motivation for transformation has also shifted. In 2022, pandemic disruption was driving both preparation and investment. Today鈥檚 expectation of flat-to-cautious growth is more structurally normal, but the pressure to do more with less remains a constant. The question for today鈥檚 procurement teams is whether they can deploy new technology effectively enough to generate repeatable business value.

Takeaway 3: AI has raised both the opportunity and the standard

The latest findings make the scale of the AI shift unmistakable. Sixty percent of executives name digital transformation as procurement鈥檚 top strategic priority for the next 12 to 18 months, up from 38% in , with agentic AI emerging as the most sought-after near-term technology.

But enthusiasm is now accompanied by greater scrutiny. As AI enters category management, intake, sourcing, and other workflows, procurement leaders need to be clear about the business outcome being improved, the data required, and the controls governing how AI acts.

The five-year view shows how quickly expectations have advanced. In 2022, digital technology broadly led the category-management improvement agenda at 35.8%. By 2023 and 2024, priorities had grown more specific, centering on cost analysis, scenario planning, and data quality. By 2026, AI-driven and predictive insight is the dominant category-management priority, cited by 66.6% of respondents.

Technology is shifting from helping procurement professionals find information toward helping them interpret choices and execute defined tasks. As that happens, the value case must move with it鈥攆rom access to information toward measurable improvements in decisions and outcomes.

Takeaway 4: strategic influence is becoming more operational

For years, procurement leaders have talked about earning a 鈥渟eat at the table.鈥� But the research suggests that where procurement sits on the organizational chart may be becoming a less useful measure of its strategic influence.

In 2022, the COO was already the largest procurement reporting line at 33.5%, with the CFO close behind at 29.3%. By 2026, the COO share has risen to 44%, while the CFO share stands at 24.4%, and reporting lines to the CEO have declined from 18.8% to 15.7%.

This suggests that procurement鈥檚 strategic relevance is increasingly expressed through operational execution. Influence comes from improving decisions across cost, supply, risk, and technology鈥攏ot from where procurement appears on an organizational chart.

The results across recent years reinforce that shift. In 2023, 53% of executives agreed that procurement effectively collaborated with the rest of the organization to meet the company鈥檚 vision. That rose to 75% in 2024 and 90% in 2025, pointing to growing integration between procurement and the wider business.

That growing integration does not necessarily mean procurement has secured a permanent strategic role. In 2024, 70% of executives said procurement was actively involved in developing the wider organization鈥檚 digital transformation strategy, although only 18% strongly agreed. By 2026, executive confidence in procurement鈥檚 influence over digital transformation had fallen to 68%, down from 91% in 2025.

The contrast is telling: procurement is becoming more integrated with the business, but greater visibility does not automatically translate into sustained strategic influence. A seat at the table matters less than what procurement delivers once it is there.

Takeaway 5: the skills equation has changed

Technology is not the only thing procurement teams have had to reinvent. The capabilities required to use it effectively have changed just as quickly.

In 2022, skills gaps were relatively dispersed across technology (34.6%), category knowledge (32.0%), risk management (26.8%), and customer experience (25.6%). By 2025, AI proficiency and ethics had emerged as the leading skills priority at 68.2%, far ahead of more traditional procurement competencies at 34.1%.

But there is another part of the skills picture that deserves attention. In that same 2025 research, curiosity was prioritized by just 10% of respondents. That stands in contrast to what I continue to hear from procurement leaders, who increasingly describe curiosity as one of the skills that will separate the teams that thrive in the AI era from those that merely use the technology.

Traditional procurement expertise is not obsolete. If anything, more capable technology increases the value of professionals who understand categories, suppliers, markets, and organizational change. AI fluency on its own is not enough. As technology takes on more work, professionals need the curiosity to question outputs, challenge assumptions, explore what is changing in a market, and bring business context to the decisions technology helps inform.

The opportunity lies in combining deep commercial knowledge with greater AI fluency. The procurement professional of the next five years will need to know not only how to use new tools, but when to challenge their outputs, how to apply business context, and where human judgment still matters most.

The next chapter is about proof

Five years ago, procurement transformation was heavily shaped by external shocks. Today, organizations are making more deliberate choices about AI, analytics, talent, and operating models while being asked to deliver savings, manage volatility, and improve productivity simultaneously.

The next chapter is about forging a clear connection between strategic and cost value, and between human expertise and AI capability. Five years of research suggest procurement has earned a broader role. The next five will be about proving what it can do with it.

Gordon Donovan is global vice president of Research, Procurement, and External Workforce at 麻豆原创.

Complexity is not always the problem. Unmanaged, and often self-created, complexity is.

A practitioner鈥檚 perspective

Some years ago, after helping turn around a large global 麻豆原创 Customer Experience program, I was contacted by several customers asking a surprisingly simple question: what did you do differently?

My answer was a set of practical keys to success, which I refined through discussions and workshops with customers over the years. The pattern was remarkably consistent. Weak governance and pragmatic change management were recurring problems. But an even more fundamental issue appeared again and again: many organizations had invested in a solution without a sufficiently clear and shared understanding of what they wanted to achieve with it.

Once that first question is unclear, everything downstream becomes harder.

Start with the outcome, not the transformation

Transformation programs tend to generate activity very quickly.

Workstreams are created. Governance boards appear. Solution workshops are scheduled. Backlogs grow. Training plans are developed. New roles and responsibilities are defined.

All of that may be necessary. But before asking how to transform, organizations need to be able to answer a much simpler question: what are we actually trying to improve?

Is the ambition profitable growth? A fundamentally different customer experience? A new service or business model? Greater operational resilience? Better use of data across the enterprise? The ability to scale into new markets?

Without that shared value intent, different teams start optimizing different things. Business stakeholders describe desired outcomes, implementation teams focus on solution scope, and users are eventually trained on functionality without always understanding what should change in their daily work. The result can be a very busy transformation program with surprisingly little transformation.

Keep the business, solution, and people connected

Over time, I started using a simple model to explain this: the transformation triangle.

A transformation needs three perspectives to stay connected:

• Business: Why are we changing? What outcomes, value drivers, processes, and measures matter?
• Solution: What capabilities, technology, integrations, data, and implementation choices are needed?
• People: Who needs to work differently, what support do they need, and how will adoption be sustained?

None of these works well in isolation. A technically excellent solution with weak business alignment becomes an expensive implementation. A strong strategy without a workable solution remains a presentation. And a well-designed process that people do not understand or adopt remains, at best, another PowerPoint slide.

This thinking later became part of the Cloud Mindset Workshop, available to order in the Advanced Success Plan version for 麻豆原创 Customer Experience solutions. The workshop helps translate the business, solution, and people perspectives into practical topics covering business outcomes, governance, processes, rollout, change management, enablement, and adoption.

A skills gap is not always a training gap

This also changes how we should think about skills gaps.

The immediate reaction is often to provide more training or bring in more technical specialists. Sometimes that is exactly what is needed, but many transformation gaps are broader capability gaps.

A project may have excellent product experts but still struggle because nobody can translate business objectives into process priorities. A strong implementation team may still fail if decision rights are unclear. End users may know how to navigate a solution but not understand why their role has changed.

Skills therefore span all three sides of the triangle: business judgement, process knowledge, product expertise, data and integration capability, governance, change leadership, and adoption.

The objective should not be to create experts in everything. It should be to make sure the organization has the right capabilities at the right moment, and that those capabilities work together.

Governance should reduce complexity, not add to it

Governance is another area where organizations can accidentally create more complexity than they remove.

Good governance does not mean more meetings, more steering committees, or larger RACI matrices. It should make a few things very clear: Who decides? What needs to be decided? Based on which outcomes and measures? How are dependencies and risks escalated? And when should the plan change?

Governance needs to come early because execution becomes difficult when ownership, priorities, and decision-making remain ambiguous. The purpose of transformation governance is not to manage complexity for its own sake. The purpose is to make complexity manageable.

Autonomous CX raises the stakes

AI and autonomous capabilities add another dimension.

Autonomous CX can increasingly use AI agents across 麻豆原创 Sales Cloud, 麻豆原创 Service Cloud, 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud, and 麻豆原创 Engagement Cloud to help interpret context, recommend actions, and execute parts of customer-facing processes.

That can remove effort and accelerate execution. But, increasing autonomy does not remove the need for business clarity, governance, process alignment, or people enablement. It increases it. This is also why AI initiatives need to stay connected to business outcomes, process design, governance, and adoption. The more autonomous the technology becomes, the less ambiguity the organization can afford. An AI agent can execute a process faster. It cannot decide what the organization should value, resolve unclear ownership, repair a broken operating model, or create trust by itself.

Most transformation challenges can be traced to a few recurring themes.

Organizations struggle to maintain alignment on outcomes, connect strategy with execution, close the right capability and adoption gaps, and establish governance that supports decisions rather than slowing them down.

The Advanced Success Plan for 麻豆原创 Customer Experience solutions can help address these challenges in a structured way. The Cloud Mindset Workshop can provide a holistic overview of the key dimensions of transformation across business, solution, and people, using practical concepts and customer examples to help teams reflect on their own approach. From there, more focused expert-led services can go deeper where needed.

Clarify the value intent

Use value management, for example through the value management expert session, to align business stakeholders on outcomes, value drivers, and meaningful measures.

Understand the operating reality

Examine end-to-end processes, ownership, dependencies, and the capabilities required to deliver the intended outcomes. Services such as business process best practices can help teams assess and improve the way processes are designed and executed.

Close the relevant capability and adoption gaps

Bring in targeted expertise where it is needed. This can include services such as the time to value accelerator, technical expert services, AI-focused guidance to identify and apply relevant use cases, and focused support for organizational change and adoption to close both capability and adoption gaps.

Govern and adapt

Use the engagement plan and recurring checkpoints to review progress, make decisions, and adjust priorities as the transformation evolves.

Transformation will never become simple. But it can become understandable, governable, and executable. And in our experience, that is usually where success starts.

Raf Dille is product manager for the Advanced Success Plan for 麻豆原创 Customer Experience.
Tara Tracey is global product owner for the Advanced Success Plan for 麻豆原创 Customer Experience.

Returning humans to the Moon鈥攁nd building the foundation for an enduring presence in deep space鈥攔equires thousands of people, multiple government agencies, international partners, commercial providers, and highly complex systems to work together with extraordinary precision.

During the 麻豆原创 NOW event in Washington, D.C., Dr. Lori Glaze, associate administrator for NASA鈥檚 Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, offered attendees an inside look at the Artemis program and the operational discipline behind it. I later joined Dr. Glaze for a conversation about managing complexity, sustaining momentum, and using emerging technology to support mission outcomes.

The discussion offered lessons that extend far beyond space exploration. For public sector organizations and enterprises undergoing their own transformations, NASA鈥檚 experience demonstrates how ambitious goals become achievable: one tested capability, one informed decision, and one coordinated team at a time.

Building momentum one mission at a time

NASA鈥檚 Artemis program is designed as a sequence in which every mission tests capabilities and generates knowledge for the next.

Artemis I, completed in 2022, successfully tested the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft without a crew. Artemis II built on that foundation with the first crewed flight of the program, launching four astronauts in April 2026 for a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon before their safe return approximately nine days later.

During the mission, the crew tested Orion鈥檚 life-support and maneuvering systems, traveled farther from Earth than any humans before them, conducted scientific observations, and safely re-entered Earth鈥檚 atmosphere at nearly 24,000 miles per hour.

But the mission was not only about setting records. Every observation, test, and operational decision produced information that NASA can apply to what comes next.

鈥淓ach test flight in this program is going to inform the next steps of our mission,鈥� Glaze said.

NASA is now preparing for Artemis III, targeted for 2027. The mission will test critical rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial human landing systems developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX. Those tests are intended to reduce risk before Artemis IV, currently targeted as the program鈥檚 first crewed lunar landing mission in 2028.

This incremental approach offers an important transformation principle: Meaningful progress does not require solving the entire future at once; it requires designing each milestone to validate assumptions, reduce risk, and create a stronger foundation for the next decision.

Standardization creates the capacity to accelerate

Speed is often associated with moving quickly. At NASA, it also means reducing unnecessary reinvention.

Glaze explained that one of the agency鈥檚 priorities is standardizing the architecture supporting future Artemis missions. Although exploration frequently involves building something that has never existed before, NASA also needs repeatable systems and processes that can support a more regular cadence of missions.

鈥淲e want to do this over and over again, so we need to standardize our architecture,鈥� she said. Standardization does not eliminate innovation. It creates the stable foundation upon which innovation can move faster.

NASA relies on an extraordinary range of technologies to support that complexity, including 麻豆原创 solutions. But technology alone does not make a mission like Artemis possible. Its value comes from how effectively it connects people, processes, information, and decisions around a shared objective.

This is equally relevant to organizations modernizing their finance, workforce, procurement, supply chain, and operational systems. When information and processes remain fragmented across different platforms, teams spend significant time reconciling data, navigating interfaces, and recreating decisions.

A connected digital backbone can reduce that friction. It provides a shared operational foundation so that organizations can scale proven processes, introduce new capabilities, and respond to change without rebuilding the enterprise each time.

Complexity demands faster, better-informed decisions

The scale of the Artemis program is difficult to overstate.

NASA must coordinate launch vehicles, spacecraft, landers, spacesuits, scientific instruments, communications, logistics, personnel, budgets, commercial contractors, and international partners. Each element has its own timeline, dependencies, and risks鈥攁nd all of them must ultimately come together at precisely the right moment.

Glaze said NASA is working to streamline decision-making by placing the right expertise closer to the work. Subject matter experts have been embedded with contractors and industry suppliers so that issues can be identified, evaluated, and resolved more quickly. The objective is to shorten the distance between insight and action.

That challenge is familiar across government. Leaders often have access to enormous amounts of information but lack a unified view of what is changing, where pressure is building, or which intervention will have the greatest impact.

Glaze identified this as one of the most promising applications for artificial intelligence: helping teams absorb large volumes of data, understand status across complex programs, and identify the areas that require attention.

For organizations, the opportunity is to move from systems that primarily document what has happened to systems that can help interpret conditions, anticipate risks, and support the next best action.

Autonomy works best when it expands human capability

NASA is already applying autonomous technology beyond administrative processes.

Robotic vehicles exploring the Moon and Mars can evaluate terrain, select safer routes, schedule scientific activities, manage communications, and avoid hazards with limited intervention from Earth. AI can also help researchers analyze the enormous scientific datasets generated by NASA missions and focus their attention on the most valuable discoveries.

These capabilities illustrate an important distinction: autonomy is not necessarily about removing people from the mission. It is about allowing technology to manage complexity at a scale and speed that enables people to make better decisions.

The same principle applies to the Autonomous Enterprise. Embedded AI can help coordinate routine processes, detect emerging issues, and recommend actions while keeping people responsible for judgment, accountability, and mission outcomes.

Partnerships turn ambition into capability

No single organization could accomplish the Artemis mission alone.

NASA鈥檚 architecture brings together government teams, commercial space companies, traditional aerospace manufacturers, international space agencies, scientific institutions, and military partners. Each contributes a specific capability to the larger mission.

For Artemis III, NASA is coordinating with Blue Origin and SpaceX on commercial landing systems. The Orion spacecraft includes a service module provided by the European Space Agency. Future lunar exploration plans also involve mobility systems, habitats, scientific instruments, and infrastructure developed through additional public-private and international partnerships.

This ecosystem is not adjacent to the mission; it鈥檚 how the mission gets done.

For public sector transformation, partnerships can provide specialized expertise and innovation that would be difficult for one organization to develop independently. But successful ecosystems require more than contracting. They require shared objectives, clearly defined responsibilities, trusted information, and mechanisms for making coordinated decisions.

Trust is the ultimate operating system

When I asked Glaze for her most important leadership advice, her answer was direct: surround yourself with smart people and trust them. 鈥淣o one person can do these things,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey require thousands of people to achieve these amazing things.鈥�

Technology, architecture, and process all matter. But none of them can substitute for teams that understand the mission and are empowered to act.

NASA鈥檚 progress under Artemis demonstrates what becomes possible when a bold vision is supported by disciplined execution. The agency is testing before scaling, standardizing where it can, bringing expertise closer to decisions, using technology to expand human capability, and building an ecosystem around a clearly defined mission.

Whether the objective is returning to the Moon, modernizing a government agency, or transforming a global enterprise, the lesson is the same: the most ambitious outcomes are achieved when people, data, processes, and partners move forward together.

Jamison Braun is senior vice president and managing director for U.S. Public Services at 麻豆原创 America.

Between technical deployment and actual adoption, there is often a gap. What is needed goes beyond tools鈥攊t requires enablement, communication, and organizational change management that puts people first. Experiences from 麻豆原创 customers show how this can succeed.

Global transformation, local anchoring as a guiding principle

Dulaan Punsag-Odefey cites a number that immediately makes the challenge tangible: 265. That is how many key users serve as change ambassadors at Hapag-Lloyd, distributed across six regions worldwide. The shipping company is one of the five largest in the world and is in the midst of an 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Finance transformation. The “Fast Forward” program affects 4,000 麻豆原创 users in more than 140 countries.

Punsag-Odefey, organizational change management (OCM) lead at Hapag-Lloyd, explains: “Change management is anchored in our program as a strategic enabler. Not as an add-on, but as a core element.”

In practice, this means the 265 ambassadors translate global standards into local language and local practice. Controllers are expected to evolve into business partners who no longer just produce Excel spreadsheets but deliver decision-ready recommendations for sales and operations. The message to the workforce is “It will be different, but better.”

How a federal agency demonstrates effective change management

That transformation can succeed without following the textbook is demonstrated by the Bundesanstalt f眉r Post und Telekommunikation (BAnst PT), Germany’s Federal Agency for Post and Telecommunications. The agency implemented 麻豆原创 S/4HANA in just one year: greenfield, public cloud, 1,000 affected users, go-live on January 1, 2026. In parallel, the organization moved to a new administration building with a new-work concept.

Simone Kunze, specialist in the 麻豆原创 Service Center at BAnst PT, knows the phrases that come up in every organization: “Is there an official directive for this?” or “Standard won’t work for us.” What helped was honest communication and direct moderation within business units instead of token feedback sessions.

A fit-to-standard approach replaced legacy custom solutions. Key users were developed from project experts who had already built depth through workshops, user stories, and test cases. The investment in support paid off: after go-live, dozens of thank you e-mails came in regarding the new 麻豆原创 travel expense management and Fiori apps, and survey response rates exceeded 70%.

Thilo Menges from the Medical University of Lusatia (MuL) takes this one step further. His project has a unique starting point: with 3.6 billion euros in funding, an entirely new organization is being built from scratch, including 麻豆原创 technologies. Menges makes a point that many organizations do not state this clearly: “For me, change management is an investment protection measure. This is an organizational project, and people need support in change processes.”

Change management in his project accounts for 4.3% of the total budget鈥攖he largest single line item in the 麻豆原创 contract.

麻豆原创鈥檚 change management framework with its six dimensions, which MuL follows, is integrated into the 麻豆原创 Activate methodology. Particularly important are early assessments, target-group-specific communication, and the identification of trusted multipliers rather than a blanket approach.

What was also highlighted: learning does not end at go-live. Tools like WalkMe enable context-sensitive support in the flow of work, especially for infrequent processes. Enabling the organization to independently maintain and evolve these systems is critical for sustained success.

The organizations mentioned above are supported by change management consultants from 麻豆原创. More information is available .

From shadow AI to structured integration at KIT

While BAnst PT and Hapag-Lloyd are primarily transforming 麻豆原创 system landscapes, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) faces a different question: how do you get 25,000 students and 10,000 employees to use AI responsibly, instead of each person experimenting on their own in the shadows?

In 18 months, KIT made the journey from uncontrolled AI usage to an AI toolbox with governance rules. Rather than issuing bans, KIT focuses on enablement.

Andreas Sexauer from the Center for Technology-Enhanced Learning at KIT describes the approach as follows: a mandatory qualification module covers foundational knowledge and legal aspects before students and faculty gain access to the AI toolbox. In parallel, use case workshops run across departments, from leadership teams to the legal department. After the teaching rollout in April 2025, 31 didactic chatbots were created in the first seven days. Faculty configure them directly in the learning management system for their respective courses.

KIT also takes a pragmatic approach to costs: after initially providing free access, a budget cap per person per month was introduced.

What research confirms

Whether shipping company, federal agency, or university, all customers report similar patterns. Prof. Dr. Renate Osterchrist from the Munich University of Applied Sciences provides the scientific foundation: she analyzed 119 studies on the effectiveness of change interventions, examining six intervention fields: communication, support, involvement, reinforcement, social influence, and coercion. Key effectiveness factors in change include:

• Dialogue formats are more effective than one-way communication.
• Coaching for managers improves not only their leadership capability but also measurably enhances implementation competence. Coaching and peer exchange are also very beneficial for employees.
• The dimension of coercion had been under-researched until now: clarity in messaging about what behavior is expected proves helpful. Manipulation and political maneuvering, on the other hand, reduce commitment.
• The frequently cited claim that 70% of all change projects fail is not supported by current data.
• The statement “Honestly, I have never experienced a change where there was too much communication” further underscores the important role of communication.

When AI agents enter the picture, change becomes even more critical

What happens when not only new systems are introduced but AI agents take over parts of the work? This is precisely the question that arose when Joule Studio 2.0 was demonstrated live at the forum. With this solution, 麻豆原创 customers can create AI agents that access their business context: 麻豆原创 Knowledge Graph, process models, and domain knowledge. The agents are code-based and transparent. Developers describe the desired outcome in natural language; Joule Studio can generate the specification and executable code. Both no-code and pro-code approaches are possible.

The discussions that followed amongst 麻豆原创 customers and partners made clear that the change management described above will be essential here. When agents take over tasks, roles change, responsibilities shift, and the way humans and machines collaborate is transformed.

A full documentation of the 麻豆原创 Learning and Adoption Forum 2026, including videos, slides, and a chatbot, is .

Thomas Jenewein is business development manager for AI, Transformation, & Adoption Services at 麻豆原创.

鈥淲e started by fixing the basics,鈥� said Siani, Transformation and Technology director at Ipiranga, one of Brazil鈥檚 largest fuel distributors.

Ipiranga operates almost 6,000 service stations nationwide. Headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, the company has more than 6,200 B2B customers and 1,500 convenience stores. Ipiranga generates $120.7 billion in revenue, yet despite its size and market leadership, the company faced a critical problem: repeated project failures.

Working on the root cause

鈥淏efore we could start investing in new technology, we needed to take a good look at why some of our initiatives were not generating the expected value for the business,鈥� Siani said, speaking at the TAC Insights conference for in Toulouse. 鈥淲e needed a rigorous RCA.鈥�

RCA, or root cause analysis, is a structured approach to problem-solving that focuses on identifying the underlying causes of issues rather than just addressing surface-level symptoms.

鈥淚nstead of making new investments, we decided to dig deeper and identify the causes,鈥� she explained. 鈥淲hen we examined the company鈥檚 history, RCA confirmed that the high level of customization was limiting our ability to deliver at the required speed. Our inability to adopt the best technologies and functional best practices was directly impacting the company鈥檚 ability to evolve and drive business growth.鈥�

Speaking the language

From the outset, the Technology team recognized that the case for the ERP transformation rested on demonstrating how inconsistent processes and the lack of standardized best practices hindered the organization’s ability to respond quickly and remain competitive in the market.

鈥淲hen we went to the Board to secure the budget for the digital transformation, we didn鈥檛 start by talking about technology,鈥� Sian sharedi. 鈥淲e started by discussing what the business needed to achieve its strategic objectives faster. Then, we listed the obstacles preventing that progress along with the technology capabilities required to remove those barriers.鈥�

By translating technical challenges and opportunities into business language, Siani helped Ipiranga鈥檚 leadership understand that innovation without a strong foundation would not take the business to the level of efficiency required.

鈥淏y identifying these root causes, we were able to avoid a common trap,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚nstead of investing in new technology without fixing the foundation, we shifted our strategy. We refocused on聽 tools to process integration, governance, and operational discipline.鈥�

Getting approval for a big investment

Ipiranga partnered with 麻豆原创 to assess critical processes across operations, finance, and commercial operations.

“麻豆原创 brought in business experts to pinpoint how a heavily customized ERP system was slowing decision-making and limiting visibility and innovation,” Siani said. Rather than focusing on 麻豆原创 functionalities, they asked fundamental business questions: What does your financial process look like? How does your order-to-cash process work?”

Armed with these insights and a clear understanding of what was slowing decision-making, Siani returned to the board with a clear message: “Fix the foundation, or transformation will fail.”

As a result, she got approval to implement a new ERP system, driven by business value and ROI. What ensued was a massive integration effort, with a targeted go-live scheduled for December 31, 2026.

With support from Accenture and 麻豆原创, Ipiranga adopted a clean core strategy, ensuring minimal customization and long-term scalability. Overall, 104 legacy systems were analyzed, 64 systems will be integrated and 40 decommissioned, and over 750 interfaces are being built. Of course, all developments had to pass strict governance gates to guarantee the clean core.

People driving change

Technology may enable transformation, but people make it successful. Over 350 professionals from a variety of business and technical teams are involved in the ongoing project. Crucially, leadership played a direct role. With executive sponsorship and transparent communication, resistance to change has been minimal.

鈥淲e were careful not to impose change, but to explain the impacts clearly and discuss them with a multidisciplinary team,鈥� said the IT expert, who is also a rowing champion. 鈥淲e made sure to prepare teams early and embed change management at every phase.鈥�

The team prioritized initiatives with the highest return on investment (ROI) and paused non-essential projects. They also selected world-class partners鈥攊ncluding Accenture as the implementation partner and Amazon Web Services (AWS) as the hyperscaler鈥攖o help ensure a high-quality, successful transformation.

The company鈥檚 transformation is now in the middle of a critical milestone (SIT1). The expected ROI is over $40 million, but more importantly, the company has built something far more valuable than a new system.

鈥淲e will have a solid operational foundation, integrated, scalable ,and efficient processes, and a culture that understands how transformation goes beyond technology. Technology is simply the path,鈥� Siani said.

Ipiranga鈥檚 journey offers a powerful reminder that digital transformation is not about tools; it鈥檚 about assertive fundamentals. RCA can reveal issues technology alone cannot fix. It demonstrates that preparation is as important as execution, and that clean core strategies reduce long-term complexity.

“In effect, the path to successful transformation doesn鈥檛 start with innovation. It starts with clarity, discipline, clear goals that together determine the correct technology,鈥� Siani concluded.

Managing abundance

These are just some of the challenges facing KETRACO, , as Africa鈥檚 energy sector is undergoing a shift from a centralized power system to a more diversified, renewable-energy-based grid.

鈥淩enewable energy is abundant. The real challenge is how to manage, integrate, and stabilize it,鈥� Dr. Njogu Kimando, energy expert at KETRACO, said, speaking at the TAC Insights conference for in Toulouse. 鈥淭he energy transition is not constrained by capacity, but by our ability to manage complexity in real time.鈥�

Geothermal power generated in the Great Rift Valley provides about 40% of electricity in the region, making Kenya Africa鈥檚 largest geothermal producer. About 24% is generated by hydro power from rivers. The rest of the demand is met by wind power coming mostly from Lake Turkana, Africa鈥檚 largest wind farm, as well as solar. The fastest growing sector, solar is widely used in rural homes and businesses. Kenya has one of the highest household solar adoption rates in the world.

While renewables reduce costs, support climate alignment, and provide energy security, challenges include drought-induced water shortages, sun and wind variability and grid instability.

Lack of synchronized intelligence

In the traditional grid, power is generated at a few centralized plants, creating a stable source of supply that is easy to control based on demand forecasts. The renewables (REN) grid, on the other hand, fluctuates with the weather, requiring real-time monitoring, rapid balancing, and more dynamic system control.

The core challenge in modern power systems is not the absence of data, but the lack of unified, real-time visibility across fragmented systems. This lack limits the ability to make timely and coordinated operational decisions. 

鈥淲e鈥檙e constantly balancing supply and demand,鈥� Kimando explained. 鈥淲e have limited real-time visibility across generation sources, transmission assets, and demand patterns.鈥�

As renewables expand, KETRACO鈥檚 role has evolved from simply building and operating transmission lines to managing power flows in real time, coordinating variable energy generation, and ensuring grid stability and reliability. The company is relying on digital systems to accomplish these tasks.

Kimando outlined the company鈥檚 new, integrated smart grid infrastructure. Forming an end-to-end digital value chain, it functions as the digital twin foundation for the grid and links operational technology with enterprise systems and advanced analytics.

Data is captured by SCADA, an industrial control system for infrastructure and utility networks, and is securely routed through 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform middleware to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA, which serves as the enterprise backbone. It is here that operational data is translated into structured business processes.聽

From data to decisions

鈥淲e鈥檙e relying on 麻豆原创 technology to transform that raw data into predictive, actionable intelligence,鈥� said Kimando, citing asset lifecycle management and outage reduction metrics as examples of ways to shift from reactive maintenance to predictive grid reliability. 鈥淒igital transformation is no longer a technology choice, but a strategic necessity. It鈥檚 a balancing game: values versus risks.鈥�

For KETRACO, the goal is to unlock the full value of renewable energy while avoiding the escalating risks of operating in a complex and dynamic power environment. Inaction leads to grid instability and operational inefficiency, underutilization of energy investments, rising costs, and exposure to regulatory and compliance risks. Action based on data analytics leads to improved financial efficiency and better CAPEX decisions. It also leads to enhanced operational resilience with reduced outages and faster system recovery.

鈥淭ogether, this strengthens our strategic positioning for the energy transition and ESG compliance,鈥� Kimando explained.

The next frontier

At KETRACO, AI is considered a capacity multiplier, enabling a crucial shift from resource-intensive grid expansion to intelligence-driven grid optimization. 

鈥淎I is helping us achieve more with the same workforce. We鈥檙e enabling engineers, not replacing them,鈥� the expert shared. 鈥淎utomation is enabling our people to focus more on predictability and decision making.鈥�

In addition, AI supports long-term sustainability goals because simulating scenarios before investing reduces errors and costs. It also enables self-optimized grid operations, reducing manual interventions and improving collaboration and integration among regional power systems and cross-border energy flows.

KETRACO鈥檚 role is to transmit electricity across Kenya and connect the country to the wider East African power market. Its importance is growing as Kenya has become a REN hub, expanding its geothermal, wind, and hydropower generation. Without its transmission infrastructure, much of Kenya鈥檚 renewable energy could not be delivered efficiently to consumers or neighboring countries.

In closing, Kimando summarized how digital transformation is changing the way power is managed, stabilized, and optimized: REN presents a system challenge, not a technological one. Technology must align to operations and strategy, control is achieved through visibility and integration, and partnerships accelerate scale and execution.

鈥淭he future grid will not be defined by how much power we generate, but by how intelligently we manage it,鈥� he concluded.

He mentioned driverless cars in San Francisco, autonomous drones conducting warfare, and robots that are trained to care for humans as real humans would. Speaking at the recent TAC Insights sponsored conference featuring , Weber admitted he finds it all rather scary, but also very exciting.

For an energy company operating critical infrastructure, this pace of technological change is not just fascinating or frightening鈥攊t creates a responsibility to adopt innovation in a controlled, resilient, and purpose鈥慸riven way.

Riding the waves

Weber sees these developments as a continuation of various “big waves” of technology that keep touching our hearts and minds as they shape the world around us. Who can imagine the world without the internet? Who can deny that the mobile phone didn鈥檛 revolutionize the consumption of IT when people started expecting the same ease of use in the workplace?

鈥淎I is creating the same response,” Weber explained. “ChatGPT makes my life easier at home solving gardening issues, so I expect it to make my life easier at work.鈥�

One of E.ON鈥檚 biggest challenges is closing the widening gap between the rapid pace of technological innovation in the outside world and the organization鈥檚 internal ability, shaped by its structure and DNA, to absorb and implement these changes effectively.

This tension became evident when leadership questioned whether sustained IT spending at large scale was justifiable. It soon became clear that continuous investment is the price of system stability, affordability, and resilience in a digitized energy system if E.ON is serious about becoming the leading playmaker in Europe鈥檚 green energy transformation.

To achieve this ambition, the company has defined three strategic priorities鈥攇rowth, sustainability, and digitalization鈥攔ecognizing that falling behind in digital capabilities would carry far greater long-term costs.

鈥淏ringing the system up to speed requires internal readiness. It means we must think deeply about investments, prioritization, and most importantly, people and culture,鈥� said Weber. 鈥淥ne thing is sure: we won鈥檛 be going back to what was normal speed before.鈥�

Becoming strategic

E.ON operates across three domains: energy grid, customer solutions, and energy infrastructure solutions. 聽This broad scope creates a high level of operational complexity, requiring scalable, transparent, and collaborative ways of working across the organization.

To meet these challenges, E.ON is strengthening its internal capabilities and investing in its people. By expanding in-house expertise, the company has welcomed over 1,000 specialists, including more than 500 in data and 300 in cybersecurity, fostering greater ownership, collaboration, and innovation across the organization.

This move reflects a broader philosophy. IT is no longer just a support function; it is foundational to pioneering the energy transition and delivering competitive advantage.

As E.ON鈥檚 transformation unfolds against a backdrop of rapid technological evolution, AI is at the heart of the current inflection point. Technologies like AI-powered assistants and automation tools are not novelties; they are actively redefining how customers interact with services. E.ON recognizes this shift and is embedding advanced technologies directly into its core systems, rather than treating them as add-ons.

Closing the gap

Weber explained that digital transformation at E.ON means putting the right technology into the core of the business to better serve its 47 million customers.

It starts with platform standardization, followed by cloud ERP transformation and the 麻豆原创 S/4HANA migration. Instead of building fragmented custom solutions, this strategy allows the company to integrate leading technologies into a cohesive architecture, ensuring scalability while avoiding unnecessary complexity. These basic investments in foundational infrastructure have delivered tangible results, including an 77% reduction in IT downtime within five years.

A key lesson from E.ON鈥檚 journey is the importance of embedding digital capabilities into the heart of operations. 鈥淲e鈥檝e moved away from isolated innovation hubs such as digital labs or experimental ‘garages’ in favor of integrating digital tools directly into business processes,鈥� Weber explained.

While innovation is essential, E.ON places equal emphasis on governance and control. Managing a digital ecosystem at this scale requires strong oversight to ensure security, consistency, and cost discipline. The company implemented centralized governance structures, including standardized contracting and unified IT system management to help maintain control without stifling innovation.

Equally important is investment in people. Through targeted training and capacity building initiatives, employees are empowered to turn new technologies into measurable business impact.

Harnessing AI

As with many companies, AI is at the center of E.ON鈥檚 forward-looking strategy, but the company is approaching it with deliberate caution. Rather than rushing to build proprietary platforms, E.ON is leveraging partnerships with established technology providers while maintaining flexibility in its IT portfolio. This approach allows the company to explore the potential of AI in customer service automation, predictive maintenance, and operational optimization without overcommitting to unproven solutions.

鈥淚n essence, our experience highlights a broader truth about digital transformation,鈥� said the IT expert. 鈥淪uccess really depends on balance. We absolutely must push innovation forward, but not at the expense of stability, cyber security or governance.鈥�

Equally, digital tools alone are not enough. Without proper training and alignment with business needs, even the most advanced technologies can fail to deliver value. E.ON addresses this through a “BizDevOps” mindset, ensuring that digital initiatives are an integral part of business goals and supported by the right capabilities.

In summary, E.ON鈥檚 transformation illustrates what it takes to modernize at scale in a complex, highly regulated industry. By doubling down on IT investment, bringing expertise in house, and adopting a disciplined yet forward-looking approach to innovation, the company has positioned itself for the future of energy.

The result is not only improved system performance or reduced downtime. It鈥檚 a fundamental shift in how technology drives business success, turning technology into a cornerstone of making new energy work鈥攔eliably, affordably, and at scale.

鈥淓very motorcycle we sell comes with an experience,鈥� he explains. 鈥淐ustomers come back to us for service, for spare parts, and for workshop support, so we truly connect each customer to a different kind of user experience, starting from the moment of purchase.鈥�

Many people in Colombia get around every day on motorcycles鈥攐ften on 鈥楤oxer鈥� motorcycles made by UMA, which aims to ensure riders feel safe on the road, Urrea Ospina says. To help achieve that, UMA has implemented rigorous quality processes that run on . 鈥淓very motorcycle leaving our factories follows best quality practices,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd we pass that value onto our customers.鈥�

In addition to Colombia, UMA operates in five countries in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also in Venezuela, as well as Spain and Portugal,鈥� Urrea Ospina says. 鈥淎cross all these regions, we aim to make a positive impact on our customers with each of our brands and motorcycles.鈥�

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鈥淔or us, our 鈥楢dventure鈥� project鈥攖he name we gave the 麻豆原创 project鈥攚as crucial to our expansion and growth,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e needed global models so we could expand faster and run more efficient, automated operations.鈥�

Working with 麻豆原创, UMA established global models and automated operations across finance, production, and logistics, says Victor Bedoya Aristizabal, corporate solutions manager at Grupo UMA. 鈥淲e defined global models, starting in finance with global charts of accounts that let us analyze information and make financial decisions much more efficiently. From there, we extended the approach through production and plant operations and into logistics.鈥�

鈥淭oday, 麻豆原创 is a fundamental pillar for our processes from the start of the value chain to the end,鈥� Bedoya Aristizabal says. 鈥淲e utilize the full suite for production, pricing, finance, and warehouse management to deliver a superior product.鈥�

鈥淭aken together, these cross-cutting global modules have helped us evolve, save time, shorten implementations, and expand across regions,鈥� Urrea Ospina says. 鈥淔or example, in Colombia we鈥檙e implementing our spare parts warehouse with 麻豆原创 Extended Warehouse Management, 麻豆原创鈥檚 supply chain management application. What we鈥檙e learning in Colombia can be replicated in Central America. Standardizing these logistics modules makes operations much more efficient while still accounting for each country鈥檚 specific needs.鈥�

He adds: 鈥淚 believe that if we hadn鈥檛 prepared with 麻豆原创 and the technologies we have today, the strong growth we鈥檝e had in Colombia would have been far more difficult. For example, we went from assembling 11,000 motorcycles in January of last year to around 17,000 motorcycles per month today鈥攏early doubling our output. Without 麻豆原创鈥檚 well-defined structures, process controls, and automations that replaced a lot of manual work, it would be much harder to reach the 20,000 motorcycles per month we expect to achieve soon.鈥�

鈥淭hat ability to scale鈥攂oth assembly volume and sales volume鈥攈as been driven by the Adventure project and everything we implemented with 麻豆原创,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think it has significantly improved employees鈥� day-to-day work. And that鈥檚 where we need to take the organization: toward a data-driven company that makes better decisions. Before we implemented Adventure, a person鈥檚 day-to-day was mostly operational work.鈥�

Urrea Ospina emphasizes that one of the main motivations UMA had for adopting 麻豆原创 Cloud ERP Private was to have concrete, real-time information鈥攆or example, knowing exactly the assembly cost of a motorcycle. 鈥淭hat is key for an organization,鈥� he says. 鈥淏eyond that, another need was to remove the manual work that all the company鈥檚 areas had, working and operating completely by hand.鈥�

Luis Orrego, production supervisor at Grupo UMA, agrees: 鈥淚nstead of having many Excel files open with multiple sheets and trying to reconcile everything, we now consolidate the data in one place. With 麻豆原创, all the sheets and reports I used to present are now available in a single view. I don鈥檛 have to run multiple steps, and I can see all my indicators: capacity, materials, and line resources.鈥�

Another motivation was UMA鈥檚 expansion plans to enter other regions and countries efficiently. 鈥淲e wanted defined global models that we could replicate quickly with 麻豆原创 in the regions where we operate,鈥� Urrea Ospina explains. 鈥淭hose factors led us to undertake the 麻豆原创 project, which has been a highly strategic and very successful initiative.鈥�

Implementing 麻豆原创 Cloud ERP Private has also had a profound impact on Urrea Ospina鈥檚 technology team. 鈥淚t completely changed our roles and what we focused on,鈥� he says. “We used to be a technology team focused on operations, not one that added value. Today, the technology team plays a strategic role. We have time to analyze where we鈥檙e going and what we can implement next for the business. Culturally, 麻豆原创 gave us confidence through information traceability, and it also gave us time to think. It opened the door to innovation鈥攅specially around analytics.鈥�

David Aguirre is a media production specialist on the Multimedia Team for 麻豆原创 News.
Rana Hamzakadi is deputy head of the Multimedia Team for 麻豆原创 News.

The autonomous enterprise reflects a fundamental shift in how organizations operate using real鈥憈ime intelligence to guide decisions, orchestrate processes end to end, and continuously adapt as conditions change. AI becomes embedded into the fabric of the enterprise, helping every function operate with greater speed, resilience, and confidence.

The foundation of the autonomous enterprise is the 麻豆原创 Business AI Platform, which infuses AI with the process knowledge, data, and governance organizations depend on. 

Business Transformation Management solutions from 麻豆原创 help power the 麻豆原创 Business AI Platform by bringing together insights and enterprise knowledge that have long been fragmented and isolated in silos.

Business Transformation Management solutions from 麻豆原创 help deliver the promise of the autonomous suite. Here鈥檚 how.

麻豆原创 Agent Hub: Command center for agentic governance

Now available, the helps organizations discover, inventory, govern, and evaluate AI agents across the enterprise landscape. In fact, it鈥檚 already being used by 150 companies with over 100, 000 agents under management. 麻豆原创 AI Agent Hub acts a system of records for all AI agents, large language models (LLMs), and Model Context Protocols (MCP) servers.

In the context of 麻豆原创 Business AI platform, 麻豆原创 AI Agent Hub underpins the governance pillar, ensuring organizations can deploy and manage AI agents safely and at scale.

In addition to the enterprise architecture context that 麻豆原创 LeanIX provides, along with an giving agents access to architecture data, 麻豆原创 AI Agent Hub enables enterprise architects to apply proven governance practices, such as mapping to business capabilities, to the entire agentic landscape. The addition of agent mining capabilities supported by 麻豆原创 Signavio provides visibility into the behavior of AI agents, their conformance with policies, and their business impact.

From the standpoint of the Autonomous Enterprise, the insight the hub provides is not only necessary, it鈥檚 critical.

New AI capabilities

The new Enterprise Architecture Assistant from 麻豆原创 LeanIX is supported by several new agents, including two highlighted here. The Enterprise Content Research Agent draws on internal business content to enrich architecture data, while the Enterprise Architecture Web Research Agent scans the web for relevant vendor and application information.

These enhancements are part of a broader set of AI capabilities in 麻豆原创 LeanIX. The solution now makes it easier to create surveys, automate tasks, perform calculations, and plan target architectures. In addition, significantly improved semantic search enables Claude, AI co鈥憄ilots, and other agents to seamlessly access and work with enterprise architecture data.

In 麻豆原创 Signavio Process Transformation Suite, we redesigned 麻豆原创 Signavio Process Modeler with an AI-first architecture, modernized user experience and deeper integration with 麻豆原创 Autonomous Suite. 麻豆原创 Signavio also introduced the Process Transformation Assistant to enable business users to conduct sophisticated process analysis through natural language prompts. The assistant can identify high-impact opportunities for agent deployment, accelerating the time from question to decision and providing context-aware process insights to anyone.

Looking ahead to a new paradigm

Despite the rapid pace of change brought about by agentic AI, we are still in the early days of this technological revolution. To succeed and continue to ride the wave of innovation, companies need to aggregate and organize their procedural knowledge about how they operate.  This knowledge is often fragmented across many structured and unstructured sources鈥攕uch as process models, application logic, documents, and chats鈥攖o create a coherent view of how the business s runs.

This foundation enables agents to understand and act within the business context. In turn, agents will continuously contribute back, enriching and evolving this knowledge repository over time.

At 麻豆原创 Signavio we call this storehouse 鈥渃ompany memory.鈥� Company memory, comprised in part of process atoms, captures all the knowledge of operational practices, business rules, preferences, and more so that it can be accessed by agents as needed to check conformance and change behavior.

To enable the Autonomous Enterprise, you need to capture the tribal wisdom and unstructured knowledge your company depends on to operate today. That is what process atoms and a centralized company memory, accessed and updated by agents, do for you. In the future, it鈥檚 hard to imagine how any enterprise will succeed without the context, learning, and guidance that company memory delivers.

Business transformation never stops

As our research has shown, . That鈥檚 why you need a capability in place that allows for planning, managing, and realizing value from every transformation you undertake.

This year at 麻豆原创 Sapphire , we talked about all the ways our solutions support this capability as well as all the ways our solutions continue to evolve in the era of the autonomous enterprise, allowing you to adapt, innovate, and thrive into the future.

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Andre Wenz is chief product officer of 麻豆原创 Signavio.
Dominik Rose is chief product officer of 麻豆原创 LeanIX.

The other key characteristic of business transformation: it鈥檚 not going away.

Organizations that ignore the need for change find themselves constantly on the back foot, unable to take advantage of new opportunities, and in an endless loop of reactivity.

But even those businesses that know they need to change fall into a common trap: treating 鈥渢ransformation鈥� as a project, something to be ticked off the list as 鈥渃ompleted,鈥� never to be thought of again. Until the next system-wide shock, that is.

Transformation as a capability

The organizations best placed for success are those that avoid both these approaches. They succeed by building their transformation muscle鈥攖he capacity to run multiple transformations, consistently and concurrently.

Let鈥檚 be clear: for modern enterprises, change is not something that happens as a time-limited or even clearly definable event. Change is much closer to an operational reality, something so intrinsically connected to how businesses work that it can鈥檛 be separated from decisions, processes, and all the other elements that allow an organization to function.

鈥淢ost enterprises run four or more transformations a year. Building a聽repeatable transformation capability聽you can strengthen over time makes all the difference,” Dee Houchen, chief marketing officer for 麻豆原创 LeanIX and 麻豆原创 Signavio, says. “The capacity to adapt and transform is not just a competitive edge, it鈥檚 a basic business requirement. And so, knowing where your transformation strengths and weaknesses lie is critical to ensuring your business can function effectively in today鈥檚 complex environment.鈥�

In other words, effective business transformation is just as important to the way a company works as any other aspect you could name. Organizations with the skills and knowledge to transform repeatedly and at scale, and to flexibly apply those skills and that knowledge in different contexts, will be those that survive and thrive.

So how can you determine whether your business has the right transformation muscles?

Assessing your capability

麻豆原创 has created a quick and easy online tool that can measure your organization鈥檚 transformation capability as it stands right now, so you can make the right decisions to build your business for the future.

Grounded in assessing levels of business transformation management maturity around the globe, the tool uses this data as a baseline to assess transformation capability across five domains: strategy and leadership, applications and technology, process, data, and people.

Using self-reported information about your business, the tool can take less than 10 minutes to benchmark your capability against peers, as well as pinpoint strengths, gaps, and execution risks. But this is not simply a static information-gathering exercise. The tool can set your baseline, helping determine where your organizational strengths and weaknesses are. It鈥檚 up to you to take the next steps.

鈥淭he real value of this tool lies in using it to unlock value in your business,鈥� Houchen says. 鈥淭he baseline is important, but it鈥檚 the targeted, actionable recommendations that can really strengthen your transformation capability.鈥�

鈥淭he tool provides recommendations across critical areas like executive commitment, strategic planning, technology modernization, process optimization, data management, and organizational culture鈥攁nd some you can already start putting in place,鈥� Houchen adds. 鈥淲ithin a matter of months, you can build a robust, repeatable transformation capability, or, if you鈥檙e more advanced already, continue to strengthen that capability and start to expand the possibilities for value-adding through transformation.鈥�

Building your capability

The transformation maturity assessment tool can also go beyond organizational recommendations and can even provide insights on how you can best improve your underlying approach鈥攖he transformation mindset that can help drive future success. The tool can help you explore critical components like:

• The role of strategic commitment in enabling transformation
• Opportunities to modernize your technology foundation
• How processes support value-driven execution
• The best ways to manage transformation data
• How organizational culture supports empowerment and adaptability

鈥淯sing this tool helps ensure your readiness to navigate the complexities of modern business, turning business transformation from a project into a part of the operational fabric of your organization鈥攁 repeatable, scalable competitive advantage,鈥� Houchen says.

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Lucas de Boer is a marketing execution senior specialist at 麻豆原创.

At , I moderated a roundtable with supply chain and transformation leaders from Toyota, L鈥橭r茅al, Owens Corning, Ecolab, American Airlines, and Bayer. Across industries, one theme was clear: transformation succeeds when it is grounded in clarity, centered on people, and focused on customer impact.

If you can鈥檛 name the problem, don鈥檛 buy the technology

The most effective transformations begin with a clear articulation of the problem to be solved, the value at stake, and the outcomes expected. Too often, organizations chase new technology simply because it is available or gaining attention, not because it is tied to a specific business need. However, technologies like AI only deliver value when applied to well-defined business challenges.

Tying initiatives to measurable outcomes helps secure leadership alignment and supports change management. Clarity creates focus and helps teams understand why transformation matters. At its foundation, successful transformation rests on three pillars: people, process, and technology, all powered by high-quality data.

AI is only as smart as the network behind it

As supply chains become more complex, multi-tier visibility has moved from a nice-to-have to a requirement. Many of the biggest risks today, including regulatory exposure, disruptions, and cost volatility, originate deep in the supply chain, often beyond direct supplier relationships.

AI has emerged as a powerful enabler, but only when supported by trusted, shared data. More than half of the data needed to drive intelligent supply chains sits outside an organization鈥檚 four walls. Without visibility across trading partners, AI鈥檚 impact is limited.

Standardization also surfaced as a recurring theme during our roundtable conversation. While one-size-fits-all approaches rarely work, excessive customization slows progress and undermines scale. Leading organizations are finding a balance by standardizing where it drives speed and consistency, while allowing flexibility where it creates meaningful value.

Transformation doesn鈥檛 fail on technology, it fails on trust

Technology may enable transformation, but people determine whether it succeeds. Change management remains a critical factor, and even well-designed initiatives can stall if employees do not understand the purpose or feel threatened by the change.

Clear communication, local champions, and ongoing engagement help build trust and momentum. Leaders emphasized the importance of reinforcing that technology is designed to elevate roles by removing manual work and enabling employees to focus on higher-value activities, instead of replacing them. Being honest about what is working, what isn鈥檛, and when to pivot builds credibility and keeps teams engaged over the long term.

Customer-centric supply chains don鈥檛 happen by accident

A significant shift underway is the move from inward-facing efficiency to explicit customer-centricity. Many supply chain organizations historically assumed their work benefited customers without clearly articulating how.

Today, customer impact is a unifying principle. Whether serving consumers, passengers, farmers, or B2B customers, supply chains are increasingly recognized as drivers of experience, reliability, and brand trust.

Customer collaboration is also playing a larger role in transformation. Sharing data and aligning processes across networks creates shared value and unlocks differentiated services. Progress must be communicated in terms customers care about鈥攏ot internal metrics, but outcomes that improve service, speed, and transparency.

What the best transformation leaders do differently

Coming out of our conversation, the strongest transformation leaders shared a few defining traits:

• They pivot quickly when something isn鈥檛 working. Rather than protecting sunk costs or rigid plans, they recognize when assumptions change and adjust course. Speed and adaptability often matter more than perfection.
• They invest in people as intentionally as they invest in platforms. Adoption requires time, training, and leadership attention. Workforce readiness is treated as a core deliverable, not a side effort.
• They celebrate progress. Visible milestones help sustain momentum and reinforce positive behavior throughout a long transformation journey.
• They hold themselves accountable for real value creation. Success metrics are defined early and tracked consistently, whether financial, operational, or customer driven.

Turning ambition into measurable impact

What stood out most from my conversation at NASCES25 was the shared recognition that transformation is no longer optional. Supply chain leaders are embracing bold ambitions, people-centered change, and customer-focused innovation to turn intent into measurable impact.

plays a critical role in this journey by helping organizations connect processes, partners, and data across the value chain to improve visibility, resilience, and decision-making at scale. And beyond the network, helps orchestrate people, processes, and technology end-to-end鈥攅nabling leaders to move from intent to impact with integrated planning, execution, and insights that can drive real operational transformation.

To hear more directly from the leaders shaping this future, I encourage you to watch the and continue the conversation on how supply chains can lead meaningful transformation.

Keith Baranowski is global head of Sales for 麻豆原创 Business Network.

Bringing a sport like dressage into the digital age would be no small feat, but that is precisely the challenge Black Horse One undertook in 2016.

Partnering with 麻豆原创, Black Horse One CEO Daniel G枚hlen and his team of 12 brought a quiet digital revolution to the paper-based, tradition-bound world of equestrian sports鈥攊ntroducing digital scoring systems, streamlining event operations, and facilitating fan engagement鈥攖hat supported and enhanced the experience of trainers, athletes, judges, federations, event managers, and fans all over the world.

However, Black Horse One saw room for even more innovation in equestrian sports, particularly in addressing the operational challenges of equestrian event management and the untapped potential of the industry鈥檚 heavily siloed data.

Digital transformation unlocks boundless potential

With its 鈥渃onsistency, affordability, and proven reliability,鈥� 麻豆原创 quickly became mission-critical for Black Horse One. Building on that success, G枚hlen turned to to bring the company鈥檚 next vision to life鈥攁 digital event management system designed to transform how equestrian competitions are run. The new system delivers real-time, end-to-end oversight and streamlines every workflow, giving 鈥渟how organizers and national federations a 360-degree software鈥� that has cut event preparation time in half.

The industry quickly took note, and Black Horse One went from 100 equestrian shows a year in 15 countries to around 300 in 32 countries and from 50,000 unique users per month to as many as 3 million鈥攁n exponential increase in operations that the company supports with the same small team.

Further digitization of processes and information has helped Black Horse One dismantle the data silos that challenge many industries, especially one as rooted in tradition as equestrian sports. Data pours in from multiple sources: national federations maintain separate records for each horse, judges and audiences submit marks in real time, and organizers update competition systems on the fly. Every change must be reflected instantly, not only to maintain accurate results but also to meet fans鈥� expectations for real-time updates.

G枚hlen, himself a former equestrian athlete, explains that many seasoned trainers and riders struggle to capture and pass on their hard-earned expertise and knowledge built over decades in the arena. A platform that enables real-time recording and sharing of performance data, scoring insights, and training techniques across a global, always-on network is transforming how the dressage community preserves and transmits its know-how.

And, in a sport where animal welfare is paramount, continued technological advancement offers additional layers of information and accountability when it comes to tracking and monitoring horses, which, G枚hlen hopes, will continue to equate to happier, healthier equine athletes.

Leveraging AI in a world of tradition

Black Horse One continues to take a storied sport across new technological frontiers, leveraging 麻豆原创 BTP to help bring artificial intelligence (AI) into its offerings. The company is already using AI to analyze performance data and biomechanical metrics, delivering personalized training and technique insights. It can even generate AI announcers when human ones aren鈥檛 available. G枚hlen notes that Black Horse One is still in the early stages of exploring the 鈥渢remendous鈥� potential of AI鈥攗sing it to support and advance equestrian sport in ways that are not only exciting but also wise and effective.

G枚hlen himself offers sage advice when it comes to assuaging stakeholders鈥� fears around digital transformation and AI in particular: 鈥淧eople really need to see that the technology supports them rather than replaces them.鈥�

Real and sustainable innovation

Black Horse One鈥檚 remarkable story of leveraging technology to transform an age-old sport demonstrates that there is no company too small or industry too niche to benefit from digital transformation.

For those looking to embark on a similar journey, G枚hlen has advice: first, start with the pain points, 鈥渨here processes are currently inefficient or fragmented,鈥� and then find the technology to ensure meaningful innovation. Second, G枚hlen advises companies to earn and keep their customers鈥� trust. 鈥淚n many of our mission-critical settings, if we make a mistake, we can鈥檛 undo it. So, make sure that you choose your technology wisely,鈥� he says.

Finally, and most crucially, remember that innovation is a process, not a destination. 鈥淣ever stop learning,鈥� G枚hlen says. 鈥淓ach project should push you and your team to grow technically and strategically. This is how innovation stays real and sustainable.鈥�

The full episode

Learn more about how Black Horse One brought digital transformation to the tradition-bound world of equestrian sports.

• : G枚hlen, CEO of Black Horse One, talks with Tamara McCleary, CEO of Thulium, to share his motivation and journey merging tradition with technology to transform equestrian events, improving the sport and the sporting experience for athletes and audiences and winning over even the most traditional participants.
• : G枚hlen talks with me about what it took and the technologies that have resulted in a suite of applications that revolutionized the dressage world.

Do you have ideas for topics or technologies we should cover, or would you like to be a guest on the show? We want to hear from you, just e-mail us.

Timo Elliottis vice president and global innovation advocate for 麻豆原创 BTP at 麻豆原创.

External talent already represents a significant share of the labor: about 20% in the UK and 40% in the U.S., with projections reaching 50% globally by 2050. This surge reflects the growing demand for specialized skills and flexible cost structures.

A and conducted by Economist Impact captures this shift. Drawing on insights from more than 2,000 C-suite executives across industries, the report, 鈥淔rom Cost to Capability: Redefining External Workforce Strategy in 2025,鈥� reveals how the external workforce is evolving from a transactional resource into a core capability that drives adaptability and resilience in the AI era.

The findings underscore a critical imperative: organizations must rethink how they engage talent, integrate technology, and foster collaboration across procurement, HR, and finance to unlock the full potential of external workers.

From cost to capability: a strategic pivot

In 2023, nearly one-third of organizations cited risk reduction as their primary reason for using contingent labor and service providers. By 2025, that number dropped to just 6%. Today, cost efficiency (74%) and access to specialized skills (62%) dominate the list.

Cost efficiency is no longer about short-term savings. It鈥檚 about managing broader business risks, from financial exposure to talent scarcity. As Professor David Ulrich of the University of Michigan notes in the report, 鈥淭o mitigate risk, businesses need to reduce fixed costs, and labor is often a high fixed cost that needs to be seen as a source of growth.鈥�

Leaders increasingly view external talent as a long-term solution for project-based and technology-driven work, especially in fast-moving fields like AI, automation, and data science. Looking ahead, 64% of executives plan to expand their talent networks within three to five years, up from 54% last year鈥攃lear evidence that external workforce strategies are becoming integral to workforce planning.

Building a holistic talent ecosystem

Economist Impact鈥檚 research points to the rise of holistic talent supply chain management鈥攁 model that unites HR, finance, and procurement to forecast talent needs, close skills gaps, and treat the workforce as a dynamic ecosystem rather than a fixed headcount.

This evolution builds on the themes from previous Economist Impact reports, where procurement shifted from cost controller to strategic orchestrator of risk, sustainability, and innovation. Forward-looking organizations now embrace 鈥渢otal talent management鈥� models that integrate people, platforms, and partners while aligning culture and communication across internal and external teams.

Breaking down silos and embedding digital tools for real-time visibility will be essential to managing an integrated, skills-based workforce that adapts quickly to business needs鈥攚hile ensuring external workers feel valued and connected to enterprise goals.

Procurement at the center of workforce transformation

Procurement leaders are moving beyond sourcing and compliance to orchestrate entire talent ecosystems built on governance and collaboration. Yet the function faces challenges: confidence in procurement鈥檚 workforce management skills fell from 51% in 2024 to 43% in 2025, reflecting the complexity of its expanded scope.

CFOs and COOs are also taking a more active role, linking external workforce oversight to financial, compliance, and ESG performance. This trend echoes Economist Impact鈥檚 鈥溾�� report, which showed procurement鈥檚 remit expanding as risk management becomes central to business strategy.

To succeed, procurement must double down on visibility, digital integration, and strategic alignment. Platforms that unify workforce data鈥攆rom contingent contracts to skills mapping鈥攚ill enable teams to balance cost optimization with agility and governance.

AI: driving agility and accountability

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how organizations manage external talent. According to the report, 68% of procurement leaders cite AI proficiency and ethics as their top development priority over the next 18 months. AI can predict workforce needs, automate sourcing, and fill gaps in emerging fields like agentic AI and automation. The payoff: higher productivity and faster decision-making.

But AI also raises a critical questions: who benefits from efficiency gains? How should productivity improvements be measured? Answering these will require new cost models and shared accountability across the enterprise.

As seen in earlier Economist Impact research, AI is once again a catalyst for transformation, redefining how organizations manage, measure, and mobilize external talent.

The external workforce of the future

The evolution of the external workforce underscores a broader truth: agility, capability, and collaboration now define competitive advantage.

Organizations that treat external talent as a strategic asset鈥攊ntegrating governance, data, and culture across internal and external teams鈥攚ill be best positioned to respond to technological change and seize new opportunities.

To meet these demands, companies are turning to solutions like and , which help connect procurement and external workforce management. These solutions can deliver the visibility, intelligence, and agility needed to manage today鈥檚 dynamic workforce ecosystem.

Gordon Donovan is global vice president of Research, Procurement, and External Workforce at 麻豆原创.

According to a Gartner report, 70 to 80 percent of enterprise information lacks structure. This poses challenges for organizations that must unlock the potential and mitigate the risks of content to ensure data-driven decisions.

Take a simple, one-document example: It can cost up to $30 to process a single purchase order by hand. While this number seems small at first, it grows significantly when thousands of documents are processed every month over the years. And it doesn鈥檛 stop there鈥攅ach manual processing increases the risk of errors and potential loss of hours on the mundane job, hence missed opportunities. This leads to a high cost of running “business as usual” and a drag on innovation.

麻豆原创 Document AI: rescue business process

Manually processing documents is not just error-prone; it is also slowing down the response to market shifts, dragging down the creativity of skilled workers, and posing real threats to businesses.

麻豆原创 Document AI enables efficient and agile paperless business processes. AI-powered solutions can speed up business document processing by up to 70 percent through automating the extraction, classification, and processing of data鈥攊magine the boost in productivity, agility, and resilience.

This is not only theory. 麻豆原创 Document AI is enabling leaders to deliver reliable answers because it is grounded in the comprehensive and up-to-date training data of actual quality certificates:

• More than 180,000 annotated document pages
• Over 105 million annotated characters
• 28 countries in the data set
• More than half a billion unstructured documents processed each year

That is equivalent to approximately 8.5 years of manual information extraction and auditing, now available as a standard 麻豆原创 cloud product.

Take De Agostini Publishing as an example. With 麻豆原创 Document AI, the company is now saving around 500 hours per month, and more than 91 percent of purchase order-referred invoices are automatically processed. .

FRoSTA AG is one of the largest manufacturers of frozen foods in Europe. The company leveraged 麻豆原创 Build Process Automation together with 麻豆原创 Document AI, and it takes less than a minute to process聽an invoice from arrival to posting. Seventy percent of the invoices processed through automation are booked without any touch. What is even more interesting to note is that it took three months from project ideation to the go-live event. .

More than 34,000 customers are already using 麻豆原创 Business AI to transform the way they work.

From procurement and finance to HR and supply chain, 麻豆原创 Document AI is changing how work gets done. It is natively embedded in 麻豆原创鈥檚 key platforms, making it easier for leaders to orchestrate truly intelligent workflows.

The road ahead: leading with certainty

Leaders know that change is the only constant. Digitizing more paper is not the future of document management. It’s about using unstructured data to our advantage. Looking at the road map, 麻豆原创 Document AI will soon be able to handle even more types of documents. Enhancements such as vision-enabled information extraction, custom large language models (LLMs), and prompting are not too far off either.

Executive takeaway

Winning organizations do have one thing in common, and it is not the use of technology. They recognize that people drive business forward. By removing the manual burden, teams can be empowered to focus on what matters most: customers, strategy, and growth.

Leaders owe it to their teams to let them do what they do best, spending their time coming up with new ideas, making plans, and talking to customers. If employees are still buried in paperwork, it’s time to find out how much it really costs to wait. With 麻豆原创 Document AI, companies can develop the kind of flexibility and strength that today’s markets need.

Learn more about the benefits and new possibilities for business with .

Rashmi Kumari is a principal solution advisor at 麻豆原创.

鈥淭he business will always rely on its industry-leading team selling through an institutional business model but has evolved in recent years to be more consumer-facing, data-driven, and insight-driven, so we can help the coaches and the players with relevant information on how they can improve performance,鈥� Aravind Kashyap, Chief Information Officer, Riddell, said. For example, Riddell innovated with smart helmets that utilize the Internet of Things (IoT) to get deeper insights into head impact exposure and athlete performance. 鈥淭he company itself has gone through several routes of transformation because the game and its players demand it,鈥� he said.

Riddell is now transforming its enterprise foundation, embarking on a robust, three-year enterprise solutions revamp. The company has used 麻豆原创 solutions for almost 20 years, and its current solution is highly customized and very complex. 鈥淲e really want to get to a situation where we鈥檙e not uber customized and difficult to upgrade,鈥� Kashyap said. To benefit from technologies like data visibility, process automation, and AI, the company is working with 麻豆原创 and , a global 麻豆原创 consulting company, to adopt a cloud-first, clean core approach.

Legacy built it, strategy will fix it

Riddell is modernizing and simplifying its ERP system via a greenfield approach with . 鈥淥ur IT strategy is primarily looking at the next three years and what can we do at a foundation level, what are the things we鈥檙e doing on the information aspect, and what things we are doing for greater efficiency,鈥� Kashyap said. The renewed IT strategy will enable the business to focus on growth, efficiency, and automation projects by leveraging information and advanced technologies while still driving down IT operation costs.

The project is as much about improving Riddell鈥檚 IT foundation as it is about improving the experience for employees who use the systems, many of which are remote. Kashyap explained the focus on delivering a modern digital experience across the company: 鈥淒igital experience is huge for us. In fact, that鈥檚 one of the big themes that I鈥檓 driving in the organization. How do I bring experience to our business users鈥攚hether they are in a warehouse, whether they are in a sales position, whether they are a finance clerk, whether they are in the manufacturing location or plant鈥攁nd give them the best experience as a solution user?鈥�

This is in alignment with the strategic business transformation and change management approach KaarTech recommended to Riddell. Connecting the technical ERP transformation to the consumer experience and sales side of the business was key. 鈥淚f you just do a technical assessment and try to understand the IT landscape without connecting with the business, the transformation will go wrong,鈥� Parameswaran N, vice president, KaarTech, said. He added: 鈥淲e wanted this to be a business-led transformation and the business priorities and vision were much more than just a technical upgrade, so we mutually agreed that a greenfield approach was the right approach.鈥�

As a result of a thorough migration readiness assessment exercise undertaken with , a KaarTech proprietary digital transformation as a service (DXaaS) automation platform for 麻豆原创 digital transformations, available on , Riddell鈥檚 IT landscape was found to have 1,270 custom objects, 556 custom reports, 794 enhancements to standard programs, and 10 third-party integrations. The current endeavor, called Project STRIDE, aims to streamline these customizations and instead take a fit-to-standard approach wherever possible.

The team has identified about 180 global scope items and is looking at each one individually to compare the out-of-the-box scenario with the customization opportunity, Kashyap said. This process of determining what in the current system stays and what goes is time consuming and involves about 10% of the company鈥檚 850 employees, he explained, but it鈥檚 also necessary to prioritizing the fit-to-standard and clean core approach. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy, but that鈥檚 the only way it鈥檚 going to happen,鈥� he said, adding that it鈥檚 a 鈥渙ne team, one platform鈥� mindset. Keeping 麻豆原创 S/4HANA as the core allows for a 鈥渓imitless plane鈥� on which Riddell can take advantage of innovative technologies like AI.

In addition to the Riddell team, who supplies the internal expertise, knowledge, and working experience to Project STRIDE, 麻豆原创 helps with the valuation of each scope item and KaarTech helps with implementation.

鈥淥ur partners KaarTech and 麻豆原创 are making it possible. It鈥檚 a long journey,鈥� Kashyap said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about making the business comfortable with using the new enterprise solution.鈥�

Project learnings鈥攕o far

Riddell鈥檚 Project STRIDE demonstrates the potential behind a fit-to-standard approach, how digital experience drives user adoption, and the need for strong governance to accelerate decision-making.

The path to the cloud and a clean core is a worthy cause to achieve long-term agility, but it鈥檚 as much a method shift as it is a mindset shift, Kashyap said. 鈥淚t is an IT transformation; more importantly it is a business transformation.鈥�

Gillian Hixson is an integrated communications specialist at 麻豆原创.

The company, which employs 37,000 people and had revenues last year of DKK 31.7 billion (EUR 4.2 billion), can trace its origins back to 1982 and a small family-run shop in Copenhagen.

In the 42 years since then, Pandora has grown into the largest jewelry brand in the world, with jewelry sold in more than 100 countries through retail stores and online.

鈥淧andora is the brand that鈥檚 all about love, and it is about gifting to your loved ones but also celebrating yourself when you have had an amazing achievement,鈥� said Mariane Heidingsfelder, Pandora鈥檚 senior vice president of Business Transformation.

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As an omnichannel retailer with ambitious growth plans, Pandora鈥檚 digital strategy is focused around enhancing consumer experience. 鈥淭hat’s our number one priority,鈥� Heidingsfelder said. Pandora selected to support its ambitious digital journey and serve as part of the foundation for the company鈥檚 future growth.

麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud will serve as the core of Pandora’s new ERP system, which will enable the company’s business processes to be standardized, simpler to manage, and more connected.

鈥淚 truly believe that business is technology, and technology is business,鈥� Heidingsfelder said. 鈥淚n our journey of growth, we are really digitalizing our business end-to-end, from manufacturing all the way to our offices and our colleagues, and all the way to our stores and the way that consumers interact with us in a very personalized way.鈥�

As part of this journey, Pandora is aiming to simplify the lives of its employees. Lean and digitized processes in combination with user-friendly dashboards are only some of the initiatives that will allow employees to spend more time with customers or undertake more innovative tasks and complex problem-solving. 鈥淎t the store, we are leveraging multiple technologies,鈥� Heidingsfelder said. 鈥淲e definitely want to simplify the way our stores operate, so we’re trying to have one place for the store associates to be able to get all the information they need in order to have those conversations with the consumer.鈥�

When it comes to digitalizing the backbone, she added, 鈥淲e also want to make sure that our store associates spend more time with the consumer and less time in the back office.鈥� Pandora is already looking at ways that it can use the embedded AI capabilities in 麻豆原创 S/4HANA.

鈥淲e’ve consciously decided to start small, learn, and then leverage where we can find efficiencies to support the way that our colleagues work,鈥� Heidingsfelder explained.

鈥淔rom there, I think the sky is the limit,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are really a bold organization, and we want to make sure we leverage the best that there is out there from a technology point of view to boost our business and accelerate our growth.鈥�

鈥淚 think Pandora is a very open company,鈥� she added. 鈥淲e are a company that believes in our core values. We dream, we dare, we care, and we deliver.鈥�

More than a support plan, 麻豆原创 Preferred Success offers a guided, proactive success model that helps accelerate outcomes, reduce risk, and drive continuous innovation. As companies move to cloud ERP solutions, especially in regulated and complex industries, the services can become a strategic advantage in bridging the gap between implementation and long-term business transformation.

Delivering transformation as a service

Technology implementation, even for cloud ERP with embedded AI and automation, can only take a business so far. To drive true business transformation, expertise is still essential.

麻豆原创 Preferred Success helps overcome challenges in realizing expected ROI and business outcomes, such as adoption gaps, siloed insights, and reactive operations that slow progress. The services can provide strategic support tailored to each organization with a structured engagement model, direct access to 麻豆原创 experts, and proactive recommendations aligned with business goals.

For example, organizations can realize the full value of 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition and other cloud solutions from 麻豆原创 faster and with less risk by leveraging:

• Tailored guidance and best practices from 麻豆原创 experts across industries
• Proactive insights to help customers align innovation with strategy
• Accelerated adoption of 麻豆原创 innovations, including embedded AI and 麻豆原创 Fiori apps
• Optimization support to help continuously refine system performance and processes
• Business-specific planning aligned with transformation milestones

麻豆原创 Preferred Success can also deliver best practice guidance through structured success checks鈥攖ouch points where 麻豆原创 experts assess alignment with standard processes, identify risks, and provide tailored recommendations. This proactive approach supports a 鈥渒eep clean, stay clean鈥� strategy, helping customers safeguard system integrity and accelerate future innovation.

For IT teams, the services can decrease time spent on incident resolution while increasing system stability. Access to architectural reviews, upgrade planning, and expert troubleshooting enables a critical shift from reactive support to proactive innovation.

At the same time, business teams can be better positioned to adopt new features quickly, leading to higher productivity and measurable progress on strategic KPIs. 麻豆原创 experts can assist in defining and tracking those KPIs from the beginning, helping ensure the technology evolves with the business. In addition, with each new release, 麻豆原创 Preferred Success can provide guidance on how to adopt what matters most.

To see the services within 麻豆原创 Preferred Success in action, let鈥檚 consider Eurofarma. Operating in more than 20 countries, the pharmaceutical company turned to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition to modernize and scale its operations. However, the turning point wasn鈥檛 just the technology but also the partnership through 麻豆原创 Preferred Success.

As noted by William Almeida, operations support systems coordinator at Eurofarma, in a :

鈥溌槎乖� Preferred Success has significantly impacted our operations by driving innovation and enabling us to fully leverage all the tools contracted with 麻豆原创. We share our business needs with them, and they connect us with 麻豆原创 experts in each area. This partnership has been instrumental in improving performance, scalability, and our ability to utilize cloud-based tools, ultimately enhancing our overall modernization.鈥�

麻豆原创 Preferred Success helped Eurofarma align its cloud environment with evolving business goals, optimize infrastructure, and adopt new tools more quickly. With personalized guidance, the company moved from reactive maintenance to proactive transformation鈥攂oosting its productivity, improving compliance, and building a stronger digital foundation for growth.

Turning embedded AI into business outcomes

When embedded with purpose and backed by expert guidance, AI becomes more than a tool. It drives tangible business outcomes. Yet, most companies struggle to adopt the technology because they lack a clear path to value.

Although it鈥檚 designed to transform business operations with intelligent recommendations, automation of manual tasks, and foresight that once took hours to uncover, the full potential of AI requires more than flipping a switch.

麻豆原创 Preferred Success offers an AI acceleration path through its AI exploration service, designed to help organizations move from isolated pilots to strategic, embedded intelligence. The service can provide expert guidance to identify high-impact use cases, align capabilities to business goals, and help ensure secure, scalable adoption.

From streamlining financial close processes to enabling natural language interactions through the copilot, companies can gain the insight and support needed to make AI truly work for their business. For industries where speed, compliance, and innovation go hand in hand, this level of enablement helps clear the way for a personalized, scalable approach to innovation.

Creating a trusted foundation for future-ready businesses

Cloud transformation isn鈥檛 a one-time event; it鈥檚 a continuous journey. 麻豆原创 Preferred Success can support every step, from go-live and scaling to innovation and evolution.

Whether the focus is on modernizing finance, optimizing supply chains, embracing generative AI, or shifting to a clean core strategy, 麻豆原创 Preferred Success brings structure to transformation, clarity to complexity, and confidence to your most important decisions.

Ready to get more from your cloud investment? Find out how services can help you get there.

Mine Ecevit is global lead for 麻豆原创 Preferred Success Sales at 麻豆原创.
Andreia Bessa is global program lead for Global Customer Engagement and Services at 麻豆原创.

New research from IDC shows how 麻豆原创 Business Network can speed up product and order delivery, accelerate go-to-market speed, and deliver significant ROI to drive procurement success.

In today鈥檚 interconnected business landscape, procurement and supply chain management have evolved from back-office functions to strategic drivers of success. As organizations seek to build resilient, efficient, customer-centric supply chains, the adoption of innovative technologies becomes crucial. Enter 麻豆原创 Business Network鈥攁 game-changing platform that鈥檚 revolutionizing how companies procure products and services and manage their end-to-end supply chains.

A recent IDC white paper, sponsored by 麻豆原创, titled 鈥�,鈥� reveals the remarkable impact of 麻豆原创 Business Network on buyer organizations. The findings, based on in-depth interviews with existing customers across various industries, showcase the impressive improvements in efficiency, cost savings, and revenue growth. Let鈥檚 delve into the transformative power of this technology and how it鈥檚 reshaping the procurement landscape.

Accelerating revenue growth through agility and transparency

When organizations can better monitor and share global trend data across teams, they can respond to market demands quicker and accelerate their go-to-market strategy. According to the research, 麻豆原创 Business Network empowered these organizations to:

• Launch products and services 30% faster than before
• Monitor global trends and redirect stock to high-demand areas with agility
• Share real-time data and analytics across teams for quicker market responses

The result? An average annual revenue gain of $66 million, or $1.2 million per 100 trading partners. This impressive growth contributes to an average three-year ROI of 404% for organizations using 麻豆原创 Business Network, with a payback period of just 14 months.

Maximizing efficiency from partner onboarding to order processing

Global supply chain success relies on making repetitive, but essential, tasks as efficient as possible. The respondents indicated that 麻豆原创 Business Network delivered substantial improvements in this area:

• Partner onboarding time reduced by 70% (from 54 days to 16 days)
• Invoice processing time cut by 59% (from 16.3 days to 6.7 days)
• Percentage of invoices processed without exception increased from 64% to 89%
• 60% reduction in full-time equivalents (FTEs) responsible for invoice-related processes

These efficiency gains were particularly significant given that procurement team sizes have remained steady despite increased focus on business strategy and execution. By automating repetitive tasks and providing real-time data for informed decision-making, 麻豆原创 Business Network freed up team members to focus on strategic initiatives.

Similar effects were felt in procurement and supply chain planning, where respondents reported the number of FTEs necessary for these activities decreased by 19% and 47%, respectively.

Realizing millions in total cost savings

麻豆原创 Business Network provides capabilities to help streamline operations, reduce manual interventions, and optimize resource allocation across various functions. The result, as found through the research, was significant cost savings across departments for interviewed companies.

• IT maintenance: Average annual savings of $6.59 million
• Warehouse and logistics: Cost reductions totaling approximately $6.5 million annually
• Inventory management: Optimized stock levels, with one pharmaceutical respondent reducing on-hand safety stock by 50%

In total, respondents experienced average annual cost savings of $13.58 million through reduced operational costs and improved efficiency.

Streamlining operations for enhanced performance

The impact of 麻豆原创 Business Network on operational efficiency was truly impressive:

• Unified IT infrastructure: Elimination of multiple systems, leading to streamlined operations
• Enhanced supplier collaboration: Freeing up team members for strategic tasks
• Improved order tracking and shipment utilization
• Better demand forecasting and stock management

Real-world success

The transformative power of 麻豆原创 Business Network is best illustrated through the experiences of its users. One pharmaceutical company reduced its on-hand safety stock by half, while others reported significant improvements in transportation processes and demand forecasting.

These success stories underscore the network鈥檚 ability to deliver tangible benefits across various industries and business functions. Real-time data and analytics helped companies respond to shifting market demands and capitalize on new opportunities, allowing organizations to launch products and services and get to market on average 30% faster than they did previously.

The findings from the IDC white paper paint a compelling picture of the potential of 麻豆原创 Business Network to revolutionize procurement and supply chain management. By enabling faster go-to-market strategies, improving operational efficiency, and delivering substantial cost savings, the network is helping organizations thrive in an increasingly complex business environment.

As we look to the future, it鈥檚 clear that platforms like 麻豆原创 Business Network will play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of procurement and supply chain excellence. Organizations that embrace this technology stand to gain a significant competitive advantage, driving growth and innovation in ways previously unimaginable.

Next steps

Ready to explore the potential impact of 麻豆原创 Business Network on your organization? Here are some resources to help you get started:

• for an in-depth look at the findings.
• featuring representatives from 麻豆原创 and IDC discussing key findings from the business value study. 
• Try out developed by IDC for a personalized organizational assessment of the ROI 麻豆原创 Business Network could deliver for your company.

Stay tuned for upcoming insights that will highlight the benefits of 麻豆原创 Business Network specifically for suppliers, complementing the buyer-focused insights presented here. The future of procurement is bright, and 麻豆原创 Business Network is leading the way in unlocking procurement and supply chain management potential and driving business success.

Tony Harris is SVP and head of Marketing & Solutions for 麻豆原创 Business Network.

The boot camp focused on addressing and analyzing the real challenges faced by the company鈥檚 work order coordinators to optimize their daily work experience and routines.

The challenge: A fragmented, manual process

Before the boot camp, badenovaNETZE’s work order coordination was a fragmented mix of tools and processes. Coordinators were juggling 麻豆原创 software, custom programs from SmartService Solutions, and basic applications like Word and Excel to complete their tasks. The status quo resulted in a couple of challenges to address and optimize:

• Improve user experience: The existing interface was difficult to navigate, leading to user frustration and reduced productivity.
• Avoid manual processes: Coordinators had to both transfer information across multiple systems and update data manually, making routine tasks time-consuming and prone to errors.
• Reduce error rate: The repetitive, manual tasks increased the risk of data entry errors, causing delays and additional workload.
• Increase transparency: With limited visibility into work order statuses, coordinators spent a lot of time tracking down information and monitoring progress.

The solution: A hands-on transformation

The company participated in a four-day 麻豆原创 Fiori Makers boot camp, bringing together customer end users, IT teams, and partners. The focus of the boot camp was to improve the usability of the work order cockpit by transitioning from manual tasks and workarounds to an 麻豆原创 app prototype as a tangible starting point. It aimed at implementing process automation, incorporating dashboards, enhancing the user experience, and reducing error rates.

The boot camp provided badenovaNETZE with the tools and an open, agile workshop format needed to tackle these challenges. Based on this close collaboration with the company鈥檚 coordinators, the 麻豆原创 team developed customized solutions that streamlined processes and the final outcome. 鈥淭he beauty of our boot camps is that we get to know and truly understand the challenges of our end users,鈥� 麻豆原创 UX Designer Christina Salwitzek summarizes. 鈥淭ogether with the end user and from the beginning, we designed and developed a more efficient solution for this complex workflow.鈥�

The objectives

badenovaNETZE faces operational challenges when managing numerous customer requests in metering, including meter replacement, installation, and removal. Together, the teams set ambitious yet achievable objectives to ensure long-term success. Operational readiness by 2025 was the top priority, with a clear goal of transitioning to an optimized, future-proof system in the first half of the new year.

To support this transition, the boot camp helped increase 麻豆原创 technology knowledge and development skills within the badenovaNETZE team. The team is now prepared to maintain, adapt, and expand the new solution as their needs evolve. 鈥淲hat surprised me the most is that we actually made such good progress together and that everybody was able to contribute something,鈥� says Paulina Deren, order coordination advisor at badenovaNETZE.

Finally, the team established a prioritized road map鈥攁 clear, phased approach designed to guide the customer through each stage of the transformation, enabling a smooth journey from concept to realization. The 麻豆原创 Fiori Makers team included three UX designers, an 麻豆原创 Fiori elements front-end developer who brought the visual designs to life, and a backend developer specializing in the 麻豆原创 Cloud Application Programming Model framework to help ensure robust, scalable functionality. The team was guided by Andreas Spahn, principal technology & innovation manager from the 麻豆原创 Services team, who moderated the boot camp and facilitated collaboration. 鈥淲hat makes 麻豆原创 Fiori Makers so special is that we have one problem statement and we have one team to analyze today鈥檚 problem with the end user and solve it,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his involves experts from technology, design, and development.鈥�

The experience

A core element was the creation of a user-centric and future-focused design for a new work order cockpit. The team used design thinking techniques in combination with the capabilities of 麻豆原创 Fiori, 麻豆原创 Fiori elements, and 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform (麻豆原创 BTP) to get started. Being one of Germany’s largest regional suppliers of electricity, natural gas, heat energy, and water, badenova already used 麻豆原创 BTP for integration scenarios and started using it for application development with this project.

For its intuitive, streamlined interface, the team conducted a thorough feasibility assessment to validate the proposed solution’s technical and operational viability. They then rapidly co-created and prototyped solutions in close collaboration with actual users.

The derived prototype not only simplified complex workflows but also significantly reduced manual tasks, minimized errors, and eliminated data silos. By centralizing all relevant information into a unified system, the team delivered a seamless user experience, initiating the groundwork necessary for full deployment.

The result garnered positive feedback from participants, reflecting the practicality and innovation of the solution. 鈥淢ost impressive to me was the headway made,鈥� Daniel Oberle, business architect at badenovaNETZE, says. 鈥淲ithout the 麻豆原创 Fiori Makers boot camp, we would be looking at another half a year to get to where we are just now.鈥�

Real user feedback

To ensure the solution truly resonated with its users, the team conducted three on-site, moderated usability tests using a Figma prototype. Each session included two notetakers capturing live feedback directly within Figma, allowing for immediate insights and adjustments. The initial user stories were visualized using 麻豆原创鈥檚 storytelling tool, which enabled the team to quickly create collaborative, visual narratives without the need for drawing skills. These early concepts were then refined with 麻豆原创 Fiori design stencils in Figma, streamlining the transition from rough ideas to polished prototypes.

The involvement of 麻豆原创 users during the boot camp was instrumental, providing real-time evaluation through cognitive walkthroughs. 鈥淚f the user experience fits, employees are happy and enjoy using the software,鈥� Teresa Mayer, UX designer at 麻豆原创, says. This hands-on, iterative process helped ensure the final design aligned closely with user expectations and needs.

This example underscores the critical role user research plays in driving successful, error-free, and beneficial product development. To strengthen its user feedback approach even further, 麻豆原创 introduced the聽 program. This initiative invites users to participate in remote research activities, allowing 麻豆原创鈥檚 product teams to get feedback along the product life cycle. Users can share their product and design experiences to help shape 麻豆原创 products to better align with their needs while also getting a preview of new features or products.

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Conclusion

The 麻豆原创 Fiori Makers boot camp proved to be a pivotal step in badenovaNETZE鈥檚 digital transformation journey. By combining cutting-edge 麻豆原创 technologies with a user-centric design approach, the team not only tackled complex operational challenges but also delivered a solution that significantly enhances efficiency and user satisfaction. The rapid progress made during the boot camp鈥攃utting down development time by six months and projecting savings of 115 working days per year鈥攗nderscores the power of collaboration and innovation.

With the project already underway and goals for 2025 set, badenovaNETZE is well-positioned to continue refining and optimizing processes with an even more engaged and satisfied workforce.

Make your voice heard by聽. Registration is easy and taking part in research studies is convenient. To learn more about the 麻豆原创 Fiori Makers boot camp, which includes a workshop following the design-led development process, visit聽our .

This story originally appeared on with the support of Suparna Chawla.

Tobias Essig is a user research advocate for 麻豆原创 Design.

WalkMe has just released our 2025 State of Digital Adoption Report: Special AI Edition. As the pioneers and leaders of the digital adoption platform (DAP) category, WalkMe has consistently tracked digital adoption鈥檚 evolution.

Aptly for our time, this year鈥檚 report focuses on the state of AI adoption in organizations across the globe. There is no doubt that AI is transforming enterprise ambitions, but its success depends on people. The human part of the equation seems to be what is standing in the way of realizing the great promises of AI.

The findings must be considered in context of the consistently missed opportunity that has characterized many digital transformation efforts. shows that while digital transformation leaders generated $9 trillion in shareholder value from 2018 to 2023, others missed $5 trillion in potential gains. Enterprises now face a choice: continue accumulating transformation debt and lag behind the competition, or embrace digital adoption as the bridge to AI-powered success.

The report outlines seven digital adoption best practices and their business impact. Implementing even a single digital adoption best practice can nearly triple digital transformation ROI from 22 to 64 percent. Success in the AI era will not be won with technology alone, but with holistic adoption excellence.

For our fourth annual State of Digital Adoption Report, we surveyed nearly 4,000 enterprise leaders and employees globally and dove deep into AI adoption trends. Likely the most comprehensive research into today’s digital adoption efforts, it provides a blueprint for harnessing AI to achieve HyperProductivity. At WalkMe, we鈥檙e committed to helping you turn the promise of digital transformation into measurable business impact.

Here鈥檚 a peak into some of the findings:

Despite AI spending projected to grow 64 percent in 2025 鈥� from $14 million to $23 million at large enterprises 鈥� many organizations struggle to translate investment into impact. Our research highlights that while 79 percent of executives express confidence in achieving AI transformation goals, only 28 percent of employees feel adequately trained, and just 25 percent can use AI to work more efficiently. This readiness gap proves that without strategic adoption, AI investments often fail to deliver meaningful business value. The cost of the resulting digital inefficiencies at large enterprises was found to be over $104 million in 2024 alone due to underutilized technology and poor productivity practices.

While executives estimate an average of 37 applications are in use at their organizations, WalkMe data shows the average large enterprise actually has on average 625 applications in use 鈥� a 17x discrepancy or visibility gap of 1,600 percent. How can organizations effectively optimize their technology investments if they lack the visibility into what applications are actually being used and how? The answer is, of course, they can鈥檛. Enterprises must first discover precisely which applications are in use across their organizations before meaningful productivity gains can be realized. It鈥檚 the most basic first step in setting up each individual employee, team, and business unit for success using the technology tools that are already being paid for.

Ninety-three percent of enterprises surveyed are reevaluating their IT infrastructure, software applications, and talent strategies to ensure AI success. With so much in flux at even the world鈥檚 most innovative companies, one thing is clear: AI鈥檚 promise can only be realized if people are using it. Enterprises that invest in human-centric workforce AI adoption will not only maximize their AI investments, but will also lead the charge in shaping the future of work.

The digital adoption imperative is not only motivated by ROI, employees are all but crying out for help using these increasingly complex and numerous technologies at work. The report found that employees are still struggling with the technology tools available to them, so much so they waste an average of 36 working days a year dealing with technology frustrations. That鈥檚 akin to having every single employee take almost two full months off purely to deal with digital friction.

We can do better.

I invite you to explore more of this year鈥檚 findings and talk to WalkMe about how your workforce can thrive with AI and achieve HyperProductivity. Download the full and join our webinar, 鈥�,鈥� on February 25, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. ET, featuring experts from WalkMe, Accenture, State Farm, and EDF Renewables (register ).

Dan Adika is CEO and co-founder of .

We manage security and compliance risks and operate cybersecurity and physical security programs across our technology landscape, including cloud environments, facilities, events, and employees. We apply our security framework for every customer, all the time.

Recent geopolitical shifts and technological advancements have heightened the challenges for organizations responsible for society’s most critical functions, such as government, defense, and essential infrastructure. These security-sensitive organizations face growing threats from malicious actors targeting their mission-critical operations. As national security and sovereignty become top priorities, regulatory requirements are rapidly tightening. Any lapse in security could have serious consequences not only for the organizations themselves but also for the states and societies they serve.

Many security-sensitive organizations may face obstacles in their digital transformation due to these unique requirements and challenges. This has consequences, because in today’s environment, leveraging data to its full potential is just as relevant for national security and sovereignty as the highest level of protection.

At 麻豆原创, the needs and success of our customers are our focus. 麻豆原创 understands the challenges these security-sensitive organizations are facing and is committed to supporting them in their sovereign digital transformation. Thereby, we are convinced that we need a new view on sovereignty in the digital age. One that goes beyond eliminating risk by actively creating value. With 麻豆原创 Sovereign Cloud, we are implementing this approach.

With 麻豆原创’s Sovereignty Commitment, we underline what we at 麻豆原创 consider also critical for sovereignty in the digital age: a commitment to contribute to building a secure and sovereign future, together.

麻豆原创 has been living this commitment through actions for many years. Starting in the U.S., UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Germany, we have highlighted our commitment to sovereign cloud solutions. The announcements of several billion-dollar investments in 麻豆原创 Sovereign Cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) alone in the past months underline that.

With 麻豆原创’s Sovereignty Commitment, we underscore this commitment and dedication to supporting even the most security-sensitive organizations with specific sovereignty requirements to navigate their unique challenges in their sovereign digital transformation in the selected countries. Recognizing the urgent need for transformative action, we are determined to cooperate with those organizations on building a strong pillar for a more secure and sovereign tomorrow.  

In the Sovereignty Commitment, we outline how we do it and what we plan in the future.

鈥淚n today’s complex geopolitical landscape, digital sovereignty is not just about reducing risk; it鈥檚 about actively creating value,” said Thomas Saueressig, member of the Executive Board of 麻豆原创 SE, Customer Services & Delivery. “麻豆原创 is proud to be a trusted partner for most security-sensitive organizations around the world. With 麻豆原创 Sovereign Cloud, even the most security-sensitive organizations are enabled to maintain control over their mission-critical workload while unlocking its full potential.”

We are an experienced and trusted partner

Most security-sensitive organizations with specific sovereignty requirements need a partner that can flex to their specific regulatory needs and unlock operational value without compromising on sovereignty, protection, or control.

Backed by the world鈥檚 leading business data and a more than 50 year legacy of enterprise innovation, 麻豆原创 is pioneering sovereign cloud transformation to help leaders in government, defense, and highly regulated industries comply with sovereignty requirements and seize new opportunities.

Pioneering sovereign cloud transformation, our sovereign cloud portfolio includes Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

麻豆原创 Sovereign Cloud: A holistic approach based on national requirements

At 麻豆原创, we take a holistic approach to sovereign cloud, in which we consider four major dimensions based on the national requirements: data sovereignty, operational sovereignty, legal sovereignty, and technical sovereignty.

With 麻豆原创 Sovereign Cloud, we tailor solution delivery to the regarded countries鈥� specific national requirements — a sovereign cloud transformation is not empowered with a one-size-fits-it-all approach. We build on 鈥媡he 麻豆原创 solution portfolio, which is secure by design. We offer with 麻豆原创 Sovereign Cloud bespoke solutions on dedicated鈥� in-country infrastructure 鈥媋nd operations covering the central sovereign cloud capabilities in line 鈥媤ith our customers鈥� needs and deliver state-of-the-art solutions based on our innovation pipeline.

With 麻豆原创 Sovereign Cloud, our customers can simultaneously unlock the potential of technological advancements, ensuring competitiveness and innovation in fulfillment of the national sovereignty requirements. 麻豆原创 invests in and expands the 麻豆原创 Sovereign Cloud portfolio, recognizing our most security-sensitive customers鈥� urgent demand.

Today, 麻豆原创 Sovereign Cloud is available in six countries鈥�. We are planning to further expand our established footprint with additional geographies and 麻豆原创 solutions.

We take a forward-thinking approach

At 麻豆原创, we strive to think ahead, focusing on the unique and evolving needs of our most security-sensitive customers.

• Dedicated leadership for national security: Recognizing the critical importance of national security, the Supervisory Board of 麻豆原创 SE has established a dedicated Government Security Committee. This committee ensures that the specific requirements of our security-focused customers remain a strategic priority at the highest levels of our organization.
• Centralized unit for sovereign solutions: To better serve security-sensitive customers, 麻豆原创 has established the Sovereign Services & Delivery unit. This dedicated team consolidates expertise across cloud infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and digital transformation to address the most stringent sovereignty requirements. The unit ensures seamless collaboration along the entire value chain, enabling faster and more tailored responses to market demands. By fostering closer integration, we empower customers to achieve secure, compliant, and scalable sovereign cloud solutions.
• Investing in sovereignty: We are making bold investments to support cloud sovereignty. 麻豆原创 plans to invest more than double-digit billion into AI and research and development, as well as cloud infrastructure, over the next five years in Europe. In Germany alone, we plan to invest 鈧�2 billion in 麻豆原创 Sovereign Cloud, underscoring our commitment to strengthening digital independence and the sovereignty of the societies we proudly serve.

Martin Merz is president of Sovereign Services & Delivery at 麻豆原创.

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.

鈥淥ur mission is to help the customer be fast-moving,鈥� Takuya Sakai, general manager of Hitachi High-Tech Corporation鈥檚 Digital Transformation Business Group, said in after appearing in an 麻豆原创 TechEd keynote last year. 鈥淎nd our corporate vision is a simplified customer process.鈥�

So, in the name of speed and simplicity, Hitachi High-Tech did more than just modify its solution architecture; the Tokyo-based subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd. opted for a greenfield 麻豆原创 S/4HANA transformation. That meant designing and building a new environment customized for its specific needs.

And it did so via an ambitious digital experience program with the goal of helping to simplify its customers鈥� high-tech processes across nano-technology, analytical and medical, as well as other business categories.

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Jumping into the Greenfield

Hitachi High-Tech had run 麻豆原创 ERP as the backbone of its global business since the 1990s, enabling decades of smooth operation and implementation, as well as allowing regions to tailor development to their specific needs. But it also resulted in about 9,000 add-ons 鈥� coding added over the decades to enable bespoke functionality 鈥� from reports and input screens to complex manufacturing-related processes.

Add-ons can help users customize software for specific tasks. But, especially over time, they can become unwieldy, hindering the organization鈥檚 agility and adaptability.

鈥淎fter our digital experience project, we made the decision to jump into a greenfield so that we don鈥檛 transfer all that from our legacy system to our new 麻豆原创 S/4HANA platform,鈥� Sakai said. 鈥淲e changed processes, and we changed technologies.鈥�

Indeed, the jump into a greenfield 鈥� implementing a new system on a virtual blank canvas, without migrating pre-existing data, customizations, and more 鈥� helped Hitachi High-Tech slash its 9,000 legacy add-ons to a mere 800 add-ons, according to Sakai. And Hitachi High-Tech developed most of those new add-ons side-by-side via 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform (麻豆原创 BTP); not altering code helped minimize modifications, which safeguarded stability, agility, and speed.

And, Hitachi High-Tech stopped add-on development completely on 麻豆原创 S/4HANA, according to Sakai.

How Two Tiers Equal One Clean Core

In its greenfield, Hitachi High-Tech built a two-tier model: one tier featured 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition for the company鈥檚 small and midsize sales offices overseas, allowing them to use relatively simple ERP tools, while the other tier runs 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition for Hitachi High-Tech鈥檚 larger domestic manufacturing.

鈥淪ide-by-side development on 麻豆原创 BTP…allows for faster upgrades,鈥� , 鈥済iving our people more immediate access to improved functionality.鈥�

Moving operations from an increasingly customized 鈥� and, therefore, cumbersome 鈥� legacy system to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud offered flexibility, speed, and security, . This can be useful when demand surges, for example, or for offering more frequent upgrades.

But the two tiers still need to exchange data. That鈥檚 where 麻豆原创 BTP fits.

鈥淲e have to integrate two ERPs, so that鈥檚 why we set up 麻豆原创 BTP between the two tiers,鈥� . 鈥淲e鈥檇 like to keep our 麻豆原创 S/4HANA core clean…so we use 麻豆原创 BTP as a business hub and a development foundation.鈥�

Building a Simple, Smart Digital Process

鈥淯sing 麻豆原创 BTP, we can build a simple, smart digital process without touching our 麻豆原创 S/4HANA core,鈥� Sakai said, echoing what he shared during his 麻豆原创 TechEd keynote appearance. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 very, very powerful because we can introduce new functions to the user…and we believe 麻豆原创 BTP is very important for accelerating our business.鈥�

Sakai appeared at 麻豆原创 TechEd to tell the story of Hitachi High-Tech鈥檚 greenfield transformation, during which employees had to adapt to new process, screens, and reporting. They ended up with every office digitally connected, which proved to be a tremendous benefit.

And that type of business case is 鈥渢he most important thing鈥� in a transformation, according to Sakai.

鈥溌槎乖� is not just a software company, but also something like transformation company,鈥� Sakai said. 鈥淥f course,鈥� he added with a smile, 鈥渢he system also is very important.鈥�

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The important thing about an ecosystem is that the companies don鈥檛 master the challenges of digital transformation individually.

Michael Tworek of BMW-supplier WITTE Automotive told 麻豆原创鈥檚 Winning Insights: 鈥淭hey master these challenges together.鈥� See how WITTE works with BMW, 麻豆原创, and other partners within the Catena-X data ecosystem to meet those challenges 鈥� and how scaling up the ecosystem can help everyone expand use cases and improve efficiency.

Fernet-Branca originated in Italy in 1845 as the creation of herbalist Bernardino Branca, who intended it as a medicinal digestif. Produced from a secret recipe of herbs, flowers, roots, and spices 鈥� thought to include saffron, rhubarb, myrrh, and artichoke 鈥� the drink remains popular for its many curative properties.

While the strong bitterness and unique flavor is arguably an acquired taste for most, sales of Fernet-Branca remain robust for global producer Fratelli Branca Distillerie, headquartered in Italy with production plants in both Italy and Argentina and from there they export to other countries.

Gaston Vega, director of IT at Fratelli Branca Distillerie in Argentina, summarizes the brand鈥檚 success: 鈥淚n the last three years, counting until 2023, Fratelli Branca has been exceeding the sales level every year 鈥� meaning that each year of the last three, from 2021 to 2023, was a record.鈥�

But with such success comes pressure to meet rising demand. For many years, Fratelli Branca in Argentina relied on a patchwork of outdated tools and time-consuming manual methods for its customer relationship management (CRM). To become a world-class, sales-driven organization, Fratelli Branca needed to carry out a digital transformation to modernize and automate its CRM processes for improved efficiency. But first, it urgently required an internal champion who could devote time to investigate the technology market and introduce new digital solutions. Vega, who had only recently joined the company in 2022 after many years in the consumer products industry, came to a disquieting realization: 鈥淚n the mass consumption sector, the truth is we were quite behind,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here were many opportunities for automation, digitalization, and technology modernization.鈥�

Valuing a Tradition of Continuous Innovation

For more than 175 years, Fratelli Branca has honored the company motto 鈥�Novare serbando鈥� 鈥� a Latin phrase that means to keep innovating while respecting tradition. This commitment to continuous innovation is evident in the broad portfolio of premium beverages that the company produces, including many brand-name brandies, liquors, vermouths, vodkas, and whiskies.

Now it was time for the sales organization to champion this commitment to innovation through its digital transformation. Would the team be ready for a new way of working? Yes, Vega says: 鈥淲hen I raised the idea of implementing a CRM, I had the unconditional and absolute support of the sales director and the entire commercial area.鈥�

With key stakeholders in agreement, Fratelli Branca evaluated a range of CRM solutions on the market. It chose 麻豆原创 based on best performance, value, and ease of integration with the organization鈥檚 existing 麻豆原创 enterprise resource planning software. 鈥� solutions won in that bid for different reasons: first, we liked the application better, for cost, for different reasons,鈥� Vega says, explaining that 鈥渂asically, the need arose from automation. Many very manual processes were being done here. The sales order system was obsolete, almost unsupported. That was why we looked for an application like this.鈥�

The sales team participated in the demo sessions and asked detailed questions to gain an in-depth understanding of how the new 麻豆原创 solution could enhance productivity. 鈥淚t is an application that they really liked from the first moment,鈥� Vega says. 鈥淭hey thought it was super agile, super versatile, and that it was going to bring them many benefits. Reducing their manual and administrative tasks meant that they gained productive time. So, that’s a very big benefit.鈥�

麻豆原创 Sales Cloud: Optimizing Each Customer Interaction for Improved Profitability

is an advanced CRM solution that helps sales-driven organizations maximize customer interactions and profit margins simultaneously. Using a data-driven approach, the solution expedites a comprehensive strategy to help optimize sales, customer service, and marketing operations. The integration of AI features can enable sales representatives to turn data into actionable insights to help enhance customer engagement, drive customer retention, and ultimately increase sales.

麻豆原创 Sales Cloud鈥檚 success can also be attributed to its versatility and adaptability; it can be seamlessly integrated into an organization鈥檚 existing IT infrastructure without interrupting routine workflow.

Dynamic and Strong Support Drives Project Success

To ensure project success, Fratelli Branca chose global consultancy , an 麻豆原创 partner with a proven track record in helping clients accelerate value from digital transformation of core technologies. The work chemistry with Avvale was an important consideration, Vega says: 鈥淲e have a great dynamic with them. They are people who understood very well what we needed and did not try to go a different path. They recommended things to us; we adopted them. So, that was the first milestone.鈥�

Also, 麻豆原创 continued to monitor the project鈥檚 progress, so Fratelli Branca was never alone or stuck for answers. 鈥溌槎乖� obviously sold us the product, it sold the licenses, but it never stopped accompanying us in the implementation,鈥� Vega says. 

With a strong team and stakeholder support, the implementation of 麻豆原创 Sales Cloud, including the platform, proceeded quickly, so that within five months, Fratelli Branca was ready to introduce the new CRM solution to the sales team. The implementation team knew that selecting highly motivated key users would be necessary to ensure acceptance and spur adoption. 鈥淲hen you bring a new tool that no one knows about, finding the key user who is your internal partner is essential,鈥� Vega says. 鈥淟uckily, we had that commitment on the side of the key users.鈥�

Real-Time Data Access with Mobile-Ready Solution

With a host of powerful capabilities for sales teams, 麻豆原创 Sales Cloud offers a mobile-ready solution to help meet the needs of a remote and traveling workforce, meaning that salespeople can have immediate access to critical data and analytics from anywhere. For the sales team at Fratelli Branca, access to real-time information while in the field has been a game-changer.

With sales coverage responsibility for the entirety of Argentina 鈥� from rugged Patagonia in the south to the wine-growing region of Cuyo in the west and the sunny wetlands of the Argentine Littoral in the northeast 鈥� Fratelli Branca鈥檚 sales team is on the go to meet customers, take sales orders, check invoices, and monitor sales progress. Now equipped with tablet computers and mobile phones, the team is achieving new levels of efficiency, as they can better perform their work in the field. 鈥淸It鈥檚] everything that a CRM gives you and in a super agile way,鈥� Vega says. 鈥淚magine that we went from almost prehistory to modernity.鈥�

Fratelli Branca continues to evolve its use of the new digital solution to further automate sales processes and eliminate onerous manual and repetitive tasks. One of the features it plans to implement is a survey module that can save photographs at the point of sales 鈥� usually a bar or restaurant 鈥� and gather important sales-related information about pricing and competitor data.

Overall, Vega describes the adoption of 麻豆原创 Sales Cloud as 鈥渟uper positive, with always good positive comments. The truth is that I never had a complaint.鈥� He notes that previously the 鈥渟ales team was manual and today they are digitalized; you clearly notice that the sales team and the directors value precisely this greater efficiency [from] having digitized certain processes.鈥�

Here, she shares about how the pair work together to help supercharge customers鈥� digital transformations.

Q: Can you give a little background on 麻豆原创 Business Transformation Center?

A: 麻豆原创 Business Transformation Center was envisioned as a one-stop shop for customers that want to transition from 麻豆原创 ERP Central Component (麻豆原创 ERP) 6.0 to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA. The challenges to such a transformation are, of course, numerous and daunting. Customers need to cull current data, pull together fragmented tool sets, line up the right human resources, and keep an eye on time to value.

With 麻豆原创 Business Transformation Center, we鈥檝e done our best to bring together the latest functionality and expert guidance to smooth the way 鈥� in a single, powerful software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering. And 麻豆原创 Business Transformation Center is easily accessible, deployed on 麻豆原创 Cloud ALM atop 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform (麻豆原创 BTP). It comes with any implementation of RISE with 麻豆原创 or any cloud solution from 麻豆原创 and can be ready to use in less than half an hour.

Q: Where can customers go for further details?

A: The support materials at include a quick summary of features and benefits, along with the .

Q: What does 麻豆原创 see as the core mission of 麻豆原创 Business Transformation Center?

A: Kilian Carolan from the Premium Hub 鈥� CoE Ireland Data Management has described the mission this way: 鈥淭o play an active part in the 麻豆原创 S/4HANA adoption journey by supporting key data management and data migration topics and to serve as the trusted advisor for our customers.鈥� He continues to explain that we do this through end-to-end support, including hands-on execution, optimization, transformation, upgrade, and migration of Big Data and data platforms. In short, we apply our vast portfolio of enterprise information management and landscape transformation tools, methodologies, and processes to the customer鈥檚 unique transformation scenario.

Q: Where are we in the ongoing evolution of 麻豆原创 Business Transformation Center?

A: Our first step was to help customers fully understand the structure of their 麻豆原创 legacy systems through the digital blueprint. This supplied the background they needed to begin scoping the transformation project. And now we鈥檝e completed the second step for moving data across to the target system 鈥� with lean selective data transition for 麻豆原创 S/4HANA.

Q: What exactly does the lean selective data transition for 麻豆原创 S/4HANA do?

A: Data transformation is traditionally a highly complex undertaking, and we鈥檝e made a huge dent in that complexity. Right at the start, lean selective data transition for 麻豆原创 S/4HANA helps radically reduce the decision-making efforts involved in choosing data to migrate. The underlying principle is to provide smarter suggestions and fewer difficult choices through market-leading services and tools 鈥� and end-to-end advice on making the most of them. That approach helps customers ensure that they only move data that will continue to be useful, reducing the volume of data for the testing and go-live phases and accelerating the transition exponentially.

With lean selective data transition for 麻豆原创 S/4HANA, customers can pare down 麻豆原创 legacy data and bring the target system live with a clean data foundation. In combination with the digital blueprint, lean selective data transition for 麻豆原创 S/4HANA can give 麻豆原创 Business Transformation Center the power to do all the heavy lifting of accessing source systems; extracting, transforming, and loading relevant data; and validating data for completeness, consistency, and correctness.

Q: What types of data can customers choose to exclude from the transfer?

A: For example, they could decide to completely ignore obsolete company codes, such as data for companies they have since divested or which are no longer in use.

Q: What does the wider market see as the single most revolutionary aspect of lean selective data transition for 麻豆原创 S/4HANA?

A: For the very first time, 麻豆原创 provides standard functionality not only for complete rebuilds, greenfield implementations, system conversions, or brownfield implementations, but also for projects somewhere in the middle. This is a third path, if you will, and it鈥檚 a holistic approach to the big transformation from 麻豆原创 ECC 6.0 to 麻豆原创 S/4 HANA Cloud Private Edition.

Q: Can you take us a little deeper into how lean selective data transition for 麻豆原创 S/4HANA works and how customers can benefit?

A: With the 麻豆原创 Readiness Check tool for 麻豆原创 ERP usage and data profiling, we can collaborate with the customer to read the data from the source system and identify legal entities that are no longer in use or will soon be obsolete. 麻豆原创 Business Transformation Center then can propose that these entities and the associated data are “removed from the scope” before starting the data transition and can provide clear instructions on how to do this. It can also help to identify customer-specific data in the 麻豆原创 legacy system. Here, too, the customer has the option of leaving this data behind on the way to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA to support its clean core strategy and move closer to the standard again.

Both these jobs would previously have meant time-consuming manual work for the solution architect 鈥� and higher costs and longer time to value for the customer. With the addition of lean selective data transition for 麻豆原创 S/4HANA to the already popular functionality for digital blueprinting, 麻豆原创 Business Transformation Center can now provide optimal support and transparency in each phase of the transformation project. It helps customers analyze the source system, define migration scope, create migration cycles, and finally transform the leaner body of data they鈥檝e elected to move across. From strategy to execution, we serve as a trusted partner, helping to ensure that every step of the way leads to meaningful insights and sustainable results. And that lowers both total cost of implementation (TCI) and total cost of operation (TCO).

Q: What have customers been saying about lean selective data transition for 麻豆原创 S/4HANA?

A: Long-term partner BMW Group, for example, has told us, 鈥淭his feature significantly speeds up our evolution into an intelligent enterprise by applying sustainable and efficient solutions and methodologies.鈥�

Karin Baeumler is part of Go-to-Market, Business & Data Transformation Solutions, at 麻豆原创.

This marks a milestone for Bain & Company since the firm embarked on an enterprise resource planning (ERP) modernization project in 2020.

Choosing the Cloud to Support Future Growth

Having grown significantly over two decades, Bain & Company now operates globally in over 65 offices. This growth, both organic and through acquisitions, led to a rise in manual and localized back-end processes, in addition to the challenges of integrating acquired businesses into the wider company. For these reasons, Bain & Company made the choice to migrate to the cloud with 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition.

鈥溌槎乖� S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition was the best ERP option to meet our needs because of its standard processes, latest industry best practices and continuously delivered innovation, and I believe that adopting an SaaS solution will help future-proof our technology stack as we continue to grow,鈥� Bain & Company Chief Information Officer Ramesh Razdan said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e already completed our first year-end close on 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition and are very pleased with the results we鈥檝e seen. I鈥檓 confident that we鈥檙e on course to deliver significant value from this implementation in the coming years.鈥�

A Strategic Opportunity to Optimize Business Operations

In implementing 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition across its global business in 40 countries, Bain was determined to realize the full potential of its new ERP system. From the outset, the program was owned by stakeholders from across both business and technology functions with the goal of fully standardizing core processes end to end and enabling its global users to deliver desired business outcomes with the new technology.  

Using its own ERP transformation teams and digital transformation expertise to deliver a 鈥渂usiness-led鈥� technology transformation of this magnitude, Bain worked together with 麻豆原创 to design and deliver its end-to-end 鈥溌槎乖� S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition modernization program.鈥� Additionally, Bain also invested in significant change management and training efforts to ensure global users were ready to harness the full value of 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition.

鈥淲e treated this as a business-led transformation in the same way we advise our clients,鈥� Bain & Company CFO Steve McLaughlin said. 鈥淲e standardized many processes to create real business value and execution efficiency. For example, we simplified and standardized our chart of accounts enabling us to utilize 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, group reporting to provide the management reporting our leaders need to make timely decisions. Our business leaders and finance team have owned our 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition journey from day one, which was a real key to our initial success and knowing we have more to do.鈥�

Successful 鈥淏ig Bang鈥� Implementation Across the Globe

Bain is now live globally with fully standard processes following a big-bang implementation across 40 countries. Today, it has a system built around a standardized core, which has enabled faster and better-informed decision-making, automated processes that will lead to reduced manual work, quicker onboarding of acquisitions, and seamless ERP upgrades and innovation.

鈥淏ain & Company and 麻豆原创 have been long-standing partners,鈥� said Scott Russell, chief revenue officer and member of the Executive Board of 麻豆原创 SE. 鈥淲e are delighted to support them in their journey to the cloud so that they are poised to continue transforming their business as well as the businesses of our joint customers. I look forward to seeing Bain & Company fully utilize all the latest innovations, including industry best practices and new technologies like generative AI, available to them through 麻豆原创 solutions.鈥�

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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Perhaps surprisingly, private equity firms are a huge driver of this trend, whether via investments in solar, wind, biomass, or some other type of renewable energy. These companies recognize not only the social, humanitarian benefit but the economic benefit of renewables: low-cost power, reduced dependence on imported fuel, and more secure, reliable energy supply.

The numbers bear out this trend. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence data, private equity and venture capital transactions in the global renewable energy sector reached , the highest total in the last five years. More so, funds raised in recent years are approaching the value of fossil fuel asset fundraising, per The Impact Investor.

However, there are challenges inherent in this tectonic shift. With broader strategic change in how we produce and consume energy comes more narrow change 鈥� and difficulties 鈥� in areas like engineering, manufacturing, procurement, supply chain management, human resources, and finance. These areas make it hard for private equity investors to easily operate and scale businesses, highlighting the present need and opportunity for scalable, cost-effective solutions that truly support the renewable space鈥檚 growth and future success.

With Great Power鈥�

A crucial element of today鈥檚 state of play in the renewables space is the rapid acceleration in load growth made manifest by today鈥檚 technology advancements. Whether it be ChatGPT, Bitcoin, or some other artificial intelligence- or machine learning-related innovation, our tools are requiring more energy production and consumption than ever.

That means there is expansive economic benefit to finding cheaper, faster, less energy-consuming ways to run these tools and solutions 鈥� not to mention widespread social benefit.

Companies across the industry are already embracing 麻豆原创 solutions to use less energy, improve business operations, and meet sustainability goals. One global market leader in energy storage solutions and services recently selected 麻豆原创 to help it scale faster, improve supply chain visibility, and boost overall efficiency. Another business 鈥� an established provider and owner of clean energy solutions nationwide for commercial and industrial businesses 鈥� chose 麻豆原创 to help amplify its growth efforts via the acceleration of its ability to both scale and innovate in the energy space.

By iterating and streamlining processes to meet modern needs, companies like these can not only equip themselves for success today but for success tomorrow, as they grow and change alongside the evolving and progressing energy transition.

鈥omes Great Capability

In our current industry moment, renewable energy companies demand unparalleled visibility and insights into financing, projects, operations, and more. Whether it be land acquisition, asset construction, or maintenance, a centralized data model that facilitates intelligent business insights is vital. It鈥檚 how you empower everyone in the organization to make informed decisions that drive the company forward.

Take supply chain management. Renewable energy companies can鈥檛 just order new parts or materials with a short delivery time. Some of the materials necessary for renewable energy products, like graphite, have order lead times spanning years rather than months. Top technology solutions will meet engineering requirements for things like storage, transportation, and integration of natural resources into the production process so that they can ensure supply chain management goals are met. In short, efficient and effective development and implementation of renewable assets requires careful management of the supply chain.

So, yes, these companies and their private equity backers are innovating toward a cleaner future. But they may not always have the time or resources to fully innovate and advance their business processes, sometimes resorting to manual ones that slow things down and add risk. Companies like 麻豆原创 can offer a seamless platform for managing these enterprises鈥� various business needs, in an integrated way that can enable them to focus on their core business and not have to worry about IT risks.

No matter where a renewable company is on their journey, 麻豆原创 and its partners have solutions that can automate and optimize core business processes to help meet their maximum potential. This is due to elements like:

• Centralized ERP data providing a single source of truth and improved decision-making ability
• Fully managed supply chain procurement and logistics, with deep supplier networks
• Faster ROI thanks to repeatable, trustworthy, and accurate processes empowering business users

These seamless integrations and true end-to-end insights will power renewable companies well into the future, so that they can power us as well.

A Brighter Tomorrow

Leading private equity firms are leading for a reason. They see what鈥檚 possible in the renewable energy space and recognize the tremendous economic and social benefits that are available. For them, digital transformation is the skeleton key for unlocking a bigger and better future 鈥� one where they can easily scale up or down depending on their needs.

Leading ERP solutions can meet these companies where they are, with the speed and flexibility necessary to streamline business processes and build on them in exponential ways.

For the renewables space, it鈥檚 about setting the foundation for whatever comes next 鈥� not just for individual companies, but for our world and the way we all consume energy.

Mark Hollis is an industry executive advisor for Renewable Energy & Utilities at 麻豆原创.

Formula One is a technologically innovative form of motorsport, where each car features over 300 sensors onboard that generates 1.5 terabytes of data in a single race weekend 鈥� data that needs to be analyzed to detect potential performance enhancements and reliability and safety concerns.

But until the late 1960s, Formula One cars were designed on traditional drawing boards by engineers using retractable pencils and a set of French curves. This is not dissimilar to the tech industry, where for decades the value cases for investing in technology were architected for customers by busloads of engineers armed with Excel spreadsheets.

Cloud computing changed not only what technology to buy, but also how businesses engage with their vendors when making investment decisions. Enabled by new technologies like mobility and artificial intelligence (AI), customers now expect immediate responses, exponentially faster time-to-value, immersive experiences, and flexible and intuitive engagements powered by robust low-touch and self-service capabilities. Not surprisingly, industry research shows that four out of five B2B customers will want to be engaged digitally by 2025.

麻豆原创 executes digital customer engagement via digital hubs located on six continents. The hubs are home to highly collaborative teams of diverse, digitally skilled talent that can deliver comprehensive, virtual customer engagement services. Like an F1 team, digital hubs use cutting-edge technologies to help drive accelerated business outcomes for customers with great customer experience, incredible innovation speed, and optimal levels of productivity achieved through data-driven, surgically precise execution.

Speed of Execution: Embracing Flexibility and Adaptability

Formula One teams operate in a relentless pursuit of speed, continuously refining their strategies to gain a competitive edge. Similarly, the ability to deploy teams to serve 麻豆原创 customers virtually with the latest digital innovations allows us to reach more businesses faster at precisely the time they need us, no matter where in the world they might be and which stage of their digital transformation journey they are at.

Digital customer engagement can allow us to close the feedback loop across thousands of customers around the globe at velocity, helping to shorten their time to value from years to months and from months to weeks. In 2023, 麻豆原创 digital hubs supported more than 22,000 digital customer engagements across the globe, setting these customers up for successful digital transformation journeys at unprecedented speed.

Speed matters and the race is on. The ability to recognize what a customer needs to grow and to work with partners that can quickly address these needs has foundationally elevated the need for digital customer engagements.

Precision in Execution: Leveraging Data and Technology for Optimal Performance

In Formula One, every aspect 鈥� from car design to the race strategy 鈥� hinges on harnessing and analyzing terabytes of data, often in real time. Similarly, in an increasingly competitive business environment, embracing precision through technological innovation allows organizations to balance accelerating their digital transformation decisions and optimizing profitability. The balance can be struck only through an almost unreasonable obsession with measuring and executing on fact-based insights.

At 麻豆原创 digital hubs, we can track key value metrics across the entire customer journey, be it for demand campaigns, customer value propositions, personalized digital asset performance, the adoption of new productivity-driving tools, and so on. We do this not only to understand what鈥檚 most relevant to our customers but also to track the effectiveness of what we do and how we do it in the context of what our customers need.

Customer Experience: Focusing on Value, Personalization, and Great Experiences

In Formula One, success is not solely measured by speed. The sport thrives on delivering a captivating experience tailored to engage multifaceted fans from a multitude of angles, making sure everyone gets value from the event. The same is true in the digital business world.

麻豆原创鈥檚 digital hubs virtualize and leverage 麻豆原创鈥檚 rich heritage of industry best practices and benchmarks to help personalize the customer journey, bringing customer stakeholders in alignment with one another and delivering on 麻豆原创鈥檚 value promises across geographies, cultures, and industries through immersive and memorable experiences. 麻豆原创 digital hubs can accomplish this across the entire customer journey with 麻豆原创 鈥� from the time we create awareness, to customer onboarding, to supporting customers with valuable solution and industry expertise, until we help customers realize the full value of the 麻豆原创 solutions they adopt.

AI-Powered, Human-Led Approach: Focusing on Digitally Native and Digitally Skilled Talent

In Formula One, decisions pivot on data. But it’s the team that uses their experiences to apply that data and simulate different scenarios to discover new ways to drive superior outcomes. Similarly, while data and AI technologies fuel decisions and actions in 麻豆原创 digital hubs, it’s human ingenuity that leverages the tech and data and elevates customer outcomes.

Just like the F1 teams, our hubs attract and employ only the best of the best, offering a high-energy working environment that thrives on intricate collaboration. The individuals who join us can gain immediate cross-role and cross-geography exposure, enabling them to become productive members of the team in record time. Continuous learning and pointed diversity, with gender parity in half of our digital hubs today, form the backbone of our digital culture, where everyone is treated with respect, skills are constantly honed, and different roles are seamlessly orchestrated to present a unified customer experience.

The rules change, and we have to as well. Every pit stop and each customer touchpoint is a chance to pivot in real time, refine, and go faster, helping 麻豆原创 customers and shareholders gain more value at exponential velocity and great volumes. This is the 鈥�3V鈥� promise of 麻豆原创 digital hubs and this is how we win the race!

Sam Masri is global head of Digital Hub, Customer Success at 麻豆原创 SE.

On top of that, we still need to foster relationships with suppliers, manage costs, address sustainability mandates, and build resilient supply chains — all while transforming procurement into a more strategic business function. Not surprisingly, procurement leaders are looking to the next wave of technology to help them position their organizations to adapt quickly to changing conditions.

For many, moving key business processes to the cloud represents that 鈥渘ext wave鈥� and for that, is the perfect option.

The RISE with 麻豆原创 solution is a managed cloud offering that enables a smooth, secure migration of on-premises ERP, including 麻豆原创 ERP and 麻豆原创 S/4HANA, to the cloud. Its holistic approach to business transformation empowers organizations to better adapt to changing market dynamics and innovate more quickly.

Businesses can leverage RISE with 麻豆原创 to modernize their IT infrastructure, optimize and automate key processes, and unlock new levels of efficiency. They can also harness the power of data and analytics to make informed decisions, enabling them to achieve their business goals more effectively and efficiently.

The Challenge for Procurement: Extending Digital Transformation to Suppliers

For many years, 鈥渄igital transformation鈥� has been the hot trend for business functions, including procurement. Organizations are moving their internal business operations from manual processes and disparate software applications to integrated ERP systems. These systems are starting to leverage generative AI to improve the user experience, digitalize manual processes, and accelerate strategic decision making.

This is a win for the business with one caveat: 鈥渢raditional鈥� digital transformation does not go beyond the four walls of the organization. This creates a challenge for procurement because suppliers operate outside those four walls, where communication can be anything but digitalized. In fact, * revealed that 68% of respondents use email to transmit and receive data and documents for procurement and supply chain collaboration. Other methods include telephone (44%), supplier/customer portals (38%), and EDI (26%).

Given the technology available today, this is not only unproductive, but it also is completely unnecessary. With , 麻豆原创 offers a premium plus edition that includes 麻豆原创 Business Network for Procurement. This enables businesses to extend the digital transformation of business processes outside their walls.

Better Collaboration, Faster Invoice Processing, and an Improved User Experience

is a cloud-based collaboration offering that gives buyers and suppliers a way to find each other and do business within a single, networked platform. The network makes it possible for organizations to:

• Exchange data and documents digitally with suppliers, eliminating the need for phone calls, faxes, emails, or snail mail
• Achieve enhanced spend visibility and compliance
• Access a marketplace of suppliers to ensure business resilience, diverse spending, and alignment with sustainability objectives

Additionally, improved transactional operations and invoice status visibility enable better working capital management for stronger trading partner relationships. Finance colleagues can enjoy a faster month-end close due to improved accounts payable efficiencies and increased procurement and payment compliance.

麻豆原创 Business Network for Procurement Extends 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud

When RISE with 麻豆原创 is combined with 麻豆原创 Business Network for Procurement, procurement teams can collaborate digitally with suppliers across procurement and invoicing processes. This dramatically improves transactional efficiency.

A natural extension of ERP, 麻豆原创 Business Network provides an environment in which procurement processes initiated from 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud can be transmitted digitally to suppliers. As a result, suppliers can view and generate transactions like orders, order confirmations, ship notices, and invoices, and then act quickly to accelerate the procure-to-pay process.

麻豆原创 Business Network for Procurement improves process efficiency in many areas, including:

• Purchase order processing: Digital purchase orders that are created in ERP are sent automatically to suppliers. Once confirmed by the supplier, buyers have visibility into order acceptance and delivery dates.
• Invoice payment status: Invoice and payment status information is available on the 麻豆原创 Business Network dashboard to update suppliers, eliminating the need for phone calls.
• Invoicing business rules: Buyers have the flexibility to configure applicable business rules that require adherence to business process and regulatory compliance.
• Change order update: Buyers and suppliers can communicate changes to open purchase orders, which creates an auditable record of changes and variations. Related documents, such as shipping notices, are also synchronized with updates.
• Payment compliance: Quick invoice processing and data accuracy minimizes wrong or duplicate payments, while improving accounting processes and overall financial visibility.
• Supplier collaboration: Digitalization enables quicker feedback from suppliers, making it possible for suppliers to 鈥渇lip鈥� purchase orders into confirmations and invoices, reducing errors and manual effort.
• Promotional opportunities: Networked suppliers have additional opportunities to grow their business by using the network to promote their offerings and connect with new customers.

The Next Wave of Digital Transformation

When you invest in RISE with 麻豆原创, you are enabling your business to migrate core business processes to the cloud. By complementing this solution with 麻豆原创 Business Network, you extend your digital transformation to interactions with trading partners though a single, end-to-end technology landscape built on standardized processes and consistent data.

This is the next wave of technology that will enable you to address the ever-growing list of business challenges you wake up and face every day.

is chief marketing and solutions officer of Intelligent Spend and Business Network at 麻豆原创.

*, doc #US50854723, July 2023