SAP ERP

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SAP embeds AI into solutions, launches ERP for SMEs in Southeast Asia

Whenever organizations discuss ERP solutions, SAP is often part of the conversation. The tech company is a household name for organizations when it comes to ERP solutions and will most likely continue to be a top ERP vendor for years to come.

Even with generative AI revolutionizing how businesses use technology, SAP has made sure that they keep up with the technology as well. In fact, SAP recently announced that it will embed IBM Watson technology into its solutions to provide new AI-driven insights and automation to help businesses accelerate innovation as well as create efficient and effective user experiences across its application portfolio.

SAP will use IBM Watson capabilities to power its digital assistant in SAP Start, which provides a unified entry point for cloud solutions from SAP. With SAP Start, users can search for, launch and interactively engage with apps provided in cloud solutions from SAP and SAP S/4HANA Cloud. New AI capabilities in SAP Start will be designed to help users boost productivity with both natural language capabilities and predictive insights using IBM Watson AI solutions built on IBM’s trust and transparency and data privacy principles.

Christian Klein, CEO and Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE commented that the milestone collaboration with IBM aims to provide SAP customers a better user experience, faster decision-making and greater insights to help transform their business processes.

“Working together to incorporate additional AI, machine learning and other intelligent technologies into SAP solutions can lead to better business outcomes for our joint customers,” said Klein.

From generative AI to ERP for SMEs

Over in Southeast Asia, SAP also launched a new offering to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) adopt cloud ERP that enables speed, predictability and continuous innovation. The offering brings together SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition, with accelerated adoption services, a global community of experts and free learning resources.

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

Currently, more than two-thirds of SMEs find digital transformation critical for their organization’s survival, according to an SAP study. As such, organizations need knowledgeable business partners that can help guide them through their transformation journey, help them navigate changes with agility, and help achieve lifetime business value from their investments.

According to Verena Siow, President and Managing Director at SAP SEA, SMEs are the backbone of the SEA economy, making up nearly 99% of all businesses, and contributing to 90% of employment and nearly 60% of GDP in many ASEAN countries.

“Together with our ecosystem of partners across SEA, we can empower SMEs to be the growth engines of the digital and experience economy by harnessing the proven benefits of GROW with SAP, achieve continuous innovation to retain their competitive advantage in a dynamic market, and unleash their potential for new international business opportunities,” commented Siow.

Siow also pointed out that SAP has over 50 years of expertise to help enable companies of all sizes to become sustainable and intelligent enterprises.

“We understand what it takes to help customers realize value from adopting cloud ERP, how  they can leverage SAP cloud solutions to scale and support even the most extensive product lines, complex service offerings, and ambitious sustainability goals,” added Siow.

Among the SAP customers that have leveraged GROW with SAP is Temasek Public Resilience Infectious Disease Emergency (T-PRIDE). Judy Hoie, T-PRIDE CEO mentioned that the company was able to enhance the way they operate with greater governance and visibility while continuing to deliver on our mission during the pandemic.

“Having an integrated solution will ensure we can manage future deployments effectively and processes/governance are aligned. With a unifying and data-driven approach to process analysis and improved decision-making, we continue to meet the evolving needs of our communities and transform lives for a more inclusive and resilient world,” explained Hoie.