SAP Trends Podcast

In this final episode of the NTT DATA SAP podcast, Takumi Muda, an SCM and cloud expert at NTT DATA, discusses an SAP Ariba implementation for spend management at a renowned automobile manufacturing conglomerate and explains the keys to its success. NTT DATA had to successfully overcome two major challenges. First, the customer had multiple custom-developed systems for domestic procurement, which resulted in redundant and unstandardized processes. The second challenge was the customer wanted a new solution to be completed in one year. NTT DATA proposed SAP Ariba as the perfect solution as it seamlessly connects to the client’s core SAP S/4HANA system. To ensure the project could be delivered on time, three policies were adopted. The first policy emphasized a fit-to-standard implementation with minimal customization; the second policy involved adopting agile software development instead of classic waterfall methodologies; and the third policy, called Quality, Cost, and Delivery (QCD), prioritized the most important features and functions, allocating resources and time accordingly. This project benefited from NTT DATA’s LEAP initiative, which supports SAP projects in large enterprises that accelerate innovation and digital transformation. Thanks to LEAP, NTT DATA was able to show the customer the capabilities of SAP Ariba and how it could integrate with their existing systems and processes. This served as a foundation to build trust and confidence with the customer and demonstrate its commitment and value proposition. Just hit “play” to hear more about this fascinating use case.

In this episode of the NTT DATA SAP podcast, Ricardo Langa introduces experts Mario Daban and Simon Schwarze to discuss the topic of extensibility in the SAP world. The conversation explains the concepts of composability and extensibility, emphasizing their importance in adapting to changing business needs and opportunities. Simon explains composability as the ability to compose different components for various business processes, using the example of business partner management functionality which is common to almost every process. Extensibility, on the other hand, involves extending existing functionalities without modifying the core logic, allowing for innovation and customization. Both concepts play a vital role in achieving higher levels of agility and efficiency in a dynamic business environment. The discussion shifts to NTT DATA's methodologies for addressing composability and extensibility challenges and its strong strategic partnerships with SAP as well as additional collaborations with Microsoft and ServiceNow. Simon explains that the key pillars for success include applying best practices, having an overview of available solutions, and understanding customer requirements. Fit gap analyzers are employed to match requirements with available solutions, emphasizing the importance of methodologies for successful implementation. Simon then explains the methodology suite used by consultants, incorporating application lifecycle management, project management, change management, release management, design thinking, LEGO Serious Play, lean process management, and more. The approach involves driving projects with a deep understanding of enterprise components and best practices. Mario broadens the discussion to stress the key role played by SAP technology in driving innovation and explain NTT DATA's value proposition, focusing on co-innovation, expertise, quality, and the value delivered to customers. Using collaborative and iterative processes, and its broad industry experience ensures consistently high quality, back by the use of rigorous standards and frameworks. Just hit “play” to learn more about the topic of extensibility for SAP users.

In this episode of the NTT DATA SAP podcast, host Ricardo Langa introduces experts Hector Montalban and Adrian Kostrz, leaders of the AI practice in NTT DATA, who help demystify AI and look at some practical applications in business. Adrian says customers he talks to are eager to integrate AI into business processes for improved services and personalized experiences. However, concerns about data privacy, security, and ethical implications persist. Adrian underscores the importance of transparency, clear communication, and education to address these concerns. Hector then introduces a real-world use case that uses GenAI to help migrate ABAP code in an SAP S/4HANA environment. The work has been developed as a Proof of Concept (PoC) with a major client in Spain and he says initial results from the PoC are promising, with plans to increase the complexity of use cases and further enhance accuracy through additional training. Adrian stresses the importance of this use case as there are many SAP customers planning or starting their transitions to S/4HANA. Given the growing need to support them, an asset that can accelerate the completion of the various tasks involved in a conversion project will appeal to many customers. Finally, Adrian highlights the investment that NTT DATA has made in improving the capabilities and performance of AI for its clients as part of its long term vision and commitment to delivering the best possible outcomes for its customers. Just hit “play” to hear more about the fascinating topic of AI.

In this episode of the NTT DATA SAP podcast, George Jacob, leader of the SAP Human Experience Management practice in the US, presents a fascinating use case within the human resources management arena. The company, a global battery manufacturer was growing rapidly and its existing set of point solutions for various HR functions was not integrated, which made it difficult to gain comprehensive insights into employee data and recruit and onboard new hires. NTT DATA addressed these challenges by implementing SAP SuccessFactors, a centralized HCM platform, to streamline HR processes and enhance employee experience. George attributes the success of this project to three key factors: adoption of best practices, active involvement and partnership with the customer, and a robust Organizational Change Management (OCM) strategy. He emphasizes the importance of aligning HR and IT organizations with SAP best practices, ensuring customer participation throughout the project, and effective OCM to manage the human-centric nature of SuccessFactors. The successful roll-out of SuccessFactors was helped considerably by the use of HR 360, an accelerator developed by NTT DATA based on their extensive SAP HCM experience. HR360 incorporates pre-configured templates, global and local flavors, add-on packages, and documentation to fast-track and simplify SuccessFactors implementations. Just hit “play” to listen to learn more about how NTT DATA helped one client successfully transform its HCM practices using SAP SuccessFactors.

In this latest episode of the NTT DATA SAP podcast, Jeff Van Pelt, Consumer Industries Principal at NTT DATA Business Solutions in the US, discusses the current landscape of consumer industries and explains the importance of investing in new technologies to get closer to the consumer, grow sales and boost profitability. Some key trends he mentions include the rise of e-commerce and direct-to-consumer sales, the growing focus on sustainability, the increasing demand for personalized and customized products, the need for supply chain resilience in the post-COVID era, and the heightened emphasis on health and wellness products. The conversation then shifts to the role of SAP technology in addressing these challenges. Jeff emphasizes SAP's evolution from being an ERP company to its current comprehensive offering that spans supply chain management, product life cycle management, trade promotion management, analytics, business intelligence, and embedded AI and Machine Learning. Jeff explains the importance of understanding the total cost to deliver a product to a customer and introduces NTT DATA's Cost to Serve solution. This helps players in the retail sector gain transparency into costs, improve pricing decisions and so boost profitability. The podcast concludes with Jeff explaining why NTT DATA is particularly well positioned to help consumer industries, citing the company's singular focus on SAP, its industry-specific expertise, assets such as the Cost-to-Serve accelerator, and proprietary IP that contributes to project acceleration and effective delivery. Just hit “play” to listen to this fascinating conversation about how consumer industries can get the most out of new technologies.