By Jan Gilg, SVP and Head of SAP S/4 HANA

Intelligent Processes as a Service

The future of business is here and it's unevenly distributed with industry boundaries blurring and markets separating. In 2020 there will continue to be a digital disruption within organizations, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems will need to offer flexibility to cope with these circumstances. Not only will enterprises need to provide their customers with flexibility, but also integrated processes. Ultimately, a new generation of ERP is needed.

The next generation of ERP should have features that include:

• Intelligent insights to action
• Real-time steering
• Self-driving capabilities (co-pilot and automation)
  

Furthermore, machine learning capabilities also need to be built into ERP systems. For example, with image-based buying, a technician can use machine learning to take a photo of a part that needs to be repaired - from there the system recognizes and orders the correct part in an efficient manner, with no errors, and provides the correct cost.

Additionally, machine learning can positively impact handling situations that may be sensitive. For example, if a customer is behind on their payment the ERP system offers a way for the company to automatically alert the customer that an invoice is past due without sending an awkward cautionary message and instead turns it into a positive, upsell situation.

In summary, we'll continue to see additional business model innovation and transformation in 2020, and we can expect machine learning to play a bigger role in ERP systems.

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About the Author

Jan Gilg is the SVP and Head of SAP S/4 HANA at SAP. He's an IT professional with more than 18 years of experience in the enterprise software industry in consulting, enterprise architecture, portfolio and product strategy, strategic business development, and value management. Jan has strong expertise in ERP, enterprise architecture, innovation, business process excellence, agile transformation and SAP architecture.