Business AI Unleashed: Navigating the New Era of Work with SAP's Joule

Have you ever wondered how AI changes how work and business get done in the new era?

With over 12,000 in-person attendees and 15,000 live streaming online, #SAPSapphire conference was a beacon of innovation and inspiration.

At SAP Sapphire last week, Christian Klein, SAP's CEO, made a groundbreaking announcement - by year-end, 80% of SAP's most used tasks will be managed by Joule, their AI assistant. Now, imagine the impact: 300 million users becoming 20% more productive!

How does it feel when everyone around you brings out their best? Energizing, enriching, empowering? That’s the sensation I experienced at #SAPSapphire.  Let's recap SAP Sapphire and uncover the innovative strategies that will redefine our approach to work.

AI Panels

I had the honor of speaking on two AI panels with David Jonker, Jan Gilg, and Paul Saunders. Our AI panels ranked number 3 among the top 5 sessions. We explored AI's transformative role in shaping the future of finance and explored the following topics:

• Transformative Potential: AI's power to revolutionize finance operations.

• Responsibility in AI Usage: The paramount importance of ethical and responsible AI deployment.

• Evolving Role of Finance Professionals: AI's enablement of finance professionals to focus on strategic endeavors.

• Starting Point for CFOs/CIOs: Practical advice for CFOs and CIOs beginning their AI journey.

It was an honor to contribute to the #TransformativeAI panels and unpack the macro trends of AI and its impact on #Finance. Special thanks to David Jonker for moderating two thought-provoking sessions and to Jane Gray (O’Brien) and Daniel Schlabbers for flawless coordination. The genuine interest and engagement from attendees, whether through LinkedIn messages or inquiries for unbiased advice, underscored the importance of these conversations.

Analyst Summit

The Analyst Summit was a pivotal moment at SAP Sapphire, where SAP executives and Board members provided an in-depth view of SAP’s vision and a preview of SAP Sapphire followed by Q&A.

Muhammad Alam, head of product engineering and member of the board SAP , set the tone with SAP's focus on "AI First and Suite First," driving customer-centric innovation. (Add picture)

The summit underscored the critical role of informed analysis in navigating the ever-evolving landscape of AI and business. Kudos to Clare Henry for pulling this together.

Unveiling the Power of AI

Joule's Expansion: Christian Klein, SAP's CEO, made a groundbreaking announcement - by year-end, 80% of SAP's most used tasks will be managed by Joule, their AI assistant. Imagine, 300 million users becoming 20% more productive!

Integration Galore: SAP introduced two-way integration of Joule with Microsoft 365 Copilot. It promises enhanced user experience and productivity. Plus, SAP plans to double the number of AI use cases by the end of the year, aligning with principles of responsible AI development.

Gen AI Hub: As part of the AI Foundation, SAP expanded the Gen AI Hub to empower customers and partners to develop their own AI use cases using large language models.

Empowering Growth and Innovation

Rise with SAP: Exciting developments were highlighted in the Rise with SAP offering, including access to LeanIX, Signavio, and Cloud Application Lifecycle Management.

Grow with SAP: Grow with SAP Premium offers SAP Sales Cloud and SAP Concur expense management for midsize companies.

Spatial Computing Partnership: SAP joined forces with Apple to enhance innovation and productivity through spatial computing innovations. Imagine visualizing the entire enterprise and holding meetings with hyper-realistic digital twins of other employees!  Here is my hands-on experience.

SAP Spend Control Tower: A holistic view of spend data with AI-powered enrichment was announced, promising smarter spending decisions.

Awe-Inspiring Customer Impact

Success stories from PureTech Scientific, Tropicana Brands Group, #Fresenius, and #Hitachi shone a spotlight on the ascent of enterprises Growing and Rising with SAP.     Business AI has transcended the promise to become a transformative force. It has empowered enterprises being at their best.    When Tropicana proclaims, 'SAP is our AI strategy', it signifies the highest reward. The ultimate peak: a customer for life and a lifetime commitment to that customer. That's the essence of what happens when we empower customers to be at their best.

A Future Woven with Innovation

As we stand on the brink of a new era, the possibilities are endless. With AI like Joule leading the charge, we're not just streamlining tasks; we're unlocking a future where our collective creativity and potential know no bounds. Together, we'll explore uncharted territories, redefine the boundaries of productivity, and create a legacy of innovation that will resonate for generations to come. Thank you for being part of this transformative journey. The best is yet to be written, and with SAP's vision, we're penning the future, one breakthrough at a time.