SAP partners with consultancies to spur adoption of cloud ERP software

Leading enterprise resource planning software firm SAP SE has partnered with Accenture, Capgemini, and Deloitte to accelerate adoption of its next-gen SAP S/4HANA Cloud software. SAP will draw on the industry and consulting expertise of the firms to provide custom solutions to clients in the oil & gas, discrete manufacturing, and service sectors.

German enterprise resource planning (ERP) software firm SAP SE is the market leading provider of the critical software that helps companies manage their business processes – including procurement, accounting, sales, and customer relationships, among others.

The firm has shifted its focus in the past decade to integrate pivotal emerging technologies like cloud and AI into its successful ERP systems. To this end, SAP has acquired numerous cloud tech firms in recent years, including Concur Technologies in 2014 for a price tag of $8.3 billion.

The central thrust of the company’s tech evolution has been the roll-out of SAP S/4HANA Cloud, the newest generation of the SAP Business Suite. The ERP software leverages cloud technology as well as AI integration. Utilizing AI self-learning mechanisms, project managers can, for example, use the software to ‘intelligently’ project cost forecasting and reduce budget overruns.

Now, the company has announced a partnership with Accenture, Capgemini, and Deloitte to accelerate the cloud and AI-enabled ERP software’s adoption in the process manufacturing, discrete manufacturing, and service sectors. Together, the companies will develop innovative solutions to help clients become ‘intelligent enterprises’ through the effective application of SAP’s industry-leading software."With a user experience that no longer requires a keyboard, and manual processes that are automated with the help of artificial intelligence, our customers will be empowered to reimagine their business models while keeping cost to a minimum,” said Franck Cohen, president, Digital Core & Industry Solutions, SAP.

By collaborating on its cloud ERP solutions with leading consultancies, the firm can tap into their deep industry expertise to better address customers’ industry-specific demands.

With Accenture, SAP will jointly develop a solution running on the SAP S/4HANA Cloud platform for the oil & gas industry. The solution will help industry clients cut operational costs and open up new revenue opportunities.

The partnership with Capgemini will focus on creating a long-term co-development and co-innovation road map for the software in discrete manufacturing industries. Initially focusing on the automotive industry, the partnership will provide solutions that leverage the Industrial Internet of Things, automation, machine learning, and digital twins.

Deloitte and SAP will collaborate to expand adoption of SAP S/4HANA Cloud in services and process manufacturing. They will aim to provide solutions that manage exponential data growth, strengthen core digital capabilities, and help clients in their digital transformation.

SAP’s AI-powered solutions should prove attractive to industry decision-makers. According to a survey of 2,500 C-suite execs conducted by the firm, 9 out of 10 say that AI will be critical to their companies’ survival over the next five years. Six out of ten say that they are planning to implement AI in the next year, and a third revealed that they are planning to make serious AI investments ($500,000-$5 million) in the next 12 months.