ERP ++ : Simplifying Processes, Improving Agility
Date:February 28, 2024
Date:February 28, 2024
Businesses today, cannot dream of sailing new waves with old oars. Modern enterprises do not have the luxury of waiting for the future to arrive. The future is now. It is ever evolving and ever changing.
Legacy ERP systems were never designed to be as flexible and agile to adopt to the quickly changing requirements of a growing organization and its customers. Organizations today need an intelligent ERP system- ERP++ . A system with the ability to integrate new-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and Internet of Things.
Modern day ERPs like S/4HANA are much more than just being transactional ERP systems. An ERP++ acts as a digital core for the entire enterprise by integrating the business processes and data from a multitude of systems in multiple technologies. As we step into the age of connected products, manufacturers will need a backbone of embedded intelligence which can leverage technologies like IoT and blockchain to automate large-scale processes and speed execution times. Speed will be the key element in creating smart factories and smart supply chains.
So, here’s why your business needs to embrace an intelligent ERP:
Your Data, Your Context
While different departments of a business may access data from the same data source, they may not essentially be looking for the same information. Intelligent ERP can be customized to provide context-based data accessibility. With integrated AI and machine learning, the system learns from the user journey and identifies which information is applicable for which user. The system not just tracks and analyses the available data but also helps in making accurate predictions using advanced analytics for curated data sets which can customized and personalized for different use cases and user profiles.
Real-time Data Access with IoT Integration.
One of the key advantages that sets ERP++ like S/4HANA apart is its ability to integrate real-time data- and this is what becomes a major competitive advantage for businesses aiming to grow fast. With real-time information being communicated to decision-makers at the click of a button (or just touch), intelligent ERP allows business leaders to take quick business decisions and move swiftly without having to wait for monthly reports to know what’s happening on field. ERP systems with integrated IoT platforms can collect data from devices and processes, and analyse the data to learn continuously from it. Data from IoT tied to ERP system can be leveraged to track the Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) of machines, identify bottlenecks, speed-up business processes and adjust production schedules.
Augmenting ERP with AR
One of the most impressive technologies that can be integrated with intelligent ERP is Augmented Reality. Augmented Reality adds digital imagery and data supplementing the real environment. The strength of AR lies in making processes more humane and interactive in a fun and convenient way. The possibilities of using AR with ERP are many, but here are some of the most promising use cases:
- Geography-agnostic remote training for employees on new or extended ERP system
- AR-based barcode scanning devices can help ensure efficient inventory management
- Providing top-notch customer experience by using AR in marketing to help customers envision your products before they buy it. By integrating AR with ERP, detailed information about evert product part can be made available to the customer transparently, conveniently and intelligibly.
AR technologies are currently in their infancy and have a lot of potential to grow. Those who leverage them well today, will be the one calling shots tomorrow.
Automation of Critical Tasks
What differentiates an intelligent ERP from traditional ERP, is its ability to learn. By leveraging machine learning to accomplish activities that are not programmed by traditional programming, ERP++ goes beyond specified set of instructions and learns on the job. By recognizing patterns and trends at scale, it also often also transcends human capability in many domains. Such an ERP system helps eliminate voluminous, repetitive tasks with the help of automated workflows, helping reduce employee workload and improving productivity of shared services.
Improved User Experience
If an ERP system is so complex, that it can only be accessed by a select few, it almost defeats the purpose of integrating the entire organization under one umbrella. Conversational assistance is the next big leap in ERP. By using Natural Language Processing, a conversational AI assistant is simple and intuitive. As a result, the time taken to learn the system reduces significantly, thus lowering the adoption barrier. This means, more users across departments can now use ERP++ . A voice-enabled, context-aware, business-savvy digital assistant could become your employees dream colleague, making their jobs a lot easier, freeing up their time for more strategic and creative work.
Digital transformation is a continuous process and enterprises who understand this need a strong partner who can assist them throughout this journey. We at Bosch are implementing SAP S/4HANA by reengineering processes across industries and enabling new business models that will redefine the world of tomorrow. With customized solutions for the manufacturing and automotive space, we are simplifying complex supply chains and bringing widely spread-out organizations together.
Together we are pursuing the goal of making all our customers #FitforFuture.
