Use the Wisdom of Fairy Tales
In a previous blog we learned that, like Alice in SAP land, companies must run twice as fast to catch up with the network economy. Otherwise, they miss the imaginary boat, become isolated, and after a while, disappear.
This blog is about learning from another fairy tale. "The Three Little Pigs" is the story of three pigs who built three houses from different materials. A wolf destroys the houses made of straw and branches. The third little pig builds a house of bricks which the wolf fails to blow down. The wolf attempts to trick the pig to leave the house by asking him to meet up in various places, but each time is outwitted. Finally, the wolf comes down the chimney, and the pig catches the wolf in a pot of boiling water.
Alice in SAP land is about velocity. "The Three Little Pigs" is about creativity. Creativity means to survive and defeat the enemy as the creative pig did. Do you know where a wolf can show up? Are you fast and creative enough to stay one step ahead? There are many more wolves (even in sheepskin) than companies realize. Who imagined that Apple would transform the music industry or Amazon the retail business? Competition is pervasive and competitors increase daily in this VUCA world.
Technology as Strategic Differentiator
Technology has evolved from an operational engine to a strategic differentiator. Today, it is capital with which you can make a real difference for your customers and employees. Every leader, manager, and employee must proactively manage this dimension and develop a clear strategy around it.
Smart and creative companies know that a network organization requires state-of-the-art software for transformation that supports market-conforming business processes.
The New SAP S/4 HANA Business Suite
SAP S/4HANA is an intelligent, integrated ERP system running on its own, in-memory database, SAP HANA. What makes SAP S/4 HANA unique?
- SAP S/4 HANA is not just a software product. It is a platform offering services, not merely software.
- One of the services is the integration of best practices for 26 verticals addressing industry-specific requirements. You can enable new business modes with SAP S/4 required for alignment with the ever-evolving market.
- The in-memory database is a source for creativity. You can analyze market and customer data, practically in real time, and take the required actions immediately. Outside-in innovation is a piece of cake and enables your company to stay way ahead of the competition.
Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved into a market leader in end-to-end enterprise application software, database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. As a cloud company with 200 million users worldwide, SAP helps businesses of all sizes (and in all industries) to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and achieve their purposes.
