Let’s Talk Data: Business Technology Podcast | SAP

Inside IBM’s Hybrid Cloud & AI Powered Evolution: The SAP S4/HANA Journey

In Part 1of the latest Let’s Talk Cloud ERP podcast, host Jennifer Frank McGrory chats with Bill Piotrowski and Chris Perry of IBM about IBM’s ambitious transformation journey as it modernizes its global operations with SAP S/4HANA. As a tech giant with a complex enterprise landscape, IBM is leveraging cloud, AI, and automation to enhance efficiency, agility, and innovation. 
Join us as we dive into why this shift was necessary, the challenges of migrating from legacy systems, and how IBM is embracing hybrid cloud technology to drive business value. We uncover the strategies IBM is using to integrate AI-powered automation, streamline financial processes, and optimize supply chain operations, all while ensuring business continuity. 
Listeners will gain insights into IBM’s partnership with SAP, the benefits of a modern ERP system, and the lessons learned from one of the largest enterprise transformations in the industry. Whether you’re an IT leader, business executive, or tech enthusiast, this episode provides valuable takeaways on digital reinvention, enterprise modernization, and the future of intelligent business operations. 
Tune in to hear how IBM is redefining the enterprise IT landscape and setting a new standard for digital transformation.  
Part 2 coming soon! 
 
Key Topics of Discussion: 
IBM’s Decision to Move to SAP S/4HANA – The strategic reasons behind IBM’s migration, including the need for modernization, efficiency, and alignment with digital transformation goals. 
Implementation Challenges and Lessons Learned – Insights into the complexities of transitioning from legacy systems, overcoming obstacles, and key takeaways from IBM’s experience. 
The Role of Hybrid Cloud and AI in the Transition – How IBM leveraged hybrid cloud and AI-driven automation to enhance scalability, agility, and performance throughout the migration process. 
Impact on Business Operations and Efficiency – A discussion on how SAP S/4HANA has improved IBM’s workflows, decision-making, and overall operational effectiveness. 
Future Vision and Next Steps – What’s next for IBM after this transformation? Exploring continuous innovation, emerging technologies, and how SAP S/4HANA will support IBM’s long-term strategy. 
 
Subscribe to The Let’s Talk Data Podcast 
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Connect With Bill Piotrowski 
Linkedin 
Connect With Chris Perry 
Linkedin 
Connect With Jennifer Frank McGrory 
LinkedIn 
 
Don’t stop here – discover more: 
Value Exploration Workshop - a hands-on gamified SAP S/4HANA Cloud simulation experience.  SAP Cloud ERP Simulation, a Value Exploration Workshop 
5 Minutes with....Glen Moffatt on The Renaissance of ERP: https://bit.ly/3Eeefvr  
SAP has a Cloud solution for every organization, learn more: https://bit.ly/3NOkoln 
North American Manufacturing Excellence Summit April 14-16: https://bit.ly/4hVy8bu 
IBM Think Conference May 5-8: https://bit.ly/4j1sZ2m 
SAP Sapphire – Orlando and Madrid: https://bit.ly/4c7Dz5I 

From Tradition to Technology: How Blue Diamond is Shaping the Future of Almond Farming

The episode features Jennifer Frank McGrory speaking with Steve Birgfeld, Vice President of IT and Services of Blue Diamond Growers., a leading agricultural cooperative and almond processor. They discuss the company's journey through digital transformation and the role of technology in enhancing its operations, customer experience, and market reach. Steve and Jen dive into how Blue Diamond Growers embraced digital transformation to address industry challenges, improve efficiency, and meet customer expectations. It offers valuable lessons for organizations in agriculture and beyond, showcasing the potential of technology to drive growth and sustainability while honoring legacy and tradition.
 
5 Key Topics of Discussion:
Digital Transformation is Essential for Growth and Efficiency: Embracing modern technologies like cloud-based platforms, data analytics, and predictive tools can significantly enhance operational efficiency, supply chain transparency, and product quality in the agriculture industry.
Balancing Tradition with Innovation: Successful digital transformation in agriculture requires blending innovative technologies with a company’s legacy values, ensuring that tradition and sustainability are preserved while evolving to meet modern demands.
Sustainability is a Core Driver: Technological advancements support sustainability initiatives such as water conservation, reducing carbon footprints, and promoting ethical farming practices, reinforcing the importance of environmental responsibility in the digital age.
Cultural and Organizational Shifts are Key to Success: A successful digital transformation journey requires overcoming internal challenges, such as cultural shifts, engaging stakeholders, and aligning teams around common goals.
Ongoing Process and Continuous Improvement: Digital transformation is not a one-time project but an ongoing journey. It’s crucial to start small, test solutions, learn from experiences, and scale what works to achieve long-term success.
 
Subscribe to The Let’s Talk Data Podcast 
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YouTube
 
 
Connect With Steve Birgfeld 
Linkedin 
 
Connect With Jennifer Frank McGrory 
LinkedIn 
 
Don’t stop here – discover more: 
Value Exploration Workshop - a hands-on gamified SAP S/4HANA Cloud simulation experience. Catch the last workshop for 2024: https://bit.ly/41ilyOQ
5 Minutes with....Glen Moffatt on The Renaissance of ERP: https://bit.ly/3Eeefvr  
SAP has a Cloud solution for every organization, learn more: https://bit.ly/3NOkoln 

The Value of Automation in Master Data Management (MDM)

In this episode of the SAP Let's Talk Data podcast, host Corrie Birkeness is joined by experts Andreas Seifried (Product Manager at SAP) and Kai Hüner (CTO of CDQ) as they discuss the critical role of automation and data quality in master data management (MDM). They dive into the value of automation in master data management (MDM) and the critical role of high-quality, trusted data in enabling reliable and efficient automation. They explore the challenges of manual data management, such as errors, inefficiencies, and delays, and highlights how automation can improve data accuracy, save costs, and support business growth. 
Andreas and Kai also explain how their collaboration integrates CDQ's trusted data services with SAP's Master Data Governance (MDG) solution. They share examples of companies achieving faster processes, reduced compliance risks, and enhanced scalability through automation. 
 
 Key Topics of Discussion: 
The Importance of Trusted, High-Quality Data - Trusted data is essential for reliable automation, compliance, and AI initiatives. The concept of "trusted data" emphasizes accuracy, traceability, and verified sources like tax authorities or trade registers. 
Challenges of Manual Master Data Management (MDM) - Manual MDM is labor-intensive, error-prone, and causes inefficiencies, delays, and bottlenecks. Mistakes in master data lead to operational issues like delayed logistics, compliance failures, and rework costs. 
Benefits of Automation in MDM - Automation reduces manual effort, errors, and compliance risks while improving speed and scalability. Examples highlight significant cost and time savings, such as reducing supplier onboarding from 50 minutes to 1 minute. 
Collaboration Between SAP and CDQ - SAP MDG integrates with CDQ's trusted data services to enable seamless data lookup, enrichment, and validation. Simplified setup processes, like value mapping and trusted data sourcing, streamline automation implementation. 
Features Supporting Automation in SAP MDG - Tools like derivation rules, rule mining, and AI-powered features enhance data accuracy and governance. These features help organizations automate repetitive tasks, reduce errors, and enable growth. 
 
Subscribe to The Let’s Talk Data Podcast 
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Connect With Corrie Birkeness 
Linkedin 
Connect With Andreas Seifried 
LinkedIn 
Connect With Kia Hüner 
LinkedIn 
 
Additional Resources: 
CDQ Business Value Study: https://hubs.la/Q02YwW-_0  
Enrichment of Business Partner Master Data using CDQ blog: https://community.sap.com/t5/technology-blogs-by-sap/mass-enrichment-of-business-partners-with-tax-and-id-numbers-found-using/ba-p/13915206  
SAP Master Data Governance product page: www.sap.com/mdg 
CDQ on the SAP Store: https://store.sap.com/dcp/en/product/display-2001000790_live_v1 

Efficiency, Scalability, and Agility: The Power of Cloud ERP in Modern Manufacturing

In this episode on modern manufacturing, we dive into AdvanSix’s journey with SAP’s Cloud ERP through the "Rise with SAP" offering. Our guest, Laura Lambeseder, an SAP S/4HANA Program Leader, shares a behind-the-scenes look at how AdvanSix—a fully integrated chemical manufacturing companyis approaching its digital transformation with cloud ERP. 
 
Listeners will hear about the strategic goals and benefits AdvanSix aims to achieve with their move to a cloud-based ERP solution, coupled with the challenges encountered along the way. Laura discusses how cloud ERP is expected to enhance operational efficiency and flexibility, enabling AdvanSix to respond more swiftly to market demands. This episode offers a practical case study on modernizing complex, integrated manufacturing operations through cloud technology, in addition to providing valuable insights for businesses considering a similar transformation. 
 
Key Topics of Discussion: 
The Role of Cloud ERP in AdvanSix's Digital Transformation - Discussion of why AdvanSix chose to transition to a cloud-based ERP and the anticipated benefits for their operations. 
Challenges in Implementing Large-Scale ERP Solutions - Exploration of obstacles encountered during the ERP implementation process, including change management and system integration. 
Impact of ERP on Operational Efficiency and Agility - Insights into how the new ERP system is expected to streamline processes, enhance agility, and support AdvanSix’s long-term business goals. 
Strategies for Managing Digital Transformation - Practical strategies employed by AdvanSix for navigating such a significant digital shift, including managing expectations and setting realistic goals. 
Future Expectations and Goals for AdvanSix Post-ERP Implementation - An overview of AdvanSix's vision for the future, focusing on the expected impacts of the ERP system on their business scalability and adaptability. 
 
Subscribe to The Let’s Talk Data Podcast 
Apple Podcasts 
Spotify 
YouTube
 
 
Connect With Laura Lambeseder 
Linkedin 
 
Connect With Jennifer Frank McGrory 
LinkedIn 
 
Don’t stop here – discover more: 
Value Exploration Workshop - a hands-on gamified SAP S/4HANA Cloud simulation experience. Catch the last workshop for 2024: https://bit.ly/41ilyOQ
5 Minutes with....Glen Moffatt on The Renaissance of ERP: https://bit.ly/3Eeefvr  
SAP has a Cloud solution for every organization, learn more: https://bit.ly/3NOkoln 

The Evolving Role of MDM in Modern Data Management

In this episode of the SAP Let's Talk Data podcast, we explore how Master Data Management (MDM) is essential for leveraging modern technologies like Data Fabric and Artificial Intelligence (AI). While Data Fabric connects data across systems for real-time access, and AI offers powerful insights, their success depends on a solid MDM foundation. Hosted by Corrie Birkeness, this episode is uniquely AI-generated and provides an in-depth look at why foundational data practices are more important than ever in today’s data-driven business environment. 
 
Key Topics of Discussion: 
The Critical Role of Master Data Management (MDM): MDM serves as the foundation for ensuring clean, consistent, and reliable data, which is crucial for effective decision-making across organizations. 
Introduction to Data Fabric: Data Fabric is explained as a modern approach to connecting data across multiple systems, providing real-time access without centralizing it, and enabling a seamless flow of information. 
The Dependency of AI on Data Quality: The episode highlights how AI models, like ChatGPT and DALL·E, are only as good as the data they are trained on. Poor data quality can lead to inaccurate outputs, known as AI "hallucinations." 
The Financial Impact of Poor Data Management: Incorrect data can result in significant revenue losses, with businesses potentially losing up to 15% due to poor data decisions, underlining the importance of robust MDM practices. 
Real-World Case Study on MDM Success: A retail company increased online sales by 20% after improving its MDM strategy, showcasing the tangible benefits of investing in clean, well-managed data for personalized customer engagement and revenue growth. 
 
 Subscribe to The Let’s Talk Data Podcast 
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Additional Resources:
SAP Master Data Governance Product Page
Modern MDM and its role in data fabric and AI: 
What is a business data fabric?
The Evolving Role of MDM in Modern Data Management

How SAP Business AI and Large Language Models are shaping the future of SAP S/4HANA and SAP BTP

In this podcast episode, Terry Penner and Jürgen Butsmann discuss the latest developments in SAP Business AI for SAP S/4HANA, and SAP BTP.  The conversation focuses on how Artificial Intelligence is evolving at SAP, with particular attention to large language models (LLMs) and their growing application in SAP cloud ERP and SAP BTP solutions. 
Speakers: 
Jürgen Butsmann is part of the SAP S/4HANA Cloud Product Marketing team responsible for AI in the context of SAP S/4HANA, finance and digital supply chain. Jürgen has been with SAP for more than 26 years.  He is a recognized expert for SAP S/4HANA and SAP BTP.
Terry Penner is part of the SAP BTP marketing team for Business Applications, focused on SAP BTP for SAP S/4HANA. He has more than 23 years of technical and business experience in the SAP platform and analytics, including working directly on hundreds of customer implementations.
Key Topics of Discussion: 
Evolution of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) –The growth of LLMs, their transition from entertainment to business use, and their fact-based capabilities. 
AI Integration in SAP’s ERP Strategy – How AI is becoming central to SAP’s strategy, particularly in areas like cloud ERP, digital supply chain, and finance. 
Differentiating the AI solutions in SAP cloud ERP – Notable price declines in AI services make AI technology more accessible and attractive for business applications. 
Role of SAP Joule – What is SAP Joule and how can AI add value to the business
AI Extensibility and SAP BTP – Collaboration between SAP BTP and ERP to provide extensible AI solutions, supporting various business processes through flexible and scalable tools. 
 Subscribe to The Let’s Talk Data Podcast 
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Call to Action:
Learn more about SAP BTP for S/4HANA and RISE at SAP BTP for S/4HANA
This is a follow-up to AI for SAP S/4HANA and SAP BTP: a deep-dive discussion 

Behind the Scenes: How Rise with SAP Enhances T. Marzetti’s Partnerships

In this episode, we dive into the fascinating history and ongoing evolution of the T. Marzetti Company and its partnership with major top named brands enhanced by Rise with SAP. Host Jennifer Frank McGrory, SAP Go-To Market Lead and The T. Marzetti Company’s CIO Liam Durbin explore the company’s rich history of women in leadership, its diverse product offerings, and its innovative approach to partnerships and product development. Join us as we uncover how T. Marzetti has grown into a nearly $2 billion company while maintaining a unique blend of tradition and modernity.  
 
Also in this episode: 
Women in Leadership: Two of the company's largest brands, T. Marzetti and Sister Schubert’s, were founded by women, highlighting early female leadership in the business. 
Product Range and Partnerships: T. Marzetti produces a wide range of products, including dressings, sauces, bread products, and even caviar. 
Innovation and Collaboration: The company is involved in innovative partnerships, working closely with clients to develop new products and ideas through their innovation center. 
CIO Role and Responsibilities: Liam Durbin's role as CIO involves overseeing systems, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and project management. He also leads the COE (Center of Excellence), which includes business-facing aspects of their ERP implementation. 
ERP Implementation: The company transitioned from an old green screen system called PRISM to SAP as part of their modernization efforts. This ERP implementation was backed by strong executive support and was seen as necessary for future growth. 
Organizational Change Management (OCM): The company invested heavily in OCM to ensure user adoption of the new system. This included extensive training, continuous improvement initiatives, and maintaining knowledge amidst high employee turnover. 
Subscribe to The Let’s Talk Data Podcast 
Apple Podcasts 
Spotify 
YouTube 
 
Connect With Liam Durbin 
Linkedin 
 
Connect With Jennifer Frank McGrory 
LinkedIn 
 
Don’t stop here – discover more: 
Value Exploration Workshop - a hands-on gamified SAP S/4HANA Cloud simulation experience. Catch the last workshop for 2024:  https://events.sap.com/us/sapclouderpsimulation/en/home
5 Minutes with....Glen Moffatt on The Renaissance of ERP: https://bit.ly/3Eeefvr 
SAP has a Cloud solution for every organization, learn more: https://bit.ly/3NOkoln 
 
 
 

Journey to Intelligent Data Applications: Modernize with SAP HANA Cloud

Join Matthew Zenus, Global Vice President – SAP HANA & Persistency, Product Management and Strategy, and Daniel Dukes, Senior Product Marketing Director, as they reminisce on SAP HANA and the bright future of SAP HANA Cloud. Enjoy a time of personal stories, candid advice, and forward thinking from these two veterans. For anyone considering SAP HANA Cloud or even a current customer, this conversation is a must hear as SAP HANA Cloud is enabling industry leading advancements that are shaping the future of applications.   
 
Listeners of all application develop roles and expertise levels are encouraged to tune-in.  
 
Connect with our speakers: Daniel Dukes – https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldukes/ 
Matthew Zenus – https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-zenus-3594a81/ 
 
Don’t stop here – discover more: 
SAP HANA Cloud - https://www.sap.com/canada/products/technology-platform/hana.html 
SAP HANA Cloud Basic Trial – https://www.sap.com/canada-fr/products/technology-platform/hana/trial.html 
SAP HANA Cloud Community – https://pages.community.sap.com/topics/hana/cloud 
 
Key Topics:
Early Adoption and Innovation: The podcast highlights the early days of SAP HANA, emphasizing the groundbreaking in-memory architecture and its significant impact on query acceleration. A notable example is a utility company in Amsterdam that leveraged SAP HANA to enhance geospatial queries, leading to the development of a high-performing, in-memory geospatial engine.
Multi-Model Engine Journey: The integration of geospatial capabilities marked the beginning of SAP HANA's multi-model engine journey. This journey has evolved to include various engines like graph, JSON, document store, and vector engines, positioning multi-model functionality as a key differentiator for SAP HANA and SAP HANA Cloud in the market.
Current Market Challenges: The podcast discusses the prevalent challenges customers face today, including complexity due to heterogeneous environments, data fragmentation, the explosion of diverse data sources, and the increasing importance of financial governance and price-performance optimization in cloud environments.
Four Pillars of HANA Cloud Development: The development strategy for SAP HANA Cloud focuses on four key pillars: simplicity, financial governance and price performance, deployment flexibility, and automation and intelligence. These pillars are designed to make SAP HANA Cloud easier to adopt, administer, and scale while optimizing cost and performance.
Generative AI Integration: The podcast highlights the integration of generative AI in SAP HANA Cloud, specifically through the native vector engine. This engine supports advanced AI use cases like similarity searches, semantic searches, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), which enhances large language model queries with relevant, organization-specific data.
Upcoming Innovations: SAP HANA Cloud has an aggressive roadmap for the remainder of 2024 and 2025, including larger instance sizes, enhanced cost monitoring features, elastic compute nodes, multi-tenancy, SQL on files, and the introduction of a knowledge graph. These innovations are aimed at improving scalability, performance, and cost efficiency.
Transition from On-Premise to Cloud: The podcast emphasizes the simplicity of migrating from on-premise SAP HANA to SAP HANA Cloud. SAP provides various tools and resources to assist customers in this transition, making it a natural and straightforward process to modernize and take advantage of SAP HANA Cloud's innovations.

Establishing a Clean Core: Keep the Data Clean

A clean core helps customers keep up with the competition and use SAP S/4HANA standard features whenever possible and provides an easier way to keep getting updates without breaking business-specific functionality.  During this podcast, Sue Waite, Senior Director for North American Center of Excellence, Business Technology Platform solutions at SAP, and David Sentance, Associate Partner and Head of Data & Analytics at Camelot Management Consultants, will discuss how enterprise data management practices help ensure a clean core as well as mitigate risk to your business transformation initiatives.
 
Speakers:Sue Waite, Senior Director for North American Center of Excellence, Business Technology Platform solutions at SAPDavid Sentance, Associate Partner and Head of Data & Analytics at Camelot Management Consultants
Host:  Corrie Birkeness
Additional Resources:
Building an Information Backbone for the Digital Enterprise: https://bit.ly/3wsYjVg
Accelerate Your Move to the Cloud with Trusted Data: https://bit.ly/4bWD7Gj
The Business Case for Clean Master Data: https://bit.ly/44LiZnR
SAP solutions for Data & Analytics: https://bit.ly/3IDy9kS
SAP solutions for Data Management: https://bit.ly/3UXbRBD
The Data Tower Setup in SAP S/4HANA Initiatives (Camelot ITLab): https://bit.ly/3WBxokG
Your Fast Forward S/4HANA Data Transformation (Camelot ITLab): https://bit.ly/4bjuPYO
Data Quality Health Check (Camelot ITLab): https://bit.ly/44J9cig
Data Analyzer (Camelot ITLab): https://bit.ly/3V2NnGb
 
Key Topics of Discussion:
Importance of a Clean Core: Discuss the significance of establishing and maintaining a clean core in data management, especially in the context of transitioning from classic ERP systems to cloud-based solutions like S/4HANA. Emphasize the benefits of having a clean core, such as improved efficiency, accuracy, and adaptability.
Dimensions of a Clean Core: Break down the five core dimensions of a clean core, including data cleanliness, composable approach, extensions, integration, and operational efficiency. Explain how each dimension contributes to the overall cleanliness and effectiveness of the core ERP system.
First Steps in Moving to the Cloud: Explore the initial steps organizations should take when transitioning to the cloud, focusing on foundational work related to data management and governance. Highlight the importance of assessing existing data challenges and developing a strategy for data migration and quality improvement.
Outcome-Driven Data Strategy: Stress the significance of adopting an outcome-driven data strategy before embarking on migration projects. Provide examples of business objectives, such as compliance, customer experience enhancement, or process optimization, and illustrate how these objectives inform the data strategy.
Source Data Assessments and Data Quality Improvements: Discuss the importance of conducting source data assessments to identify gaps, inconsistencies, and data quality issues. Explain how these assessments serve as a foundation for data quality improvements and help organizations avoid pitfalls during migration and implementation.
Techniques for Keeping Data Clean: Explore techniques and tools for maintaining data cleanliness, including accurate data capture, enrichment, and ongoing governance. Highlight solutions like SAP Master Data Governance (MDG) and data quality management micro-services for ensuring data integrity and accuracy.
Change Management in Master Data Governance: Address the organizational change management aspect of implementing master data governance solutions. Discuss the need for training, stakeholder engagement, and establishing data governance councils and stewardship roles to ensure successful adoption and maintenance of clean data practices.

Skyworks: Revolutionizing Connectivity with RISE with SAP

Guest host, Erik Lossbroek, is joined by Satya Jayadev, CIO of Skyworks,  who shares insights into Skyworks transformation journey and adoption of Rise with SAP.
Satya discusses challenges, emphasizing organizational change management and governance. Satya explores the partnership between Skyworks, SAP, and Deloitte and envisions the post-go-live roadmap, focusing on efficiencies and innovation.
Don't miss this episode for valuable insights into the intersection of technology and business in the semiconductor industry.
Speakers:
Satya Jayadev - Skyworks, Vice President and CIO
Erik Lossbroek - Regional Vice President, SAP
Key Topics of Discussion:
Transformation Strategy: Discussing Skyworks' approach to transformation, including foundational aspects and the pursuit of innovation.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Adoption: Exploring why Skyworks chose SAP S/4HANA Cloud and its benefits in driving digital transformation.
Organizational Change Management: Emphasizing the importance of managing change and involving stakeholders in the transformation journey.
Governance and Collaboration: Outlining Skyworks' governance structure and the role of key partnerships, like SAP and Deloitte.
Technology and Connectivity: Understanding how Skyworks uses technology to connect people and places across various markets.
Post-Go-Live Roadmap: Discussing Skyworks' plans for driving efficiencies and continuous innovation after implementing SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
Lessons Learned and Best Practices: Sharing insights and key takeaways from Skyworks' transformation journey, including the challenges faced and how they were overcome.