INTELLIGENT ERP
FACT # 2 Small and medium-sized businesses that transformed are more likely to report double-digit growth and higher profitability
IDC ' s Digital Transformation Survey
People first , technology second People first . It ’ s an important point that often gets overshadowed by all the shiny new tech promising the world . Yes , technology is a wonderful thing , and today ’ s big tech can alleviate our long-endured pain points , providing the user and the customer with a more friction-free experience . With more of the right information , at the right time , we can get on with doing less with more . But there are a few key things to keep in mind .
Jan-Henner Theissen , a CPO advisor and former procurement executive with an extensive background in procurement transformation , digital procurement and supply chain risk management who has performed over 10 system integrations , migrations and roll-outs since 1997 , lent us some of his most vital learnings .
“ Intelligent procurement ecosystems significantly expand the capabilities of the organisation . Increased knowledge , transparency while reducing uncertainty will enable supply chain professionals to make smarter ( strategic ) decisions , to be more effective and thus increase value delivery . That ’ s why we see a strong trend towards bestof-breed approaches enhancing traditional ERP landscapes with new ( agile ) technologies .
“ Particularly in the area of supply chain transparency and risk and compliance management , in recent years , we have seen a tremendous expansion of new technologies and third-party solutions . Most of them can be seamlessly integrated into existing ERP landscapes and thus make them more intelligent . However , at the end of the day , we will only harvest all benefits if we comprehensively develop systems , organisations , and humans at the same time . “ If the people behind the tech , the actual users , aren ’ t aware , educated and trained on how to deal with ambiguity , any risk management approach will
110 April 2021