ENABLING THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF MODERN INDUSTRY
SAP & INTEL: 02
A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO ENABLE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WRIT TEN BY
DA LE BENTON PRODUCED BY
LE WIS VAUGHAN
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Jesper Schleimann, Digital Transformation Officer, EMEA North at SAP and Joachim Aertebjerg, CTO/Direct Technical Solution Sales at Intel discuss digital transformation through strategic partnership
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echnology continues to transform business across all industries and in response, businesses the world
over have changed their entire perspective and approach to the value of tech. From some of the leading industry players right down to 04
SMEs, digital transformation continues to define the conversation. Embarking on and navigating these digital transformation journeys is no small feat and so companies look to strike key strategic partnerships in order to collaborate, innovate and unlock the potential of digitisation. Jesper Schleimann, Digital Transformation Officer, EMEA North at SAP, believes that digital transformation is not a new phenomenon and that it serves to highlight that shift in perspective as to what technology actually means to a business. “As an IT professional, of course I can say it’s nothing new because it’s been a part of my whole career,” he says. “However, IT has moved from something that supports the strategy to becoming the strategy in itself. It has created a dilemma for business-
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“ Most companies are now recognising that whatever got them to where they are today isn’t going to get them to where they need to be tomorrow” — Jesper Schleimann, Digital Transformation Officer, EMEA North at SAP 08 es because some are not realising the tectonic shift that’s happening. IT is inevitably tied to the future of both business and the human race and we are not fully treating it as such in our organisations yet.” This is a feeling shared by Joachim Aertebjerg, CTO and Firector of Technical Solution Sales at technology giant Intel, who notes that IT is now an integrated component in a line of business and no longer perceived as just a support function. “An airline cannot survive without IT for the booking of flights,” he says, “just as the giants of
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘THINKX WRAP UP’ 09 fast-moving consumer goods cannot
examples of businesses only looking
function without their databases. With
at incremental innovation. “Organisa-
digital transformation, businesses are
tions are now looking at disruptive inno-
taking advantage of new technology
vation, but there are many that are still
to enhance their operations, and right
looking at doing the same things but
now a key driver of all transformation
‘smarter’,” he says. “However, I think most
is data. Information exposed through
companies are now recognising that
data analytics can be a matter of life
whatever got them to where they are
or death for any organisation.”
today isn’t going to get them to where
Transformation breeds challenge, and Schleimann is the first to stress
they need to be tomorrow.” Schleimann feels this is what is driving
that a common challenge that is faced
organisational change, opening compa-
across the industry is one of agility. As
nies’ eyes to what he describes as ‘organ-
businesses look to invest in technology,
isational debts.’ Illustrating the term,
Schleimann points to a number of
he explains: “There are HR offices and w w w.s a p . com
1972
Year founded
10,000+
Approximate number of employees
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finance offices but where is the office
and realises better revenue streams,
for the future innovation ensuring the
efficiencies and a new way of working.
company stays relevant?” he says. “It’s
Aertebjerg notes that while this may
common for most companies to have
be true, at a high level there have only
big cost structures that don’t have the
really been small changes in the business
agility to change quickly enough. That’s
model. For him, it is the rapid transfor-
one of the biggest organisational debts
mation and increase of customer require-
but it is changing.”
ments that has driven the most change.
Key to removing this organisational
“With that comes a need to redefine
debt is the introduction of new business
the business model or at the very least
models and investing in people. Chang-
a part of it,” he adds.
ing or introducing a new business model
Investing in people is something both
can sound daunting and challenging in
Schleimann and Aertebjerg are firm
its own right but is a proven practice
believers in. Having spent their entire
E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E
Jesper Schleimann As Digital Transformation Officer for SAP EMEA North, Jesper Schleimann is responsible for driving and scaling purposeful Innovation across the region through strategic programs which span across business and market units. In his role as Digital Transformation Officer, Jesper’s mission is to help customers unlock their business potential by simplifying their digital transformation enabled by the SAP Intelligent Enterprise Platform. By helping clients navigate the journey to the digital economy and bridging the gap from their existing landscapes to their desired strategy he seeks to add a business value focus to the digital discussion and strengthen the alignment with the overall strategy of the enterprise.
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“ We have a responsibility as an organisation to help educate people around the opportunities that technology brings” — Jesper Schleimann, Digital Transformation Officer, EMEA North at SAP
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careers in the technology space, both
to ‘build skills for digital futures’, while
can agree that technology improves
the EDX Leadership programme is an
the lives of everyone and it starts from
open leadership forum with an ambition
within their respective companies. To
to increase the exponential thinking
this end, SAP has made two initiatives
and innovative mindset for business
to accelerate this change: a purpose-
leaders so they can explore and use
driven innovation university and commu-
exponential thinking to bring their comp-
nity for the Digital ecosystem, called
any to the future. “We have a responsi-
SAP NextGen and a Leadership forum
bility as an organisation to help educate
jointly with Intel and partners called
people around the opportunities that
Executive Digital Exchange. The Next-
technology brings,” says Schleimann.
Gen program is designed to enable
“We’re working across that ecosystem
companies, partners and the university
to turn thinking into doing; to challenge
to connect and innovate collaboratively
people and their critical-problem
solving skills and insight into what can be achieved through technology.” “Ultimately the aim of these programmes are to provide people with tangible skills to take into the world. We then have more people who want to do – and can do – more things. That’s going to inevitably move us towards a better world.” Data and digital transformation form a key part of the strategic relationship between SAP and Intel. Having collaborated for over two decades, the two companies are working closely together on the introduction of a new server
“ With digital transformation, businesses are taking advantage of new technology to enhance their operations” — Joachim Aertebjerg, CTO/Director of Technical Solution Sales, Intel
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platform with an innovative memory
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solution. This technology, called the
holds the data even when the server is
‘Intel Optane DC Persistent memory’
switched off. As Aertebjerg notes, the
will define the memory hierarchy within
benefits to databases and business
a server and allow customers to improve
analytics are enormous.
the time it takes for a device to be ready
The Intel Optane DC Persistent
to operate after the power has been
memory technology represents what
turned on, as well as enabling faster
Schleimann describes as the ‘centre’
processing and a memory type that
of the digital transformation story: data
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and the agility of companies to process
the persistent memory we are creating
and that data. “Being able to process
a quantum leap in our ability to push
the data is the most crucial part, as we
decisions, to capture business insights
are seeing business become increas-
and to push agility to the very edge.”
ingly ubiquitous,” he explains. “You
The digital transformation story is
need processing that’s on the edge.
one that, much like technology, will
Together with Intel, we are pushing
continue to grow at an increasing rate.
processing power further and with
The digitisation of industry shows no w w w.s a p . com
“ Information exposed through data analytics can be a matter of life or death for any organisation” 18
— Joachim Aertebjerg, CTO/Director of Technical Solution Sales, Intel
signs of slowing down and both SAP and Intel are finely positioned to be able to navigate this constantly shifting landscape. As part of the relationship between the two companies, SAP and Intel will continue to collaborate and build digital futures together. The future remains one of tremendous opportunity where both Schleimann and Aertbjerg can look forward to driving a ‘digital renaissance’. “I’m excited to see where data technology can go from here,” says Aertbjerg. “The collaboration with SAP will stand out as something that thousands of customers can take advantage of to help them make smart decisions based on all the data they have.” Schleimann concludes: “More technology change is coming and we hope that we can open organisational eyes to a bigger vision and become more purpose driven. SAP could hopefully have a small role to play in launching that wave and help drive this digital renaissance.”
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