The Next Era Of Enterprise Management

Two major forces are driving rapid shifts in the modern enterprise: growing complexity, which can often feel overwhelming, and generative AI, the disruptive technology that promises to tame it.

From supply chain disruptions and shifting regulations to the struggle of attracting and retaining top talent, enterprises must navigate an ever more challenging environment. Meanwhile, AI has forever changed the game for business.

Though its potential to streamline operations and spark innovation is extraordinary, it demands more than a simple overlay on siloed, legacy systems. Realizing AI's promise requires a fundamental shift in how people, applications, and data connect to tackle challenges and seize new opportunities.

Beyond Siloed Systems

The tension between escalating complexity and AI's transformative power is redefining modern business. The days of relying solely on transactional systems or standalone intelligence are behind us; modern enterprises demand much more. Companies today seek an integrated business suite that unifies processes, harmonizes data, and leverages AI agents to tackle challenges and seize new opportunities.

Achieving this level of interconnection calls for a fresh approach to enterprise management - one that brings together three critical capabilities:

• End-to-end process integration that generates and relies upon trusted business data. McKinsey calls this an integrated technology operating model and says this "can help [organizations] build deeper relationships with customers, launch new business models, make processes more efficient, and make better decisions."
• Harmonized data to fuel AI-driven insights. Data harmonization brings together all data - internal and external - so it can be managed more efficiently, analyzed, and used to guide business decision-making. Harmonizing data within an organization minimizes redundancies, improves data governance, serves as a single source of truth, and makes better use of scarce resources.
• AI that goes beyond basic automation and breaks down silos, driving real-time, cross-enterprise optimization. In other words, companies need AI that not only performs repetitive tasks but also actively analyzes data, learns from new information, and makes intelligent, actionable recommendations.

Real World Impact: BSH and MOD Pizza

By design, SAP software connects an entire organization to drive results grounded in enterprise data and in the context of business processes. This integrated approach is already delivering measurable results.

Global home appliance leader BSH is a company that already benefits from this approach, offering more than 10,000 products to 50,000 trade customers in over 50 markets. BSH achieved supply chain transparency, optimized inventory, facilitated on-time delivery, and enhanced customer experiences by synchronizing planning and execution across its extensive supply chain.

Another example is MOD Pizza. The company supports equitable opportunities and business growth by automating HR and streamlining onboarding for 1,000 new hires monthly, managing as many as 400 changes to employee data every day. Systems integration saved HR admins 15 hours per week in data entry alone.

These examples demonstrate that complexity can become a catalyst for progress - provided the right applications, data, and AI tools are in place. When these elements work in unison, the outcome is greater than the sum of its parts: a business that's not just agile, but unstoppable.

Embracing the Next Era of Enterprise Management

We are entering a new era of enterprise management where AI agents collaborate to solve long-tail business tasks, redefining how the world does business. SAP is ready to help our customers by bringing together applications, data, and AI like never before.

Business leaders can ensure their companies not only survive but thrive by swiftly adapting to an ever-changing environment.

Thanks to AI, the systems we've always envisioned - where data flows freely, processes are fully connected, and decisions are backed by precise, real-time insights - are now within reach.

Jan Gilg is president and chief product officer for Cloud ERP at SAP.

This piece originally appeared on SAP BrandVoice on Forbes.