BA operates extensively across Asia, serving over 12 domestic and seven international destinations, and managing three airports. In 2023, the airline transported more than 4.4 million passengers, emphasizing the critical need for a robust and agile IT infrastructure. By integrating RISE with SAP on AWS, BA aims to future-proof its operations, ensuring increased reliability and agility to maintain a competitive stance in the ever-evolving aviation industry.

Monpraon Sukroongreung, Ph. D., Senior Director of Corporate Information Technology at Bangkok Airways, highlighted the transformative impact of this shift. The airline can now effortlessly scale capabilities during peak periods, resulting in significant cost savings and enhanced efficiency. The transition from on-premises systems to a cloud-based model has drastically reduced processing times, enabling faster generation of business-critical reports. This optimization of IT resource mobilization has led to more efficient ground operations and an improved passenger experience.

Navigating Market Challenges with Cloud Innovation

For nearly a decade, Bangkok Airways relied on SAP’s on-premises enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions to manage operational costs and profitability. However, the need for a more flexible and scalable system became evident as market conditions and technological advancements evolved. The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the necessity for operational agility and resilience. BA’s proactive approach, in partnership with SAP, AWS, and NTT DATA Business Solutions, facilitated a seamless transition to a cloud environment.

Sukroongreung noted the pandemic’s significant disruption to the airline industry, highlighting the importance of digital transformation in ensuring BA’s operational resilience. The adoption of RISE with SAP on AWS has enabled BA to transition its SAP ERP architecture from a scale-out to a scale-up model, embracing a “clean core” strategy. This approach standardizes ERP processes and data with minimal modifications, allowing for cloud-compliant extensions and customizations as the business evolves. The result is streamlined maintenance efforts, reduced costs, and enhanced scalability.

Realizing the Benefits of RISE with SAP on AWS

Since the transition to the cloud in November 2023, Bangkok Airways has experienced notable improvements in system availability and efficiency. Centralized batch processing for back-office operations and workflow automation has also provided greater visibility into business processes across the organization. Furthermore, real-time insights now facilitate better data-driven decision-making, contributing to improved overall performance.

The enhanced disaster recovery capabilities inherent in the cloud environment have significantly reduced the risk of data loss and downtime. This improvement in system reliability benefits customers, employees, and stakeholders alike. Kulwipa Piyawattanametha, Managing Director of SAP Indochina, further emphasized the accelerated pace of change in the aviation sector and the critical role of a unified cloud operating model in reducing system complexities. The connected, central process and scalable digital core provided by RISE with SAP on AWS have also improved flight performance and profitability visibility for BA.

As Bangkok Airways continues to scale and transform its business, the robust ecosystem provided by SAP and AWS aligns well with its enterprise requirements. This ecosystem offers a broad range of services and solutions tailored to BA’s evolving needs. Sukroongreung expressed confidence in the airline’s ability to leverage this ecosystem to support ongoing growth and transformation.

The post RISE with SAP on AWS Elevates Bangkok Airways to New Heights appeared first on InsideSAP Asia.

The Great Resignation’s effect on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout Asia and the Pacific was the subject of a study published earlier this year that revealed some interesting new details. SAP commissioned Dynata to conduct a survey of 1,363 SME owners and decision-makers in eight countries throughout the APJ region for their report titled “Transformational Talent: The Impact of the Great Resignation on Digital Transformation in APJ’s SMEs.” Participating countries include Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, and Thailand.

SAP’s study confirms the reality of the Great Resignation and its current effects on SMEs across APJ. A majority of respondents (40%) believe that staff resignations are higher now than they were a year ago, and almost two-thirds (64%) of SMEs say they are struggling to deal with the fallout from the Great Resignation. According to SAP APJ President Paul Marriott, the Great Resignation is commonly misunderstood as employees leaving their companies to follow their passion. However, he believes that in order to attract top people, organizations also need to offer competitive compensation, a flexible work environment, and a transparent path to growth and development.

“Prioritizing upskilling and career progression, and supporting it with access to the right technology and partners is proven to be a win-win for employees and for SME,” Marriott remarked.

Echoing Marriott’s thoughts, another SAP top executive Atul Tuli — who currently serves as the Managing Director at SAP Indochina — said that SAP’s survey indicate that the shortage of trained skills is the biggest obstacle for businesses in Thailand when it comes to driving development and digital transformation, even more so than cyber security, financial constraints, and a general lack of awareness of digital solutions. He further shared:

“Nurturing talent and advancing digital skills are the cornerstones for empowerment and inclusive growth. SAP has always been committed to supporting the digital agenda in Thailand and this initiative further reinforces our efforts towards enabling digital transformation and sustainable growth.”

Fostering Digital Skills Development with SAP Thailand and DEPA

Reinforcing the German tech giant’s commitment to foster digital skills development in the country, SAP Thailand has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with DEPA in order to launch a new digital learning program for students, working professionals, and business owners who seek to expand their knowledge and expertise in emerging innovations and technological advancements. SAP’s online courses will be used to support the open educational system, and the two entities will work together to better manage open online courses so that they comply with global standards and improve the quality of lifelong learning.

Moreover, SAP has been working with similar organizations to maximize their own resources, from the delivery of integrated technology products and solutions to the sharing of their own talents, in order to boost the youth’s digital capabilities and prepare them for the workforce of tomorrow. Over the past few years, SAP Thailand has honed over 1,200 students’ digital skills through programs like the open SAP online learning platform and the ASEAN Data Science Explorers competition.

“We are excited to partner with Depa to enhance the digital skilling ecosystem in Thailand, build towards a more digital future, and catalyse the next decade of growth and innovation to help the world run better and improve people’s lives,” SAP Indochina MD Tuli said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Professor Dr. Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, President at DEPA shared that since the digital economy in Thailand is expected to expand to 30% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 (or earlier), their organization has made it a top priority to train Thai business owners to use digital technologies. He said that local  entrepreneurs have been rapidly undergoing digital transformation in recent years in response to the rising need for skills related to the use of digital methods and tools.

Commenting on the recently signed MoU with SAP Thailand to foster digital skills development in the country, Dr. Nimmanphatcharin concluded:

“We need committed private sector partnership to ensure young people are learning the skills they will need to thrive. This partnership is crucial to help accelerate our efforts in upskilling and reskilling them to stay relevant in the future workforce.

The post SAP Thailand Promotes New Digital Learning Program with DEPA appeared first on InsideSAP Asia.

As digital transformation becomes an increasingly important priority for businesses across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, SAP is doubling its efforts to engage with partners and provide them with the tools and resources they need to enable their customers’ success. In 2020, the German tech giant enabled its partners in Thailand to deliver cloud solutions and services, supporting them as they help their customers navigate the ever-changing landscape of enterprise technology.

As organizations across the globe revisit their budgets in light of the economic headwinds, Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited and Namsiang Group have shared their transformation stories at the “Thailand SAP User Group Forum: Journey to Sustainability Development & Best Run Awards Ceremony”. These companies have made great strides in increasing their resilience against these challenges, setting a strong example for others to follow.

SAP Indochina Managing Director Atul Tuli stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the urgency with which businesses in Thailand must undergo digital transformation if they are to improve their responsiveness, speed, and ability to make data-driven decisions. He added:

“SAP has been at the forefront of leading our customers through the pandemic and I look forward to empowering our Thai customers and enriching technology ecosystems for creating sustainable growth.”

Teaming Up with SAP Thailand and Accenture

In 2020, integrated petrochemicals corporation Indorama Ventures worked with SAP and Accenture on the IVL Olympus project, with the goal of becoming a future-ready intelligent enterprise and saving $600 million by 2023. The objective of the company’s move to replace over 70 IT systems with a unified enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform is to create synergistic benefits for our businesses through a more comprehensive understanding of data and information.

During THSUG’s event, SK Agrawal, President and Program Director of Global ERP and Digital Transformation at Indorama Ventures explained that the speed with which new acquisitions can be integrated can be increased by implementing standard processes, master data, and streamlined reporting across all business activities. As planned, Indorama Ventures has become a dominant player in the high-value surfactant market after completing this year’s acquisition of Oxiteno, a Brazilian chemical solutions manufacturer.

With the recent purchase, Indorama Ventures has increased its potential for growth by entering the extremely lucrative markets of Latin America and the United States, with future expansion into Europe and Asia being a distinct possibility. Meanwhile, its “Vision 2030” strategy centers on strengthening the company’s position as a leader in the sustainable development sector.

“With our integrated business platform, we were able to increase recycled content in accordance with our sustainability goals while maintaining high package performance standards,” Agrawal revealed.

“We will continue to enhance a strong management information system and use an advanced digital platform where we can access real-time monitoring and reporting, allowing us to be more analytical in decision making and building business plans,” he further added.

Driving Digital Transformation with SAP Solutions

On the other hand, Namsiang Group, another distributor of chemical products, collaborated with SAP and Netizen two years ago to begin a thorough digital transformation project across all four locations in Thailand. The company’s ability to support the entire chemical supply chain—from trading to manufacturing to wholesale and retail—thanks to SAP S/4HANA’s single core ERP platform has allowed it to boost the accuracy of its financial analyses, the efficiency of its document processing, and the speed with which it handles transactions.

Even if an economic downturn is on the horizon, Namsiang Group Chief Operating Officer (COO) Chaiwat Klangvijit believes digital technologies will be critical in assisting the business in making necessary course corrections to pursue alternative sources of revenue growth. He stated that in the future, the company plans to boost its investment in digital technology and automated process solutions to increase efficiency and productivity in support of its expansion into the ASEAN market.

Discussing Namsiang Group’s partnership with the German tech giant and SAP Platinum Partner Netizen for the digitization efforts, Klangvijit remarked:

“The collaboration with SAP and Netizen has proved that digital transformation provides a valuable opportunity for core business functions. NSG achieved significant results in productivity, speed of document management up to 40% and data financial analysis accuracy more than 35%.”

The post SAP Thailand Customer Success Highlighted at THSUG Forum appeared first on InsideSAP Asia.

In April, SAP reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2022, emphasising the consistent growth of its cloud business and incorporating the current cloud backlog. The German enterprise software giant has revealed a strong cloud momentum as evident in the current cloud backlog and SAP S/4HANA cloud revenue, reaching double-digit growth. This follows the remarkable performance of the Business Transformation as a Service (BTaaS) offering RISE with SAP in 2021 as a springboard for the first months of this year.

In Thailand, the tech giant intends to drive the transformation to the cloud for companies in both the private and public sectors by utilising its most recent business direction plan, which includes the concept of the ‘Cloud Only’ strategy. This is primarily aimed at helping enterprises improve their efficiency, flexibility, and agility. It can be noted that Dr. Sak Segkhoonthod, Advisor of Digital Transformation at the Electronic Transaction Development Agency, told a seminar held in January that as the country’s present regulations for budget disbursement can be easily maintained on the cloud, organisations in the public sector can migrate to the cloud with relative ease.

According to SAP Indochina Managing Director Atul Tuli, the global COVID-19 pandemic has shown itself to be a fast-acting driver for governments and businesses to expedite their digital transformation journeys and embrace cloud-based technologies for growth and sustainability. He also believes that enterprises can innovate ahead of their competition, operate through times of volatility in the market, and boost cost savings by using a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that provides real-time business analytics.

Advancing the SAP Cloud Strategy for the “Intelligent, Sustainable Enterprise”

As per Gartner’s projections, end-user expenditure on public cloud services around the globe is expected to increase by 20.4{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} in 2022, reaching a total of $494.7 billion. In particular, cloud computing spending in Thailand is expected to increase by 36.6{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} to reach 40.8 billion baht in 2022. This also indicates that as the pandemic unfolds, the country will embrace the “golden age of digital transformation” with cloud solutions playing a crucial role in helping enterprises transform sustainably.

“Today, businesses can easily migrate their applications and workloads to the cloud with the ability to scale and enjoy the benefit of cloud’s pay-per-use model to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO). We believe that the ‘Cloud Only’ strategy will help drive SAP Thailand’s cloud compound annual growth rate (CAGR) by 51{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} by 2025,” SAP MD Atul Tuli further explained.

In terms of achieving the “Intelligent, Sustainable Enterprise” vision, SAP Indochina Key Account Sales Leader Kulwipa Praditphollert stated that SAP has taken the initiative to supply forward-thinking businesses with real-time data and technology, intending to empower and enable them to seek sustainability and long-term growth and efficiency. She added:

“Over the past years, we have supported customers in various industries, including retail, healthcare, chemical, e-commerce, and offered them solutions ranging from supply chain, procurement, human resource management to customer experience management.”

Helping SMEs Future-Proof Their Operations

“Transformational Talent: The impact of the Great Resignation on Digital Transformation in APJ’s SMEs”, a study recently conducted by SAP and commissioned Dynata, revealed that 68{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} of Thai small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) agreed that having technology partners who can assist with digital transformation is an absolute necessity for them to survive and thrive. Moreover, 66{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} of SMEs reported that they were at a loss as to how to get started.

SAP Indochina Head of Mid Market Noppadon Chareonthong stated that there are more than 70 partners in the ecosystem that play a significant role in SAP Thailand’s engagements with customers in the SME segment. He added that partners are essential in providing guidance and assistance to customers in terms of running their business and implementing SAP systems.

“As 80{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} of SAP customers worldwide are SMEs, we have worked tirelessly to help SMEs customers in Thailand embark on their digital transformation journey towards becoming Intelligent, Sustainable Enterprise to create a strong and sustainable digital core in the future,” he further said.

The post SAP Cloud Strategy Accelerates in Thailand appeared first on InsideSAP Asia.

In the fourth quarter of 2021, SAP’s cloud revenue grew by 24{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}. It is increasing at an 18{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} rate in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, which accounts for a third of the company’s overall business. In Thailand, the German enterprise software giant anticipates a 51{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in terms of cloud uptake by 2025. According to global tech research company Gartner, cloud spending in Thailand could increase by 28.2{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} in 2022, reaching 34.4 billion baht (US$1.1 billion) approximately. Experts predicted that local businesses would invest more in cloud solutions this year as they continue to prioritise crucial technologies to assist them in maintaining daily operations during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

During a recent visit to Thailand, Scott Russell, Head of Customer Success and Member of the Executive Board at SAP, explained the company’s commitment to helping organisations turn into intelligent, sustainable enterprises. In terms of SAP’s business in the country, he further shared:

“SAP has a proud history with government agencies and enterprises, major conglomerates, and family-owned enterprises in Thailand. Our customers have depended on our technology in some cases for 20-25 years. Now, they are turning to us to make them more agile and sustainable and that’s where the cloud comes in.”

“As Thailand businesses emerge stronger from this pandemic, they need to address such urgent issues as talent retention and development, sustainability, and supply-chain resilience. A cloud-only strategy is key to them surviving and thriving,” Russell added.

Leveraging Solutions and Technologies of SAP in the Cloud

Furthermore, the strong uptake of SAP S/4HANA Cloud intelligent enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can be linked to the performance shown by RISE with SAP — the German tech giant’s Business Transformation as a Service (BTaaS) signature cloud offering. An increasing number of organisations intend to use the solution to help in the development of new business models and transformation of mission-critical applications to gain operational efficiencies.

Particularly, Thai customers that are already harnessing the power of SAP cloud-based solutions include DoHome, a retailer and wholesaler of construction and home decoration materials, and Thai Medical Glove, a major rubber glove manufacturer in Southeast Asia (SEA). Utilising SAP technologies, DoHome expanded its operations by commencing on a digital transformation journey and transitioning away from its traditional business models. Meanwhile, Thai Medical Glove leveraged cloud technologies such as RISE with SAP to modernise the company and transform it into a sustainable, intelligent enterprise.

CPRAM, a food manufacturer, and CP Retailink, an equipment supplier and service provider for 7-Eleven outlets —-both of which are subsidiaries of the CP Group —- are using SAP products to reimagine critical business processes and lay the groundwork for future growth. According to Russell, real-time analytics and performance visibility were needed by the companies because of the large transaction volumes experienced during the pandemic. He added that their partnership with SAP has improved their ability to handle and integrate complex data as well as their capacity to deliver better experiences more rapidly than before.

“In Thailand we’ve seen a real acceleration of human capital management solutions and supply chain planning. Operating in the cloud brings the desired agility. You’re able to get the latest innovations in real-time without setting it up yourself,” he remarked.

With the world being divided and volatile due to COVID-19, Russell further emphasised that companies that do not invest in cloud computing technologies are unlikely to be able to maintain their competitive advantage in the future.

The post How SAP in the Cloud Help Transform Businesses in Thailand appeared first on InsideSAP Asia.

The recently held seminar “Cloud Transformation for Public Sector in a New Normal” hosted by SAP gathered Thailand’s industry experts from the public sectors to exchange views on the country’s readiness– specifically those organisations that provide government services– for a cloud transformation. Along with the discussion on the advantages of cloud adoption, the event tackled the public sectors’ pressing concerns that come with cloud transformation such as citizen data sovereignty, security, and privacy.

Digital Transformation in the Cloud to Deliver Better Services

According to Gartner’s recent data, Thailand’s cloud spending is forecasted to achieve 28.2{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} growth to (US$1.1 billion) 34.4 billion baht in 2022. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thai SMEs, which are the backbone of the country’s economy, have accelerated their modernisation strategies by adopting cloud-based technologies to keep them agile in the post-pandemic era. 

With Thailand’s private sector harnessing cloud transformation and experiencing its benefits during these times of disruptions, Dr. Sak Segkhoonthod, Advisor of Digital Transformation at Thailand’s Electronic Transaction Development Agency & & President of CSA Thailand Chapter, expressed the need for the public sectors to move to the cloud. 

“Digital transformation complexity has long prevented organisations in the public sector from being able to service citizens better and respond faster. The pandemic, rising demand for digital services, and a need for government employees to work from home have sped up this industry’s usage of the cloud and the need to opt for cloud-first policies,” said Dr. Sak.

He mentioned some of the benefits of leveraging the Cloud that public organisations can achieve such as more efficient budget management with pay-per-use package options and scalability according to demand to better deliver services to the people. He commented:

“In Thailand, public organisations can easily move to cloud as the country’s current budget disbursement regulations on the cloud can be easily managed on-demand.”

Dr. Sak detailed that Thailand has been at the forefront of cloud adoption in ASEAN over the recent decade employing several in-country cloud standards through Cloud Security Alliance (CSA). One of the initiatives that have accelerated cloud adoption in Thailand’s public sectors is CSA’s Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK), a compulsory requirement for engineers involved in cloud computing or security namely Systems Engineers, Cybersecurity Analysts, and Enterprise Architects.

Collaborating with the Right Cloud Partner

Grp. Capt. Amorn Chomchoey, Deputy Secretary-General of the NCSA (National Cyber Security Agency), also present during the seminar, emphasised that aside from migration strategy, organisation’s readiness, project management, tools, and deployment as key factors prior to cloud transformation, the public sectors also need to focus on governance and security concerns. He stated that security and privacy issues can be tackled in partnership with select cloud providers that could offer cloud solutions centred on privacy management and control levels in compliance with both international and CSA standards.

“With careful forethought of these operational considerations, enterprises can avoid derailed cloud migrations and begin to realize the value they were promised with the cloud.” Grp. Capt. Amorn stated.

SAP Indochina Managing Director Atul Tuli shared how public sector organisations can benefit from harnessing digital tools that would enable them to transform, deliver greater efficiencies, and streamline services. He explained that RISE with SAP as a subscription-based offering caters to industries of different sizes and lines of business and enables organisations to design the most appropriate digital transformation strategy. 

“All SAP solutions including RISE with SAP are meeting the requirements of the ISO 27001 standard. We have a specialist team who provides knowledge to our customers on the data privacy topic. We also offer options for data residency as many public organizations increasingly need cloud services that ensure their data is managed and stored in the country. Using our hyperscaler partnerships – such as AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, SAP’s in-country cloud will be primed to meet the tight regulatory requirements of the public sector in Thailand,” he said.

RISE with SAP enables organisations to embark on a holistic and innovative business transformation that is more sustainable. Moreover, according to SAP, the concierge BTaaS offering delivers faster time to value with a reduction of up to 20{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} over five years in the TCO of SAP S/4HANA Cloud against a traditional ERP deployment.

The post Thailand’s Public Sectors Ready for Digital Transformation in the Cloud appeared first on InsideSAP Asia.

The recently held 2021 HR Asia Awards, streamed live on the HR Asia website on 16 November 2021, recognised SAP Thailand, a subsidiary of SAP, as one of the Best Companies to Work for in Asia– the company’s second consecutive recognition. The awards ceremony, held annually in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the UAE, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, recognises organisations that have demonstrated best people practices and employee engagement, outstanding working conditions, and excellent workplace culture. SAP partners DXC Technology and Microsoft in Thailand were also given the HR Asia Award.

The HR Asia Awards received by SAP Thailand is a reflection of SAP’s commitment to continuously enhance employee experiences and engagements worldwide. Having an extensive track record as an employer of choice and an advocate of inclusion and flexibility at workplace, SAP has received a total of 114 employer awards globally in 2021, including Best Workplaces for Millennials by Fortune, Best Workplaces for Giving Back by Great Place to Work, Asia’s Best Workplaces by Great Place to Work and 100 Best Big Companies to Work for by Fortune.

SAP Indochina Managing Director Atul Tuli said:

“Trust, Flexibility, and Inclusivity are becoming fundamental aspects for organisations as they redesign and revisit their work policies to address employee feedback and improve their people journey. The human resources function needs to be repositioned into a people power affair where employee experience and human experience management are key factors to a company’s success.”

Flexibility at Workplace

Under the pandemic background, SAP has swiftly adapted to the unprecedented needs of the workforce, from developing new solutions to implementing a new flexible and trust-based framework worldwide. 

In June, SAP pledged to a 100{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} flexible and trust-based global framework designed to support employees’ productivity, creativity, and inspiration while running the business responsibly and meeting business requirements. This backs the company’s recent surveys showing that over 80{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} of SAP employees want a mix of working from home or remote with some time in the office. This initiative aims to provide an inclusive environment that gives people the freedom to choose where to work as well as to achieve inspiring office designs tailored for creativity, collaboration, community, and focused work.

“Our Pledge to Flex model is flexible, trust-based, and powered by our intelligent technologies and will revolutionise how we work,” Tuli stated.

Usa Kongthawornwong, HR Business Partner, SAP Indochina, explained that SAP strongly believes in the potential of technology in Thailand and adopting the new work structure means preparing the country’s workforce to ensure business continuity.

“With Pledge to Flex, employees will able to work remotely, in the office, or a combination of both, and have flexible work schedules. Inspirational office design is tailored to creativity, collaboration, community, and focused work, enabling employees to find the right space for every task. Sustainability and health are prioritised for all office buildings,” Usa stressed.

“The award is yet another milestone on our journey of putting people first,” Usa added. “As we introduce Pledge to Flex, we want to create a more flexible and inclusive work environment grounded in a trust-based workplace that encourages employees to be the best of themselves and provides a safe place for them.”

Leveraging Technology to Enhance the Employee Experience

SAP recognises the need to enhance employee experience framework all-encompassing hybrid workplace and ensuring talent recognition and retention. Several solutions launched this year to HR for the post-pandemic era include Qualtrics Experience Design for Hybrid Work and Workplaces, Concur Experience Optimizer, RISE with SAP for Human Experience Management, and SAP SuccessFactors Opportunity Marketplace.

Tuli explained that today’s digital native employees expect a fully digitalised HR processes and technology is the ultimate lever to help organisations achieve a flexible work model that the workforce need. Tuli detailed: 

“We use Qualtrics software to understand their feedback and SAP Success Factors software to create a better employee experience. At the same time, the HR back-office needs to leverage a connected Cloud HR platform that can be easily extended by intelligent technologies, such as robotic process automation, machine learning, and cognitive agents to achieve operational efficiency and drive down the cost of operations while delivering consumer-grade HR services at scale with a human touch.”

The post SAP Thailand Receives HR Award, Pledges Flexibility at Workplace   appeared first on InsideSAP Asia.

After entering an extensive three-year deal to accelerate customer adoption of SAP S/4HANA and SAP Cloud Platform on Microsoft Azure late last year, SAP and Microsoft partnership will inevitably be felt globally. Just recently, SAP Thailand and Microsoft Thailand have partnered to deliver superior SAP ecosystem experience on Microsoft Azure.

To help SAP customers innovate faster with agile infrastructure to support dynamic business despite the global pandemic, SAP and Microsoft leverage the Microsoft Azure cloud platform to facilitate customers’ smoother transition to SAP S/4HANA. Customers would be able to quicken their digital transformation and run the business accordingly in the New Normal with first-class tools and platforms that support effective and efficient management of business assets and operations. 

Verena Siow, Managing Director of SAP Indochina, said:

“Our work with Microsoft makes the migration journey to S/4HANA much easier with a more agile deployment process that fully leverage the capabilities of Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure. We are very excited to deliver an even better experience for customers in Thailand through strategic and partnership network alignments with Microsoft, ultimately giving customers simpler and more convenient ways to order, deploy, maintain, and learn to master SAP solutions on Azure.”

Project “Embrace” on Microsoft Azure

Project “Embrace”, a joint global initiative to simplify and modernise the customers’ journey to the cloud, carries over in Thailand. SAP and Microsoft’s extensive go-to-market partnership in the country covers every stage of a customer’s transition to the cloud, from conceptualization to sales. Consequently, it will accelerate the adoption and innovation of joint innovations from the tech giants and at the same time bring optimal business results to customers. 

Through project “Embrace”, SAP and Microsoft, with a global network of system integrators, offer holistic bundles with unified reference architectures, road maps and market-approved journeys for customer’s seamless transition to the cloud. To ensure smoother migration of SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA customers from on-premises to the public cloud, Microsoft will re-sell components of SAP Cloud Platform together with Azure. 

The collaboration is also anticipated to work on future deployment and migration of existing direct SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud customers leveraging hyperscaler infrastructure. However, SAP continues with its longstanding policy of supporting choice for those customers who request alternatives based on business requirements.

In essence, project “Embrace” provides customers with:

• A simplified move from on-premise editions of SAP ERP to SAP S/4HANA for customers with integrated product and industry solutions through industry market bundles.
• Collaborative support model for simplified resolution through a combined support model for Azure and SAP Cloud Platform
• Jointly developed market journeys to support customer needs with the help of SAP and Microsoft system integrator partners.

SAP on Azure Kickstarter Program

In the same vein, SAP on Azure Kickstarter Program taps new customers looking to explore an SAP implementation on Azure to enter a pilot deployment phase at zero cost.

Dhanawat Suthumpun, Managing Director, Microsoft Thailand stated:

“SAP and Microsoft’s partnership has brought together our capabilities at all levels – from the senior leadership to engineering experts and support teams – to take the SAP experience to the next level on Azure.” 

“Through the Kickstarter Program, we are offering businesses a chance to experience the class-leading performance and capabilities of SAP solutions together with powerful, dynamic infrastructure on Azure in a trial phase with no initial investment, allowing them to discover new ways to operate at optimal efficiency with the flexibility to handle everything from major downtimes to peak demand,” Suthumpun added.

Mike Chan, General Manager for Cloud and Enterprise, Microsoft Asia Pacific, shared: 

“With joint support and dedicated engineering capabilities from SAP and Microsoft, we are able to offer the best SAP experience on Azure with simpler ways to try and acquire new solutions, faster and more convenient deployment, and less turnaround time for support requests.”

“We are also able to provide blueprints that make it easier to achieve an optimal deployment of SAP apps on Azure with reference architecture specifically for each industry – such as finance, oil, and gas, retail, or healthcare – and full compliance with industrial and regulatory standards in these fields,” he detailed.

The post SAP and Microsoft Partnership Reaches Thailand appeared first on InsideSAP Asia.

SAP gained a stable footing in the tech industry in Thailand with support from some of the leading SAP specialists in the country. These companies specialise in various industries such as automotive, food and beverage, manufacturing and retail industries and are experts in S/4 HANA, C/4 HANA, SAP SuccessFactors and SAP Ariba.

Cloud Specialists in Thailand

A number of local and global tech companies that specialise in assisting organisations in their transition to the cloud are establishing and strengthening their partnerships with SAP.

An example of these companies includes NTT Data, NTT’s publicly traded tech provider, which acquired the leading SAP specialist in Thailand last year. In 2019, they acquired Locus Telecommunication, a CRM expert and prominent system integrator based in Bangkok.

Sutas Kongdumrongkiat, the CEO of Thailand at NTT appointed during the last quarter of 2019, shared how cloud services on SAP platforms see an increasing demand not only in Thailand but also across Southeast Asia. At present, Thailand contributes up to 24 per cent of the global total SAP usage.

Kongdumrongkiat said that a total market size estimating to US$ 27.1 million is achievable by the year 2023. The figures he shared included Thailand’s which shows a compound annual growth rate of 7.4 per cent which is US$ 16.4 million higher than in 2016.

He added:

“We forecast that more than 50 per cent (of enterprise organisations) will move to the cloud in Thailand over the next few years.”

Another example is Azure Computers who signed a value added reseller (VAR) partnership with SAP in May 2019 to help address the challenges related to demand and supply in the manufacturing industry. They assisted in bringing the SAP S/4 HANA solution to the market for both on premise on on the cloud.

In its press release on the partnership, Azure Computers shared that one of the reasons for pursuing the development in Thailand is because there are available quality infrastructure and experienced SAP consultants at reasonable rates. The capacity to establish self-sustainable business from the domestic market of Thailand is also identified as another reason.

Deepening relationship with SAP

Tech companies continue to build and deepen its partnership with SAP — a leading factor pointed out by Google Cloud’s regional director for Southeast Asia, Tim Synan.

In an interview with Channel Asia, Synan shared Google’s excitement for its collaboration with SAP in the Southeast Asian region. He pointed out how global system integrators like Accenture and Deloitte, both known SAP partners, are reporting milestones through SAP and Google Cloud across countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

SAP, along with its partners, continuously works to respond to the demand for cloud and other digital transformation across the Asia Pacific region by increasing its focus on the channel this year.

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The ASEAN Foundation, Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), and SAP have awarded the young teams of Viet Nam, Singapore, and Thailand as the winners of the Regional Finals of ASEAN Data Science Explorers (ASEANDSE) 2019 last 9th of October 2019. The teams’ insights and data-driven solutions to solve the region’s most pressing social and economic issues brought them recognition. 

Executive Vice President of DEPA Ms. Kasama Kongsmak presided over the prize presentation ceremony. 

ASEANDSE 2019’s Regional Final Awardees

First Place: Team AWM from Viet Nam, comprising Ha Vu and Trung Vu from RMIT University Vietnam

The first-prize winner’s project focused on ethnic minorities as a potential source for economic development in ASEAN, covering United Nations Sustainable Development goals 4 (quality education) and goal 8 (decent work and economic growth).

Second Place: Team Re:volution from Singapore, with Egwin Fan and Teng Shi Xuan from Nanyang Technological University. 

With a project designed to solve waste management issues in ASEAN countries, covering the United Nations Sustainable Development goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities), the Singaporean team emerged as the first runner-up.

Third Place: Team C, comprising Bao Tran Ngo Le and Noppawan Rakthinkumnerd from Thammasat University.          

Coming in as second runner-up, the Thai team showcased their project on closing workforce gender gaps, covering United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality) and goal 8 (decent work and economic growth).

The ASEANDSE 2019 was a year-long journey that involved a series of enablement sessions where close to 500 educators and 3,000 students were trained in SAP Analytics Cloud. 1,341 (70{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} YOY increase) participants competing in the national finals held in all 10 ASEAN member states joined the competition. After winning on the national level, the national champions competed at a regional level held in Bangkok, Thailand.

The awarded teams won for their excellent capabilities in developing and presenting data-driven solutions that highlight six Sustainable Development Goals such as: (1) good health and well-being, (2) quality education, (3) gender equality, (4) decent work and economic growth, (5) industry, innovation & infrastructure and (6) sustainable cities and communities.

Trung Vu, a member of Team AWM from Viet Nam, said:

“We were just excited and delighted that our ideas and our solutions were acknowledged by ASEAN, UN and other governmental agencies to turn our vision into reality. We also got exposure to diverse cultures from students from other countries that we’ve become friends with. We can learn from each other and share our knowledge and different perspectives on the region and I believe that diversity is crucial for someone who wants to be a global citizen such as myself and a lot of other students.”

ASEAN Foundation and SAP Joining Forces

The ASEAN Foundation and SAP launched ASEANDSE in 2017 as a regional programme that would equip ASEAN youth with skill sets fit for the fourth industrial revolution and, at the same time, unleash the region’s full potential. For the past two years, over 9,000 youths from 230 higher education institutions in the region with data analytic skills have already benefited from the programme. Participating youth from across different disciplines like political science, engineering and architecture build actionable insights from data to come up with solutions that have an impact on these areas.

Elaine Tan, the Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation, shared:

“ASEAN Foundation is honoured and proud to collaborate with SAP for three consecutive years. SAP played a significant role in this initiative as together we are addressing the post-2020 direction of ASEAN youth development that focuses on fostering future-ready ASEAN youth through digital skills development. The initiative helps ASEAN youths to seize the vast opportunities that lie ahead of them. At the same time, the initiative equips them with relevant digital skills they require to tackle the challenges posed by the Industrial Revolution 4.0.”

Eugene Ho, Head of Corporate Affairs, SAP Southeast Asia, explained:

“We have identified that a widening digital skill gap is becoming a growing challenge across all industries and sectors in ASEAN. The collaboration with the ASEAN Foundation has helped us to steer our focus on developing the human capital pool to ensure that all ASEAN young citizens have the relevant skills needed to thrive in the digital economy”. 

Ho stressed that with the help of the ASEANDSE programme, the digital skills gap in the region will be solved.

Ms. Kasama Kongsmak also said:

“Seeing the youth as the generation of tomorrow, DEPA pays great attention to empowering them with universal mindset, innovative tools, and most importantly compassionate visions. With the objectives of ASEAN Data Science Explorers being in line with our core mission and the theme of Thailand’s 2019 ASEAN Chairmanship ‘Advancing Partnership for Sustainability’, we are more than pleased to support the program by being the co-host of the ASEANDSE Regional Finals 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand and look forward to many more regional collaborative opportunities to come.”

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