Back Office 2.0: The Synergy of Cloud, AI and SAP

Artificial intelligence in particular is a game changer. We ask ourselves the question: Why is AI, in combination with cloud technology and SAP, a true marvel in the digital transformation of traditional back office processes?

Just over a decade ago, the "digitalization megatrend" arrived in Germany. Suddenly everyone was talking about the automation of business processes, cloud technologies and networked companies. Of course, the roots of digitalization go back quite a bit further in time, but now the topic really got going and the pace has hardly slowed down to this day - also thanks to new technologies such as artificial intelligence, which are constantly giving new impetus to change.

Cloud migration and conversion

Even if it is no longer talked about so often, many companies are still in the midst of digital transformation - for example, by migrating to the cloud variants of SAP S/4 Hana, in the course of which many companies are mapping basic business functions via the cloud (in some cases for the first time).

At the same time, more and more managers in companies are increasingly looking at key performance indicators (KPIs) and profitability in order to evaluate processes, including in the back office. Functions previously perceived as pure cost factors, such as accounting or customer service, are becoming decisive factors, as they make an important contribution to the resilience and future growth of a company.

How can the transformation of the back office succeed? The commercial requirements are manifold: as already described, KPIs, profitability and resilience are becoming increasingly relevant, while the transformation also plays a role in terms of employee and business partner loyalty (e.g. customers and suppliers). Ideally, companies should therefore not only create added value for themselves with the digital transformation, but also for their entire ecosystem.

AI business processes

Cloud platforms that automate business processes based on modern AI technologies are more than a match for these requirements thanks to their range of services. They not only connect the various teams within the company, but also the entire corporate network, ensuring smooth processes that benefit everyone: the company itself, customers, suppliers, employees and even the environment, as less paper is used or less space is required for archives, for example. At the same time, these solutions make such key figures visible, providing managers with a data-driven basis for making the right decisions. Previously hidden details also come to light.

AI-supported functions ensure the elimination of repetitive, manual activities and thus create the freedom that employees appreciate and need to generate sustainable added value. The elimination of information silos creates additional benefits, as every function in the company can now have direct access to the data it needs.

In all of this, the technical component must not be ignored: To ensure that the process steps outside and inside SAP are not isolated, but form a smooth overall process, suitable integration options (e.g. an SAP connector or a Bapi) should be available, otherwise the automation stops at the (ERP) front door and cannot develop its full effect.