In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, organizations are embracing a wide range of cloud-based tools, including analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), to drive innovation.
This was a key message conveyed during the 10th anniversary virtual celebration for the 2023 SAP Innovation Award winners in June. The event highlighted how these technological advancements have revolutionized collaboration with customers and partners worldwide, leading to sustainable and impactful innovation. However, amidst this digital revolution, it is important to recognize that the human touch remains irreplaceable.
While digital interactions have become commonplace, relying solely on the cloud for customer satisfaction is a misconception. It is the dedicated workers armed with a multitude of software solutions who continue to be the driving force behind transformative change. From manufacturing to supply chain, finance to procurement, it is the ingenuity and expertise of individuals that propel industries and society forward. These real-life transformers are the catalysts for progress, harnessing the power of technology to shape a better future.
When the first SAP Innovation Awards were launched in 2014, the judges received 27 submissions. This year, the number exceeded 220 across 10 categories, including Sustainability Hero, Industry Leader, Partner Paragon, and Cutting-Edge Genius.
Check out this e-book, which has everything you need to know about the 2023 SAP Innovation Award winners, finalists, honorable mentions, and more.
Changing the World
At the celebration, as the winners accepted the accolades for their achievements and addressed each other online, all agreed that, in this post-pandemic period, the goal of technological innovation must transcend simply improving one’s business.
By their actions, the 2023 SAP Innovation Award winners embody that philosophy.
For instance, after the war in Ukraine forced more than 8 million people to flee their homeland, professional services corporation EY (Ernst & Young) developed its Emergency Response Application (ERA). The free mobile solution was built using SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) and enables access to critical and time-sensitive information and directs refugees to resources in 53 cities. The humanitarian undertaking was accomplished in an astonishing six weeks.
In its mission to develop novel and multifunctional therapeutics for rare cancers and other serious diseases, global biotechnology company Zymeworks found that its previous manual system was inefficient and labor-intensive. To remedy that, the company created a single, integrated platform using SAP’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions to support its product commercialization, growth, and expansion strategy – allowing the organization insight into real-time information to make important, data-driven decisions while continuing to save lives.
In Australia, where the country’s growing aging population has increased the demand for in-home and community-delivered care, HomeMade designed a self-service portal leveraging SAP BTP, enabling the elderly to choose providers for services like cleaning and cooking and lead a fulfilling life while reducing administrative overhead.
And on the Japanese island of Kyushu, where natural disasters are all too frequent, Oita University developed an information platform called the Earth Disaster Intelligent System Operational Network (EDiSON), providing accurate and timely data to assist emergency response organizations. The solution uses robust data management, advanced analytics, AI, and machine learning capabilities offered by SAP HANA Cloud, the SAP Analytics Cloud solution, and SAP Business Technology Platform.
A Sustainable Planet
From the time the 2023 SAP Innovation Awards were announced, judges were “looking for tangible examples of sustainability that are delivering impact, using SAP technologies for good,” said Dorit Shackleton, senior vice president, head of Customer Advocacy and Global Events Marketing at SAP.
In addition to supplying people in Switzerland’s Basel region with electricity, heat, and drinking water, along with telecom and mobility solutions, Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB) produces and sells renewable and CO2-netural energy to achieve climate goals. Using machine learning algorithms, a new adaptable application leveraging SAP Business Technology Platform can predict solar power production with unprecedented accuracy, supporting IWB’s ongoing sustainability drive.
As host Timo Elliot pointed out, “If you can help with just a small percentage [of reducing the carbon footprint], you can make a big difference to the planet.”
In trying to reach its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives, Indonesian mining, infrastructure, and oil and gas services company Petrosea was frustrated that its old, largely paper-based system complicated the process. By creating a unified platform and utilizing SAP Analytics Cloud, the company now has one source of truth to monitor carbon emissions, waste, and water usage to make informed choices and realize what it calls its 3D strategy – diversification, digitalization, and decarbonization.
As the 2023 SAP Innovation Award winners continue to bask in the glow of their success, planning for the 2024 festivities is underway. And even organizations that don’t plan to enter will be watching to find inspiration for new ways to improve.
Join us in celebrating innovation and transformation by sharing your success stories in the 2024 SAP Innovation Awards! We invite you to submit your transformation stories.
Together, let’s shape the future of innovation. Participate in the 2024 SAP Innovation Awards and share your remarkable journey with us. Visit our submissions page to get started!
Julia Ponzini is a customer marketing senior specialist at SAP.
