Global experts join SAP partners, end-users and customers for two-day conference aimed at knowledge-sharing and innovation.
Hundreds of delegates from Africa’s leading organisations will join SAP implementation partners and end-users at the Saphila 2019 conference in June. Top of the agenda: strategies for success in the Experience Economy using the latest intelligent technologies.
Cameron Beveridge, Regional Director Southern Africa at SAP, says the Experience Economy is putting unprecedented pressure on companies to transform systems and processes to better serve customers. “Where for the past few years technology discussions in the boardroom revolved around digital transformation, the conversation has shifted beyond digital to a world where tech is built into every single interaction and reshapes consumers’ daily lives. Saphila is an opportunity for all SAP users, implementers, partners and experts to have valuable discussions around how organisations can use intelligent technologies to reimagine what is possible in the delivery of products and services to customers.”
The Experience Economy has emerged as one of the dominant trends in the global economy, with some studies suggesting that customer experience has become the most important differentiator for modern businesses, overtaking product and pricing. Recent data from the World Economic Forum found that 78% of millennials, the largest economically-active group, choose to spend money on desirable experiences over products.
“The trend is accelerating among other age brackets and across socioeconomic classes, forcing organisations to radically rethink how they develop products and services and deliver them to customers while meeting high expectations around outstanding experiences,” says Beveridge. “We hope to have valuable discussions with delegates at Saphila 2019 around how our customers, partners and end-users can accelerate the delivery of positive and memorable customer experiences by building intelligent enterprise capabilities within their organisations.”
Saphila is a biennial conference for SAP users to connect, create and collaborate through sharing knowledge about innovations and implementations using SAP technologies. The event, which will be held at Sun City, is organised by the African SAP User Group (AFSUG), whose purpose is to provide a forum for users of SAP technologies to share information and experiences, and to jointly interact with SAP Africa on matters of mutual interest. It draws experts, customers and partners from the SAP ecosystem – from CEOs and CIOs to end-users and consultants – for interactive sessions of knowledge sharing, demonstrations and keynote presentations.
According to Reg Barry, Chairperson at AFSUG, the biennial event is designed to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing within the dynamic African SAP ecosystem. “Saphila creates a platform for vital discussions around the technology and business trends impacting African businesses and provides access to some of the leading global minds that are applying SAP technologies to solve big business challenges, and even big socio economic challenges. This year’s event also includes extensive presentations from key SAP customers from across the African continent, who will share important learnings and insights with delegates.”
Visitors to Saphila 2019 can experience first-hand how the intelligent enterprise is brought to life through interactive solutions showcases, which will illustrate how the lives of consumers – in both their private and professional capacity – are impacted by intelligent technologies enabled by SAP’s intelligent suite and digital platform. “In one interactive example, the showcases will follow the journey of Jabulani, a man who falls in love with an eBike supplied by a company that runs with intelligent enterprise capabilities,” says Barry. “The showcase then shows how SAP technologies enrich the experiences of employees at Velotics, the company that markets, sells, supplies and services the eBike, bringing the concept of the Intelligent Enterprise to life.”
Other highlights at Saphila 2019 include:
• Specialised customer group discussions featuring SAP implementation partners and customers such as Deloitte, Mass Discounters, SAPPI, Britehouse, Consnet, Spar Group, Distell, Eskom, Dis-Chem, Sasol and Accenture.
• Keynote presentations from several global SAP executives including Andreas Heckmann, Executive Vice President and Head of Customer Support Services at SAP SE, Nils Herzberg, Global Head of Strategic Partnerships for Digital Supply Chain at SAP SE, and Cathy Smith, Managing Director at SAP Africa.
• An extensive exhibition space where partners and customers will display their latest innovations developed using SAP technologies.
• A dedicated mobile app for Android and iOS devices that will add further interactivity to the exhibition experience by prompting users with targeted messages as they engage with exhibitors.
Beveridge says this year’s event will be vital to any SAP user wishing to gain a better understanding of how technology can be used to solve some of their biggest business challenges, especially as it relates to customer experience. “The speaker line-up is packed with some of the leading local and global thinkers on what it means to be an intelligent enterprise in the age of heightened customer expectations and the continued disruption brought by advances in digital technologies. We look forward to joining AFSUG for a lively two-day conference and exhibition experience.”
Saphila 2019 will take place at Sun City on 10 and 11 June. For more information and to book your place, please visit http://hellosaphila2019.com
