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As "the new VP", I thought some time about whether to start my first blog post with a provocative question. Preferably something to do with change and artificial intelligence. And why you should expect exactly that from me, but perhaps also a bit of continuity.
But maybe I'll make it easier: Are you reading this blog post on your company cell phone? Perhaps on your way to the office? Are there any business apps on this device that you recently used? For example, to request a day's vacation? Approve the new laptop of one of your employees? Or get an itinerary recommended for your next customer workshop overseas?
If not, what needs to change so that you can perform as many of your work-related tasks on your mobile device –– as you have long been accustomed to in your private life?
I should briefly introduce myself: My name is Markus Kopf, head of the central Mobile Experience & Engineering unit at SAP. I am the new Vice President.
Perhaps you even met me at one of our customer conferences we had in the previous weeks, the very big SAP Sapphire in Orlando and the not so big, but slightly more personal SAP Mobile Day in Frankfurt. If you’ve not met so far, let me assure you: Yes, as I am the “new guy”, I will be talking about some things from now on that are quite new, here in this blog and soon also on other channels. I will also be speaking about AI, of course –– since we are in the middle of the user interface paradigm shift.
But I won't repeat the somewhat worn-out phrase that the world is constantly changing and so need you. On the contrary: Regarding our mobile strategy, we at SAP together with our customers and partners have been consistently putting a lot of things together and doing them right so that you – that all of us – can work better. We have frequently introduced new mobile solutions, emphasizing adaptability and ease-of-use – so that SAP customers and users can receive highest degrees of reliability and stability from us, even if and especially when things change abruptly.
We took the time to evolve, as our management has, which is why I was lucky enough to succeed Florian Heretsch after a further step in his career. At the same time, as of course everything is changing all the time, and our expectations towards user-friendly technology have evolved massively. Mobile devices have become an integral part of our lives, even though recent studies still show that in business environments – apart from communication and a few office tasks – mobile usage is still lagging behind its possibilities.
I’ve spent a couple of years in mobile development units at some large and smaller companies. There and at SAP we have been talking about using mobile experiences anywhere and any time since a while now.
But,
- with the tremendous progress we have now made at SAP in cloud development with the right platform (SAP BTP) in place,
- with the integration of a wealth of secure business data and process expertise that is unparalleled in the industry,
- with the new possibilities of Business AI, such as SAP Joule, recently released by SAP,
- with the advent of spatial computing and the – indeed – revolutionary changes there regarding mixed-reality environments,
we can now take better advantage than ever before of what the latest generations of devices from all manufacturers have to offer.
And that’s what our story is about:
The most comprehensive mobile business package is here –– right now. And it's the fastest way to get the best out of technologies such as business cloud and AI applications for you.
We want to show you what’s possible today
Last month, more than 40 SAP customers and partners gathered at the third SAP Mobile Day in Frankfurt, Germany. Many brand names have been there that would be familiar to you and that represent several industries with different requirements.
An event of this size makes it possible to exchange experiences in greater detail. It’s a little below the flying height and enables a slightly different angle than what is shown at international events, what makes those smaller meetings as important for me as the big ones. While there’s obviously no conference anymore where we can’t talk about AI, the perspective at the Mobile Day was about what’s possible today when you’re out there, on the road, on a construction site, remotely working wherever this might be, hands-free if needed. These are the sometimes tough, sometimes challenging conditions where new and evolved partnerships allow us to offer effective business apps such as SAP Mobile Start for rugged devices as well as latest spatial computing technology such as the new Apple Vision Pro.
The premise, that all those different scenarios and industries brings together, is: Access to business workflows and business data becomes an experience that is supportive and approachable for everyone. Data from a facility goes directly into the SAP system, for example, or people are assisted on-site by our asset management solution.
Yes, for me it’s that simple: Mobile devices provide the best and most accessible interface for using the latest and best of what’s possible with SAP. Whether it’s a phone, a watch, or glasses. Mobile devices are the tools to work with todays and future AI models anywhere.
Personally, SAP Sapphire and SAP Mobile Day have been premieres for me in my new role. During demos and presentations, I still found that for many people it's an eye-opener how quickly and easily certain tasks can be completed on a corporate mobile device, just as they know it from the apps they use every day. Not to mention more complex tasks. Until recently, people just didn’t expect things like procurement or approval workflows to be just a matter of taps or natural language commands. Now, with on-device AI and SAP Joule, the power in your hand is even increasing.
On the other hand, I was not only able to be a speaker and host on these events. I was also able to experience both events in many individual discussions, as a participant, a listener. I saw from an audience perspective what SAP is achieving today together with great partners and customers such as Apple and Samsung. How, with our SAP Business Technology Platform, we are simultaneously offering many others the opportunity to further simplify specific work processes and make them more mobile through in-house development.
This unified and coordinated overall picture, from mobile development to the finished app on a wide variety of devices, is what we do better and more consistently today than ever before: Mobile with SAP not as a detached “idea” that is subject to constant change, but as a comprehensive, very tangible and integrated solution to benefit from the experience of a modern SAP – that will truly change how we work.
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