SAPPHIRE NOW Nearly Now – a Sampling of Partner Sessions

For so long, SAPPHIRE NOW Madrid has been in the future, which has been a comforting thought for a long-practiced procrastinator like me. Which is why it came as an alarming surprise Monday to realize the event is no longer distant future, instead looming only a week away.

If you’re like me, then you likely have also not quite gotten around to putting together your agenda. So let me help. There’s a lot of action onsite, and while I don’t expect you’ll take all of my suggestions, I hope they’ll at least steer you towards some of the sessions our partners are participating in. There are many more to choose from, so I hope the 16 sessions I’ve highlighted below will serve as a launching pad. Also, check out the RDS Lounge onsite, where partners will being qualified with their RDS offerings.

Here are some sessions you should check out, a sampling of microforum discussions, presentations, panel discussions and demos. You can add these to your agenda by simply clicking on the session ID which I’ve hyperlinked. 

Microforum discussions:

• Learn from Deployments of SAP HANA and Cloud PlatformsDT5274 – This discussion focuses on how SAP technology partners are deploying SAP HANA and the cloud at customer sites. Review use case scenarios, get updates on the latest platform features, and hear what partners have to say about the customer implementations of SAP HANA.
• Accelerate Sales with itelligence and IBM Solutions Powered by SAP HANA PC6796 – This discussion tells how the fast availability of sales, inventory, and financial data based on real-time analytics helps Eldorado maximize margins, improve stock turns, and enhance business performance, all powered by SAP HANA solutions from itelligence and IBM.
• Ensure Clarity, Not Chaos, with Self-Service Business Intelligence PC6392 – Manage the risks of chaos and multiple “versions” of the truth and reap the benefits of self-service BI. Learn from iGATE and Serco about an organizational and technological transformational approach to ensure there is a “single version of the truth” and clarity, not chaos.
• Improve Your Enterprise Content Management  DT5282 – This discussion explores how your company can benefit from innovative solutions for content and site management co-developed by SAP and OpenText for SAP NetWeaver Portal.
• Harness Speed with Mobile and Internet Applications from Citibank PC6791 – This discussion focuses on how Citibank leveraged SAP Application Visualization software by iRise to increase speed of delivery and transform development of mobile and Internet business applications.
• Discover How Central Process Scheduling Helps Run a Real-Time Business DT5669 – This discussion explores how central process scheduling software can help you improve your business. Learn how real-time business process automation and workload management eliminates manual processes that negatively impact performance. Discover ways SAP HANA can help.
• Drive Revenue with Rebate and Incentive Administration IL1448 – This discussion focuses how to enhance rebate and incentive processes to improve customer loyalty and increase revenue. Find out how SAP software can help you take full advantage of supplier discounts and tightly manage the collection of rebates and chargebacks.

Presentations:

• Move from Efficiency to Excellence in Your Quote-to-Cash Process PC6674 – Learn how Cameron partnered with iGATE to drive excellence in its quote-to-cash process in the engineer-to-order mode of manufacturing. See how the partnership helped streamline the product portfolio, improved customer experience, and stimulated demand in addition to enhancing efficiency across the sales, engineering, and manufacturing processes.
• Transform Your Landscape with the Cloud and Solutions from EMC and VMWare PC6330 – Learn how the cloud transforms IT, changing how SAP software is deployed and managed and providing more efficiency and agility. Hear how new analytics tools give insight into ever-growing data volumes, or Big Data. See solutions from EMC and VMware for VCE Vblock, landscape virtualization management, and SAP HANA to help you meet these challenges.
• Learn About SmartCloudPT and Profit from Innovative Cloud Services PC6442 – SmartCloudPT is Portugal Telecom’s brand for a new family of innovative cloud computing services based on infrastructure network and the latest generation datacenters. With SAP solutions on board, SmartCloudPT offers superior services in the cloud, including SAP HANA.

30 Minute Panel Discussions

• Capitalize on the Potential of Enterprise Mobility Through Managed Services MB4499 – Hear experts discuss how cloud-based mobile management services can help your business benefit more from enterprise mobility. With services in the cloud, benefits are attainable and cost-effective, without the complexity and investment needed for implementation.
• Take Your Business Into the Cloud CL2779 – Hear how you can improve operations, drive growth, and optimize performance in the cloud. Learn from customers how they benefit from the SAP Business ByDesign solution in their organizations.
• Investigate Mobile Solutions for Services Industries IL1403  – Hear from global leaders in the services industry on how they are implementing mobile solutions. Discover their secrets for generating new revenue streams, increasing productivity, and improving customer communications, all by making their workforce mobile.

Demos

• Improve Inventory Use Across the Supply Network PC6814 – Develop a comprehensive inventory deployment solution, coordinate inventory across all stages of the supply network with the SAP Enterprise Inventory Optimization application by SmartOps. Set inventory targets, determine reorder points for supply planning, determine an optimum inventory profile, and benefit from inventory optimization.
• Manage Energy Usage with Mobile Customer Experience Management PC6816 – Learn how mobile customer experience management lets consumers manage energy usage and relationships with energy providers through Web views. See how users can receive alerts, manage bills, and contact suppliers. Learn how integration with SAP for Utilities software also offers integration opportunities for “smart home” control systems.
• Streamline Field Services with Workforce Scheduling and Optimization PC6813 – Optimize scheduling and dispatch of tasks to field services employees with an end-to-end process, from call handling to closure. See how an integrated solution helps customers reduce costs and meet customer expectations.

You can stay up to date with partner topics on Twitter @Hofwatt and @SAPpartners. I will be representing all partner conversations throughout the event and interested to continue the conversation after. Send me a tweet anytime to let me know what you think of these sessions.