Weathering the SAPPHIRENOW Heat Wave for A&D: A Newbie’s Perspective

Last year I attended SAPPHIRENOW for the first time and it was a bit like drinking from the fire hose: a fire hose loaded with people, information, and shiny, new technology. While it was a lot to digest, it was a great opportunity to meet customers and to get a pulse on all things SAP. Based on the tenure of attendees, customers and colleagues alike, SAPPHIRENOW proves to be a fruitful event because they all keep coming back for more.

I’m no different and will be back again this year. While I’ll still be a newbie, comparatively speaking, I’ve had a chance to pour over the agenda in preparation and below are my top three picks for where I’m setting my sights.

Ladies take the stage!
Thursday morning’s keynote will feature Adaire Fox-Martin and Jennifer Morgan, the two female members of SAP’s Executive Board. Both women have led initiatives that make me proud to work for SAP and exemplify the Best Run. Jennifer has been instrumental in the company’s receipt of EDGE certification – a recognition awarded by the World Economic Forum for commitment to gender equality and equal pay in the workplace. Adaire champions SAP’s One Billion Lives (1BL) project, an initiative to improve the lives of one billion people around the world. I look forward to hearing what these two tenacious and graceful leaders have in store.

B…B…B…Blockchain
On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. ASUG is hosting a Roundtable on Blockchain Opportunities in the Defense Industry (Session ID: ASUG12089). In a previous post I expressed my interest in blockchain, and this roundtable is the cherry on top of the curiosity cake. This is an interactive session that aims to bring the defense ecosystem together to discuss use cases around Supply Chain Management and Supplier Collaboration. I’m excited to hear our aerospace, defense and public-sector customers discuss how they envision leveraging blockchain within the broader community.

Manufacturing Mania
Whether I’m on a team call or at an Aerospace and Defense Advisory Council meeting next-generation manufacturing is a buzz. On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. my colleague, Mike Edelen, will be giving a demo of our next-generation manufacturing solution (Session ID: IN59192). His demo will illustrate processes from engineering to manufacturing handover through routing definition and shop floor execution. Large enterprises to mid-size companies have been clamoring to see this demo from Mike so I highly suggest you find yourself a seat early!

With so much great content it’s hard to not get overwhelmed. But with one SAPPHIRENOW under my belt I feel as if this year will be less of five-alarm-fire situation and more like “opening a fire hydrant on a hot day for kids to play in” kind of situation. Bring on the heat wave and I’ll see you in Orlando!

Pro-Tip: If you can’t make the manufacturing demo during the scheduled time you can stop by the A&D booth in the Industries Campus. Mike and I will be manning the booth throughout SAPPHIRENOW.