Intelligent procurement – proactive insight to action
Machine learning not new; now have the CPU and power to run it
Brings things to your attention
Automated Procurement – pattern, automate it
– trigger based on ML algorithm
– RPA bot for automation
– IoT – monitor PO delivery
Autonomous Procurement
– sophisticated, strategic sourcing decisions
– when create a sourcing event – RFQ, which suppliers to invite
“on the horizon”
Direction
Strategic – good relations with suppliers
Day to day – still need to process
– automate effort, bring “smartness” to save topic
Source: SAP – what is Intelligent Procurement today
IoT – sensor data – smart watches, smart homes
– monitor PO deliveries
– tag with sensor, purchaser is notified
Automation – RPA is one example
– repetitive tasks to automate
– use RPA to create purchase requisition with Excel
– import incoming invoices
– automate entire procure to pay process (being investigated)
Qualtrics
– improve buying experience for employees for self service procurement – requestor can order via catalog
– system asks ‘did you find what you were looking for’
Machine Learning
– blue lines -already delivered by SAP
– need license – “Procurement Intelligence”
HANA PAi
More sophisticated use cases use SAP Cloud Platform
Blockchain – one use case, avoid fraud in RFQ
Conversational AI
– Alexa, Siri
– Smart buying – requisition by chat bot – by chat or voice
Operational Bot: Source: SAP
“show me all overdue purchase orders” – a short cut
Situational Handling- Source: SAP
– core functionalities – proactively inform end users on things that require attention
– no additional license, need to activate them – SAP delivers template, and you adjust with your needs
Three things – trigger, related information, proposed action
related information – historic information
Proposed action – alternative suppliers
Source: SAP
UX In Procurement
– overview
– most important items at a glance
Source: SAP
What delivered, where delivered, which use case available
Links provided by SAP
SAP S/4HANA Intelligent Technologies
Requisitioners: https://youtu.be/T9Wfm Xci0M
Operational Purchasers: https://youtu.be/104hSZpZRAs
Strategic Purchasers: https://youtu.be/t9ijHv7QLJE
Reduce Free Text items with SAP S/4HANA Procurement:
Reduce Off Contract Spend with SAP S/4HANA Procurement
(Prototype with Hololens : https://youtu.be/4kL2mxWIHso )
Avoid Delivery Deficits with SAP S/4HANA Procurement
Optimize Corporate Purchasing with Machine Learning
More information about SAP Procurement Intelligence:
https://help.sap.com/viewer/p/SAP_S4HANA_CLOUD_INTELLIGENT_INSIGHTS
Information about iRPA
https://rapid.sap.com/bp/#/IRPA_S4HANA
SAP S/4HANA 1909 Release Highlights
Introduction to Fiori 3
Secure Bidding with Blockchain
Q&A:
Q: How are recommendations from ML different from MRP runs?
A: What is here is not directly related from MRP; this covered that the requisition is in place
Q: For those not on S/4, can chat bots be implemented in ECC?
A: Propose material group use case – embedded in S/4HANA – algorithm on SCP, could connect via ECC but it would be a custom implementation
Source: SAP
Source: SAP
Source: SAP
Legal disclaimer; things in the future are subject to change during the webcast
I think this helped me understand where I need additional licenses and where I would need SAP Cloud Platform (also additional licenses)
Original Article:
https://blogs.sap.com/2020/06/10/intelligent-procurement-in-s-4hana-webcast-summary/