Todd Brozan, Harvard Enterprise Evaluation
Welcome to HBR Video Fast Take. I am Todd Brozan, senior editor for analysis and particular tasks at Harvard Enterprise Evaluation. Over the previous few years, mid-sized firms have made enormous leaps in adopting expertise to outlive, enabling their workers to work remotely, shifting to on-line shops, bettering provide chain visibility, and providing on-line studying.
In the present day, we discuss it with David Hamilton, senior vp and chief advertising and marketing officer at SAP Concur and chief advertising and marketing and options officer at SAP Midmarket. David, thanks for being with us.
David Hamilton, SAP
Thanks for having me.
Todd Brozan, Harvard Enterprise Evaluation
David, how has expertise performed a task for firms in surviving all of this current disruption?
David Hamilton, SAP
It was actually laborious. These have been troublesome occasions. IDC analysis, commissioned by SAP, confirmed that mid-sized firms that had accomplished or had been (in) superior levels of digital transformation had been extra profitable in persevering with to drive development in income and market share. They had been in a position to cope with the pandemic positively.
These leaders have embraced applied sciences that will have appeared out there solely to giant firms previously. For instance, one instance is that 92% of those main firms have adopted or plan to undertake an ERP system.
Todd Brozan, Harvard Enterprise Evaluation
Ninety-two p.c, which is spectacular. David, as you mentioned, many of those strategies appeared applicable just for adults previously. So what has modified?
David Hamilton, SAP
It is actually fascinating. I feel what we have seen is that this democratization of those mid-sized firms. The flexibility to devour expertise via the cloud is on the coronary heart of this as a result of the cloud permits companies of all sizes to undertake superior expertise performance with out having to spend money on servers or develop their IT departments.
For instance, firms can profit from expertise embedded in synthetic intelligence and machine studying with no need to be consultants. It is a real-time worth add, since software program is continually getting smarter. Firms that rely extra on cloud expertise, as a result of it’s delivered on to workers, can use it instantly.
Todd Brozan, Harvard Enterprise Evaluation
Nicely, that is smart. David, how does expertise assist development?
David Hamilton, SAP
Nicely, expertise helps development in many various methods. It will possibly present connections throughout companies. It will possibly assist automate repetitive duties, serving to groups be extra environment friendly, liberating them to deal with tasks that drive enterprise worth. Expertise can present elevated visibility throughout the enterprise and offer you scale to align as the corporate grows. Expertise also can assist with flexibility and agility. You possibly can seize alternatives in new markets with out worrying about compliance, reply to new buyer calls for and revolutionary merchandise, and deal with provide chain disruptions extra shortly. It’s on the coronary heart of development alternatives for firms of all sizes.
Todd Brozan, Harvard Enterprise Evaluation
So, what would you advise medium-sized firms to do subsequent to be prepared for development?
David Hamilton, SAP
The very first thing I actually advocate is that firms do an inside evaluation of their largest weaknesses. Possibly it is the power to handle workers remotely or enhance provide chain diversification – it may be many various issues – and primarily based on that, make the fitting expertise selections to assist these weaknesses.
For instance, one of many first issues to think about is prone to be a fundamental ERP answer that may function a basis for development and assist deal with plenty of ache factors. An ERP answer can present visibility throughout the enterprise, lowering the info wanted to make selections, automating processes, and lowering prices.
Todd Brozan, Harvard Enterprise Evaluation
Nicely, that is an important overview. David, thanks a lot for the good dialog and all of your ideas immediately.
David Hamilton, SAP
Thanks a lot for having me.
David Hamilton is Senior Vice President and Chief Advertising Officer at SAP Concur and Chief Advertising and Options Officer at SAP Midmarket.
