SAP, business leaders hold AI innovation talk
Business leaders, technology partners, and SAP experts recently gathered for SAP Innovation Day Kenya, emphasising the critical role of AI in driving economic development across East Africa.The event focused on using AI and cloud enterprise resource planning solutions to improve efficiency, resilience, and growth in regional businesses.
Hardeep Sound, SAP's Regional Sales Director for Emerging Africa, highlighted the growing trend of companies using advanced technologies to transform their operations and seize new growth opportunities.
This event, part of a global series that included previous sessions in South Africa and Nigeria, brought together key stakeholders from across East Africa to discuss strategies for technology-driven innovation and the significant impact of AI on the region's future growth.
Johannes Dressler, SAP's Managing Director for Emerging Africa, stated that every organisation seeks to understand how to leverage technologies such as AI "being that in today's turbulent markets, connecting end-to-end processes and driving innovation is key to staying competitive."
According to the statement, the growing interest in AI is consistent with Kenya's National Innovation Agency's Strategic Plan 2023-2027, which recognises AI as a critical tool for developing innovative solutions in biotechnology, urban planning, and climate change.
Evert-Jan Tromp, Vice President for Cloud and Innovation: EMEA at SAP, emphasised the importance of a strong foundation for companies to successfully adopt and benefit from emerging technologies such as AI.
"Businesses are transforming their capabilities to create a clean core that drives success. "Our partner ecosystem is critical in assisting companies in understanding the processes and best practices that accelerate adoption and maximise value," Tromp stated.
Martin Mwarangu, Group Chief Information Officer at the Kenya Tea Development Agency, stated during a panel discussion that KTDA, which is owned by 600,000 smallholder tea farmers in Kenya, has focused on increasing efficiencies and cost savings while centralising data and standardising financial reporting to improve decision-making.
"We are in the people business, and our transformation journey is about enhancing our capabilities to better serve our suppliers, farmers, and the broader value chain," Mwarangu told the crowd.
He stated that KTDA intends to pursue additional innovations, particularly in human capital and supplier management, as part of its ongoing transformation efforts.
A significant announcement at the event was a major partnership with Hewatele, a social enterprise that provides medical oxygen to over 150 facilities in Kenya.
Hewatele plans to implement SAP's next-generation Cloud ERP solution to streamline operations and improve the delivery of critical medical supplies.
Dumisani Moyo, the Marketing Director at SAP Africa, praised Hewatele's leadership for embracing innovation, emphasising the critical role technology plays in Africa's future.
Leave A Comment