The Dutch Ministry of Defence is modernizing its operations with the implementation of SAP S/4HANA. Thanks to a unique collaboration between three partners—��ѻ��ý, CGI, and Ordina—seven out of eight Lines of Business will have successfully migrated by the end of 2025.

This new ERP system enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of logistical and financial processes, supporting 17,000 users across 60 locations worldwide. As a result, the Ministry of Defence is better prepared for future missions and exercises.

The challenge

For many years, the Ministry of Defence has relied on SAP to support its logistical and financial operations. SAP ensures that the right supplies are procured, warehouses are stocked, and units are supplied. It enables maintenance on weapon systems and ensures timely and efficient transportation of goods to users. Additionally, SAP handles the complete financial accountability of the organization.

However, ERP systems like SAP must also evolve to keep pace with a world driven by digitalization. SAP S/4HANA is a modern ERP solution with a high level of user-friendliness, offering smart and innovative functionalities to enhance usability and information management. It is also ready for further development. This solution supports the Defence Vision 2035 and addresses the Ministry’s current challenges.

Since the Ministry’s operations depend heavily on SAP, a controlled approach was chosen for the transformation. The Ministry must be fully transitioned by the end of 2025, as SAP will discontinue support for the old platform by then. The risk of maintaining an unsupported system was deemed too great for operational continuity.

The solution

In July 2022, the Ministry of Defence decided to convert its on-premises SAP system to SAP S/4HANA. While the system was technically upgraded to S/4 HANA after the conversion, users continued to see familiar interfaces, ensuring minimal immediate impact. This transition approach will remain in place until the end of 2025, after which all users will fully operate on S/4HANA.

The transition period is being used to standardize, optimize, and implement business processes within S/4 HANA. The Ministry has divided the program into eight Lines of Business, each further subdivided into multiple sub-projects.

Recognizing the complexity of the project, the Ministry understood that no single market party could execute the entire transformation alone. Instead, it invited market players to form consortia capable of covering the full scope. It left the organization of these consortia to the suppliers.

��ѻ��ý, CGI, and Ordina formed a single team that proved to be the most successful. The major advantage of this collaboration is that all three partners have worked closely with the Ministry for many years and are trusted partners. By pooling their expertise, they strengthened their capabilities, always assembling the best possible team by combining talent from all three companies. This approach led to success, with seven out of the eight Lines of Business awarded to this consortium.

The collaboration is deeply integrated at all levels of the organization. The consortium works closely with both program management and various project teams, maintaining direct engagement with the Ministry’s IT department and end users. This ensures a better understanding of requirements and a smoother implementation process.

The benefits

The Ministry of Defence prescribed a project methodology known as Roger Activate based on the standard SAP methodology but tailored to the Ministry’s needs. Within this framework, the consortium is responsible for the entire process, from system architecture to implementation and post-go-live support (end-to-end delivery). The consortium provides all necessary expertise to ensure a seamless transition and takes full responsibility for the program’s success, including all integration challenges.

The impact

Although the Roger program is still ongoing, the results so far have been positive. Sub-projects are being delivered on time and to the full satisfaction of the Ministry of Defence. Users appreciate the new interfaces and optimized processes. The first large depots are now running on S/4HANA and report significant improvements in their operations.

With 17,000 users across 60 locations in five time zones, the S/4HANA implementation impacts everyone. This modernized ERP system enables processes to be carried out more efficiently and effectively. It allows the Ministry of Defence to plan, prepare, and execute missions and exercises more effectively. As State Secretary Christophe van der Maat noted in his feedback on the AcICT report, these improvements are particularly valuable in times of heightened security threats.

SAP S/4HANA also supports the strategic goals of the Ministry of Defence. The system contributes to a more data-driven operational model and improves interoperability with NATO partners. Additionally, by adopting more standardized processes and reducing the need for custom solutions, the platform allows for greater agility in adapting to future changes.

This transformation program could not succeed without strong partners who are fully committed to achieving the Ministry’s objectives and timelines. While there is still work to be done, the project is well on its way to delivering a successful outcome and a promising future.

When it comes to success, innovation and adjustment is a necessity even for some of the most prominent businesses in the world. Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc. (CCBJI) is one of the world’s largest bottlers of Coca-Cola products and represents 90% of its parent company’s business in Japan. This involves the operation of around 700,000 vending machines, 340,000 outlets, 17 plants, and 11,000 trucks that distribute one of the most popular beverages to 125 million people. While such scale represents a remarkable achievement, it also presented the organization with substantial challenges.

Extensive operations of this sort resulted in incredible data-related demands. And while CCBJI was managing a massive, classical SAP datacenter environment of over 2,500 TB, the company wanted new capabilities that required a different approach to data management. In order to reduce downtime, improve its backup and disaster recovery processes, lower costs, and enable additional innovations such as the introduction of business intelligence (BI) and AI, CCBJI would need a new data platform. In reviewing its future goals, the company concluded that it would be best served by a migration to the cloud.

“We rely on data to run our business, to serve customers with products they want when and where they want them – it’s extremely important that data is stable and available in a timely manner to place big bets on product development and sustainability.”

Maki-Kado, Executive Officer and Chief Business Management & Sustainability Officer CCBJI

However, such a project would require the transition of a tremendous amount of data and had to avoid impacting the business during this process. In addition, CCBJI determined that it wanted to perform the migration within a six-month timeline to properly support its agenda. Such a substantial undertaking would require extensive expertise if it were to succeed, which led the company to engage ��ѻ��ý as its partner to perform a comprehensive data migration from a traditional datacenter to the Microsoft Azure platform.

Collaboration enables accelerated migration

In order to meet the tight deadline, ��ѻ��ý rapidly deployed a quick response team that was on the ground in Japan within weeks. This group of experts then coordinated with CCBJI stakeholders as well as teams from Microsoft and NetApp to plan out an executive a migration that would occur side-by-side with day-to-day business.

The partners began their collaboration with a series of workshops that focused on reviewing the bottling company’s existing SAP data systems and processes as well as its objectives. Moreover, the project team examined the specific challenges brought on by the need to work and migrate at pace and without any disruption to standard operations.

Based on this review, the partners then developed a mutually agreed-upon plan that would leverage Microsoft Azure technology and Azure NetApp Files to move 114 business-critical applications to the cloud system. Experts from all four organizations came together to manage and support a unified initiative that saw the project proceed at the pace needed to meet the timeline established by CCBJI. In doing so, the project team delivered a solution that provided the storage infrastructure and high-quality performance that would enable the bottling company to obtain greater insights from its data and pursue new innovations.

“��ѻ��ý, Microsoft, and NetApp each brough unique visions, capabilities and value propositions of having done this before – allowing us the flexibility and performance required to run our entire IT enterprise for the next 3 to 5 years.”

Harsh Kachhwaha, CIO CCBJI

A transition for the future

Following a rapid, high-intensity project, CCBJI, ��ѻ��ý, Microsoft, and NetApp completed a smooth migration that saw the bottler’s SAP data landscape migrated to the Azure cloud platform within five months. With this futureproof solution, the company saw its working speed and application response time improve by 30% while the time required for backing up the data fell by 50%. In addition, CCBJI gained access to a multi-tier backup approach that ensured the preservation of key data in the event of major disruptions and natural disasters.

With the successful migration of over 2,500 TB of data as well as 250 additional servers and virtual machines, the bottling company is also better prepared for the future. The Azure platform is better prepared to support the implementation of BI and AI solutions, enabling further innovation that will continue to improve the quality and speed of CCBJI’s services, which have already drastically accelerated as a result of the migration. This ensures that when the company takes additional action in the future, it will be able to rely on a stable technology and a reliable database.

With a lower cost of ownership and faster services, CCBJI is now better positioned than ever to support its customers at the right time, right place, and with the right product.

When Fresenius Digital Technology (FDT) and ��ѻ��ý entered a strategic partnership in October 2022 to improve the operational delivery of the organization’s IT business, they agreed on the implementation of virtual assistant solution. However, FDT did not want to add complexity to its ecosystem by adding an external technology stack, meaning that the new feature needed to be built from its existing tools.

To address this challenge, the partners launched a collaborative initiative in coordination with ServiceNow and Microsoft.

“At Fresenius, our goal is to improve our patients’ lives and deliver affordable, accessible, and innovative healthcare products and highest quality in clinical care – ‘Committed to Life.’ To accomplish this, Fresenius Digital Technology supports the healthcare business by enhancing cost efficiency, streamlining processes, and improving systems. This entails refining workflows, eliminating inefficiencies, and standardizing and globalizing our Global IT Service Desk.”

Dr. Anja Elter, Vice President Global IT Service Desk
Fresenius Digital Technology

Enhancing IT support: virtual agent initiative

Forming a single, cohesive team, the partners examined FDT’s existing situation and its established goals. The discovery stage reviewed the available technology, after which ��ѻ��ý hosted a series of workshops to specify the project’s requirements. Based on this review, FDT and ��ѻ��ý agreed that the solution needed to be transparent, easily accessible from different devices, and future oriented. By achieving this, the project team would ensure a seamless user journey from opening the application to the resolution of a ticket while avoiding the introduction of additional technology stacks.

A user-centric perspective is at the heart of any FDT project, and the decision on which technology to select was not simply about choosing the most technically appealing solution – it also had to be able to seamlessly integrate into the end user’s IT experience and ensure that it would continue to grow after the initial deployment.

“One of the strategic goals of FDT is to leverage the potential of digitalization to optimize IT service management and enhance user satisfaction. For the implementation of FreDi, ��ѻ��ý provided a dedicated team of certified ServiceNow experts who collaborated effectively with FDT’s business owners and stakeholders to deliver a high-quality solution. This project demonstrates FDT’s commitment to innovation and excellence supporting #FutureFresenius strategy, as well as ��ѻ��ý’s ability to support FDT’s digital transformation journey.”

Dr. Anja Elter, Vice President Global IT Service Desk
Fresenius Digital Technology

Following this, the project team launched a ServiceNow development cycle, after which it further developed and tested the solution. Through an iterative process, the team identified and addressed defects based on user feedback to ensure that the solution was functional prior to deployment. Finally, with the solution prepared and put through its paces, ��ѻ��ý supported FDT throughout the rollout to ensure its introduction proceeded smoothly.

Hello, I am FreDi, your Virtual Agent

FreDi was created in less than three months and met over 60 functional requirements while adhering to best practices and standard configurations as much as possible. Since its deployment, ��ѻ��ý has provided hypercare support to address unexpected challenges and continually improve the solution.

Fresenius’ users can access FreDi within the ServiceNow User Portal or on Microsoft Teams to automatically process typical IT Support activities such as reporting an issue. Or they can instead connect with live agents in a matter of seconds.

“Fresenius implemented Virtual Agent integrated with Microsoft Teams, giving users 24/7 access to IT support via chat. Employees can choose to be connected to a live agent, or simply raise a ticket or check the status of their query directly in Teams. With Virtual Agent, Fresenius has improved the user experience by fostering collaboration and driving faster resolution times.”

Caroline Bauer, Senior Project Manager, Global IT Service Desk
Fresenius Digital Technology

Analytics show that issues and requests reported via FreDi are resolved much quicker than those raised via email. The virtual assistant also informs users whenever IT Support has reached out to them in their tickets with a chat popup in Microsoft Teams, while requests can be directly approved via chat without the need to access ServiceNow.

To this point, FDT’s end user community has interacted with FreDi more than 130,000 times – over 5000 fulfilled interactions per month in the last six months. The community has also used the solution to speak with the Global Service Desk’s agents over 3000 times within the last six months alone.

When Ascendance launched its mission to develop technologies and solutions that will make aviation more sustainable, it faced a variety of complex challenges. There was the unique ambition to design new technology that made its vision possible, which took the form of two key products: STERNA, a hybrid-electric solution that drastically reduces carbon emissions, and ATEA, a vertical take-off and landing aircraft powered by STERNA, that operates as a low-carbon alternative to helicopters for regional air mobility (passenger transportation, medical emergencies, logistics and security missions).

In addition, the startup also needed to prepare for the aftermath of creating an innovative new plane model. Once it had a pilot design ready to fly, Ascendance would have to transform its operations to industrialize. This transition required new strategies, workflows, and processes, all of which called for a partner that could help define the future after making contributions to the development of STERNA and ATEA. Acknowledging this reality, Ascendance reached out to ��ѻ��ý and the organizations launched a long-term collaboration that would cover the entirety of the product development process and the subsequent business transformation.

Accelerating sustainable aircraft design

As ��ѻ��ý experts joined the project, the combined project team focused on three key focus areas: flight physics, systems engineering, and mechanical engineering.

With flight physics, the partners studied flight properties of aircraft architecture as well as aerodynamics, which the team analyzed via numerical simulations and wind tunnels. This research provided insights into the impact of flight controls, weight, center of gravity, and aerodynamic forces on aircraft handling. All of this helped refine the design of the STERNA and ATEA products so that their performance matched the start-up’s ambitions.

Meanwhile, Ascendance and ��ѻ��ý also collaboratively improved many areas of product development thanks to systems engineering. This ensured that the aircraft prototypes were European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)-certifiable and that aircraft systems essential for flight would function effectively while also achieving greater sustainability. This included the energy and propulsion systems, which involved power generation and distribution, batteries, and engine control and monitoring.

Finally, ��ѻ��ý deployed mechanical engineering expertise to design the architecture of the prototype. Ascendance and ��ѻ��ý combined composite materials, performed finite element analysis of parts and assemblies, and introduced construction principles while installing key components.

The collaboration between the two organizations made new achievements possible so that STERNA and ATEA continually improved in line with the start-up’s goals. However, this was far from the end of the collaboration, which had a great deal of room to grow.

Strengthening a successful collaboration

In 2024, Ascendance and ��ѻ��ý further reinforced their collaboration via the definition of a comprehensive strategy for accelerating Ascendance’s shift to industrialization, articulated around four interconnected workstreams.

First, ��ѻ��ý defined a target architecture for the future ATEA assembly line that demonstrates strong resilience to critical parameters which cannot be frozen at an early stage of design. Introducing high flexibility to constraints and leveraging field-proven best practices for greenfield projects, the project team optimized Ascendance’s future industrial setup, from the layout of assembly stations and equipment to stock strategy and premises surface.

Second, ��ѻ��ý focused on developing a make-or-buy strategy for batteries, which are a critical element of the aircraft. Developing a comprehensive understanding of the components, suppliers, costs drivers, and manufacturing bottlenecks throughout the value chain provided clear insights to guide Ascendance’s decision-making and mitigate business impact.

Third, ��ѻ��ý defined a strategy for connected services development that increases customers’ value perception while positioning Ascendance as a higher-premium aircraft provider in the market. Based on Ascendance’s target market positioning, the project team built a tailored connected services portfolio to better serve specific customers, associated with services development roadmap and recommended business models.

Lastly, ��ѻ��ý developed a cross-functional data and digital continuity strategy that secures the foundations of Ascendance’s operational efficiency. Driven by “at-rate” business needs, the project team designed a comprehensive data-centric target IS/IT architecture to ensure robust and scalable processes in anticipation of future product evolution. In addition, this reduced the risk of enabling digital continuity by elaborating a data governance and operating model specifically for Ascendance.

Innovation now and for the future

Having laid the foundation for a strong collaboration to enable the pursuit of low-carbon aviation, Ascendance and ��ѻ��ý remain committed to accelerating the industrialization of both the STERNA and ATEA products. This will lead to the prototype’s first flight in the upcoming year, which will mark a turning point for the start-up and the wider industry.

In addition, Ascendance and ��ѻ��ý will mature their collaboration with the industrial ecosystem to expand their access to resources that can enhance prototype performance and unlock industrialization bottlenecks.

The pursuit of a more sustainable world is an ongoing and complex journey. Through their collaboration, Ascendance and ��ѻ��ý have reached new heights that will only continue to enable their joint pursuit of sustainable design and practices in aviation.

The automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation and evolving customer expectations are driving a big part of the change. For decades, the physical product has been the key focus for both manufacturers and customers alike. Increasingly, though, the online and offline journey toward buying or leasing a car, and the digital in-car experience have become as important as the car itself. Recognizing this change, Volkswagen Group (VWG) set out to transform its CRM capabilities with the goal of providing a satisfying, end-to-end customer journey across all touch points. As part of this initiative, the global automotive manufacturer planned to replace its existing CRM system with a state-of-the-art Salesforce cloud solution.

Previously, multiple systems had played a role in VWG’s sales and customer outreach processes, which had also been overly reliant on manual work. Through this initiative, the organization envisioned a new system in which its representatives benefited from a new set of tools and automation that created a 360-degree view of their customers and enabled them to deliver a more personalized journey. To ensure the project’s successful completion, VWG decided to engage ��ѻ��ý as a strategic consulting and implementation partner to provide a central global CRM solution template, which could be rolled out easily.

Delivering a consolidated CRM platform

Together, VWG and ��ѻ��ý began by defining a new customer relationship management (CRM) strategy.

The initial template was based on the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and was designed to guide and support the effort from a strategic standpoint for the initial three markets in which the solution would be deployed. Importantly, efforts were made at this stage to ensure that the framework could be scaled and adapted as the project expanded into additional regions.

While this framework and an MVP of the platform were developed for one of VWG’s brands across three initial regions, the partners began to review the existing systems and CRM processes. They then matched functional requirements with the capabilities and best practices offered by the Salesforce CRM system with an eye towards future scalability. This enabled the partners to develop a mutual understanding of the challenges they would face in pursuing the transformation as well as the key objectives the project would need to fulfill.

By developing a mutually determined approach to the project, VWG and ��ѻ��ý ensured that the project would deliver the desired levels of automation while merging CRM systems. Once the partners had a transformation blueprint in place, they implemented a collection of Salesforce and MuleSoft technology to turn their vision into a reality. During this period, ��ѻ��ý supported the development while also guiding the process by which it would be taken to market.

The use of Salesforce Sales Cloud expanded the company’s ability to attract new customers by capturing, qualifying, and routing the inquiries of potential consumers while expanding reporting capabilities and Aftersales care. Meanwhile, the Salesforce Marketing Cloud provided campaign managers with new tools to develop and release more targeted marketing content, including both manual and automated outreach.

In addition, the solution expanded VWG’s ability to track campaign performance, which in turn provided greater clarity into what customers engaged with and what did not appeal to them. As the third element to the platform, the Salesforce Service Cloud delivered end-to-end request and complaint management processes to ensure that when customers reached out, they quickly received satisfying responses. The solution was furthermore extended by B2B dealer integration and direct sales functionalities for OEMs. Meanwhile several B2B and B2C functionalities were rolled out to multiple countries on three continents.

A more flexible future for customer engagement

In combination with Mulesoft, this Salesforce solution enabled the project team to build a new CRM approach that provides customers with a tailored, end-to-end experience. VWG representatives can more easily understand the interests and expectations of the consumers they reach out to, ensuring that engagements lead to a more satisfying outcomes for all parties.

In addition, the platform offers a true omnichannel foundation, ensuring greater flexibility. Representatives are trained to use the platform and enabled through various transformation support tools. An accompanying change management initiative strengthened the existing capabilities and processes while safely guiding VWG through the transition.

With the Salesforce platform, VWG has a solution that can be scaled to support the Group’s future ambitions. Personalized digital experiences fulfill customer expectations and offer the flexibility to adapt on a case-by-case basis. By providing employees with new tools and strategic automation, VWG made it easier to adapt its CRM approach based on real-time customer data while simplifying reporting and dashboards, all of which contributed to a better employee experience. Finally, specialized launch managers ensure that the market and OEM go-live fulfill expectations, both from a technical and business perspective. This has transformed into post-go-live support for brands and markets to ensure the continuous development and usage of the solution.

Following the success of this project, VWG will continue to explore innovative opportunities to deliver a superior customer experience based on digital technology and omnichannel engagement.

“Yes, ��ѻ��ý is the right partner. And ��ѻ��ý helped us combine stakeholders from the different entities to actually believe in ONE.CRM as a single project, to believe in the one single process.”

Michael Lamm, Solution Manager ONE.CRM, CARIAD

The shift to the cloud is widespread but public-sector organizations face different challenges when making the move. Traditional IT systems are often mandated, limiting innovation and new services. But even now that new legal frameworks make cloud deployments possible, it can be challenging to uncover the technology’s full potential in digital-transformation projects. However, such an initiative delivered substantial benefits to residents while simplifying administrative procedures, adhering to compliance requirements, and delivering self-training.

An on-premises solution was not an option for one government agency in Germany, so it needed digital sovereignty that avoided vendor lock-ins and data retention. The new system had to be scalable and offer identical infrastructure for three departments. In addition, the organization wanted help maintaining its IT landscape and scaling up at the necessary speed. This pushed the agency to engage ��ѻ��ý as its partner, gaining access to industry-leading expertise related to the public sector and substantial experience with various cloud technologies.

Providing a blueprint for cloud

Working with ��ѻ��ý, the organization underwent a lengthy pre-qualification phase. As a result, the team chose Google Cloud as the best fit for its needs since it was able to ensure data could be maintained in line with German security parameters and regulations. Throughout this process, ��ѻ��ý helped the agency assess, evaluate, and develop a criteria catalog as part of the selection in order to boost innovation on the new platform. The organization relied on ��ѻ��ý to build the infrastructure quickly so they could move into maintenance mode.

For Google Cloud, it’s one of the first implementations in a German public service organization and creates a blueprint for other institutions to follow since it is completely compliant with German and European Union regulations. ��ѻ��ý provided the platform expertise and infrastructure that connects the pieces.

The sovereign cloud ensures data, operational, and software control with continuous monitoring, so the government agency can use cloud services in compliance with all regulations. This was accomplished with the Google Cloud solution providing data sovereignty controls that include encryption keys, administration access, service deployment locations, and partner services (i.e. logs review and BYOID).

Creating a secure cloud environment

The open and solution-oriented cooperation between ��ѻ��ý and Google Cloud resulted in a hybrid cloud-based platform that can be the foundation for other public sector organizations. In the pilot operation, the organization used Cloud Armor from Google Public Cloud to secure its infrastructure and networks at the lower Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) levels. Security measures have also been applied on the application and user level with the help of Google Cloud tooling.

Throughout this project, the agency maintained digital sovereignty, with a focus on the opensource Kubernetes model. Originally designed by Google, this containerization model allows the organization to execute source code in a safe container or move it to another area in isolation, so it does not impact any other infrastructure. There are three identical project instances on Kubernetes clusters, with the ability to add more services easily. Through its partnership with ��ѻ��ý, the organization now has a hybrid cloud platform with survivability, full segregation, and sovereign controls to ensure it meets all requirements and regulations.

Now that the blueprint is established, other ministries, departments, and governments in Germany are exploring the options, knowing that Google Cloud can deliver compliance in a restricted environment.

Modern business must manage their supply chains knowing that even small changes in demand or inventory levels can lead to significant costs. Recognizing this, a global conglomerate with many lines of business wanted to improve the efficiency of its supply chain and warehouses.

The challenge involved assessing and optimizing the value of the company’s stock in warehouses around the world. The goal is to avoid losses by shipping the highest value items from its warehouses first, but unexpected changes in demand often led to mismatched stock levels.

If stock levels increased, the result was the value of inventory went down because of the surplus. A discount offer on a selling price may incentivize market demand but it lowers the earnings on every item sold. The company wanted to improve detection and forecast changes to market demand to mitigate impacts to its inventory value.

Enabling an optimal supply chain

Maintaining optimal stock value in the longer term requires demand forecasting, warehouse optimization, and cost reduction. The company chose to partner with ��ѻ��ý and Google Cloud to implement these capabilities because of their extensive experience with supply chain transformations.

Working with ��ѻ��ý and Google Cloud, the company used a data-driven stock quantity-centered approach to better understand the market and consumer demand. It chose a specific isolated market to prototype and test the solution, to create the right template before global deployment. The two elements now working to prevent value loss in the warehouses are:

• A generative AI-based chatbot. Built on Google Vertex AI, the Large Language Model (LLM) agent understands user intent, generates database queries on the fly, and interactively provides answers in text, diagrams, graphics, tables, and figures.
• A forecast engine. This generated sales and demand forecasts based on historical data for future projects. Typically, the projections covered 30, 60, or 90 days or could stretch to a full year. Improved demand forecast reduces the unexpected mismatch of stock and market requirements, so the company can now be proactive in responding to market conditions.

Maximizing margins, lowering costs

With its two-part solution, the conglomerate has the information to more effectively predict customer demand and make supply chain decisions. Analyzing historical demand patterns and market indicators to generate forecasts helps optimize stock, sales management, and supply strategies. In turn, warehouse optimization means getting the most out of inventory levels to prevent stock value loss and improves overall supply chain efficiency while ensuring resources are more effectively allocated and utilized.

Shortening the period between analytical requests and responses gives the company improved real-time insights into the market and a better picture of current demand. This advanced demand forecasting helps the company avoid loss of stock value and determines how to get the most value from its existing inventory levels, all supporting supply chain efficiency. The prototype solution has demonstrated the potential for more efficient warehouse logistics, substantial cost savings by minimizing storage costs, and maximized profit margins.

Powered by Google Cloud, the solution solves inventory and warehouse issues so the company can proactively manage its supply chain more effectively. A proof-of-concept implementation has been effective in one country, and ��ѻ��ý will continue to work with the company to roll out the solution to its global supply chain and other warehouses.

In a world increasingly focused on sustainability and environmental responsibility, companies across all industries are under growing pressure to minimize their carbon footprint and maximize operational efficiency. Siemens, a leading global provider of technology and infrastructure solutions, recognizes the need to reduce CO2 emissions in its IT data centers, hyperscalers and third-party services as part of its overall commitment to sustainability.

As a pioneer in technology and engineering, Siemens recognizes the importance of proactive measures to reduce environmental impact and ensure regulatory compliance. Therefore, the company’s IT infrastructure and portfolio service unit made the strategic decision to launch a project to reduce CO2 emissions in its IT data centers while improving operational efficiency.

The consequences of inaction were obvious: without proactive measures to reduce CO2 emissions, Siemens risked falling behind its competitors in the sustainability race and facing potential regulatory penalties. Siemens recognized these risks and decided to lead by example instead of waiting for external pressure on the company.

When choosing a partner for this ambitious project, Siemens opted for a company with a proven track record in sustainability consulting and technological innovation. ��ѻ��ý, known for its expertise in both areas, proved to be the ideal match and enabled a partnership based on a shared vision of sustainability, innovation, and a commitment to delivering tangible results.

Proactive collaboration drives sustainability

By leveraging ��ѻ��ý’s consulting and digitalization expertise and its own deep domain knowledge, Siemens Corporate IT developed a comprehensive plan to guide its in-house data center sustainability efforts. The challenge for Siemens was to gain transparency on and reduce CO2 emissions in their in-house data centers while maximizing efficiency and ensuring regulatory compliance. Siemens also aimed to automate sustainability data management to reduce manual workload.

To meet this challenge, Siemens Corporate IT and ��ѻ��ý developed a detailed and scalable data collection framework for its in-house data centers, hyperscalers, and third-party providers. The partners worked together closely to pilot this framework, creating transparency into CO2 emissions and energy efficiency. Through data analysis of the resulting baseline and stakeholder interviews, potential optimization measures were identified, including a methodology for standardizing energy and CO2 data, and supporting a balanced IT hardware procurement process for the in-house data centers.

“The sustainability expertise and commitment of ��ѻ��ý are remarkable. With excellent results we create added value for all stakeholders and can meet regulatory requirements. With this project, we supported Siemens Corporate IT in consolidating its role as a frontrunner in data center sustainability.”

Matthias ReineckeProject Manager Sustainable Data Centers
Siemens IoT and Platform Services

The collaboration between Siemens and ��ѻ��ý serves as an innovation hub, promoting best practices and continuous improvement. The piloted approach to sustainability in data center operations sets a benchmark for the industry, demonstrating how proactive collaboration can drive significant and lasting change.

A strong foundation for the future

With the developed solution, Siemens Corporate IT has set a remarkable foundation for its in-house data center sustainability efforts. The company now operates with improved visibility into CO2 emissions and energy efficiency, enabling decision-making for optimized operations and ensuring regulatory compliance. Meanwhile, the automation of sustainability data management has been targeted with a tooling evaluation to significantly reduce the manual workload, allowing employees to focus on more strategic tasks.

Siemens benefits from the increased operational transparency and strategy to leverage cost savings, which is the result of streamlined processes and optimized resource utilization. In addition, the reduced carbon footprint is in line with the company’s climate goals and strengthens its reputation as a sustainability pioneer in the manufacturing and IT industries. The collaboration between Siemens and ��ѻ��ý has not only fostered innovation and best practices but also laid a strong foundation for future aspirations.

Looking to the future, Siemens is ready to continue its sustainability journey by building on the success of this project. The company is well equipped to take the next steps to further reduce its environmental impact and drive continuous improvement. To do so, Siemens and ��ѻ��ý will continue to drive continuous innovation and create even greater value. The future holds exciting prospects for Siemens as the company continues to lead the way in sustainable data center operations.

Riverty, a global fintech powerhouse within the Bertelsmann Group, specializes in “Buy Now, Pay Later” services, comprehensive debt management, and versatile payment solutions. With a significant presence across Europe and the USA, Riverty processes over one billion transactions for more than 25 million consumers. However, the company wanted to improve customer engagement and operational efficiency. This meant streamlining sales processes and boosting the overall functionality of Riverty’s customer relationship management (CRM) platform, which had not been fully leveraged.

In looking for a solution, the company chose Microsoft Copilot for Sales to enhance daily productivity and system utilization. To gain access to the necessary level of expertise for such an initiative, Riverty engaged ��ѻ��ý Invent to leverage AI-driven insights and automation.

“The change generative AI can drive around sales processes in a few weeks is eye-opening. We look forward to seeing how we can leverage this technology for new and evolving use cases.”

Stephan Quitschau,
Commercial Processes, Riverty

Leveraging AI to enhance CRM practices

The project spanned nine weeks, during which ��ѻ��ý Invent worked closely with Riverty to tailor the integration of Microsoft Copilot for Sales within the company’s Dynamics 365 CRM platform. This initiative unfolded in three pivotal phases, ensuring a comprehensive enhancement of CRM functionality and user adoption.

1. ��ѻ��ý Invent focused on aligning new AI capabilities with Riverty’s strategic business objectives, creating a technology integration roadmap designed to drive significant business outcomes.
2. The partners emphasized ensuring technical readiness and user enablement. Through dedicated technical onboarding sessions and extensive hands-on training, the company’s team was equipped to fully utilize Microsoft Copilot for Sales, including meeting preparation, email summarization, and CRM data maintenance. This phase was crucial for a seamless transition and maximizing the adoption of the new system.
3. In addition, ��ѻ��ý Invent initiated an upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics Sales Premium, significantly enhancing the CRM with advanced AI capabilities and setting a solid foundation for Riverty’s continuous digital transformation.

Throughout this journey, ��ѻ��ý Invent’s collaborative and strategic approach played a crucial role in Riverty’s successful digital evolution. The culmination of this project not only advanced Riverty’s technological capabilities but also laid the groundwork for a “Future Way of Work”, emphasizing a shift towards more dynamic, AI-enhanced operational processes and work practices.

The first step into the future of CRM

The integration of Microsoft Copilot for Sales into Riverty’s CRM system marked a significant leap forward in operational excellence and customer engagement. Post-implementation, the company witnessed a 23%* increase in CRM user satisfaction, a 67%* enhancement in the speed of retrieving sales information, a 44%* improvement in CRM functionality ratings, a 31%* increase in the intuitiveness and ease of use of the CRM system, and a 33%* rise in usage of the sales part of CRM.

“Embracing the vast potential of AI, we tailor clear, custom solutions to precisely meet each client’s unique needs, ensuring the full transformative impact of AI for smarter, more efficient outcomes. Our approach with Riverty exemplifies this, swiftly demonstrating significant value through the implementation of Microsoft Copilot for Sales, directly addressing and enhancing their specific operational challenges.”

Marcel Schmidt,
Project Lead & Microsoft Dynamics Expert, ��ѻ��ý Invent

These KPIs indicate improved operational processes and increased user engagement, driven by the support and enhancements provided by Microsoft Copilot for Sales. The results reflect the project’s immediate success as well as Riverty’s strengthened position in the competitive fintech landscape.

Building on this foundation, Riverty and ��ѻ��ý Invent are now set to deepen their exploration of AI capabilities within Microsoft Dynamics. In particular, the partners will focus on the Sales Premium upgrade to unlock further efficiencies and innovation, not only in sales operations but also for key account and partner managers within the organization. The collaboration’s initial success and strategic vision for future advancements mark a significant advance in digital transformation and operational excellence in the fintech sector.

*Based on user survey.

A European wholesale telecom leader had navigated over a decade of IT transformations, shifting ways of working, and migrations driven by mergers and acquisitions. This journey left behind a complex web of active services, many of which were not billed accurately. Despite recognizing the need for data cleansing, questions loomed: Was there really an issue? How could they sift through vast volumes of data to uncover potential problems?

��ѻ��ý’s Business Insightful Service (BIS) team rose to the challenge. Armed with deep industry expertise and sharp business acumen, they assembled a dedicated task force comprised of skilled professionals from both ��ѻ��ý and the telecom business.

The team leveraged the BIS framework to assign clear roles and responsibilities. While alignment among stakeholders progressed, the team simultaneously gathered critical information to construct a detailed Level 4 e-TOM-based Business Process Map. This comprehensive blueprint linked every step to IT systems, highlighting systems involved, top failures and fallouts, and SMART AM KPIs that reflected the business impact of these issues.

Bridging the CRM and billing system gap

By the end of the second quarter, after extensive collaboration and team expansion, ��ѻ��ý identified the primary issue was that the billing system was not updated with customer orders from the CRM system due to mismatches. The most common conflict involved discrepancies in the asset version of subscribed services, affecting 1.3% of customer orders.

This misalignment pointed directly to revenue leakages, requiring immediate corrective action to restore billing accuracy and drive sustainable growth. Moreover, the extent of revenue leakage needed to be ascertained and what actionable solutions can we implement to resolve this challenge.

In collaboration with the development team, a three-pronged approach of data corrections, code fixes and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOTs) was designed to proactively identify and resolve order information and asset version mismatches. Recognizing the scale of effort required, the team sought approval from stakeholders during program increment planning meetings to ensure these activities could be incorporated while still meeting the planned product and program milestones.

Transforming billing accuracy and achieving operational efficiency

As planned, the solutions were deployed in phases across two quarters. However, the work didn’t end there. Continuous monitoring was initiated immediately after the first phase to track any potential failures. Over the next five quarters, the BIS team worked relentlessly to address the issues by plugging potential loopholes, preventing future failures, and restoring revenue generation for services that had been out of sync for years.

This strategic approach not only delivered remarkable results in terms of operational efficiency but also resulted in a significant boost to accuracy across the board. The asset information for customer service providers (CSPs) reached 100% accuracy, eliminating the discrepancies that had plagued the billing system. With 95% invoicing accuracy now in place, the team successfully mitigated a potential revenue leakage of 4.6 million SEK.

Furthermore, productivity saw a 5% increase, enabling the team to handle larger volumes of work with greater speed and efficiency. Operational costs were reduced by 10% thanks to the streamlined processes and automation introduced through the BOTs, leading to substantial operating expense savings. Finally, the efforts led to a 2% reduction in customer order failures, directly enhancing client satisfaction and ensuring the business maintained stronger relationships with its customers.

The road ahead

The team’s tireless efforts not only restored the revenue generation process but also drove long-term improvements in productivity, accuracy, and cost efficiency. The successful reconciliation work strengthened the ties between the partners and inspired the telecom business to engage ��ѻ��ý to address a few more complex pricing challenges that can help streamline revenue generation process further.