ASUG continues to grow with the launch of two technology- and industry-focused communities this month, Intelligent Spend Management and Business Network Alliance and the Consumer Industries and Customer Experience Alliance.
With each alliance debut, ASUG, volunteer, and SAP leaders emphasize the responsive, community-centric dynamic to the structure and operation. Alliances unite and connect think tanks, peer groups, task forces, influence councils, and event collaborations, among other activities. Alliance leadership teams include volunteers, SAP leadership and subject matter experts, and ASUG staff. Additionally, alliance leaders urged ASUG members and customers to step into open alliance leadership roles.
The Intelligent Spend Business Network Alliance leadership team includes: Andy Rubinson, SAP Co-Leader and Senior Director, Product Success, SAP Procurement; Sofia Tadil, SAP Co-Leader and Director, Communities Strategy, Intelligent Spend and Business Networks; Nick DeCenzo, Co-Community Chair and Senior Consultant, Deleware Consulting; Rahul Goyal, Co-Community Chair and Senior Director, SAP at Ellucian; Kari Budry, SAP Fieldglass contact and Global Solution Manager, Services Procurement, SAP Intelligent Spent and Business Network; Rossana Bobadilla, SAP Concur contact and Senior Director, Americas Product Marketing; and Lorraine Yao, SAP Business Network contact and Director, Solution Management.
In addition to brief overviews of the various SAP solutions under the Intelligent Spend Business Network Alliance banner, the leaders reviewed recent SAP Business Network product naming changes. In procurement, Ariba Network is now SAP Business Network for Procurement Automation; in supply chain, Ariba Network is now SAP Business Network for Supply Chain Collaboration; in logistics, Logistics Business Network is now SAP Business Network for Logistics; and in asset collaboration, the former Asset Intelligence Network is now SAP Business Network for Asset Management.
SAP’s Tadil said the naming conventions signal “not just a change in terminology but the digital transformation of the procurement role,” especially continued challenges to navigate the supply chain.
Intelligent Spend Business Network Leaders also attempted to surface topics for future alliance discussions and members’ pressing challenges. Participants suggested the alliance tackle:
- SAP sustainability approaches in procurement processes
- Tax and benefit compliance solutions given changing regulations and regional differences
- AI in sourcing
- Cloud adoption
- Change management.
The Consumer Industries and Customer Experience Alliance, meanwhile, convened for an inaugural town hall to launch its alliance and introduce ASUG peer groups that fall within its functionalities. Those functionalities include Apparel, Footwear, and Fashion (AFF), Consumer Products Industry, Customer Experience (CX), Customer Management (CM), Retail, Life Sciences, and Wholesale Distribution.
This alliance leadership team includes Oliver Stocks, SAP AFF Contact and Vice President, Business Development Industry Cloud for Retail and Fashion; Scott Orton, Manager SAP OTC, Under Armour; Peter Akbar, SAP AFF Contact and SAP Global Chief Customer Officer for Fashion; Harris Fogel, SAP Consumer Products Industry Contact and Global Vice President (GVP), Consumer Products; Seema Vishnoi Kesselring, SAP Customer Management & Experience Contact and GVP, CX Product Strategy; Angie Radjen, Senior Manager, CX Information Technology, Moen/FBWinn; Raj Kasireddy, Senior Manager, OTC, McKesson; Puru Buddha, AVP, Business & Information Services, Chesapeake Utilities Corporation; Chris Farrell, SAP Life Sciences Contact and Vice President – Life Sciences, Head of Industry, SAP America, Inc.; Alireza Ghasemi, SAP Retail Contact and Global Chief Solution Officer, SAP Retail Store (Smart Store) & Return Management and Industry Business Unit (IBU) Retail; and Lynn Lupo, SAP Wholesale Distribution Contact and Solution Manager, Wholesale Distribution IBU SAP.
In addition to providing brief overviews of the various SAP solutions utilized within their respective businesses, Customer Experience Alliance members discussed challenges to the consumer and customer experience industries, expressing interest in using the alliance to bring about new ideas, collaborations, and an increased sense of community.
Leaders also attempted to surface topics for future alliance discussions and members’ pressing challenges. Participants suggested the alliance tackle:
- Building strong partnerships with ASUG community of customers to have relevant and engaging conversations/discussions on business trends, impact, key learnings, and more
- Leveraging SAP technology innovations to move all participants’ industries forward
- Unifying customer data from enterprise and external sources to connect demand with the supply chain process and provide a seamless experience for customers
- Sharing strategies for reducing costs, providing end-to-end visibility, and meeting regulatory and compliance requirements
ASUG is calling for volunteers to fill roles within the alliance, including volunteers in Consumer Products Industry, Retail, Life Sciences, and Wholesale Distribution.