SAPinsider Issue 3 2020

by Brianna Shipley , Senior Editor, SAPinsider For decades, the telecommunications industry has molded the way people interact in the business world. Companies in this industry have evolved into digital service providers and competition has inten- sified. To stay ahead, leaders in this space must find a way to help organizations make the best use of their employees’ time and brainpower by shifting routine tasks from humans to automation. With developments such as the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G technologies, machine learning, and arti- ficial intelligence, telecommunications companies have the opportunity to not only empower others to move forward with digital transformations, but also undergo these transformations themselves to stay relevant. Vodafone Group — a multinational technology communications company responsible for digitally connecting more than 362 million mobile, fixed-line, and TV customers and organiza- tions of all sizes — is one business that is realizing this for itself. Vodafone is a leading technology communica- tions provider running Europe’s largest 5G and fixed-line next-generation networks, and it is the continent’s second largest distributor of TV ser- vices. It also runs the world’s largest IoT network, connecting 103 million devices ranging from cars to lampposts. In 2019, Vodafone went live with one of the largest SAP S/4HANA implementations in the world with the aim of achieving increased process automation and standardization, faster month-end close, an improved user experience, and better data insights to support the company’s 93,000 employ- ees. At the time of this publication, Vodafone will also be live with virtually all of SAP’s cloud-based line-of-business solutions. Vodafone’s partnership with SAP began in 2006 when the company first embarked on a business transformation journey. Coined “EVO,” the com- pany’s innovative program allowed Vodafone to operate as a global business and maximize the use How One Telecommunications Company Achieved Significant Cost Efficiencies by Transforming Its Back-Office and Support Operations Vodafone Sets a New Benchmark on Its Intelligent Enterprise Journey with an SAP S/4HANA Migration and a Strategic Business Model 3 SAPinsiderOnline.com