What really separates you from your competition?

It might be the most important question you ask yourself as an entrepreneur or business leader…

Because the truth is whether you run a hospital, food processor, airline, or any other type of business, odds are many of your processes and operations are nearly identical to those of your competitors.

So it’s not the majority of your operations that separate you from the pack – it’s actually the 10% of your operations that are unique to you and your business.

Now, here’s another important question…

How much time and resources are you dedicating to this vital 10%?

If you’re spending more time working in your business rather than on your business, you’re standing still instead of marching forward.

Fast-growing and ambitious Irish companies have begun to recognise the importance of automation of their business processes and systems.

And many have unleashed the growth potential of Cloud ERP Software, which allows them to work on the ideas that drive real growth and innovation.

What is Cloud ERP Software?

Cloud ERP is enterprise resource planning software that’s accessible over the Internet.

As the IT backbone or “brains” of a company, cloud ERP software provides advanced functionality for all the core processes in an organisation. Hosted on a provider’s cloud computing platform, cloud ERP is delivered “as a service” (software-as-a-service).

As this service is delivered as a subscription, it means no capital expenditure upfront – allowing you to invest this vital capital back into your company. The vendor takes care of application maintenance, upgrades and innovations, data storage, and security. This means that you can run better, faster and leaner for less.

In practical terms, Cloud ERP software allows companies to automate their day to day operations so they can focus on critical areas of strategy and competitive differentiation.

Or that 10% that makes them unique…

Pictured above: SAP VP New Customer Success UK & Ireland Brian Mortimer with SAP EMEA Leader John Massey.

SAP is a market-leading ERP software provider for enterprises.

Its RISE with SAP solution provides a comprehensive set of products and services – including SAP S/4HANA Cloud – to help companies on their journey toward becoming intelligent and sustainable enterprises.

Many of the Fortune 500 use SAP software for example, Lloyds and Vodafone – specifically its Intelligent ERP platform, SAP S/4HANA. But many fast-growing Irish SMEs also use the company’s powerful ERP platforms, including SAP Business ByDesign and SAP BusinessOne to fuel growth and become more efficient and innovative as a result.

Some 85% of all new SAP customers are SMEs and the company now has more than 19,300 SAP S/4HANA customers – half of these are midsize businesses.

We had a look at how growing Irish companies are using SAP’s ERP software solutions to drive new growth and innovation.

LetsGetChecked

Irish home diagnostics company LetsGetChecked experienced rapid growth during the pandemic as demand for at-home testing, health screening and vaccination services skyrocketed.

Having used cloud accounting application Xero since its inception, LetsGetChecked’s market potential and ambitious growth plans necessitated a more scalable, intelligent and comprehensive end-to-end platform, which would support the entire business.

Crucially, the solution needed to support nuances such as complex LOT traceability, expiry date management, and regulatory compliance around patient health records.

Group Financial Controller of LetsGetChecked Gary Fitzgerald said “Our decision to invest in a world-class digital platform was pivotal to support our next stage of growth and it quickly became clear that SAP S/4 HANA Cloud would be an excellent fit for our complex business model.”

“The system delivers automation, simplifies business processes in the cloud, and provides real-time business insights and visibility of the entire sales, inventory and fulfilment lifecycle. Complementing the platform is systems implementer and SAP partner Sapphire Systems. They understand all our complexities and specific needs and their team worked closely with us to scope out the right project methodology and expedite performance,” Fitzgerald added.

SAP’s VP of New Customer Success UK & Ireland, Brian Mortimer, told the All-Ireland Business Foundation that while Cloud ERP Platforms can help companies to streamline their back-office processes by running established best practice out of the box, their real power comes when firms use the technology to rethink how they create customer value.

He said: “Businesses of all sizes are learning how to survive in this time of unprecedented uncertainty. Some are Bracing themselves whilst they try to ride out this period of unprecedented disruption – doing what they can to keep running their business as usual.”

“Others are braver in their response to recent challenges, investing in intelligent technologies that empower them to reimagine their business models, create new experiences for their customers and employees, and reach new markets. Instead of waiting for the future to unfold, they are proactively creating it for themselves,” Mortimer added.

EquiRatings Ltd

Irish equestrian technology company EquiRatings Ltd used SAP software to innovate during the pandemic and quickly open a lucrative new revenue stream for its business.

EquiRatings provides data-driven solutions for Olympic teams, but with so many live equine events cancelled due to the pandemic, the company channelled ten years of competition data into the creation of a successful virtual eventing business.

Fans can now choose their teams through a fantasy-style Eventing Manager app, which now has users in over 100 countries.

Managing Director of EquiRatings Diarmuid Byrne said SAP Analytics Cloud allowed EquiRatings to respond quickly when the seriousness of the pandemic became evident.

“Combining domain knowledge with predictive analytics software and fan-facing solutions allowed a roll-out of a complete fan experience solution in just a couple of months,” he said.

“Being able to provide simulated sport and a fan experience tool together opened up a range of potential new revenue streams.”

The Price Of Innovation

In the wake of the pandemic, technology teams find themselves in a precarious spot.

Thanks to the great resignation of 2021 and skills shortages across multiple sectors, few IT managers would say they have all the people they need.

Therefore, in a world of unbounded ambition and finite resources, businesses are trying to figure out how to do more with less.

But despite the need for innovation, many Irish SMEs remain unsure about investing in their business systems.

“It’s completely understandable that business owners are cautious,” says Brian Mortimer. “But there can be more risk from inaction than from taking steps to do things differently. One motto I live by and see every day is if you do nothing then nothing will happen.”

“The world has never moved this fast and it will never move this slowly again, and companies that are slow to transform with the times are at risk of being left behind by bolder competitors.”

SAP has been announced as the headline sponsor of the All-Ireland Business Summit at Croke Park on May 18th.

The Summit gathers Ireland’s best businesses and their leaders at Ireland’s national stadium for a day of networking and insights from some of Ireland’s brightest minds.

To find out more about SAP and how its award-winning software can fuel your next step, visit its exhibition stand on May 18th. Designed for the most efficient enterprise resource planning (ERP), SAP’s product suite comprises multiple lines of business to help every organisation run as an intelligent enterprise. This includes SAP SuccessFactors (human capital management), SAP Concur (spend management), SAP Ariba Network (procurement and supply chain), SAP Fieldglass (external workforce management) and SAP Customer Experience (customer relationship management).

Limited tickets are still available through the link below.

Book now to avoid disappointment.