Four 2021 Trends to Watch

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

As we close out 2020, we are rounding up four trends to watch across industries. We are looking at looming deadlines to migrate systems. And we are checking in on automation technologies that make it easier to co-create a SMART future. These 2021 trends all point to better ways of doing business. See what you can embrace to make 2021 a year of innovation and success.

SAP S/4HANA Migration

The clock is ticking on the timeline for SAP S/4HANA migration. By the end 2027, SAP will not support SAP Business Suite 7, including the flagship product SAP ERP 6.0 that so many businesses currently rely on.

One of the many lessons from the last year is that preparation and reliable systems help to protect our businesses and our livelihoods. With that in mind, in 2021, it is time to stop thinking about S/4HANA migration and start doing it. Using 2021 to get started on the SAP S/4HANA migration process gives you enough time to update system elements and modules. This lowers your risk and makes migration seamless and successful with time to spare before you lose access to support.

Recently, we shared tips on how to prepare for SAP S/4HANA migration, and when and how to plan SAP migration to best fit your needs, goals, and budgets.

Automation

As we enter 2021, we see automation touching all parts of the organization. From increasing efficiencies, to reducing costs, to creating new employment opportunities, automation is more than just a trend. It is a smarter, more sustainable way to do business.

One thing we are most excited about is how intelligent automation improves performance and enhances employee creativity. The ability, for instance, to automate data extraction and classification despite complexities creates countless opportunities for our clients and their employees.

As the world continues to embrace intelligent automation, it becomes even more clear how this technology empowers you to orchestrate users, tasks, systems, and robots that align with business needs. Our Intelligent Automation Systems are poised to deliver even more in 2021. They learn from data, identify patterns, and make smart decisions.

Intelligent Technology Tools

This brings us to our next 2021 trend: embracing intelligent technology tools. Intelligent technology tools like our Appulse product make it easier to create and maintain efficiencies across organizations. They improve issues resolution times and make it easier for employees to collaborate.

As a hallmark of intelligent technology, we like to say that “developers learn from Appulse, and Appulse learns from developers.”  Because of its AI module, Appulse suggests solutions based on historical data and new information. All this improves speed and accuracy, benchmarks that are important in the new year. From helping to keep essential systems running well, to improving turnaround time on resolutions, to saving money, Appulse is just one example of many intelligent technology tools that will improve how we work in 2021.

Partnerships Instead of Transactional Relationships

The landscape of work changed over the course of 2020 in many unexpected ways. And the changes and challenges of 2020 accelerated the cycle of change that was already coming to characterize how we do business in the new decade. Chief among these changes, and a trend we are excited to report, is the increasing reliance on partnerships, or relationships, rather than mere transactions.

For us, we have always considered ourselves supportive partners to our clients. In fact, building strong client partnerships is one of our key commitments. The trusted partnerships we build allow us to truly understand our clients’ needs, and to deliver more. Does this sometimes mean that we go beyond our own initial expectations of scope and time? Yes, it does. But we do so willingly and enthusiastically because we always put our client’s (and their customers’) needs at the forefront of our work.

When we build partnerships like this, we allow for more creativity, in addition to more efficiency and value. And beyond that, we get to live out the promise we make to everyone we work with, to co-create a smarter, more innovative, more rewarding future. The idea of co-creating with partners is a somewhat radical one, even as we enter 2021. Knowledge transfer, trust, and collaboration do not come easily to everyone. In fact, they require a strong commitment to shared success that matches the commitment to delivering expertise and value on all sides.

This is one of the trends we are most excited to see our colleagues and clients embrace in the new year and beyond. For more ideas on how to create lasting partnerships that generate value now, and in the future, reach out to us. Let’s talk about what we can create together!