Guest Contributors

‘Glorified filing cabinet’: Cloud’s greatest failing

As transformation initiatives continue to accelerate, cloud continues to be a key enabler for organisations transitioning out of lockdown crisis mode to new hybrid working practices and recession-proofing strategies.

New paddles, not a bigger boat

In times like these you don’t need a bigger boat, just some better paddles.

We are ready to write our next chapter

It feels as though we’re just getting started. In this special issue, we look back so we can innovate forward - we hope you’ll join us on the journey as we write our next chapter.

Five key cloud opportunities for the next decade

After years of repeated shocks and disruption, there is still one constant when we talk to customers about their cloud goals - the need for business transformation.

The future of cloud ERP is here

Five founders and the vision to transform the way businesses run - that is how SAP’s story began in 1972. I’m privileged to have been part of this journey for almost two decades.

SAP’s history – fifty years and counting

What started SAP on such an illustrious journey, all those years ago back in 1972? Let’s take a dive into history to understand SAP's legacy and what the future holds.

I want my ERP; what SAP and MTV have in common

You’ve probably heard that SAP is 50 years old this year. I mean, you can’t really avoid the social media celebrations rippling out from the Walldorf epicentre, amplified by an eager to please SAP partner ecosystem.

Why it’s time for a user group upgrade

User groups are struggling. So what’s next? The importance of human engagement can never be underestimated, especially when challenging times are ahead and exciting innovations are being built.

How SAP ERP is a strategic enabler of sustainability

I have been passionate about sustainability in the environmental sense. But in the last two years, sustainability has dramatically rocketed up the agenda of all businesses and the public sector.

You can’t spell entrepreneur without ERP

Hypergrowth, a concept first coined by Alexander V. Izosimov in a 2008 issue of Harvard Business Review, is the rapid growth of a business by at least 40 percent compound annual growth rate.

Why verticalisation is key to software development

As cloud solutions evolve, there is a shift from horizontal to vertical industry-tailored applications. Bonnie Tinder, CEO at Raven Intel...

What US wars can teach us about ERP strategy

Thanks to Hollywood, US wars are etched in our collective understanding. Not to mention politicians’ soundbites, the moving images captured...

Can ERP degrees help solve the talent crisis?

The ERP industry is woefully short of resources and many global brands in this space are locked in a battle to find, recruit and retain new talent.

Making a genuine difference in building a sustainable future

At the end of 2021, IFS hosted its Change for Good awards at COP26 in Glasgow to celebrate the difference and impact our customers are having...

ERP and HR systems: the lovechildren of Inflation

When inflation and high interest rates last got together in the 1970s, they spawned the lovechild of ERP and drove a revolution in materials...

Using data to stem the tide of employee resignations

Throughout the course of 2021, employees have been leaving their organisations in record numbers. During the months of July, August and September...

The data migration project minefield

Data is the foundation on which all modern businesses are built and the importance of accurate and timely data has never been more important...

Culture sits at the top of the finance agenda

It may be a new year but many challenges brought on by the pandemic are persisting - the ‘Great Resignation’ being one of the biggest issues affecting business...

What is the cost of change? Implications for your SAP roadmap

With the maintenance deadline for SAP ECC 6.0 fast approaching, organisations are deciding how they will use SAP going forward. For many, their ERP system is the heartbeat of the business, so they are currently evaluating the role it will play and what needs to change for it to be fit for purpose in today’s digital world.

Oracle’s move to vertically-focussed sales teams

At the turn of Oracle’s financial year in June, they restructured a large number of their sales teams to be more industry-focussed. This could be because Oracle is already experiencing more success in settings where vertical expertise is important - they are listed at #6 in the Cloud Wars ranking but have reached #3 in Industry Cloud rankings.

The next generation of talent will boost our whole ecosystem

The last 18 months have chan-ged workforce dynamics, which gives us the opportunity to rethink how we train and retrain all of our employees, but in particular our young professionals

Pets vs Cattle 2.0: An Analogy and Approach for Modern Infrastructures

Pets vs. cattle is an analogy with modest beginnings that has grown into an industry staple. A simple Google search will spawn more than four million results and a myriad of developer memes. Although origin stories are a little hazy, the actual, original quote was ‘cattle, not pets.’

How ERP can help create a sustainable future

am going through an awakening, a realisation. This is no sudden flash of light on the staycation road to Norfolk, but a gradual, stumbling focus on how I and the club to which I belong – ‘ERPers’ - can play a part in the major challenge the world faces: global warming and the need to cut emissions.

Workday vs. ServiceNow: The Big Shift

Every decade there’s a major shift in enterprise software. In the 1970s companies bought integrated financial systems; in the 1980s and 1990s it was ERP; now it’s a wild west of tools for digital customer experiences, digital employee experiences, and AI-enabled automation

The key HR solutions enterprises need to consider

Technology has kept many businesses running throughout the rollercoaster ride that has made up the last 16 or so months. Technology has helped employees stay productive and connected regardless of their working locations.

Breaking the Chain – Stress testing supply chains in 2021

Over the last year, UK consumers have become increasingly aware of the impact of COVID-19 on retail supply chains. While the panic over empty supermarket shelves at the start of the first lockdown has subsided. In places concerns...

How to embrace organisational agility

COVID-19 forced businesses to make decisions about leadership, recruitment, finance and operations in a matter of hours. In the months following the initial shockwave...

Common Digital Transformation Myths Debunked

Using more than 1,000 enterprise cloud implementation reviews of SAP, UNIT4, Oracle HCM, Workday, UKG, ServiceNow and Cornerstone, Raven Intel debunks six common...

Three lessons now the future of work is reality

13th March. A date etched in my memory. Not because it’s a birthday or anniversary. Rather...

IBP is key to post COVID supply chains

While organisations need more visibility, modelling and planning than ever before, what are...