During August, the serene backdrop of Seeburg Castle on Lake Constance became the epicenter of a vibrant, urgent conversation about the digital future at Data Migration International’s (DMI’s) fourth annual Digital Lounge @Lakeside. Under the banner of “Navigating Change, Driving Innovation Together,” experts, pioneers, and decision-makers gathered to listen and actively negotiate the path forward.
The air buzzed with talk of AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity, but the core theme was refreshingly human: how do we shape profound technological change with intelligence and confidence? As DMI’s CEO, Thomas Failer, noted, “simply reacting is fatal. The goal is to get out ahead to build a future founded on trust and genuine data sovereignty.”
From Robot Dogs to Data Independence
The Digital Lounge brought the future into sharp, tangible focus. ERP Today reported on how industry giants are already implementing innovation on the ground. At the conference, attendees heard how AI-powered robot dogs were a critical logistics tool, scurrying across the assembly hall delivering the right tools to installers at the right time. Another example is a pilot project run by the multinational Swiss engineering giant Bühler Group, which utilizes these robots for tasks ranging from cleaning break rooms to serving as mobile printing stations for design trainees.
In both cases, the operational data, which includes every movement, task, and interaction, is streamed to DMI’s JiVS IMP platform. Apart from being stored, the data is analyzed and transformed into insights that optimize processes. It is a powerful, real-world demonstration of how robotics, AI, and a robust data management platform converge to create tangible value.
In fact, this is the new operational reality that underscores a critical point that was discussed during the event; true innovation is impossible without IT independence and full control over your data landscape.
An Ecosystem of Innovation
The Digital Lounge is less a conference and more a living ecosystem. The sessions during the event tackled bigger questions. Panel discussions explored the impact of AI on standard software from partners such as SAP, the looming realities of quantum computing, and the ever-present challenge of cybersecurity in a complex world.
However, the most potent insights emerged from the connections made during the conference, where CIOs from major enterprises shared transformation stories with the audience.
The energy was also palpable during the hackathon, where emerging talent tackled complex challenges at the intersection of data and AI. This collaborative spirit, fueled by networking against the backdrop of the Lake Night Festival, set the Digital Lounge apart.
The event was a platform where ideas from diverse players, such as Infosys, Cognizant, and DXC Technology, sparked, creating solutions that no single organization could conceive in isolation.
Through Digital Lounge @Lakeside, DMI has cultivated an environment where the future is co-created. Today, the conversations started at Lakeside are already shaping clean-core strategies and digital transformation roadmaps for tomorrow, proving that the best way to navigate change is together.
What This Means for ERP Insiders
Provide the data foundation for AI in the SAP landscape. The conference featured a key discussion titled ‘AI and its impact on standard software providers such as SAP’. This was further brought to life by the Stadler Rail Group customer story, which showcased the combined power of AI, Robotics and DMI’s data management, and the latest SAP software. While SAP’s AI ambitions are powerful, they are only as good as the data they can access. AI needs vast amounts of clean, consolidated, and contextually rich data to provide meaningful insights. DMI’s JiVS platform serves as this essential data foundation. It can combine data from multiple SAP and non-SAP sources into a single, reliable source of truth. This curated data can then be used to train and inform AI models, ensuring that when SAP’s tools are deployed, they operate on a complete and accurate dataset, maximizing their effectiveness.
Unlock a true clean core strategy. A clean core strategy depends on keeping the ERP’s digital core free of legacy data and custom code by moving them to sidecar applications or platforms. DMI’s platform, JiVS, serves as the central hub for managing and analyzing data independently of applications, making it an ideal platform to offload historical data from legacy systems, such as SAP ECC, and house the data for custom extensions. By doing so, DMI directly enables a leaner, more agile core, simplifying future upgrades and reducing technical debt.
The SAP-DMI partnership provides crucial validation. The conference, where SAP is a key sponsor, signifies that SAP views DMI’s technology as a complementary and vital part of its ecosystem, helping customers achieve their transformation goals. It positions DMI as a central convener capable of bringing together major systems integrators, software providers, and customers to solve complex challenges.
