The top 10 SAP priorities for 2011 according to Tony de Thomasis are: 1) addressing the needs and expectations of Generation Y users, 2) the growing importance of mobile devices, 3) developing a social media strategy, 4) addressing the analytics explosion, 5) changes to business units, 6) the importance of people not just technology, 7) intelligent IT spending, 8) acquiring technical skills, 9) increasing speed and agility, and 10) shrinking the private data center.

1. Top 10 SAP priorities for 2011 Tony de Thomasis NetWeaver Practice Lead Acclimation

2. Priorities according to who? Based on feedback from Australian customer visits Based on my daily interaction with SAP thought leaders and tech vendors Based on my active participation in the SAP ecosystem These are my observations based on the latest industry developments

3. 1. The Generation Y Impact Long response times are not acceptable The users interface is everything Have device – will connect Data must be fast and accurate PowerPoint sale is dead – show me!

4. 2. Mobile devices come of age A new dimension of business Extending the reach of Backend systems Combining mobile apps, devices, and content will drive the enterprise One-app, one-device model is impractical Mobility promotes inclusiveness and opens opportunities and markets

5. 3. Social Media Strategy Low-cost platform to build your personal brand, communicating who you are Engage rapidly with peers, employees, customers, and the broader public Learn from instant unvarnished feedback If you don't engage your customers, you are missing the conversation

6. 4. The Analytics explosion Reporting using BW and multiple datamarts is too expensive to maintain BOBJ gives the business better visibility of sales, financials, risk and production In Memory computing enables more informed and timely decisions

7. 5. The changing business unit Innovation is now key for the CIO SAP professionals more aligned with individual business units No more Teams of IT Architects SAP Technical roles will be outsourced to local specialists as companies stick to core competencies Companies will multi-source to achieve 24/7/365 specialist support

8. 6. It’s not just the Technology The best Technology needs the best people to implement it properly Better consultants deliver better results Keep good people and supplement with skilled resources Intelligent pay grades need to balanced

9. 7. IT Spend Companies are spending intelligently To increase production or reduce costs Spend on innovation as a differentiator Safest spend areas Mobility Solution Manager SAP Enhancement Packs Analytics Strategic roadmaps

10. 8. Technical Skill acquisition Education cost cutting is commonplace Employees are left to fend for themselves SAP has reacted positively SDN Weblogs Learning on Demand Ramp-up Knowledge Transfer YouTube learning channels Expert Guided Implementation sessions SAP Mentor Webinars

11. 9. Speed and Agility IT must be able to quickly implement technologies that support the business Taking a product to market faster than competitors Optimising the supply chain Better service through a web channel, tracking and workflow until completion SAP Rapid Deployment solutions and SAP predefined services

12. 10. Shrinking the private data centre Private Clouds for cost effective Training, archiving or support pack testing systems Software as a Service offerings Public Clouds for cost effective Sandpit systems SAP will certify outsourcing providers SAP will provide orchestration tools

13. Honourable mentions Real-time dashboards Data storage explosion Enterprise search Sustainability Disaster Recovery

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