TECHNOLOGY
He also feels it is having a “ democratising effect on supply chain management ”, going on to explain that , historically , working with AI required specialist skills , but that now Gen-AI assistants allow users to quiz the technology , and receive smart responses .
Challenges of implementing AI The biggest challenge for organisations seeking to implement AI into their workflows is data quality ; businesses need to combine Gen-AI with business-specific data to achieve valuable results .
“ This data is notoriously complex and often sits in multiple systems ,” warns Sun . “ There is a high risk of losing valuable context when they are extracted and combined .”
He adds : “ Companies that can master this will have a significant leg up on the competition .”
Asked what role SAP plays in resolving these and other AI challenges for its customers , Sun says a key role for the company is to prevent customers from losing enthusiasm for AI change projects .
“ Customers can quickly become disillusioned if they don ’ t see tangible business gains from AI technology ,” he warns . “ With public large-language models released for consumers , nearly every business person understands the potential power of generative AI , but most realise that deriving useful insights is tough .”
He adds : This is often due to correct but irrelevant data , and to address this we simply apply business context to ensure the highest level of reliability in the results .”
Making AI easier for procurement customers Sun has high hopes for the impact he can make in his new role , and it is his ambition to help set trends for the rest of the industry .
“ I hope we can make it easier for customers to use AI so they can maximise the return on investment in their businesses ,” he says . procurementmag . com 99