Sap And Enterprise Trends Podcasts From Jon Reed (@jonerp) Of Diginomica.com

In Jon's first ever podcast from NRF's retail "Big Show," Jon sits down with Joachim Klein of ThreeKit, where the two overcome NRF sounds to break down the key trends of the show, before the podcast is finally vanquished by a vacuum cleaner. The guys discuss the next-gen tech at the show, including robotics, facial recognition, and virtual fashion assistants, before digging into the problem of personalization and the opportunities retailers have if they can conquer their data problems. Klein then shares ThreeKit's go-to-market plan, and why these seasoned retail executives have banded together and put skin in the game. Their goal: bring augmented reality, visual commerce, and 3D product configuration into the same platform. End note: apologies for the background noise, the quietest place we could find at NRF was not terribly quiet, even with lavalier mics. SOUND UPDATE: my colleague Den Howlett has edited out as much background noise as possible in this new mix.

"Up to 2/3 of all enterprise software projects fail to deliver their expected value. Will your project be one of them?" That's the basis for Jon's first-ever podcast with analyst and ProQ founder Josh Greenbaum. On some hidden bean bag chairs in the basement of SAP TechEd, the guys discuss the multiple ways that enterprise projects can fail or underperform, and why early interventions can change outcomes. Greenbaum explains why ProQ's approach, by providing a way of measuring teamwork and project health, can have impact. The guys also talk about other efforts to disrupt and improve the consulting industry, including Raven Intel. Note: while this was taped at SAP TechEd, SAP is not the topical focus on this podcast. Check Jon's recent TechEd wraps for your SAP analysis fix. Bonus: the guys are interrupted at the 22:00 mark by disruptive window tape measurers.

In the third and final podcast in this special series from SAP TechEd Barcelona 2018, Den Howlett of diginomica talks to cloud expert and diginomica contributor Dick Hirsch review the takeaways from Barcelona, and assess the progress SAP has made with cloud models. The guys discuss how well SAP fleshed out the "intelligent enterprise." SAP's challenges with developer engagement in a more open/cloud model is also covered. Also check for Den's analysis of SAP TechEd Barcelona on diginomica.com. You'll find Jon's prior TechEd Vegas reviews and use cases there as well.

In the second podcast in this special three part series from SAP TechEd Barcelona 2018, Den Howlett of diginomica talks to SAP's Craig Cmehil about important developments in the SAP ecosystem - and the changes made to the Mentor program. Cmehil talks about the challenges the SAP Mentor will face and his goal of fostering engagement with SAP executives. The guys also hit on the community space at TechEd and the hands-on opportunities intended to push the growth of new skills. Also check for Den's analysis of SAP TechEd Barcelona on diginomica.com. You'll find Jon's prior TechEd Vegas reviews and use cases there as well.

In the first podcast in this special three part series from SAP TechEd Barcelona 2018, Den Howlett of diginomica talks to SAP's DJ Adams about about how the ABAP community can access and learn new ways to innovate on the SAP Cloud Platform. The guys hit on SAP tutorials and UI development - with Fiori, and beyond into headless development. They discuss SAP's evolution to a more open platform - and the work still to be done. Also check for Den's analysis of SAP TechEd Barcelona on diginomica.com. You'll find Jon's prior TechEd Vegas reviews and use cases there as well.

In an SAP TechEd special, Jon Reed is joined by SAP Mentor Graham Robinson in the lost Vegas corridors to hash out what they learned behind the scenes - and how that stacks up with SAP's news announcements. Graham, who is an independent consultant and expert SAP developer, has plenty to say about SAP's ABAP PaaS announcement, and how ABAP on the SAP Cloud Platform impacts developers and customers. The guys also hash out the "serverless ERP" annnouncement, and how ERP functions as a service could play into running the SAP Cloud Platform at scale. The highs and the lows of the show are covered, including the keynote, and a surprise challenge to Jon by SAP CTO Björn Goerke in response to his diginomica show review. The guys reflect on SAP's change in community leadership - and the future of TechEd as SAP attempts to turn community into an edge again, after some down years.

What if HR customers had a way of assessing the quality of the partners servicing their implementations? Would less projects run into budget and scope problems - or outright failure. Well, now they do, thanks to the upstarts at Raven Intel. During "HR tech week" in Las Vegas, at SuccessConnect 2018, Jon sat down with Bonnie Tinder and Michele of Raven Intel on the day of their official launch to dig into the motivations behind their mission - and business model. To coincide with their launch, Raven Intel released a study of 100 initial SAP customers and their experiences with consulting partners and HR vendors. Jon asks Bonnie and Michelle about the lessons they took from their study, and how troubled HR tech projects can become better HR tech projects. Bonnie and Michele explain why their approach is different than the big vendor peer review sites that are picking up steam. Jon also asks about the challenges they may face as they get customers to evaluate major consulting partners that aren't used to being p

In their first online talk in several years, Jon Reed of www.diginomica.com is reunited with one of his old school guests for a fresh talk on the problem of hiring data science skills - and what to do about it. Vijayasankar details the types of data science skills that a data science team needs, and where the hiring gaps are. There's plenty of advice for individuals on how to fill those gaps. The guys also hit on the problem of algorithmic bias, and issues of diversity in data science. Note: this is the audio-only version of this chat. You can catch the video version on Jon's youtube: youtube.com/jonathanwreed.

In this in-depth on-site conversation, Jon Reed and SAP SuccessFactors expert and customer advocate Jarret Pazahanick break out what they've learned from a hectic two days in Vegas. The guys hit on the show's highs and lows, from news to executive keynotes to a powerful closer from Michael J. Fox. Jon asks Pazahanick to elaborate on his critique of the SuccessFactors partner and certification approach - and what needs to change. The 60 minute talk is a gut check from what Pazahanick heard at the SuccessFactors influencer event last spring, and where we are now. Jon asks Jarret to address the "Jarret is a Workday fanboy" jabs he gets from time to time. The guys leave with a view of where SuccessFactors needs to go from here, and some continuing mysteries around payroll as a cloud service - something Jon will be addressing more fully in an upcoming diginomica article.

In this impromptu/underground recording with the implausible Esteban Kolsky, the guys grab some time as Salesforce Connections to discuss the future of the enterprise. Two Kolsky blog posts are up for consideration, one on his enterprise software priorities, the other on AI misconceptions. Since this taping is at a CX event, the guys also get into the epic problem of delivering a halfway-decent customer experience across channels. Doing their best with Jon's backup recording, Jon also takes the chance to ask Esteban the burning question: why are you such a grouchy *!*. That leads into a discussion of the vital role of the enterprise idealist/curmudgeon, or, gadfly. At the end of the thirty minute chat, the meaning of the "implausible" Esteban Kolsky is revealed. Producer's note: this had to be taped on the backup of Jon's backup recorder, but hopefully the listening experience was improved decently for you during production. 

In their second podcast from Sapphire Now 2018, Jon Reed and guest Brian Dennett move on from SAPpy talk to discuss Brian's startup, Enable AI, and why they are taking a practical approach to AI as augmented intelligence. Brian shares his view on why AI and ML are getting market traction, and the customer problems that Enable AI is tackling. Brian also advises on how companies should get started with "AI," and why data scientists are not necessarily required. Though this is not an SAP-focused podcast, the guys briefly touch on how customer-focused AI projects tie into a C/4HANA and Leonardo context at one point or another. 

In Jon's annual Sapphire Now event review, he has a new guest, Brian Dennett of Enable AI, who was also part of the SAP blogger program coverage. Jon and Brian hash out the messages of the show, including the "intelligent enterprise" messaging and whether the Leonardo aspects actually made sense this year. They discuss Brian's pick for the sleeper announcement of the show, Master Data Management as a service, and why it matters. The guys share their findings from their often-spirited blogger sessions; Brian explains why has a philosophical difference with SAP on their "AI" approach. The guys wrap by giving their letter grades for the show, and Jon airs a couple of SAP gripes. Note: this recording was made on Jon's backup recording rig due to a microphone failure. 

On the second day of ASUG Annual Conference and Sapphire Now 2018, Jon Reed caught up with ASUG CEO Geoff Scott to get his reactions to SAP's "intelligent enterprise" strategy. Scott shares his view of the conference highlights from an ASUG view. The guys talk about the challenges SAP vowed to address, including the longstanding problem of integration - a challenge heightened with the numerous cloud products. They discuss the role of user groups in project success (or not). Note: due to time limitations the guys do not get into a licensing discussion in this video - however look for more SAP licensing (and indirect licensing) content on diginomica.com, and also ASUG.com.

In this interactive live discussion from Western Mass Podcamp 2018, Jon shares his views on researching the so-called informed buyer, and why marketing and sales must change. Participants from the session share their own challenges, and Jon hits on the dynamics of winning (and sustaining) attention, and why topic authority and opt-in audiences are essential. He explains why social media is useless without content, and why content is useless without a clear business identity. The role of subscription and curation is discussed. (Jon did a related session that continues these themes with a look at the power of immersive creativity; look out for that podcast soon). 

In their Barcelona tradition, Jon Reed of diginomica and SAP Mentor and cloud expert Dick Hirsch review the news, debates, and questions from SAP TechEd Barcelona 2017. They break down what they learned on Leonardo, along with questions about how SAP got away from process expertise in their positioning. Separating hype from reality includes a review of SAP's blockchain pursuits, and why cloud requires a different level of pricing transparency. The guys also hit on SAP's multi-cloud ambitions, including the Google partnership, and Jon reveals what he learned - or didn't - on the Android SDK possibility in the future.

In this live podcast from Constellation Research's Connected Enterprise 2017, Jon talks with the Teamability team about why team building is hard - and the unique method they bring. With the occasional bird chirping during our outdoor taping session, CEO Dr. Janice Presser and COO Mark Talaba share field examples and explain why the science of team building goes far beyond "good" and "bad" teams. Jon also gets into his own experience being tested by Teamability, what he learned, and the three podcasters kick around the ups and downs of teams until it's time for Mark's Uber to the airport - then Jon issues the ultimate Teamability challenge. Dr. Janice Presser is also the author of the new book @Dr. Janice - Timing isn't Everyhing. Teaming is. 

In this in-depth conversation with Paul Ovigele of ERPfixers, Ovigele gives an frank look at his goal of using an Uber-like platform to provide SAP customers with a new option to get their questions answered. Jon Reed of diginomica.com talks with Ovigele about the challenges ERPfixers has faced during a live sit down at SAP Controlling 2017. They also discuss the need for consulting to change - just like cloud has changed software business models. Jon also gets Ovigele's answers to reader questions from a diginomica piece on ERPfixers - and the guys kick around the potential of the platform, for SAP and beyond, until they run out of time.

In this live podcast, taped on-site at Controlling 2017 the week before SAP TechEd, Jon Reed of diginomica talks with Julien Delvant of Bluefin Solutions about how his team approaches S/4HANA from a business case perspective. The guys also contrast the views on HANA from the SAP finance pros at this show versus the technical SAP crowd at SAP TechEd. They debate the role of Leonardo and how the SAP customers at this show view S/4HANA. Julien also shares Bluefin's progress developing a business case for S/4HANA. 

In this edited version of his Western Mass Podcamp 2017 session, Growing your business with content, Jon talks about the power of content and the impact of the digital economy on how content is consumed. The key question: how can you use content to win business by earning trust, opt-ins, and audiences? Session participants, including Claudia Gere, chime in here and there and pose questions. Note: there are a few swear words on this podcast so it's not safe for certain workplaces. Also check the itunes channel for the full podcast archives.

In part two of their live taping at Enterprise UX 2017, Jon Reed of diginomica.com talks with Sam Yen of SAP about their UX overhaul and the integral role design thinking plays in Leonardo - including project delivery. Yen also gives a glimpse into Hasso Plattner's passion for design and how this impacts SAP's UX challenges ahead. Also check the itunes channel for the full podcast archives.