Business Process Automation with Intelligent Control Tower

The spread of RPA/API use has been accompanied by automation of particular routine business process tasks. But we are now entering the next stage of development, an era of hyper-automation in which piecemeal automation is replaced by automation of the whole business process.
ABeam Consulting defines this kind of end-to-end business process automation as Self-Automation, made possible by integrating the AI-based business process model with accumulated ERP data. It is recognized as one of the key factors for successful implementation of next-generation ERP. The Intelligent Control Tower solution provided by ABeam Consulting makes it possible to realize the automation of end-to-end business processes, together with a one-stop service from implementation on through to support for utilization.

The business processes composing an enterprise can be classified into "Core" and "Edge". Until now, people have to determine the situation or raise the efficiency in a personal way which is to visualize the "Core" data by manipulating BI tool. From now, the "Intelligent Edge" solution will automate whole business cycle by notifying at the right time ("Self-Visualize"), automating the tasks ("Self-Acting"), diagnose the results ("Self-Diagnosis") and by improving the business process ("Self-Augmented"). This is the "Self-Automated", the automation of the business process based on AI, which is to be realized with the ERP of the next generation.

Intelligent Control Tower accelerates enterprise Self-Automation. It establishes "Control Towers“ between ERP and each device used by employees, so that it can support daily business operations as a partner by taking over such tasks as communicating information and executing processes. In addition, speedier, more logical determinations are enabled by replacing the personal criteria and expertise belonging to specific individuals with standard automated Control Tower processes.

The Intelligent Control Tower algorithm is designed to be run on the SAP Cloud Platform in order to facilitate connections among S/4HANA, user devices and cloud solutions. The front-end visualization tools are SAP IBP, SAP Analytics Cloud and Fiori, and the chat bot is Slack. Client enterprises can, however, use other front-end tools as long as they are confirmed to be compatible with the solution.
Intelligent Control Tower is not a packaged SaaS solution, but a customized solution tailored to the client enterprise based on the ABeam template.

Three basic functions are provided with the Order-to-Cash ABeam template, enabling customization tailored to the company where it is to be implemented.

First, business modeling is performed based on S/4HANA Best Practices and AI upon investigating current data sets and business processes, and a Self-Automated target is selected. The required functions are then selected, the Intelligent Control Tower architecture is determined, and the system is developed according to the business model of the client enterprise based on the ABeam template. Finally, it is ready to run the business operation with the solution.