At the SAP Sapphire event in Orlando this year, SAP revealed its first capabilities utilizing generative
AI (Gen AI) for improved analysis and process design. Building on this momentum, the SAP Signavio
Process Transformation suite August 2024 release introduces an AI-powered process recommender
capability that provides business process model recommendations. This innovation points our
customers to the most relevant best practice process models for their business needs.
AI's influence for the SAP Signavio portfolio is a collaborative effort with our partners. As Dr. Gero
Decker, General Manager of the SAP Signavio line of business, noted in a recent interview, “Our
partners have always been, and continue to be, critical to SAP Signavio and our success in the
market. They work very closely with our customers on their transformation initiatives to guide them
in the right direction, to help them set up approaches and methodologies.”
Recently, I had a chance to discuss these advancements with the Scheer Group, one of our key
partners. Dr. Andreas Kronz, the Head of Process and Management Consulting, AI and Partnerships
and I talked about the exciting potential of AI, specifically GenAI, in the process world and the
substantial benefits it brings to both partners and customers.
Leveraging collective expertise to unlock AI’s full potential
Our innovative development process thrives on collaboration. We frequently engage in Proof of
Concept (PoC) projects with our partners and customers, allowing us to test and refine our solutions
using real-world data. Design partners like Scheer are integral to this process, participating in early
adopter programs and providing vital feedback that shapes our product development.
Scheer played a pivotal role as a design partner for process AI, helping us validate and enhance our
initial prototypes. Dr. Andreas Kronz from Scheer emphasized their motivation for involvement. “We
decided to get involved in the Design Partner Program for process AI because with their extensive
experience in business process models and a robust portfolio, SAP Signavio experts are the ideal
partner. They have deep expertise in creating comprehensive solutions for the future. We bring
extensive project experience in transformation to SAP S/4HANA and possess a wealth of process
content at the business level. We both understand that AI only works effectively on value-proven
and validated data, which aligns perfectly with our approach to delivering high-quality BPM
solutions. It is the combination of all these factors that creates impressive AI solutions.”
Accelerating process model creation with GenAI
Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) models are essential tools for many organizations,
providing a standardized way to document business processes. These models facilitate
understanding, analysis, communication, and standardization across companies, helping identify
improvement areas and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
Scheer employs BPMN models extensively. As Dr. Kronz explains, “At Scheer, BPMN models are
integral to our operations. They serve as our knowledge base and a communication platform with
our customers. We use them to understand and structure the customer's current situation and to
explain the capabilities of the SAP S/4HANA system. BPMN models are also a discussion base during
process workshops to describe requirements, and they later serve as input for development and
testing. This structured approach ensures clarity and alignment throughout the project lifecycle in
demanding transformation projects.”
Our previous blog - “GenAI In Action: How Process Owners Can Benefit” – highlights how GenAI
accelerates and simplifies BPMN model design, making it an invaluable tool for process owners.
The value of AI-assisted recommendations for SAP customers and partners
The August 2024 release introduces a process recommender capability that provides AI-generated
business process model recommendations. Process owners can now type their questions in natural
language and receive ready-to-use process model recommendations from a vast database of best
practices. These models can be adopted directly or customized further.
By harnessing SAP's extensive repository of best practices, drawn from thousands of customer
implementations, process owners no longer need to start from scratch. They can save time and
achieve faster, more efficient results. Outlining the tangible benefits, Dr. Kronz observes, “The
concrete savings we foresee for Scheer and our customers include increased speed in process
creation, with the use of natural language accelerating machine utilization and allowing more focus
on content. The real acceleration and quality improvement will occur during implementation due to
consolidated, validated, and optimized processes from the outset.”
Additionally, this release includes an AI-powered performance indicators recommender. This feature
helps customers discover relevant metrics for their processes, utilizing an extensive SAP repository
of KPIs and PPIs (process performance indicators).
What's next?
This collaboration with Scheer marks the beginning of a promising journey in AI and process
innovation. As Dr. Kronz reflects, “Our experience during the program has been remarkable; we
were surprised by what is already possible and how easily our process content could be integrated
and combined. We are eager and impatient to start applying these advancements with our
customers, as we see great potential in enhancing their processes and achieving outstanding
results.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Kronz’s vision is that GenAI has huge potential in the BPM world. “It can create
process content from various sources, even those that are scattered and inhomogeneous, ensuring a
more comprehensive and accurate representation of business processes. Additionally, GenAI can
validate processes and provide recommendations for optimization, enhancing efficiency and
effectiveness. It also aids in process analysis and decision-making, offering deeper insights and faster
resolutions. Ultimately, the nature of work for consultants and business experts will evolve, focusing
more on strategic decision-making and less on routine tasks.” explained Dr. Kronz.
Future AI capabilities within the SAP Signavio Process Transformation Suite are on the horizon, such
as a textual interface to process mining, the AI-assisted process analyzer. This process mining co-pilot empowers users with any skill set to ask questions in natural language and receive immediate
insights about their business processes to inform their business decisions.
Dr. Decker adds, “AI is more than capabilities and services. It’s a new way of consuming content and
connecting dots that previously seemed distant. For example, for the SAP Signavio portfolio, we
offer one of the largest repositories of process knowledge based on thousands of process models
and process measurements. With generative AI and Joule, we will be able to deliver contextual,
personalized, and highly relevant insights and advisory directly to the system where the process is
executed.”
Take a deeper dive
Check out this webcast 'Harnessing the Power of Generative AI for Business Process Transformation'
to understand how SAP is using generative AI to craft next-generation BPM solutions.
For further reading, explore the following links:
Process AI Revealed at SAP Sapphire: An Interview with Gero Decker >
Large Process Models: Process Management in the Age of Generative AI >
Stay tuned for more updates and innovations at the SAP Signavio portfolio.
Prepared in collaboration with
