I had the opportunity last month to participate in an SAP S/4HANA Business Experience event. Participants were divided into different teams each representing a corporation competing to make profits selling the same products.
The products comprised of 6 different types of bottled water (large, small, flavored, unflavored, sparkling, and non-sparkling) with different cost structures. The market demand for the water bottles was being simulated by a software algorithm which assigned different price elasticity to each of the different bottle categories. And to make things a bit more interesting the market was divided into 3 regions each with a different demand curve. The team that figures out how to make the most profit selling bottled water wins.
We had to make some critical decisions:
- How do we price each of the 6 different types of bottled water to maximize profits?
- How would our pricing influence demand in each region?
- What impact will our pricing have on our competitors’ pricing?
- How do we optimize our inventories to ensure that we are not left with excess stock at the end of the game or run out of stock?
The pressure was on! The first few minutes of the game seemed a bit overwhelming with multiple unknowns and variables to consider. Fortunately, the game was played on a real SAP S/4HANA system with Finance, Marketing, Supply Chain and Sales tiles on our Fiori home screen. Through each tile we were able to analyze real time data, uncover insights, plan and take action.
It took us a few minutes to understand how each decision impacts demand, revenue, profit, competition and so on, but very soon we got the hang of it and the adrenaline started kicking in. The urge to win got stronger and we couldn’t get enough of the game. We ended up playing for 2 full hours! You had to be there to experience the excitement.
But not to worry…if you are planning on attending SAPPHIRENOW this year you will get a chance to add some of that adrenaline to your agenda and participate in the SAP S/4HANA Business Experience. The company that built the simulation engine behind the experience, Baton Simulation, created a stripped down version of the experience that could fit into a 40 min interactive session at SAPPHIRENOW.
You can add the sessions to your agenda by clicking on this link or by adding them manually to your calendar from the list below. Just make sure you bring your laptop, tablet or smartphone so you can actively participate in the game. And don't forget your lucky charm so you can win and earn some bragging rights.
See you all at the event.
SAP S/4HANA Business Experience Interactive Sessions:
