Busting the omnichannel - enterprise hacks and chats

An inside look at how ERPfixers hopes to impact SAP consulting - with an on-demand platform

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. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

Talking Acumatica, modern ERP and business change with Brian Sommer

During this informal chat after the Acumatica analyst and R2 launch event, Jon Reed and Brian Sommer of diginomica delve into the role of modern ERP in the push towards business model change. After hashing out the latest Acumatica announcements, the guys talk about the components of modern ERP (UX, platform, data visibility) and why ring fending ERP is problematic when it comes to pursuing digital projects and integrating new external data sources. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

Growing your business with content - an interactive Podcamp presentation

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. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

FinancialForce Community Live - the podcast review

During this live on-site podcast with Jon Reed of diginomica and the usual suspect Brian Sommer (also a diginomica contributor), the guys hash out what they learned from a newsworthy FinancialForce user conference. This was the first time media/analysts were invited to a FinancialForce user conference, which generated plenty of discussions on customer value and sparks on the ADP partner announcement. Jon gets into highlights from the slew of customers FinancialForce lined up for him. Sommer shares why he was looking for more on big data and AI, and the guys discuss partner strategy, verticals, and yes - revenue recognition - aka "The CIO's Y2K." Brian also explains his mysterious lack of suit and tie and why he was spotted in a Las Vegas golf shirt. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

SAP UX from the inside out - Sam Yen on SAP Leonardo, design thinking and the challenges ahead

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. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

Enterprise UX as a change driver - live from #EUX17 with Sam Yen

In this impromptu. on-site podcast, Jon Reed of diginomica.com talks with Sam Yen of SAP about his presentation on driving organizational change through design. In this first of two podcasts with Reed and Yen, the guys hit on issues like the (relative) maturity of enterprise UX, and the big themes from Enterprise UX 2017, including breaking down silos. Yen critiques incremental innovation and makes the case for organization-wide design culture. Yen also gives his advice for non-designers who want to bring a design mentality to their work - and why that matters. In part two of their podcast, the guys will take a harder look at SAP's UX approach and get Yen's Leonardo/UX status report. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

Sapphire Now 2017 in review - disruption and being disrupted edition

In their traditional post-Sapphire Now live recording, Jon and Dick once again grab an empty meeting room, but this time, they are - fittingly enough - disrupted. But the taping goes on, as Jon and Dick talk through the major themes of the show, kicking off with the diginomica.com story Dick published before Sapphire Now 2017 on multi-cloud that caused a stir. The guys hit on Sap Cloud Platform and Cloud Foundry, debate whether S/4HANA Cloud was overlooked, and break down Leonardo. Dick also gets into SAP Hybris, microservices, and the guys talk about the SaaS standardization dilemma for customers. They also explain why they chose NOT to talk indirect access.  Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

Your tech keynote survival guide - a satirical riff with Brian Sommer

In this brief satirical effort, Brian and Jon present to you their "Vendor Innovation Keynote Survival Guide" and BS Detector. Advice for vendors on what not to do, advice for attendees, e.g. "bring your safety glasses." The guys cover drones delivering pizza, auto-driving cars on stage, celebrity keynotes, stand-up comics from hell, and other keynote mishaps. We also cover all the hot topics that all vendor will suddenly be doing incredible amazing things with, e.g. the blockchain. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

Acumatica '17 in review - cloud ERP gut check with Brian Sommer

In this on-site podcast, live from the annual Acumatica Summit, Brian Sommer and Jon Reed discuss the latest moves from this high growth cloud ERP upstart. The guys discuss Acuamtica's multi-cloud message, their surprise integration with Salesforce, and whether their "deploy anywhere" architecture might prove to be problematic at scale. They also discuss the vertical approach to cloud ERP, and their pulse on Acumatica customers. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

How to build an enterprise tribe - tips and reflections with Mark Finnern

In the audio-only version of this informal video hangout from Mark Finnern's departed treehouse, Finnern reflects with Jon Reed of diginomica on what he learned at SAP in the early days of building enterprise tribes. Now a consultant, Finnern explains why companies should be passionate about communities - not just for customers, but for competitive edge. Finnern also makes his case playfulness as a way of energizing companies and breaking down silos. The guys also discuss Finnern's keys to a successful enterprise communities, and where companies run into trouble. They move into the tricky territory of KPIs, and measuring the results of community investments. The podcast closes with Finnern's take on how SAP has handled community - and the SAP Mentors - after his departure. es, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

Acumatica's Jon Roskill on cloud ERP, the multi-cloud, and Acumatica's direction

In this live, on-site podcast from the Acumatica Summit, Jon Reed of diginomica talks to Acumatica CEO Jon Roskill about the state of cloud ERP and Acumatica's direction. Roskill shares his views on the multi-cloud and why customers expect to combine/integrate clouds without being tied to one vendor. The guys also discuss why open APis are key to modern ERP. Then there is the problem of project failure/cost overruns due to excessive customization. But can SaaS ERP, criticized as inflexible, offer an alternative to a "lift and shift" approach? Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

Hyperledger hacking and enterprise blockchain potentials - an informal chat

In this informal, audio-only Hangout, Jon Reed of diginomica talks with two enterprise blockchain enthusiasts about the potential of blockchain in the enterprise. Fresh off a Hyperledger hackathon event, Clive Boulton and Greg Misiorek share what they've learned, and why a couple of enterprisey dudes think that the enterprise is due for some enterprisey disruption. The guys also touch on Ethereum and why Hyperledger, a Linux project heavily supported by IBM and other players, seems to have the most potential right now for enterprise blockchains.

 

NOTE: recommend headphone listening as Greg's audio was not optimal. Did my best to improve it. I'll also be writing about this discussion on diginomica.com, so if you missed anything on the audio, check and/or search http://www.diginomica.com on "blockchain" for more. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes

Talking IoT use cases, smart cities and security - with Mrinal Wadhwa

In this live podcast from SAP TechEd Barcelona, Jon finally gets his schedule aligned with Mrinal Wadhwa of Fybr, which has a very interesting IoT play underway. The guys talk about Wadhwa's career shifts, before moving to a deeper talk on Internet of Things use cases. Wadhwa shares customer projects with cities, and how those projects are designed and funded.

The guys discuss what the IoT value is underneath the hype, and wrap with some words on IoT security. There is a bit of wind noise at the beginning as the guys taped outside, but otherwise this should be a good listen. Note: though this podcast was taped at an SAP show, there is not much SAP talk in this podcast. The guys delved into SAP's IoT plays in a shorter, companion podcast. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

The SAP TechEd Review - Cloud and Devops with Dick Hirsch

In this SAP TechEd 2016 Barcelona review podcast, Jon Reed talks with cloud and DevOps expert and SAP Mentor Dick Hirsch about his reactions. The guys break down the high points of their meetings, with a look at digital transformation, Hybris and micro-services, IoT, and progress with SAP's Apple iOS development partnership. They also explore the question: why isn't there more DevOps at SAP TechEd? The impact of DevOps and pros/cons of micro-services are other topics the guys explore from their outdoor - though slightly chilly - poolside taping. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

HR tech review - problems in analytics and recruiting

At the Acumatica analyst day, Jon Reed sat down with world class event troublemaker Brian Sommer not long after blowing a fuse. Jon sees if he can get Brian worked up again as the guys review current issues in HR tech, with the HR tech event season about to hit. The guys hit on problems in HR analytics and recruiting in this fairly short conversation. The guys also taped a separate cloud ERP review and closer look at Acumatica. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

Acumatica - reviewing their cloud ERP pursuits with Brian Sommer

After Acumatica's analyst day, prior to the next-day launch of Acumatica 6, Jon Reed and Brian Sommer convene for an informal review of what they learned about Acumatica's cloud ERP pursuits. After a bit of fun at the expense of non-disclosure agreements, Jon and Brian hit on the areas that stood out from the show, including a different approach to IoT and machine learning, the emphasis on a platform partners can build on, and the merits of a vertical cloud strategy. The guys also kick around the long term future of multi-tenant/public clouds - and why Acumatica is optimistic about their midmarket cloud ERP approach. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

SuccessConnect 2016 in review - pesky questions with Jarret Pazahanick

In this live conference wrap, taped on SuccessConnect day two, Jon Reed and SuccessFactors consultant Jarret Pazahanick kick around the key themes of the conference and provide a gut check. Pazahanick is known for his pesky questions, but this review catches Pazahanick in an upbeat mood. Pazahanick explains why his views on SuccessFactors have shifted, and the guys hit on multiple themes of the conference, including diversity and business without bias, Intelligent Services. mobile UX and more. The guys hit on under-reported news, keynote reviews, and Pazahanick detailed his biggest concerns going forward. Jon does manage to get Pazahanick in a feisty mood regarding ASUG's announcement of their "Partner Place" program for evaluating SAP consulting partners. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

Brian Sommer on the radical future of finance - impact of big data and robotics

In the second of their seat-of-the-pants Inforum 2016 podcasts, Jon and Brian Sommer discuss the radical future of finance, based on Brian's recent posts on radical EPM on diginomica.com. Brian makes his case for why big data threatens spreadsheet culture, and how robotics is changing the finance profession. He brings in real world examples on social media sentiment analysis, and why finance people and CIOs have to get on the same page. The guys wrap with a preview of Brian's piece on how the airlines can redeem the customer experience with applied analytics - the topic of a recent multi-part series, "The Right Stuff" - now up on diginomica.com. Listeners who make it to the end get to sample Brian's Rodney Dangerfield "no respect" impersonation, dedicated to frequent flyers everywhere. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

Robotics and jobs - what lies ahead, with Silicon Collar author Vinnie Mirchandani

Jon Reed and Vinnie Mirchandani have their differences when it comes to the outlook for robotics and jobs. At Inforum 2016, they sat down for a podcast taping where Vinnie explained the motivations behind his soon-to-be-released book and why he is optimistic about robotics and how workers can find new ways of working with tech and alongside the robots of the future. Vinnie made his case for why alarmists aren't helping us and the guys do some back and forth over the responsibilities of workers and employers and our educational system for adapting to the changes that automation brings.Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.

The evolution of Infor - a cloudy chat with Brian Sommer

In this live chat from Inforum 2016, Jon talks with Brian Sommer about Infor's evolution, and how Brian sees Infor's cloud play based on his view of cloud business. The guys cover the takeaways from the show, and Infor's strengths and potential pitfalls. Brian closes with advice to customers on assessing Infor. Note: part two of this podcast, to be released soon, will look at radical enterprise performance management, data science, and the change in the accounting profession. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes.