In recent years, theartificial intelligence has become a fundamental pillar of the digital transformation. But few can exploit it like SAP, which has been on the market for about a year Joule; is the co-pilot of SAP’s generative AI, designed to integrate artificial intelligence into business processes. Speak the “language of business”understands the operational context in which the company operates and offers personalized support. Using the SAP Knowledge Graph and collaborative agents, automate analysis, generate reports and improve efficiency, revolutionizing data management and business decisions.
Joule is therefore not just an assistant, but a system that includes the business context and integrates perfectly into processes. It “lives” in your SAP installation, regardless of the solutions used or even the geographical location: those who choose to use a single instance of SAP on a distributed system will be able to count on a Joule that knows the entire system and acts considering all the information .
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As stated by Carla MasperiCEO of SAP Italia, “we believe that the next frontier of AI goes beyond isolated efficiencies and consists inunify seamlessly people, data and processes to create value for the business and amplify the impact of results”.
Because Joule is one step ahead of other copilots
Yes, but what exactly does Joule have compared to the many assistants that promise to make us “talk to our data”? Well, Joule stands out thanks to the SAP Knowledge Graphwhich allows you to map relationships and contexts between company data, ensuring a deeper insight. With beyond numerous scenarios already activeJoule helps companies simplify complex tasks like analyzing contracts and identifying financial discrepancies. This approach improves the cross-functional collaborationbreaking down information silos and promoting efficiency.
It should also be remembered that Joule was born within a company with over 50 years of experience, and an almost unique expertise when it comes to company processes and data. An experience that is somehow found in Joule, and that other market players simply cannot offer.
Prysmian and SAP: Innovation at the service of the future
Prysmian, world leader in the production of cables for energy and telecommunications, represents a success story in the application of SAP solutions. With a presence in over 50 countries and a turnover exceeding 15 billion euros in 2023, the company has undertaken a radical digital transformation project, based on RISE with SAP to migrate its IT infrastructure to the cloud in just 4 months, and subsequently integrating Joule. Giovanni Cauteruccio, CIO and CDO of Prysmian, described this transition as an essential step to consolidate the market leadership and ensure a harmonized management of global systems.
Joule stands out thanks to the SAP Knowledge Graph, which allows you to map relationships and contexts between company data, guaranteeing a deeper insight.
The Joule integration will have a significant impact on 26 strategic business processes, demonstrating its effectiveness in areas such as supply chaindata analysis and financial control. Cauteruccio highlighted that Joule not only improves the usability of the databut allows the company to respond with greater agility to market challenges, supporting Prysmian’s “Connect to Lead” strategy, aimed at strengthening its leading position in energy transition and digital transformation.
A key element of this transformation was the use of advanced cloud infrastructure, implemented through RISE with SAP. Roberto Fraccapani, Head of Solution & Architect Advisory at SAP Italia, explained that the cloud represents a fundamental platform for standardizing operational processes on a global scale. This infrastructure allows Prysmian to centralize data, improve its management and accelerate the implementation of new technologies. Fraccapani underlined that Joule, thanks to its contextual approach, enables advanced use of company data, guaranteeing transparency and consistency in analysis and fostering unprecedented cross-functional collaboration.
Adopting Joule does more than just optimize operational efficiency. As stated by Cauteruccio, it represents a crucial element to support Prysmian’s transition from a cable manufacturer to a supplier of innovative solutions for the energy and telecommunications sectors. Joule, by integrating into decision-making processes, allows you to make the most of the company’s information assets and supports theintelligent automationimproving operational effectiveness and innovation capacity.
Thanks to this partnership with SAP, Prysmian is now better equipped to face future challenges and exploit the opportunities offered by digital transformation. Joule is not just a technological tool, but a catalyst for change, which allows the company to position itself at the forefront of its sector and drive innovation towards an increasingly connected and sustainable future.
In fact, Joule can analyze large amounts of company data in real time, generate detailed reports and suggest corrective actions, all while allowing users to focus on higher-value strategic tasks.
AI as a new user interface
Jesper Schleimann, SAP’s Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer for EMEA, described Joule as a “virtual colleague” that doesn’t just execute commands, but understands the operational context of users and acts proactively. This definition reflects the technological leap that theartificial intelligence is making: from a simple tool to a real one user interface (UI) capable of interacting with systems and people on a whole new level. In fact, Joule can analyze large amounts of company data in real time, generate detailed reports and suggest corrective actions, all while allowing users to focus on higher-value strategic tasks.
This evolution transforms Joule into a central element for the operational managementimproving efficiency and accelerating decision-making processes. For example, Joule is able to identify errors in financial documents, propose corrections and even draft a communication for managers, reducing operational times and minimizing human errors. This approach improves daily operations, allowing teams to achieve faster and more accurate results.
Soon Joule will be enriched by AI Agents (release has already started); specialized tools that represent further progress, expanding the capabilities of artificial intelligence beyond simple assistance. These agents not only respond to user requests, but interact autonomously with different digital environmentsenabling seamless collaboration between systems. A significant example is the management of complex documents, such as contracts: agents can analyze the clauses, extract relevant data and provide targeted summaries, making the decision-making process faster and based on concrete information.
Schleimann emphasized that this evolution of AI is not just technical, but represents a new paradigm for digital experiences. Joule does not just “do” but “understands”, acting as an expert colleague which improves operational effectiveness and frees up resources for more creative and strategic activities. With Joule and AI Agents, SAP is shaping a future where artificial intelligence is an integral part of the workflow, simplifying business complexities and transforming how we interact with data.
A Europe lagging behind on investments
When talking about AI, it is inevitable to return to the topic of the distance between Europe and the rest of the world, the United States in particular. The EU somehow holds back development with more stringent rules, which however bring great benefits in other forms – both for citizens and for companies. There is no denying, however, that this scenario weighs on investments.
The combination of ethical responsibility and technological innovation represents a strength for Europe, positioning it as a leader in sustainable AI.
Despite the progress, in fact, Europe remains behind the United States in terms of investments generative artificial intelligence. Alessandro Piva, Director of the AI Observatory of the Polytechnic of Milanhighlighted that American startups dominate the sector with significantly higher investment volume. However, Europe stands out for its ethical and regulatory approach. Prysmian, for example, has established an internal group dedicated to ethical responsibilityensuring compliance with regulations and addressing issues such as data quality and algorithmic transparency.
Carla Masperi reiterated that SAP is investing to close this gap. Customer training through SAP Learning Hub is an example of how SAP supports companies in adopting advanced AI technologies. This approach helps organizations develop internal capabilities and exploit the full potential of digital solutions.
Ethics and sustainability at the heart of AI
A crucial aspect discussed during the conference was that ofethics in AI. Fraccapani explained that data quality is essential to avoid errors or algorithmic “hallucinations”. This approach is particularly relevant for Prysmian, which uses Joule to ensure data consistency and improve decision-making processes. The combination of ethical responsibility and technological innovation represents a strong point for Europe, positioning it as a leader in Sustainable AI.
Schleimann added that the future of enterprise AI is based on models that combine operational efficiency and sustainability. Emerging trends, such as AI for health and defense, point to a landscape in which these technologies will become increasingly strategic for businesses.
The SAP and Prysmian project demonstrates how artificial intelligence can be a real game-changer for companies. Through Joule, organizations not only improve productivity, but create new opportunities for innovation and growth. With a clear strategy and a commitment to ethics and sustainability, AI is emerging as the key to addressing the challenges and seizing the opportunities of the future.
Source: www.tomshw.it
