SAP NOW AI Tour: Applications: RISE with SAP on AWS: From Implementation to Innovation

In this panel discussion with AWS moderated by Nick Blamey, Ian Harvison (CIO, Infrabuild), Craig Lanigan (General Manager Enterprise Technology, Kmart), and Ram Kalyanasundaram (Group Technology & Digital Transformation Director, Lion) shared their cloud transformation journeys. Each organisation had unique catalysts for adopting RISE with SAP on AWS—from modernising legacy environments and addressing technical debt to supporting business mergers and unlocking innovation through SAP’s AI tools. The discussion also highlighted the challenges faced, such as system sizing during initial migrations, and how flexibility and speed played a critical role in adapting, with Kmart completing its migration in just nine months.The panel emphasised the importance of strategic partnerships, noting that close collaboration with AWS as a platform partner and with SAP enterprise architects was essential for success, ongoing support, and continuous innovation. Speakers pointed to tangible benefits already achieved, including improved user experiences, enhanced productivity, faster job completion, and significant cost savings, with Kmart reducing its upgrade cycle to just three months. Looking ahead, the organisations are prioritising future-focused innovation by leveraging AI and generative AI with Amazon Bedrock, streamlining claims processing, pursuing a clean core strategy by removing customisations, and using SAP BTP for extensibility and ongoing transformation.