As part of its efforts to recover from the global COVID-19 pandemic and become more efficient, Manchester Airports Group, which is responsible for the operation of airports in Manchester, London Stansted, and the East Midlands, has implemented RISE with SAP on AWS.
RISE with SAP, the concierge Business Transformation as a Service (BTaaS) service from the German enterprise software giant, steadily gained traction across the globe with enterprises of all sizes implementing it in a variety of industries and segments. Introduced in January 2021, RISE with SAP is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system built on the tech provider’s in-memory database SAP HANA, is a solution that combines managed cloud infrastructure and managed services under a single contract.
Earlier this year, UK organizations Unipart and Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) both chose SAP’s subscription-based cloud service to replace their aging ERP systems and improve their systems integration. Recently, leading UK airport operating company Manchester Airports Group has joined a list of businesses that have publicly announced joining the RISE with SAP program. These companies also include Twinings Ovaltine, process engineering firm Briggs of Burton, London-based automotive business Inchcape, petrol station and food retailer EG Group, and Asda.
In a press release issued by SAP and Manchester Airports Group, it was explained that the airport operator decided to up its technological investments as part of a business transformation program called Project Build Back Smarter. It was also stated that Manchester Airports Group went live on the BTaaS offering in March 2022, which is part of a transition that is planned to take place over a period of five years.
Commenting on the RISE with SAP on Amazon Web Services collaboration project, SAP UK and Ireland Managing Director said that the company is thrilled to be assisting Manchester Airports Group as it begins its journey towards a comprehensive digital transformation. He further added:
“The tourism industry has been profoundly affected over the last couple of years, but as Manchester Airports Group becomes more agile, automated, and insights-driven, it is putting itself in the best possible position to take off as global restrictions ease.”
Implementing RISE with SAP on AWS Cloud
Manchester Airports Group Chief Information Officer Nicholas Woods said that following a period in which the airport sector faced many challenges, it is currently witnessing a rise in the number of individuals who are open to doing travel. And because the number of passengers continues to rise, Woods noted that the company must become as flexible as possible in order to provide the highest level of service to its clients and to satisfy the requirements of its employees in the workplace.
The organization came to the conclusion that the intelligent ERP system SAP S/4HANA should serve as the foundation of its technology program. They also made the decision to have this ERP system implemented on the cloud, with AWS serving as the infrastructure provider for the cloud.
Moreover, the primary focus of the Project Build Back Smarter initiative is to transform the department aside from the substantial assets that were being managed. Manchester Airports Group selected SAP S/4HANA as the core of this strategy, with a migration to the cloud helping to restructure and streamline massive and complicated business operations.
In addition, a “lift and shift” of its current SAP ERP Central Component (SAP ECC) systems will take place as the first stage of the move to RISE with SAP. This will be done with the intention of eventually migrating to SAP S/4HANA Cloud in the future.
Sharing more about its RISE with SAP partnership with the German tech giant, Woods stated:
“Our SAP partnership allows us to do just that, initially shifting key functions to the cloud, with a view to completing a full digital transformation in the next few years.”