SAP NOW Brazil 2024 brought together leading companies and innovators to highlight how generative AI can drive business transformation.
At SAP NOW Brazil 2024, SAP organized its first-ever Innovation Tournament in the country, aiming to promote AI-driven solutions to real-world business challenges. The event featured four major Brazilian companies—Vale, Embraer, Natura, and Randoncorp—each tasked with developing and prototyping AI-based solutions within a two-day competition. The companies worked with guidance from SAP experts and local startups, using SAP’s Business Technology Platform (BTP) and SAP Build, a low-code development solution, to address specific challenges within their operations. (InsideSAP often references articles from websites in other languages to bring you as much information as possible.)
The format, likened to a “reverse Shark Tank,” pushed participants to not only identify pressing business issues but also design AI-powered solutions that could bring immediate improvements. Vale emerged as the winner, with a solution focused on integrating maintenance control with the automatic reuse of leftover materials. This initiative aligned with their goal of reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices. As the winning company, Vale will now represent Brazil in the South American stage of the competition, scheduled to be held virtually in late October 2024.
Highlighting Innovation at SAP NOW Brazil 2024
In the competition’s final round, Vale and Embraer presented their projects to a panel of industry experts, all of whom had strong ties to the startup ecosystem. Vale’s solution, focused on enhancing efficiency and sustainability, resonated well with the judges. Embraer, the runner-up, presented a mobile platform leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to streamline quality management. Their solution aimed to reduce operational costs while improving data reliability, allowing for quicker responses to quality issues within the company.
Two other participating companies also showcased their innovative AI solutions. Natura, a leader in sustainable beauty, introduced a project that empowered its Beauty Consultants by optimizing their order processes. This AI-driven solution was designed to align with Natura’s broader sustainability goals, promoting positive social and environmental impacts across its supply chain. Randoncorp, meanwhile, focused on improving quality control processes using AI-powered visual inspection, which could significantly enhance the accuracy and speed of production monitoring.
The Role of AI in Latin America’s Business Future
According to Matheus Souza, SAP Latin America’s Chief Innovation Officer, the rise of AI solutions is not just an opportunity but a necessity for businesses in Brazil and across Latin America. With more than 26,000 customers worldwide already integrating AI into SAP solutions, the focus for SAP is to enable customers and partners to develop their own AI use cases. The Innovation Tournament serves as a platform to demonstrate how AI can be tailored to address industry-specific challenges, helping companies future-proof their operations in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Souza emphasized that as AI becomes more embedded in SAP’s portfolio, businesses that can adapt and create innovative solutions will gain a competitive edge. The event also highlighted SAP’s commitment to fostering an innovation-friendly environment where businesses can explore new AI applications that go beyond traditional processes, empowering them to rethink their operations and remain agile in a fast-changing market.
The Innovation Tournament at SAP NOW Brazil exemplifies how AI is being positioned as a critical tool for solving complex business problems. SAP’s efforts to support companies in applying AI effectively highlight the growing importance of technological adoption in Brazil’s corporate landscape. Through events like this, SAP also continues to nurture a culture of innovation that extends beyond its existing solutions, offering businesses the tools they need to create and implement AI-driven strategies that are tailored to their specific needs.
