​​​PwC South East Asia Consulting establishes Centre of Excellence to drive Business AI Innovation in Southeast Asia 

PwC South East Asia Consulting announced the establishment of an AI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Southeast Asia (SEA) to better support customers in the region. Developed in collaboration with SAP in Southeast Asia, the CoE, will focus on the key principles of Business AI defined by SAP that include delivering relevant, reliable and responsible AI.

SAP Business AI is built into the SAP applications that power critical business processes. It comprises a range of AI innovations that have been developed using extensive industry-specific data and deep process knowledge, all created using responsible AI practices.

The CoE will provide access to regional and global experts from both PwC and SAP, with the goal of delivering value to customers based on the following three strategic areas: 

1. Uncover opportunities to improve business processes by prioritising use cases for Business AI, 

2. Build the CoE’s capabilities to deliver business outcomes through practical roadmap and enablement, 

3. Build trusted, responsible, reliable solutions to help value realisation through prototyping and available repeatable assets. 

More than 27,000 customers already rely on SAP Business AI to achieve real-word business results, and SAP continues to accelerate the delivery of Business AI use cases across its cloud portfolio. The CoE will focus on making these use cases real for customers by leveraging SAP technology, including Joule, SAP’s AI co-pilot for business, and applications with embedded AI such as SAP Cash Application and SAP Business Integrity Screening.

The PwC team will utilise technologies like SAP Signavio to identify business process optimisation potential and leverage prebuilt-AI and AI via SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP). The team will also collaborate with SAP to develop tailored solutions to complement business processes – such as Procure to Pay, Order to Cash, Record to Report, and Hire to Retire – and leverage the GenAI capabilities within SAP Build Code and GenAI Hub, to expedite the development process as well as activating PwC’s regional engagement team in The Philippines to simplify and regionalise the solutions’ development. The CoE will also promote PwC’s proprietary solutions, such as PwC Autocommenting, to help customers unlock the potentials of their own financial data.

The CoE will support businesses in its digital-transformation efforts via the following approaches:

• Strategy and advisory services: Help clients understand the potential impact of Business AI on their business and industry. They can provide strategic guidance on how to leverage Business AI technologies to improve operational efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and drive innovation. 

• Implementation and integration: Assist clients in implementing Business AI solutions within their existing systems and processes. This includes identifying the right Business AI technologies, integrating them with existing infrastructure, and ensuring smooth deployment and adoption. 

• Data and Analytics: Help clients harness the power of Business AI by leveraging their expertise in data analytics. They can assist in collecting, analysing, and interpreting large volumes of data to derive valuable insights and make data-driven decisions. 

• Ethical and regulatory considerations: Guide clients in navigating the ethical and regulatory challenges associated with Business AI. The CoE can help develop responsible AI frameworks, ensure compliance with privacy and security regulations, and address concerns related to bias, transparency, and accountability. 

• Talent and workforce transformation: Support clients in upskilling their workforce to adapt to the changing landscape of Business AI. The CoE can provide training programmes, talent acquisition strategies, and organisational restructuring guidance to help clients maximise the benefits of Business AI while minimising disruption. 

• Risk management: Assist clients in identifying and managing the risks associated with Business AI implementation. This includes assessing cybersecurity vulnerabilities, addressing legal and regulatory compliance issues, and developing contingency plans for potential disruptions.
  
  
  

The CoE will align closely to SAP’s Business AI roadmap, best practices and solution updates, to provide comprehensive consulting services to support clients in navigating the opportunities and challenges presented by Business AI, enabling them to stay competitive and thrive in the evolving business landscape.