Technology Revolution: The Future of Now

What's at the top of your business wish list this holiday season? If you're hoping for a crystal ball to see what 2015 may bring for your company, industry and the world, we've got the next best thing. On Dec. 10, Dec. 17, and Jan. 7, you'll hear a total of more than 40 thought leaders' predictions on the technologies, strategies, and trends that can help you grow and compete better in 2015 and beyond. Pour a cup of Joe, Earl, or Dom, and join us on Dec. 10 for SAP Game-Changers Radio 2015 Predictions – Part 1 live! Panelists: Sherryanne Meyer, Air Products and Chemicals; Sven Denecken, SAP; W. David Stephenson, Stephenson Strategies; Dr. Steven Hunt, SuccessFactors; Tim Barker, Datasift; Brent Leary, CRM Essentials; Justin Locke, Author; David Fowler, SAP Services; Dr. Ashok Ranchhod, Gamification Researcher; Hansen Lieu, SAP; Gopal Rajguru, Innovate+Grow Group; Jayson Mayden, MarkOne; Jeremy Epstein, Sprinklr; Ingrid Bernaudin, SAP. Happy holidays from SAP Game-Changers Radio!

The buzz: Your business wish list Wishing and hoping for a crystal ball to see what 2015 may bring for your company, industry and the world? We've got the next best thing. On our three-part Predictions 2015 Special, you'll hear 40 thought leaders' insights on the technologies, strategies, and trends that can help you grow and compete better in 2015 and beyond. Pour a cup of Joe, Earl, or Dom, and join us on Dec. 17 for SAP Game-Changers Radio 2015 Predictions – Part 2 live, with Kerry Brown, SAP; Jeff Tanner, Baylor University; Stacey Perrin, SAP; Gary Cokins, Analytics-Based Performance Management; Frank Rust, SOMMERRUST; John Ragsdale, TSIA; Jaco Van Eeden, Deloitte; Florian Brody, SAP; Nataraj Ganapathy, Cogent Integrated Business Solutions; Reuven Gorsht, SAP; Falk Rieker, SAP; Kaan Turnali, SAP; Steve Player, Beyond EPS Advisors; Andrew J. Sherman, Jones Day. Hear Predictions Part 1 (Dec. 10) on-demand at ow.ly/FE4jB. Happy holidays from SAP Game-Changers Radio.

What's at the top of your business wish list this holiday season? If you're hoping for a crystal ball to see what 2015 may bring for your company, industry and the world, we've got the next best thing. On Dec. 10, Dec. 17, and Jan. 7, you'll hear a total of more than 40 thought leaders' predictions on the technologies, strategies, and trends that can help you grow and compete better in 2015 and beyond. Pour a cup of Joe, Earl, or Dom, and join us on Dec. 10 for SAP Game-Changers Radio 2015 Predictions – Part 1 live! Panelists: Sherryanne Meyer, Air Products and Chemicals; Sven Denecken, SAP; W. David Stephenson, Stephenson Strategies; Dr. Steven Hunt, SuccessFactors; Tim Barker, Datasift; Brent Leary, CRM Essentials; Justin Locke, Author; David Fowler, SAP Services; Dr. Ashok Ranchhod, Gamification Researcher; Hansen Lieu, SAP; Gopal Rajguru, Innovate+Grow Group; Jayson Mayden, MarkOne; Jeremy Epstein, Sprinklr; Ingrid Bernaudin, SAP. Happy holidays from SAP Game-Changers Radio!

The buzz: Industrial Internet. The world as we knew it a few years ago has changed. The Internet of Things or Industrial Internet now promises to transform businesses and competition in most industries. Is your company ready to seize the opportunities or are you stuck in the dark ages? The experts speak. Dave Westrom, ThingWorx: "If all you're trying to do is essentially the same thing as your rivals, then it's unlikely that you'll be very successful" (Michael Porter). Quentin Fisher, HCL Axon: "We humans have indeed always been adept at dovetailing our minds and skills to the shape of our current tools and aids. But when those tools and aids start dovetailing back ...the line between tool and user becomes flimsy indeed. (Andy Clark). Chris Hallenbeck, SAP: We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims. (R. Buckminster Fuller). Join us for Industrial Internet: Real-Time to Grow Your Business – Part 3.

The buzz: Retail. Retailers: If you're not making each customer's experience more engaging, exciting and fulfilling than your competitors are, help is here. Hints: Find your own retail niche. Leverage that distinction across your business. Nurture a "Fan to Brand" loyalty that compels shoppers to engage far beyond the purchase…and more. The experts speak. BJ Bueno, The Cult Branding Company: "Some customers have a religious devotion to a particular brand. They may go so far as to permanently scorch their skin with the logo or image of the brand they love." Scott McKain, Expert on Distinction: "'I LOVE shopping there. They treat me EXACTLY like everyplace else!' said no customer ever. Create distinction!" Nancy Casey, SAP: "The latest major disruption in the retail world is Alibaba's IPO which broke all records. With a market cap of $230B (larger than Amazon or eBay), the global retail market will never be the same." Join us for Retail Relevancy: Distinction Trumps Differentiation.

The buzz: Our safety. Product safety recalls are in the news so often that our reactions of shock and fear have been replaced by, "What now?" Manufacturers clearly need help identifying potential safety issues earlier in a new product's life cycle, detecting existing unknown issues, and keeping pace with increasing regulatory requirements. Can advanced analytics help proactively identify safety issues before lives are lost and injuries are sustained, launch recall campaigns sooner, and better protect consumers as well as the company's brand? The experts speak. Rob Biskup, Deloittte: "What we've got here is a failure to communicate." (Film: Cool Hand Luke) Derek Snaidauf, Deloitte: "Look, and you will find it—what is unsought will go undetected." (Sophocles) John Hack, SAP: "An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs." (Mitch Hedberg) Join us for A Matter of Life and Death: Advanced Analytics and Product Safety Recalls.

The buzz: Counterfeits, "Quality has its price" is especially true for drugs and medical devices, where counterfeiting is a $Billion market. How to protect consumer safety and stem revenue losses facing honest manufacturers? The food, fashion, high tech products and automotive industries face similar challenges. Will Life Sciences solve it first? The experts speak. Eric Newmark, IDC: "The life science industry has dragged its feet for the last two decades with item-level serialization, keeping it in the dark ages, and positioning itself as an easy target for counterfeiters." Manish Tandon, InfoSys: "True glory takes root and spreads; all false pretenses, like flowers, fall to the ground – nor can any counterfeit last long" (Marcus Tullius Cicero). Joe Miles, SAP: "When the World Health Organization says 10 percent of the drugs in the world market are fake, I'd say it's a reasonable and educated guess..." (Roger Bate). Join us for Counterfeit Medical Products: Stop the Madness.

The buzz: Banks. Since the financial crisis, banks have been working harder to rebuild customer trust and improve relationships, even offering interactive online communications to meet consumer demand. A survey from SAP and analyst firm Ovum finds many banks now seeking cloud technology to develop products faster, simplify operations, quickly enter new markets, and ultimately be more agile and customer-centric. How are they doing? The experts speak. Riva Richmond, EIU: "Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." (Abraham Lincoln). Daniel Mayo, Ovum: "SaaS, in enabling rapid change for incumbent banks and levelling the playing field for smaller banks and new entrants, is poised to transform the industry. The only question is when we will reach this point." Falk Rieker, SAP: "Adapt or die! Banking is undergoing a massive, rapid transformation that is technology-led and enabled." Join us for Financial Fast-Forward: Defining A Best Practice Bank.

The buzz: Mentoring. Great mentors can be invaluable to the success of individual employees, as well as to your entire organization. Are only a few employees, perhaps mainly one gender, privileged to have mentors? Are your mentoring practices building a diverse leadership or cloning "desirable" stereotypes? Do you support reverse mentoring in a multi-generational workforce? The experts speak. Brian Moran, Brian Moran & Associates: "Your most important task as a leader is to teach people how to think and ask the right questions so that the world doesn't go to hell if you take a day off." Sherryanne Meyer, Air Products and Chemicals: "Others may question your credentials, your papers, your degrees. Others may look for all kinds of ways to diminish your worth. But what is inside you no one can take from you or tarnish." (Pursuit of Happyness). Meaghan Sullivan, SAP: "I am not a teacher, but an awakener." (Robert Frost). Join us for Mentoring Done Right: Everybody Wins!–Part 3.

The buzz: A healthier future. On Pharma and Technology Part 1, we discussed the need for pharma to move quickly to introduce safe, cost-effective drugs that respond to cancer, Ebola, and other chronic and urgent diseases. Now we'll explore how pharma and medical devices companies are working to surmount health market hurdles andprepare for a healthier global future. How soon can they glean life-saving insights by connecting the dots scientific, clinical, genomic, and patient therapy data? Will new collaboration networks add value to clinical trials and post-drug-launches? Are they optimistic? The experts speak. Ashish Goel, Infosys: "Change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy" (Rudy Giuliani). Alan S. Louie, Ph.D, IDC Health Insights: "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life" (Confucius). Joe Miles, SAP: "Test fast, fail fast, adjust fast" (Tom Peters). Join us for Pharma and Technology: Higher Outcomes, Lower Costs – Part 2.