Blog / Pluto7 – Your Catalyst for Data Transformation

Pluto7- Your Catalyst for Data Transformation

Empowering Advanced Analytics and Gen AI on Google Cloud and SAP BTP

Imagine trying to find your way through a vast maze with only half a map. That’s what it’s like trying to make strategic business decisions without access to all your data.

Right now, many companies are struggling with this very challenge, facing roadblocks because their valuable data is stuck in silos. This issue is widespread, affecting areas from supply chain management to customer engagement.

When we talk about silos, we mean that information is isolated in different parts of the organization. 

For instance, a supply chain manager might struggle to make accurate demand forecasts because they don’t have real-time sales data. 

Or a marketer might miss opportunities to connect with customers because they don’t have access to full customer behavior data. In simple terms, when the dots of data are hard to connect, making informed decisions is hard.

Now imagine what it would be like to have a complete map, with all the pathways clearly marked. That’s the promise of the recent collaboration between SAP and Google Cloud, announced at SAP Sapphire 2023. 

These two tech giants are introducing a way to pull together all your data from different parts of your business. This collaboration aims to make data sharing simpler, making your entire data landscape viewable in real-time. This is big news, a game-changer for businesses that rely on SAP systems for managing business data. 

Image Source: SAP

Pluto7’s solutions and Partnership with Google Cloud & SAP

1. Data Consolidation

One thing was unmistakably clear from the SAP Sapphire event: we are on the cusp of a more open and collaborative data sharing environment.

The task of unifying SAP and non-SAP data will be significantly simplified, with Google Cloud launching SAP-focused solutions such as the Cortex Framework, and SAP enriching its Business Technology Platform (BTP) to seamlessly integrate external insights.

Image Source: SAP

Pluto7’s data platform solutions are perfectly positioned to thrive in this evolving ecosystem. Our solutions are purpose-built to comprehend both SAP and Google Cloud landscapes, facilitating data transformations that are tailor-made to address specific business use cases. 

How will it work out for the end-user?

Let’s take the example of a multinational that has warehouses and suppliers worldwide, and uses Salesforce for CRM and SAP for ERP.

Let’s say, they need to decide how many SKUs of product category A to stock in its Beijing warehouse for the next quarter.

Currently, the team manually reviews:

❊   Salesforce data showing increasing sales in Asia, particularly China.

❊   SAP data indicating the Beijing warehouse is at 75% capacity, with its turnover for product category A increasing.

❊   External data predicting rising demand for the product categoru in China due to an upcoming holiday.

❊   Supplier confirmations that they can ramp up production if needed.

Based on these, they decide to increase its Beijing stock by X% for the next quarter. However, this manual data aggregation is time-consuming and may result in outdated information.

How Pluto7 Can Help?

Using Pluto7’s Planning Platform, data from Salesforce, SAP, external sources, and suppliers can be automatically pulled into a centralized platform. 

Real-time analytics applied on this integrated dataset can provide instant insights, aiding quick and informed decisions. 

For instance, if all data indicates increased demand, our system can immediately suggest increasing Beijing’s stock, saving crucial time and ensuring timely inventory management.

Watch the Solution Demo

2. Leveraging External Datasets  

Historically, relying solely on internal data has limited the accuracy of forecasts and inventory decisions. The need for external datasets has been apparent for a while, but concerns around data security have acted as roadblocks. 

Now, with Google Cloud and SAP uniting to address this issue, we are seeing a game-changing solution.

Take Pluto7’s Demand ML solution on SAP BTP as an example. It’s designed explicitly for this purpose, allowing SAP IBP users to seamlessly incorporate over 250+ external datasets like weather patterns, Google Trends, and more. This plug-and-play solution helps businesses make informed decisions by enriching their internal data with valuable external insights.

Pluto7’s approach to data security is unique. Instead of copying data onto Google Cloud, we use a Federated Learning approach. This method enables us to create machine learning models on Google Cloud that can read and analyze your SAP data without replicating it.

Let’s consider an example to illustrate this: 

A retail business can now predict sales for an upcoming week by combining its historical sales data in SAP with real-time weather forecasts and trending products on Google Trends. 

Demand ML enables the creation of a machine learning model that reads this data directly from SAP and the external sources, processes it on Google Cloud, and delivers the insights back to SAP in real-time. 

This approach ensures data security while providing businesses with valuable insights that can enhance decision-making.

3. Harnessing AI and ML (Including Gen AI)

Harnessing the potential of AI and Machine Learning has often been perceived as complex, but at Pluto7, we strive to make these technologies straightforward and accessible. 

For SAP users who have been pondering, “how do I use AI and ML models to extract insights out of my SAP data?” – the recent alliance between Google Cloud and SAP provides a robust solution.

Through powerful tools like BigQuery and Vertex AI, creating and deploying AI/ML models has become a swift and iterative process. These tools enable users to set up models quickly, facilitating rapid testing and deployment, which ultimately accelerates the pace of innovation and decision-making.

At Pluto7, we have been at the forefront of this transformation, having delivered hundreds of projects leveraging Google Cloud tools for renowned companies like ABInBev, Lixil, Stelco, Levis, among others. 

Our pilot project with AB InBev won the prestigious “Supply Chain Breakthrough of the Year” award from Gartner. Watch the video 

In every project, our primary goal has been to deliver exceptional value and return on investment (ROI) for our clients. 

Challenges Faced by Different Roles in an Organization: Solving with Pluto7’s Expertise

With the transformative collaboration between Google Cloud and SAP, new avenues are opening up, enabling us to leverage cutting-edge technologies such as AI, Machine Learning, and now Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs).

The introduction of Gen AI and LLM into the enterprise realm presents exhilarating opportunities. At Pluto7, we’re stepping up our game by integrating a Gen AI layer into our data platform. 

With a user-friendly chat-like interface (currently in Beta), our platform is showing promising results, answering complex queries related to inventory management and forecasting with astounding accuracy.

As we move forward, we can’t help but ask, “What does the future look like with these innovations in play?” The advancements we are witnessing are shaping a future where data silos no longer exist, where AI and ML are accessible and used widely, where informed decision-making is the norm, not the exception.

To bring this into perspective, let’s consider the challenges faced by different roles within an organization and examine how Pluto7’s solutions cater to each.

Role: Supply Chain Leaders

Challenges	Pluto7’s Solutions
Fluctuating Inventory:  How do I manage fluctuating inventory levels across different locations?	Inventory ML provides real-time inventory visibility and predictive management. Explore the Solution
Uncertain Demand: How can I accurately predict future demand to prevent overstocking or running out of stock?	Demand ML combines historical sales data and external factors to predict future demand. Explore the Solution
Lack of Visibility: How can I gain better visibility into my end-to-end supply chain?	Planning in a Box gives you in-depth visibility into each area of your supply chain. Explore the Solution

Role: Chief Information Officers

Challenges	Pluto7’s Solutions
Scattered Data:  How do I access and combine data from different parts of the business?	Pluto7’s Data Platform provides solutions for a simplified data landscape. Explore the Solution
Data Security: How can I ensure data security when working with external datasets?	Pluto7 uses a Federated Learning Approach for secure data access without replication. Explore the Solution
Leveraging Emerging  Technologies:  How can I implement AI and ML models at scale?	We provide solutions that simplify the integration and scaling of AI/ML models within existing systems, leveraging Google Cloud’s infrastructure. Explore the Solution
Data across Clouds:  How can I effectively leverage a multi-cloud strategy?	With our extensive expertise and solutions designed for a multi-cloud environment, we can guide organizations in leveraging the benefits of a multi-cloud approach. Explore the Solution
Innovating under Budget Constraints:  How can I innovate while staying within budget constraints?	Our solutions leverage cost-effective yet powerful technologies of Google Cloud, ensuring high ROI for each project. Explore the Solution

Role: Manufacturing Heads

Challenges	Pluto7’s Solutions
Machine Failures:  How can I predict machinery failure to prevent unplanned downtime?	Our solution uses AI to analyze production processes and suggest optimizations, reducing waste and improving efficiency Explore the Solution
Sustainability: How can I optimize production processes to reduce waste?

Role: Marketing Leaders

Challenges	Pluto7’s Solutions
Understanding Customer Behavior:  How can I understand complex customer behavior and predict trends?	Our solution uses AI/ML to analyze customer behavior, predict trends, and enhance customer engagement Explore the Solution
Personalization at Scale: How can I deliver personalized experiences to customers at scale?

What sets Pluto7 apart? 

As companies navigate their digital transformation journeys, selecting the right partner becomes pivotal. A company that offers quick results, flexibility, deep domain expertise, and embraces the most advanced technologies is a significant asset. With this in mind, we would like to elaborate on what differentiates Pluto7 in the market. 

1. Quick Time to Value 

Pluto7 prides itself on its rapid deployment of solution accelerators available on the Google Cloud Marketplace and SAP BTP, spanning supply chain, manufacturing, sales, and marketing use cases. 

These can be deployed in less than an hour, and customers can gain actionable insights in under eight weeks. Learn how Tacori leverages the platform.

Thanks to our deep expertise in both SAP and Google Cloud, we’re able to design, test, and deploy effective AI and ML models in less than eight weeks. This approach has proven successful with major companies such as ABInBev, Levis, and Schlumberger (SLB).

Read the Case Study

2. Customizable and Flexible Solutions

At Pluto7, we champion transparency and customization. Our approach involves a ‘glass-box’ methodology, where our AI and ML models are completely open to users for any necessary tweaks or modifications. This high level of customization enables our solutions to serve organizations of any size effectively. Additionally, the ability to incorporate custom algorithms offers data teams the flexibility they need as they adapt their data experiments to evolving data sets and business requirements.

Read the Case Study

3. Deep Expertise in SAP and Google Cloud

Our strong footing in both Google Cloud and SAP ecosystems allows us to utilize the Cortex Data Lake model for seamless data transformations. Our data platform leverages the Google Cloud Cortex Framework to ingest and harmonize data from various sources, subsequently running AI/ML models to provide accelerated insights. This streamlined process generates actionable intelligence across marketing, sales, supply chain, and finance for informed decision making.

Read the Case Study

4. Generative AI and Large Language Models

With the advent of Generative AI and Large Language Models, we’re eager to further revolutionize data analytics. Pluto7 is at the forefront of integrating these advanced tools into our solutions, enhancing our data platform capabilities on Google Cloud and SAP BTP. 

Imagine having a conversation with your data, asking a question, and receiving a precise answer. That’s Planning in a Box 3.0 for you.

The uniqueness of Planning in a Box 3.0 is further exemplified in its deep-rooted compatibility with SAP. It’s designed to seamlessly integrate with SAP, enabling organizations to leverage advanced analytics without disrupting their existing workflows.

Here’s a comparison of Planning in a Box 3.0 with other planning platforms:

Features	Planning in a Box 3.0	Other Platforms
Utilizes both internal and external datasets	✔️	❌
Incorporates over 250 external signals for insights	✔️	❌
High compatibility with SAP systems (S4 Hana & ECC integration)	✔️	❌
Ready-to-use connectors for SAP IBP via SAP BTP	✔️	❌
Customizable AI model (‘glass-box’ approach) for flexible data modeling	✔️	❌
Fast deployment (less than 2 hours) to minimize downtime	✔️	❌
Real-time insights delivery within 4 weeks to accelerate value realization	✔️	❌
Interactive chatbot for easy query handling	✔️	❌
Seamless Google Cloud integration for enriched data processing	✔️	❌
Advanced analytics for sales, marketing, and manufacturing verticals	✔️	❌
Real-time alerts and recommendations for proactive decision-making	✔️	❌
Integration with Google Adtech and Salesforce CRM for enhanced marketing analytics	✔️	❌

The Opportunity at Hand: Tap into the Power of Data, AI, and Gen AI

As every moment passes, data continues to grow, markets shift, and consumer preferences evolve. Organizations that hesitate or delay may find themselves grappling with a growing data abyss, unable to unlock the true value of their information assets.

The fusion of Google Cloud and SAP capabilities provides an unprecedented opportunity to supercharge your business operations. With Pluto7’s advanced solutions at your fingertips, you can master your data, cut through complexity, and unlock true business agility.

Our track record speaks volumes – hundreds of projects, significant ROI for our customers, rapid deployment, and tangible results within 4 weeks. But the real value lies in what comes next – sustained, agile business operations and continuous growth.

Inaction is no longer an option. Not when the stakes are this high. Seize this opportunity. 

Empower your business with our upcoming workshop. Unearth the potential of Data, AI, and Gen AI for your enterprise. It’s time to break down the barriers, because the opportunity is here, it’s transformative, and it’s immediate. Are you prepared to seize it?

Register Today