PEX Network’s weekly bulletin rounds up the latest industry vendor news including product releases/updates, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships and leadership changes.
This week includes:
- SAP completes WalkMe acquisition
- Appian partners with Children’s National Hospital
- Celonis launches Change Makers Acceleration Program
- Esker releases Synergy Transformer to streamline order processing
- WNS named a “leader” for healthcare payer operations transformation
- Rossum and Barkers partner to optimize Coupa use, streamline procurement processes
- BPM-D publishes process mining accelerators in Software AG marketplace
SAP completes WalkMe acquisition
Business solutions giant SAP SE completed its acquisition of digital adoption platform company WalkMe Ltd. WalkMe’s technology enables workflow execution across business software applications, improving user experience and adoption and supporting business transformation. The deal will see WalkeMeX’s AI capabilities enhance SAP’s copilot Joule with context-aware and proactive help across workflows, allowing users to become more productive, according to a press release.
The completion of the acquisition has been reported to the Nasdaq Stock Market. With an equity value of about US$1.5 billion, this represents an approximate 45 percent premium to WalkMe’s closing share price on June 4, 2024, the day SAP and WalkMe agreed to binding terms of the acquisition.
Appian partners with Children’s National Hospital
Business process automation vendor Appian announced a partnership with Children’s National Hospital to raise awareness and funds for pediatric healthcare in the Washington, DC area. This includes sponsoring the Children’s National Race for Every Child 5K on October 19, 2024.
Children’s National is one of the nation’s oldest independent children’s hospitals and has been a leader in pediatric care and research for over 150 years. It is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels.
“We are committed to reimagining what care means for children by rapidly advancing knowledge, insights and innovative approaches,” said Elizabeth Treble, AVP, Children’s National Hospital Foundation. “We are also dedicated to training the next generation of diverse researchers and innovators to improve child health outcomes and promote health equity. We are grateful for corporate partners like Appian who support our mission.”
Celonis launches Change Makers Acceleration Program
“To that end, we bring together industry experience, applied research and the vast experience of our participants,” said Maximilian Röglinger, managing director of Fraunhofer FIT. The program’s key focus areas are value, governance, process, management, people and technology, he added.
Esker releases Synergy Transformer to streamline order processing
AI-driven process automation vendor Esker announced its newest Esker Synergy AI product update, Synergy Transformer. Designed to streamline order processing by optimizing data extraction, Esker’s Synergy Transformer uses a custom-trained language model to harnesses advanced Transformer technology with training data specifically tailored to the nuances of order language, ensuring precise and efficient data extraction, according to a press release. Esker claimed that the Synergy Transformer is faster at extracting large quantities of data from orders than large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT 4 that focus on broader capabilities. This enables organizations to equip their CSR teams with AI capabilities, eliminating the need for extensive investments of time and resources in sourcing, evaluating, testing and refining alternative models, the firm added.
“This new product feature further liberates CSRs by automating error-prone order data entry, freeing them to focus on strategic priorities,” commented Aurélien Coq, product manager at Esker. “We are constantly listening to users and seeking out new opportunities for improvement to deliver even greater value through AI. Introducing Synergy Transformer to our solutions marks the latest step forward in that ongoing mission.”
Ramnath Natarajan, Johnson Controls, discusses running an intelligent automation center of excellence
WNS named a “leader” for healthcare payer operations transformation
Business process management (BPM) solutions firm WNS was recognized as a “leader” in NelsonHall’s 2024 NEAT Vendor Evaluation for healthcare payer operations transformation. WNS’ clinical summarization platform, powered by generative AI, helps users to quickly and efficiently process large volumes of medical information to streamline prior authorization and reduce fraud, waste and abuse, according to a press release.
“WNS was identified as a leader in the healthcare payer operations transformation NEAT for its ability to provide substantial benefits to clients with its innovative approach and continued investment in new technologies,” said Bilal Chaudhry, principal healthcare and insurance analyst at NelsonHall. “This includes integration of generative AI capabilities to enhance healthcare operations and its overall strategy that promotes an advisor-led approach to building solutions.”
WNS explored driving business efficiency with the power of generative AI and no-code case management at All Access: BPM 2024.
Rossum and Barkers partner to optimize Coupa use, streamline procurement processes
Intelligent document processing (IDP) vendor Rossum partnered with Barkers, a consultancy specializing in digital transformation and procurement advisory, to help organizations optimize their use of Coupa and streamline procurement processes. By identifying areas for improvement and optimization, Barkers can help organizations unlock the full potential of their Coupa investment, while leveraging Rossum’s IDP solution to further automate document-heavy tasks, the pair stated in a press release. Key benefits of the partnership include enhanced procurement automation, deep industry knowledge and a proven Coupa track record, they added.
“Many organizations aim to drive more value from their Coupa investment,” commented David Jamieson, head of alliance at Rossum. “By combining Rossum’s AI-powered document automation with Barkers’ deep procurement expertise, we’re enabling businesses to identify untapped potential within their Coupa implementations. Together, we’ll help organizations optimize their procurement processes, reduce costs, and drive significant ROI.”
BPM-D publishes process mining accelerators in Software AG marketplace
Process excellence and digital transformation services provider BPM-D announced that it has become the first partner of process management and low-code vendor Software AG to publish its process mining accelerators in the Software AG marketplace. The accelerators are pre-built templates designed to speed up organizations’ process mining journeys by offering pre-configured analysis and visualization templates, BPM-D stated.
“It’s great to see that our ARIS Gallery ecosystem is growing and growing,” commented Dr Julian Krumeich, senior director product management at Software AG. “This is a win-win for all of us: For our customers who benefit from accelerated time-to-value, for our valued partners who can offer their expertise globally and for us as a vendor of a comprehensive ecosystem.”
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