Collection of Public Sector Innovation Award Entries and Finalists 2024

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This blog serves as a summary of all the Public Sector-specific submissions for the Innovation Awards 2024. Additionally, this year, the Public Sector industry provided very prominent customer stories and relevant insights into their advanced collaboration with SAP. As a result, six out of the 13 entries made it among the finalists.

Introduction of Public Sector Innovation Awards 2024 Submissions: 

These made it among the winners: 

Essen für Alle (Switzerland)

Helping others in a professional manner 

"Essen für Alle" was founded in response to Switzerland's dual challenges of food waste and increasing financial vulnerability. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the NGO emerged to distribute surplus food from closed establishments to over 5,000 people monthly, irrespective of residency or financial status. With operations in Chur, Schwyz, and Zurich, the volunteer-driven organization continues its mission, delivering 18 tons of food essentials to over 1,600 food-insecure individuals every Saturday. As Switzerland sees an influx of refugees seeking safety and stability, the NGO's role in providing support becomes increasingly vital.

Essen für Alle, a volunteer-driven nonprofit NGO, with its focus on feeding the food insecure by optimizing its operations. Essen für Alle faced challenges such as process inefficiencies and security concerns, impacting volunteer scheduling, food distributions, and recipient management. They required a stable and user-friendly software architecture to address these issues. When an SAP employee proposed sponsoring the NGO's software foundation to SAP Switzerland's management team, it led to the development of a scalable and efficient cloud-based solution. They implemented a streamlined digital solution that integrates volunteer shift planning and recipient management systems. This approach ensures continuous volunteer coverage, effective monitoring of food donations, and smooth distribution management. By centralizing these processes, Essen für Alle enhances volunteer engagement, improves donation oversight, and fosters transparency in food distribution. Ultimately, this strategic initiative allows the organization to prioritize its mission of eradicating food insecurity in Switzerland.

German Federal Foreign Office (Germany) 

Focusing on actual tasks instead of email responses

The Federal Foreign Office, with offices in Berlin and Bonn and a network of around 230 missions abroad, plays a crucial role in maintaining Germany's relations worldwide. Beyond political engagements, it fosters interaction and exchange in various fields such as business, culture, science, technology, environment, and development. This comprehensive approach reflects Germany's active involvement in global networks and its commitment to international cooperation across diverse domains.

The digitalization of citizen inquiries to the German Federal Foreign Office demanded a modern, flexible, and scalable system capable of efficiently managing inquiries worldwide, especially during times of crisis. Leveraging SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), a customized solution was developed in collaboration with SAP Consulting. This highly adaptable and available solution integrates artificial intelligence to enhance inquiry processing efficiency. Utilizing a side-by-side approach, inquiries can be processed independently, ensuring centralized omni-channel communication with clear roles and responsibilities. Templates maintain consistent messaging across the Foreign Office, while the cloud-native architecture ensures resilience during high-demand scenarios, such as crises. 

FINALISTS 

Six (plus winners) out of the 13 Public Sector submission made among the list of finalists  as one of the most captivating and inspiring examples of innovation.

 Colsubsidio (Colombia)

Transitioning to a new technology for the improvement of lives

Colsubsidio, established in 1957, is a private nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of families across Colombia. With a wide range of social services and development programs spanning sectors like housing, finance, health, education, and more, Colsubsidio serves over 1.5 million members nationwide. Over its 60-year history, Colsubsidio has earned a reputation as a trusted entity committed to enhancing the quality of life in Colombia.

The challenge faced by Colsubsidio involved scattered member data across multiple technologies, hindering efficient analysis and resulting in lower revenues and satisfaction. To address this, they aimed to enhance member experience through comprehensive analytics. SAP BTP for Cloud Foundry seamlessly integrated with existing infrastructure, enabling connectivity with open-source tools. SAP Analytics Cloud provided dynamic visualization, while SAP Data Intelligence Cloud and SAP HANA Cloud facilitated advanced analytics. This implementation significantly improved data utilization, empowering teams to generate reports and models efficiently. By centralizing data and streamlining analysis, Colsubsidio achieved strategic objectives and enhanced internal perception of their business intelligence unit.

State Agency for Roads, Bridges and Waterways Hamburg (Germany)

Achieving long-time and aligning with political ones

The State Agency for Roads, Bridges, and Waterways oversees much of Hamburg's transportation infrastructure, managing about 2,500 bridges, as well as water management installations and river navigation. Responsible for infrastructure throughout its lifecycle, including flood and water protection, the agency plays a crucial role in maintaining and safeguarding Hamburg's essential structures and waterways.

Hamburg, the second-largest city in Germany and the EU's largest non-capital city, is home to over 5 million people. With approximately 2,500 bridges, it boasts more bridges than any other European city. To ensure efficient and safe operations, Hamburg's State Agency for Roads, Bridges, and Waterways (LSBG) relies on technology for quick identification of needs and solutions. Using SAP Business Technology Platform alongside SAP S/4HANA Cloud and other SAP solutions like SAP Asset Manager, LSBG enables real-time asset management. Field maintenance workers can assess infrastructure needs on-site, facilitating instant updates to maintenance systems and work orders. Through digitalization efforts, including the introduction of SAP S/4HANA, LSBG Hamburg streamlines the entire maintenance process—from recording structural damage to invoice processing—within a single, integrated system.

United States Department of Justice (United States)

Getting the job done by creating a true reporting center of excellence

Established in 1870, the Department of Justice (DOJ) ensures the rule of law, national security, and civil rights under the leadership of the Attorney General. With numerous divisions and offices nationwide and globally, the DOJ manages a significant budget through the Justice Management Division (JMD). JMD focuses on fiscal responsibility, human resources, information management, and policy. Recognizing the importance of technology, the DOJ emphasizes its role in enabling various missions and aims to adapt to evolving technological changes efficiently.

In response to Presidential Memo M-19-16 urging centralized mission support capabilities, the DOJ's Justice Management Division (JMD) devised a strategic plan to eliminate redundant legacy systems and consolidate management functions. Collaborating with SAP NS2,, DOJ implemented JEDI-NG, a comprehensive data and analytics platform running on SAP technologies in AWS GovCLOUD. JEDI-NG replaced outdated systems, providing end-to-end financial management visibility and consolidating decades of data into a shared service platform. The deployment significantly improved accountability, IT service delivery, and user satisfaction, prompting interest from other DOJ components to adopt JEDI-NG. This success has spurred discussions on expanding JEDI-NG's capabilities department-wide.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (United States)

Giving the tolls needed to handle multiple different projects

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania focuses on funding diverse services aimed at enhancing citizens' lives. These services encompass economic development, state assistance programs, and taxation. Embarking on its digital transformation, the commonwealth partnered with SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) in March 2023, securing the largest government CPEA contract in North America. The initial focus was on leveraging SAP solutions, including SAP Concur Solutions, to analyze employee expense reports and enhance management insights.

In its pursuit of government accountability and efficiency amidst fiscal challenges, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania prioritized leveraging data to enhance decision-making. Its initial focus was on optimizing the production and distribution of real-time analysis of employee expense reports. Through close collaboration with partner TSC and SAP experts, the organization identified key data fields and developed custom extracts using SAP BTP within a tight timeframe of 100 days. This involved implementing SAP Integration Suite to automate data extraction between SAP Concur and SAP Datasphere, enhancing analytics with SAP Analytics Cloud. The result was a significant increase in monthly data consumption and positive feedback from business owners, heralding a new era of digital government strategy for Pennsylvania. 

Transport for NSW (Australia)

Transforming the way people buy

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) is a government organization in New South Wales, Australia, overseeing various transport agencies and divisions. It focuses on developing safe, integrated, and efficient transport systems, including road, rail, and maritime networks. Committed to delivering better transport for the future, TfNSW shapes cities and communities, with customers at the forefront of its planning, strategy, and policy initiatives.

A strategic need emerged to enhance the Procurement buying experience for Transport employees. They faced challenges with outdated systems and processes, particularly following the ERP program update in 2016. Additionally, the NSW government shifted its focus towards safer and more sustainable procurement practices. With the end of support for the SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) module, there was added urgency for change.

To address this, the current shopping cart functionality will be replaced with SAP Ariba Guided Buying, integrated with SAP S/4HANA. This aims to streamline processes, ensure compliance, manage risks, achieve value for money spend, and optimize the operating model for procurement efforts. Rob Halsall, executive director of NSW procurement, states that Ariba Guided Buying means “A shift away from high pre-existing knowledge and transactional processing to guided in context rational buying.”

Ministry of Sports (Saudi Arabia)

Excel among sport leaders globally and regionally

The Ministry of Sport (MoS) in Saudi Arabia plays a pivotal role in regulating and promoting the sports sector, with a focus on improving the quality of life for citizens as outlined in the Saudi Vision 2030. Their mission is to develop a thriving athletic environment and achieve excellence in competitive sports on both regional and global levels. Within the MoS, the Clubs Support Strategy department is tasked with executing and overseeing the Clubs Support Strategy program, including digital transformation initiatives, to enhance the sports landscape and support sports clubs across Saudi Arabia.

The Ministry of Sport (MoS) in Saudi Arabia aimed to modernize its clubs' board of directors elections, transitioning from manual processes to a digital platform for increased compliance and transparency. They introduced a Sports Clubs Membership & Election Platform to manage memberships and conduct elections digitally, ensuring governance and visibility across all clubs. This centralized portal, powered by the SAP Business Technology Platform, streamlined processes such as scheduling, candidacy requests, eligibility review, voting monitoring, and result tracking. Coupled with cloud-based analytics, the platform provided deeper insights and improved management capabilities, leading to higher process visibility and minimal disruptions.

Swiss Post (Switzerland)

Drive change and shape the future of data analysis within HR

Swiss Post, headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, operates as a vital public service provider with a workforce of around 34,000 employees. Founded in 1849, Swiss Post's mission is to facilitate a modern Switzerland by seamlessly transporting goods, information, assets, and people through reliable services in both physical and digital realms. Committed to sustainability, Swiss Post aims to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2040 while upholding a strong universal service without external funding. Emphasizing economic success, ecological responsibility, and adherence to ethical standards and corporate responsibility, Swiss Post is dedicated to social responsibility.

The HR department faced challenges with data analysis due to distributed data across multiple systems and increased demand for self-service reporting. Implementing SAP Datasphere provided a solution by connecting and consolidating data sources, enabling comprehensive analysis within SAP Analytics Cloud. This empowered HR to achieve a harmonized view of data, ensuring governance and delivering state-of-the-art reports. With secure access and a self-service approach, HR gained control over data analysis, enhancing departmental efficiency and effectiveness.

City of Mississauga (Canada)

Successfully handling the ever-changing legislation

As the seventh-largest municipality in Canada, Mississauga attracts international talent and investments, with key features including the Toronto Pearson International Airport and headquarters of multinational corporations. This collaboration underscores CoM's commitment to fostering economic growth and innovation within the region. rgentIS has been partnering with the City of Mississauga (CoM) since 2015, leveraging its strategic location and vibrant economic landscape.

Convergent led the development of a comprehensive SAP solution for the City of Mississauga to streamline the administration of Growth Charges. This solution replaced the previous manual process, integrating essential functionalities for calculation, invoicing, and recording of charges. By automating workflows and notifications, the system ensures swift approvals, reduces bottlenecks, and enhances operational agility. Additionally, it sticks to strict compliance standards, providing robust internal controls and a accurate audit trail for transparency and accountability. Overall, the solution optimizes processes, improves efficiency, and meets strict audit requirements.

University of Cincinnati (United States)

Digital transformation journey towards ‘Next Lives Here’

The University of Cincinnati (UC) is a renowned public and urban research institution established in 1819. With a diverse student body exceeding 50,000, UC is committed to providing premier undergraduate, graduate, and professional education, along with experience-based learning and research opportunities. Guided by the strategic direction of "Next Lives Here," UC fosters innovation and academic excellence, aiming to make a meaningful impact in communities through inclusion and innovation. Moreover, UC stands as a sustainability leader, integrating environmental, social, and economic considerations into its practices, research, and education efforts.

The organization is transitioning from its current SAP ERP system to SAP S/4HANA Finance and SAP S/4HANA Public Sector solutions due to the end of support for the current system. They aim to improve user experience, enhance real-time visibility of financial data, and automate manual processes. Integration with SAP SuccessFactors and SAP Concur solutions is planned, along with leveraging advanced cash management functionality and embedded analytics for informed decision-making. Additionally, a new employee business partner model will be adopted for streamlined business process management.