Beyond Black Box AI: The Shift to Grounded Models in Enterprise Consulting

The Importance of Grounded AI in Operational Transformation

Operational transformation in today’s business landscape requires a deep understanding of the institutional knowledge that underpins AI technology. While the ability to leverage AI is critical, it is the accuracy and reliability of the information it provides that truly sets it apart. This is especially true for consultants leading transformation initiatives that impact various functions such as supply chain, manufacturing, finance, and more within the SAP ecosystem.

Natalie Han, VP and chief product officer of gen AI at SAP Business AI, emphasizes the necessity of grounded AI in ensuring the success of million-dollar transformation projects. According to Han, technologies like retrieval-augmented generation and the ability to anchor responses in trusted enterprise knowledge are essential for accurate code interpretation, best-practice guidance, and decision support.

SAP Joule for Consultants, a fully grounded AI assistant, is highlighted for its value in production use cases. With access to terabytes of institutional data curated and updated in real-time, consultants can rely on Joule for the latest SAP best practices and methodologies, ultimately accelerating project delivery and saving time and resources.

The Foundation of SAP Joule

SAP Joule is compared to a certified consultant, with Sachin Kaura, chief architect of SAP Business AI, explaining its origins in 2023. Through extensive testing and tuning, Joule now consistently scores 95% or higher on certification exams, showcasing its ability to navigate the complexity of the SAP ecosystem.

The development of a state-of-the-art indexing pipeline ensures that Joule for Consultants stays current by incorporating new SAP documentation and release content as soon as it’s published. This approach guarantees that consultants receive the most up-to-date guidance for their projects.

Ensuring Enterprise-Grade Security

Security and reliability are top priorities for SAP Business AI, with a focus on adhering to data privacy regulations such as GDPR. The AI Foundation, which governs AI operations within SAP, is designed to ensure built-in security, ethics, and orchestration to manage AI lifecycles effectively.

By leveraging a framework that anonymizes inputs and moderates content, SAP protects private and proprietary data from being compromised. Additionally, rigorous testing and human oversight are implemented to address bias, ethics, and security concerns at an enterprise level.

Pushing the Limits of Joule for Consultants

Looking ahead, SAP aims to enhance Joule for Consultants by deepening its understanding of customer systems and processes. By incorporating each customer’s proprietary context, historical data, and internal documentation, Joule can deliver customized guidance that aligns with specific business operations.

This customer-aware approach allows Joule to provide tailored insights and recommendations based on individual configurations and roles within an organization. The goal is to empower consultants with accurate and relevant information that drives actionable outcomes and enhances project success.

Overall, grounded AI plays a crucial role in driving operational transformation within the SAP ecosystem, offering consultants a powerful tool to navigate complexity, access up-to-date guidance, and optimize project delivery.