Reflections and Projects of 2024: A Year of Growth, Challenges, and Victories

As 2024 draws to a close, it’s a moment to reflect on the remarkable journey this year has been. It has been a year full of professional milestones, personal growth, and meaningful connections. Below, I’ll share my key reflections and projects, along with the challenges faced and victories achieved.

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SAP Inside Track Porto: A Milestone Event

This year marked the first-ever SAP Inside Track Porto, an event organized by the SAP Inside Track Porto Organizing Group. SAP Inside Track Porto proved to be an incredible success, gathering the SAP community in Portugal to share knowledge, build connections, and showcase some of the best technological innovations in the SAP ecosystem.

The event brought together friends, partners, and professionals to exchange insights and case studies, reinforcing Portugal's strong SAP community spirit. The inaugural event was a success, and plans are underway to continue it in 2025.

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SAP Inside Track Fortaleza: A Tradition of Excellence

The SAP Inside Track Fortaleza event again demonstrated its importance as a flagship SAP technology gathering in Northeast Brazil. Now in its fourth year, the event provides a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and showcasing regional expertise in SAP solutions.

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Speaker at SAP Inside Track São Paulo and Recife

2024 also presented opportunities to participate as a speaker at SAP Inside Track São Paulo and SAP Inside Track Recife. These experiences were invaluable, allowing me to share insights while learning from the diverse perspectives of others in the SAP community. Contributing to these events and witnessing the incredible talent and innovation within the SAP ecosystem was an honor.

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Professional Transition: Joining Makevalue

One of the most significant changes this year was my career transition. I left Aço Cearense to join Makevalue, and this move brought new responsibilities, including developing partnerships, providing commercial support, and fostering technological innovation.

At Makevalue, I’ve embraced diverse challenges and opportunities for personal and professional growth. My work now focuses on leveraging advanced technology to deliver impactful solutions for businesses, particularly in financial management, a dominant area for Makevalue’s products.

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Advancing in Artificial Intelligence

I also deepened my studies in artificial intelligence and incredibly generative AI this year. My focus has been on its application within the financial domain, exploring how AI can drive efficiency and innovation. Two areas where this has shown significant potential are:

1. Customer Credit Management: Enhancing decision-making processes in credit analysis and risk assessment.
2. Cash Flow Forecasting: Improving accuracy and agility in financial planning.

Integrating AI into these areas offers exciting possibilities for Makevalue's products and solutions, aligning with market demands and client needs.

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Personal Reflections and Milestones

On a personal and family level, the trip to Rome, Assisi, and Lanciano was a profound experience. It provided an opportunity for knowledge and reflection on identity, history, and purpose. These moments of reflection have encouraged me to think deeply about the legacy we create today and how it shapes future generations.

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Looking Ahead

Looking back on 2024, I see a year filled with accomplishments and growth—professionally, academically, and personally. It was a year of challenges that became opportunities, connections that became partnerships, and reflections that shaped future aspirations.

As we prepare for 2025, the foundations laid this year inspire me to continue striving for excellence, collaboration, and innovation. May the lessons and achievements of this year guide the path ahead.

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Thank you to everyone who made 2024 unforgettable. Let’s move forward together into a brighter future.

SAP RISE vs. SAP GROW: Navigating Brazil's Digital Transformation Amidst Tax Reform

 

SAP RISE and SAP GROW represent two distinct paths for organizations embracing digital transformation. As Brazil undergoes significant tax reform, understanding the nuances of these offerings becomes increasingly crucial for businesses of all sizes.

Understanding SAP RISE and SAP GROW

• SAP RISE: Positioned as a comprehensive cloud-native suite, SAP RISE offers a holistic approach to digital transformation. It provides a foundation for businesses to rapidly innovate and adapt to changing market dynamics. Key features include:

o Cloud-native architecture: Leveraging the power of the cloud for scalability and flexibility.

o Intelligent technologies: AI, machine learning, and IoT are incorporated to drive automation and insights.

o Pre-built business processes: Accelerating time to value through standardized, industry-specific processes.

• SAP GROW: Tailored for organizations looking to adopt cloud-based solutions gradually, SAP GROW offers a more modular approach. It allows businesses to migrate specific workloads to the cloud at their own pace. Key features include:

o Flexible deployment options: Supporting both public and private cloud environments.

o Phased migration: Enabling gradual adoption of cloud-based solutions.

o Focus on specific business processes: Targeting areas where cloud benefits are most pronounced.

Choosing the Right Path for Your Business

The optimal choice between SAP RISE and SAP GROW depends on several factors, including:

· Business size and complexity: Larger enterprises with complex IT landscapes may find SAP RISE's comprehensive suite more suitable. Smaller and mid-sized businesses may benefit from SAP GROW's phased approach.

· Digital maturity: Organizations with a strong digital foundation may be well-suited for SAP RISE, while those starting their digital journey may prefer SAP GROW.

· Time to value: SAP RISE offers accelerated time to value due to its pre-built capabilities, while SAP GROW provides more flexibility for organizations with specific customization needs.

The Impact of Brazil's Tax Reform

Brazil's tax reform is driving significant changes in the business landscape, necessitating adaptations to ERP systems like SAP. Key considerations include:

· Compliance: Ensuring that SAP implementations comply with new tax regulations.

· Automation: Automating tax calculations and reporting to reduce manual effort and errors.

· Integration: Integrating with government systems for real-time data exchange.

· Payment methods: Supporting innovative payment methods, including APIs and instant payments.

The Challenge of Adaptability

While both SAP RISE and SAP GROW offer flexibility, the adaptability of SAP GROW to rapid changes may be limited. The modular nature of SAP GROW can make it challenging to implement significant changes quickly. As a result, businesses relying on SAP GROW may face delays in adapting to the evolving regulatory landscape and emerging payment methods.

A Need for Customization

Customizing SAP solutions is essential given Brazil's rapid changes and individual organizations' distinct demands. Although SAP offers standard features, companies often require tailored solutions to meet their needs. Nonetheless, the expense and intricacy of custom development may pose challenges for certain organizations.

In conclusion, the choice between SAP RISE and SAP GROW depends on various factors, including the organization's size, digital maturity, and specific business requirements. As Brazil undergoes significant tax reform and technological advancements, the ability to adapt SAP solutions to changing needs will be essential. Businesses should carefully evaluate their options and consider partnering with experienced SAP implementation partners to ensure a successful digital transformation.

Key considerations for Brazilian businesses:

• Customization: Customization is needed to address specific tax and regulatory requirements.
• Time to value: Balancing the need for rapid implementation with the complexity of the changes.
• Partner ecosystem: The importance of selecting a partner with deep expertise in SAP and Brazilian business practices.

By carefully considering these factors, businesses can make informed decisions and position themselves for long-term success in the evolving digital landscape.

Gen AI with SAP Cash flow

Um exemplo usando SAP Cash flow e AI generative para obter as perguntas que o usuário pode fazer ao nivel de fluxo de caixa financeiro.

Conexão foi feita com informações que vieram do aplicativo Cash Flow da Makevalue (Produto TVM/Cash Flow) e o desenvolvimento é em Python e FLASK.

Link here:

Business innovation challenges and impacts for S/4 HANA no SAP Inside Track Recife 2024

 

On OCT 5, 2024, I presented at SAP Inside Track Recife, the talk entitled:

Business innovation challenges and impacts for S/4 HANA

The innovations in the Finance area that the S/4 HANA platform offers us and that as consultants we must inform customers and take advantage of these innovations in Greefield and Brownfield implementations.

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UZbv7zjF5A-pTdKpk-s8PYb90CDGJH_1/view?usp=drive_link

A utilização das API's para melhorar o atendimento ao ciidadão.

 

No mundo todo, os órgãos governamentais digitalizam seus processos, desenvolvendo aplicações que atendem o cidadão de forma automatizada e remota. Nesta jornada, cresce a cada dia o consumo e a publicação de APIs (Application Programming Interfaces).

É o que revela estudo com líderes de TI de organizações do setor público dos EUA com mais de 1.500 funcionários. Em quase três de cada cinco organizações (59%), as APIs conseguiram melhorar o atendimento ao cidadão e/ou aprimorar a produtividade do desenvolvedor. Vale destacar que 99% estão modernizando suas aplicações.

O Brasil é um grande polo de uso de APIs.  A MakeValue utiliza as API's bancárias para fazer toda a troca de informação sem necessitar de envio e recepção de arquivos.

Leia mais no artigo de Hilmar Becker, diretor regional da F5 Brasil:
Bagete Diario

Como foi o SAP Inside Track Porto 2024

Saturday, 28 SEP we had the first SAP Inside Track event in Porto.

In fact, it started on the 27th SET with an SAP CodeJam taught by Vitaly, which included a day of training, interspersed with coffee breaks in the morning and afternoon.

The event was organized by the following:

-Manuel Robalinho

-Arnaldo Calçada

-Pedro Rodrigues

-Pedro Marques

-Pedro Vieira

-Fatima Linhares

-Matheus Brazil

-Antonio Elias

 

As volunteers, we had the following colleagues:

-António Linhares Oliveira

-Simone Thami de Queiroz

-João Calçada

-Heyd Magnus

-Ernesto Martelo Junior

-Eloisa Silva

-Micael Mesquita

-Yvana Boufleuer

-Catarina Robalinho

-Carolina Albuquerque

-Luciana Caliman

More information here:

https://community.sap.com/t5/porto-blog-posts/how-it-was-sap-inside-track-porto-2024/ba-p/13886914

Organização:

SAP Inside Track SP 2024 - Desafios inovação no negócio e impactos para S/4HANA

 

Desafios inovação no negócio e impactos para S/4HANA

Palestra apresentada em 27 SET  no SAP Inside TRack SP 2024

Palestra em PDF no link.

https://community.sap.com/t5/s%C3%A3o-paulo-blog-posts/sitsp2024-desafios-inova%C3%A7%C3%A3o-no-neg%C3%B3cio-e-impactos-para-s-4hana/ba-p/14115994

PhD Work - Research Proposal -6G communications for Smart Cities

Abstract 

We are attending a paradigm shift in the requirements and solutions adopted for cities regarding mobility, connectivity, and security. These changes are driven by implementing 5G communications, developing autonomous vehicles, and Smart Cities projects. Smart cities (SC) have needs in terms of traffic control, more intelligent, integrated, comfortable, safe, and fast transport systems. Traffic control systems are expected to allow higher and secure traffic flow and efficient vehicle communications, with other equipment and people sharing the lane (V2X).Vehicles must communicate with each other(V2V), communicate with the infrastructure (V2I), and the vehicle’s position in the city context is needed and so must be known. In this scenario, the need arises to study new communication models to ensure low latency, high bandwidth, and accurate positioning information. The new communication models require the research community’s interdisciplinary and concerted effort. This project thesis proposal aims to contribute to presenting innovative proposals in the context of communications in Smart Cities. In this context, we intend to study the particular case of road crossings to propose communications for a city model with autonomous vehicles. It is intended to evaluate a model that is automatically controlled (without traffic lights), safe for pedestrians, cyclists, and autonomous vehicles, and which allows the collection of information to evaluate traffic flow in a broader context of the entire city it operates.

Introduction

Traffic flow is always considered the main objective in cities, as this reduces the time in traffic, reduces fuel consumption and pollution, and in general, it will improve the quality of life of those who use the city to work, study, or live [8]. In cities, intersections are the most complex points in terms of traffic and also the ones that cause more road accidents. The impacts of traffic on the safety of drivers and pedestrians are a strong reason for investigating safe means that can help vehicles, drivers, and pedestrians have safe and fluid access on the roads [9]. Today, the available technology already provides us with sensors, video cameras, LiDAR Radar and GPS that are installed in autonomous vehicles(AV). Those sensors can be coupled to the road infrastructure to provide systems that complement each other in the solutions and provide a good description of the environment surrounding the road, the vehicles, pedestrians, and obstacles that are found [9].

Author: Manuel Robalinho

More in this link.