KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

In 2003, Dow Corning launched their first web-based portal named Xiameter.com based upon a very successful global single instance of SAP which supports the entire Dow Corning business. A web front end was developed, which leveraged the global configuration of the business rules inside our SAP system.

A couple of years later, again leveraging the global SAP system, the company also introduced web-based order-entry capability on their flagship dowcorning.com website.

Fast forward to 2009, the company has chosen, once again, to take innovative steps in renovating the Xiameter.com platform - both from a business model design and the ever critical technology platforms that the business is built upon.

With all of the new web-based technology components integrated with the global SAP system and some new Supply Chain Management functionality, the relaunched Xiameter.com website allowed the business to expand the customer experience on the site. The technology changes over the six year timeframe were enormous and so are the challenges that the IT department faced to deliver the desired solutions.

Abbe has worldwide responsibility for Dow Corning’s IT strategy and the 2 - 5 year information technology planning cycle that supports the implementation of Dow Corning’s new business models. Abbe is responsible for the overall partnership between Dow Corning and key Information Technology vendors. Abbe joined Dow Corning in 1979 as a programmer/analyst and has held many management positions before being named the Chief Information Officer in 2001. Abbe serves on the following Board of Directors: CIDX, Bay Futures, Inc., and United Way of Bay County. In 2004, Abbe was named CIO of the Year by Chemical Weekly Magazine, and received a Women of Distinction Award from the Michigan Mitten Bay Girl Scout Association. Abbe is the chairperson for ASUG.

Business software technology continues to build more and more capability on what is already a powerful base. However, our organisations struggle to keep up and adapt to the discipline required to exploit the value in integration and struggle to learn how to use sophisticated new functionality. Benefits are left on the table. The mission of IT in business is to continue to drive efficiency, productivity and occasionally true innovation and hence, to help our organisations compete, survive and thrive, maintaining our and our children’s quality of life. So, as business technologists, we need to consider how to help our businesses better harness the enormous horsepower under the data centre’s bonnet.

SAP release: ECC6
Original go-live date: March 1994

Andrew Baker was appointed as Chief Information Officer to BlueScope Steel in February 2006. Andrew joined BlueScope after 3 years with the Mars Corporation, where he was responsible for Supply Chain Execution projects throughout the Asia Pacific Mars businesses. He implemented a new integrated supply chain network from supply chain planning through to supply chain execution systems across the major businesses in the region. Prior to BlueScope, Andrew spent 12 years with Accenture, ultimately as a partner, working in various roles in the Products and Resources industry sectors. He concentrated on supply chain related projects in the mining, metals and fast moving consumer goods industries. Andrew has 19 years experience in business and technology. He studied Industrial Chemistry at the University of Melbourne and commenced his career as Research Chemist briefly at Shell, before moving into IT related work at Accenture.

If you are a stakeholder for Business Process Management (BPM) within your organisation, then this session is for you. In this session, we'll discuss the various facets of BPM, including Business Process Architecture, BPM as a discipline and process execution. We will also cover:

• The various technologies and tools provided by SAP and its partners in order for customers to achieve a successful BPM transformation
• The well-known “chicken or the egg” theory with respect to Service Oriented Architecture and Business Process Management, and how choosing one or the other impacts the success of your efforts. Both these disciplines are vital to the success of IT organisations in supporting the business
• How SAP NetWeaver BPM bridges the gap between strategy and execution via Service Oriented Architecture
• The key challenges in adopting one way or the other and provide best practices for SOA and BPM

SAP release: ECC6
Original go-live date: June 2007

Raghavendra (Rao) Subbarao is a Certified Principal Enterprise Architect and currently serves as the Global Practice Leader: BPM, SOA & SAP NetWeaver at Hospira. Rao joined Hospira after a combined 10 years with Cardinal Health and Allegiance Healthcare, where he was the chief architect and development manager for the first Composite application using the SAP NetWeaver CE (Composition Environment) platform across the globe. He also currently serves as the Chair of the Americas' SAP User Group (ASUG) Business Process Architecture Group and is also an active member of the Platform Thought Leadership Council for SAP Enterprise Services Community. He frequently publishes articles on various magazines, including Architecture & Governance and SAP NetWeaver. Rao received his BS in Electronics and Communication.

Web Dynpro ABAP has seen numerous enhancements since its launch with SAP NetWeaver 7.0. This presentation focuses in particular on recent changes via SAP NetWeaver Enhancement Packages in the development infrastructure and the UI design. Topics will include "drag & drop", Islands and asynchronous value suggestion.

We will discuss how Web Dynpro ABAP fits into the overall UI strategy at SAP and its main usages within the software that SAP delivers to customers. This will include the role that Web Dynpro ABAP plays in the usage of either the NetWeaver Portal or the NetWeaver Business Client.

This session will also look at some advanced techniques of Web Dynpro ABAP like Islands; Floorplan Manager; Local Page Builder; CHIPs; and the Notification Service.

Thomas Jung is an SAP NetWeaver Solution Manager focusing on Custom Development - particularly in the areas of ABAP, MDM APIs, and UI Development Tools and Strategy. Before joining SAP Labs in 2006, Thomas was an applications developer for a SAP customer company. He was involved in SAP implementations at this customer as an ABAP Developer for nearly 10 years. He is also the co-author of the SAP Press Books, Advanced BSP Programming and Next Generation ABAP Development.

As SAP’s User Interfaces are becoming more popular, companies are realising that it is sometimes hard to determine which toolset to use, and are also seeing ways that the tools could be improved. Because of this, an ASUG SAP NetWeaver User Interface Influence Council was formed to address these issues and concerns. Find out what they determined to be the most pressing issues.

• ASUG Influence Councils
• Discover the top UI issues that surfaced
• Deliverables that were sent to SAP
• Scorecard of SAP’s response
• Current Status
• Next Steps

SAP release: ECC6
SAP go-live date: June 1996

Karin has been working in IT for 20 years with the past 9 years working with SAP. She started out in Basis and moved on to SAP Archiving. She has been an ASUG volunteer for 5 years and a SAP Mentor for 3 years. She has given many presentations over the years at ASUG, SAP TechEd and SAP Insider Conferences. She is currently working on the SAP Basis Team at Valero Energy Corporation in San Antonio, TX.

Peter Blasina, otherwise known as the Gadget Guy appears weekly as the Hawaiian shirt wearing technology reporter on Channel Seven’s Sunrise breakfast program.

The rapidly changing landscape of technological innovation is Peter Blasina's area of expertise. He regularly reviews and analyses a broad range of communications, computer, video and multimedia products.

Peter Blasina is a expert on the emerging field of technological convergence. With his media and technology knowledge, his insights are relevant and reliable. His trademark Hawaiian shirt is another innovation.

Widely recognised as one of Australia’s foremost commentators on technology developments, Peter is a veteran of the Australian Hall of Journalism.