SAP taps Microsoft’s generative AI technologies

SAP and Microsoft have announced a new collaboration aimed at utilising generative AI technology to address fundamental business challenges.

The partnership will integrate SAP SuccessFactors solutions with Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot in Viva Learning, as well as Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service, to harness the power of language models for analysing and generating natural language. These integrations will enable organisations to enhance their recruitment, talent development, and learning processes.

The skills gap is a significant issue faced by companies worldwide. Organisations struggle to bridge the divide between the skills they currently possess and the skills required for the future. This challenge necessitates optimising recruitment strategies to attract the right talent and the development of effective programs to nurture employee growth. However, these tasks often involve manual and repetitive work, resulting in inefficiencies and missed opportunities.

Through their collaboration, SAP and Microsoft seek to streamline recruitment and employee learning processes using generative AI technology. By leveraging the Azure OpenAI Service API and SAP SuccessFactors data, SAP will create compelling and highly targeted job descriptions.

The integration between SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting solution and Microsoft 365 will enable people leaders to fine-tune job descriptions using Copilot in Microsoft Word, ensuring market competitiveness and detecting bias. The final job descriptions will seamlessly flow into SAP SuccessFactors solutions, eliminating disruptions to workflow. Additionally, SAP will utilise the Azure OpenAI Service API to provide interviewers with prompts and suggested questions based on candidate resumes and job descriptions within Microsoft Teams.

Furthermore, the collaboration will facilitate integration between SAP SuccessFactors solutions and Microsoft Viva Learning. Employees will have the ability to use Copilot in Viva Learning to conduct natural language queries and receive personalised learning recommendations aligned with their career goals. As learning activities are completed, the SAP SuccessFactors portfolio will automatically update, providing organisations with an up-to-date view of the skills landscape within their workforce.

The partnership between SAP and Microsoft not only aims to revolutionise recruitment and employee development but also serves as a model for enhancing the capabilities of large-language models across various industries. SAP’s extensive global data estate presents an opportunity to amplify the potential of AI tools in different fields.

SAP says that it adheres to industry standards and emphasises transparency, privacy, and unbiased decision-making. The company has established guiding principles for the use of AI in its software and collaborates with ethics experts to ensure ethical AI deployment.

By combining their respective strengths, SAP and Microsoft are paving the way for AI-powered innovations that will drive productivity and transform human resources.

Through the integration of generative AI technology into SAP SuccessFactors solutions and Microsoft’s productivity tools, organisations can effectively bridge the skills gap and empower their workforce to thrive in a rapidly-changing business landscape.