The QA landscape has been evolving over the past decade and there is a clear shift from independent testing of applications to a more holistic brand assurance of business processes and outcomes. Even as enterprises adopt Agile and DevOps and continue their journey of integrated testing, service providers are strengthening their capabilities to deliver end-to-end QA orchestration to their clients. Providers are also investing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to expand their test automation suite of tools and IP, and even include performance and security testing into the continuous delivery model, thus enabling brand assurance for their clients' business.

SAP's latest release of S/4HANA Cloud adds more artificial intelligence aimed at industries such as manufacturing and professional services. The enterprise software giant has been stepping up its vertical AI efforts. Earlier this year, the 1805 release of S/4 HANA Cloud included 12 "AI-powered scenarios," or prepackaged workflows to take over manual tasks. Also: What is AI? Everything you need to know about Artificial Intelligence What is machine learning? Everything you need to know The data science life: Intuit's Ashok Srivastava on AI, machine learning, and diversity of thought With the 1808 release of S/4 HANA, SAP is adding 9 more of these AI scenarios.

Bio: Shailendra is a keynote speaker, influencer and a thought-leader in the Artificial Intelligence space . With an experience of over 23 years working with Corporates, Software Vendors and Consulting companies, Shailendra has delivered over One Billion Dollars through advanced analytics. He has established and lead several data science businesses and teams to generate revenue and drive incremental growth by creating multiple Artificial Intelligence solutions across a variety of sectors, including Telcos, Financial Services, Retail and Public Sector. Shailendra has published multiple articles about Advanced Analytics, Machine Learning, IoT, Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain; and recently published an Amazon bestseller "Making Money Out of Data" which showcases five business stories from various industries on how successful companies make millions of dollars in incremental value using analytics. Shailendra has held senior executive level positions at SAP, IBM, Accenture, Woolworths and Coles with Asia and ANZ mandates.

Many investments in data technology and integration have failed to answer the big question: Where's the ROI? But AI is now delivering business cases for data initiatives, and new tools are making these initiatives more affordable than before. Organizations no longer need to decide to "clean up data"--nor should they. They should start with a business problem and first quantify the benefits of AI. Once data is used to solve one specific problem, further data-driven AI solutions become easier, and a virtuous cycle can begin. Some organizations are still struggling with data fundamentals.

In this era of digital disruption, attracting and retaining customers through enhanced customer experience is top of mind. Furthermore, enterprises that drive initiatives to enhance EX are also four times more profitable than those that don't, as discussed in a recent Harvard Business Review study. Everest Group, a leading industry analyst firm, which previously rated IPsoft as the leader in IT operations automation, has collaborated with IPsoft on this new research report. The study shows how different cognitive AI tools can be used together to enhance the experience for all employees within an enterprise. It provides a case study from a leading hotel company which uses IPsoft's Amelia as a virtual agent to quickly resolve employee IT service desk queries. The paper also showcases the potential for AI technologies, such as those in IPsoft's 1Desk, to benefit businesses in various scenarios, from improving employee hiring and onboarding, to empowering employees with real-time information.

Tailored solutions demand a rigorous process. Our business model is to provide professional services to companies. Depending on your needs, we come up with a statement of work (SOW) and provide a quote for that work. Some contracts are fixed-price, while others are set at an hourly rate, and some larger projects are open contracts where we bill our work up to a monthly cap. Our sweet spot is in the high end of the market, focused artificial intelligence and machine learning.

FEW COMPANIES have gone through a more vigorous digital transformation than Accenture. The professional services firm now derives 60% of its nearly $37 billion in revenue from its digital, cloud, and security businesses--up from 32% about three years ago. The bet has paid off: Since Nanterme became boss in January 2011, Accenture has delivered a total return to shareholders of more than 300%. Fortune sat down with the 58-year-old Frenchman in the spring to learn where he thinks business is headed next. Here are edited excerpts from that conversation.

As I argued in a post a couple of weeks ago, it's vital for marketers to understand the conversation around Artificial Intelligence – both the technologies behind the term, and the ideas and arguments around those technologies. Recently, I came across an Infographic that goes a long way to giving you that understanding. It was created last year by the management consultancy PwC, and it summarises the history of AI and robotics from their earliest conception through to the present day and beyond. Spend a little time with it and you'll quickly find yourself engaging with the main issues that AI throws up. You'll also get a great perspective on how different strands of technology are coming together to revolutionise industries – and how the rate of this change is accelerating at a spectacular speed.

Companies across sectors and regions are seeing an initial boost in process speed and performance from machine learning (ML). SMART MACHINES ARE REINVENTING HOW WORK IS DONE 3. To maximize the potential of AI, digital leaders must create self-adapting, self-optimizing "living processes" that use machine learning algorithms and real-time data to continuously improve. The ability for machines to act as agents of process change will unlock new roles and ways for humans and machines to work together. Of the companies surveyed: agree that machine learning will result in improvements in job satisfaction and retention. Consider your workforce and AI to be complements.

Digital disruption in the post and parcel industry will see robots and driverless vehicles delivering the mail, augmented reality creating efficiencies in delivery and Artificial Intelligence making it easier to connect customers to products and services, according to new research from Accenture.