SAP Advisory & Transformation
Transformation strategy, managed services and cloud economics across the SAP estate.
- S/4HANA Transformation
- SAP on Cloud
- RISE / GROW with SAP
- Business Technology Platform
- Cloud Economics & FinOps
SAP · AI-led ADM · Digital Transformation
Akhila
Harinarayana
Principal Analyst, IT Services — NelsonHall
Previously ISG Provider Lens · Avanade / Accenture
Seventeen years advising enterprises, service providers and vendors on strategy, outsourcing and transformation across the UK, Europe and the US — and publishing what I find.
Where the work has appeared
NelsonHallPrincipal Analyst
ISG2018–2025
Avanade / Accenture2015–2018
Harvard Business ReviewReviewer
Computer WeeklyQuoted
The HinduQuoted
Hello
Akhila Harinarayana
Principal Analyst, NelsonHall
Education
- Technological Disruption: Managing the Impact on Business, Society and Politics London School of Economics — eight-week course
- Business Analytics: The Science of Data-Driven Decision Making IIM Bangalore — executive education
- MBA, Marketing University of Wales, UK
- B.Tech, Electronics & Communication Engineering Sri Venkateshwara University, India
Seventeen years in research and consulting have taught me that the hard part is rarely the technology. It is the decision underneath it.
I cover SAP, AI-enabled application development and maintenance, and digital transformation — advising senior executives at enterprises, vendors and service providers. Most of that work is about a choice: which provider, which operating model, which sequence.
I have authored and published more than 50 papers across research journals, thought leadership, service provider assessments and go-to-market strategy, predominantly across Europe, the UK and the US. I also review for the Harvard Business Review.
Areas of coverage
Where I go deep
The domains my research programmes and advisory work concentrate on.
AI-led Application Services
How agentic and AI-driven delivery is reshaping the application services market.
- AI-driven ADM
- Application Development
- Application Maintenance
- Quality Assurance
Digital Transformation Strategy
Enterprise digital strategy, transformation roadmaps and technology adoption.
- Digital Business Services
- Transformation roadmaps
- Maturity models
Sourcing & Vendor Advisory
ITO sourcing transactions, large-deal practice, win drivers, cost levers and vendor capability.
- Outsourcing strategy
- Benchmarking
- Provider assessment
Provider Growth & Go-to-Market
Guiding service providers on strategy, investment and growth, and where to place their bets.
- Go-to-market strategy
- Regional expansion
- Positioning
Open slot
A sixth area drops in here without a redesign. Whole sections work the same way — each band on this page is independent.
Insights
Selected research
Published work across SAP, application services and digital transformation.
Application Management Services in the Era of Agentic AI
Market sizing, trends and sector insight, with go-to-market planning for the service provider and an assessment of agentic AI in the application managed services sector.
Read
ADM, Digital Business Services and SAP quadrant studies
Principal author across Application Development & Maintenance, Digital Business Services and SAP — assessing provider capability, delivery and positioning.
Read
Enterprise experience of IT outsourcing contracts
A bespoke publication I launched and delivered — one of a kind in the industry — reading the pulse of the market on what enterprises actually experience working with their providers.
Request access
Client only
Also published: two peer-reviewed papers in Frontiers in Endocrinology on nutrition trend data in India (2021, 2019), and book reviews for the Harvard Business Review Guides and Women at Work series.
17Years in research and consulting
50+Papers authored and published
3Core markets — UK, Europe, US
13+Conferences and public forums
Experience
Ten years covering this market from the inside
Oct 2025 — present
Current
Principal Analyst, IT Services
NelsonHall
- In-depth vendor profiles and market assessments for SAP and application services.
- Assessing service providers across NEAT charts — capability to deliver today against preparedness for what clients will expect tomorrow.
- Authoring blogs and whitepapers, and presenting at webinars and conferences.
Dec 2018 — Sep 2025
Manager & Principal Analyst, ISG Provider Lens
ISG — Information Services Group
- Principal author for provider assessments across ADM, Digital Business Services and SAP studies.
- Advised clients on ITO sourcing transactions — large-deal practice, win drivers, cost levers and vendor capability.
- Launched and delivered the CX Insights series, a bespoke publication on enterprise experience with providers.
- Recommended strategic direction for ISG research programmes, and managed and trained analysts across the team.
Sep 2015 — Dec 2018
Market Research Specialist
Avanade / Accenture
- Point-of-view papers on digital transformation, cybersecurity, healthcare and utilities.
- Built frameworks, maturity models and transformation roadmaps across industries.
- Go-to-market strategies covering market trends, challenges and forward-looking scenarios.
- Key projects included an assessment of Microsoft's retail strategy, prepared for the Microsoft executive board.
Recognition
Awards and editorial roles
Reviewer, Harvard Business Review
Women at Work series — Thriving in a Male-Dominated Workplace, and the HBR Guide to AI Basics for Managers.
Speaking
Conferences and public forums
Recent talks. Alongside the IT services work, I speak on the application of AI in healthcare and public health.
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World Congress on Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Integrated approach for adopting AI in diabetes care and management In person
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International Public Health Conference AI for Public Health Virtual
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World Obesity Conference Technology impact on healthcare Paper presented
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NASSCOM BPM Innovation Showcase
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NASSCOM Technology Leadership Forum
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ISG Digital Summit UK Panelist
Get in touch
Let’s connect and collaborate
I would be glad to hear from you — whether you are choosing a provider, positioning one, or looking for someone to speak.
- Advisory sourcing decisions, operating models, transformation roadmaps
- Provider briefings positioning, capability and go-to-market
- Speaking conferences, panels, webinars — in person or virtual