SAP S/4HANA: The Speed and Power of Simplification

SAP S/4HANA eliminates the complexities of legacy ERP databases, giving organizations a vastly simplified digital core with access to business-critical data in real time. The “S” in SAP S/4HANA is a nod to SAP's legacy business suite. SAP S/4HANA is optimized for SAP HANA, which supports a data model that simplifies the business computing environment dramatically. To take full advantage of this design, SAP S/4HANA was created to reimagine and recode the business suite from the ground up.

REUNIFICATION
Traditionally, the typical enterprise computing environment has been split between online transactional processing (OLTP) and online analytical processing (OLAP). This split is a compromise made long ago: each system gets a copy of the original transactional data, commonly in a different data model, with each optimized for the type of workload (OLTP versus OLAP) in that system. This compromise, though, comes at the cost and complexity of managing two separate environments and moving data between them. Because SAP HANA can support performing analytical calculations and transformations on the fly, organizations can now bring OLTP and OLAP together again. Gone are the complex “helper structures” (indexes and data aggregate tables) that are used to overcome system performance issues running at the speed of disk. Now, with a simplified data model and the speed of in-memory processing, organizations can perform analytics on all data (live and historical) in a single environment – in the moment, as needed.

SIMPLICITY
By redesigning ERP for SAP HANA, the SAP S/4HANA reduces the number of tables dramatically across a wide range of functions. Take, for instance, finance and controlling. While in the past, data was structured in subledgers (accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, asset accounting, cost center accounting, and so on), today they run on a single universal journal. This universal journal brings together postings related to finance (FI) and controlling (CO) in one single source table. The integrity of financial data is guaranteed by design, eliminating reconciliation effort between FI and CO and ensuring that every-one can always access the most current data. Teams are aligned and more effective because the complexity has been removed. Forecasting is faster and more accurate. Key performance indicators such as days sales outstanding (DSO) are avail-able in real time on a granular level. Profit center reporting, profitability analysis, and other real-time analytics performed on top of the universal journal become a reality.

As much as this simplification helps SAP, it also helps our customers. The SAP Tax Compliance application, for example, helps to streamline tax compliance through an automated tax control framework and now runs in SAP S/4HANA instead of a separate system that requires data replication. This application provides an enterprise-wide repository of compliance checks and enables corrections continuously during the current declaration period, freeing tax specialists from searching for anomalies. This simplification to a single source of truth supports new benefits – such as a comprehensive enterprise search. Now business users can search for master data and documents across different LoBs and across systems for a holistic view of the enterprise with zero latency in a modern user interface. At the same time, a built-in authorization framework helps to minimize administrative overhead and enable single sign-on so that users can work across LoBs in a secure fashion, without impediments.

INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY FOR THE INTELLIGENT ENTERPRISE
A simplified data model is imperative for intelligent technologies, such as machine learning. Traditional database models that maintain acceptable performance only with added complexity simply cannot scale to meet the needs of machine learning deployments. To run simulations, train algorithms, and improve visibility into what’s coming next, technologies need a data model up to the task. SAP S/4HANA is leveraging machine learning technology in the solution itself. One example is accelerated accounts receivable. With legacy databases and complex data models, accounts receivable can be an error-prone process that crosses multiple systems to match purchase orders to invoices. With SAP Cash Application software on SAP S/4HANA, machine learning technology does the matching automatically – and gets better over time with the addition of new data.

THE DIGITAL CORE
With SAP HANA as its foundation, SAP S/4HANA serves as a digital core for the business – one that helps drive business agility, improve customer experiences, and increase business performance.

Start your path to the Intelligent Enterprise with Approyo
Approyo provides full SAP service technology with extensive capabilities in consulting, solutions architecture, hosting and managed services, in order to develop the right solution for our customers. Get started today... 

How can the Intelligent Enterprise Impact the Mining Industry?

The digital economy is disruptive. Mining companies need strategic priorities that drive transformation. SAP supports a reimagined set of E2E business scenarios to support the strategic priorities of working in a digital environment.

• Make the business more predictable, sustainable, and safer - Advanced predictive analytics and machine learning integrated with real-time information help make vast operational data more actionable. Predict outcomes or exceptions to support the right decision-making, making mining more predictable, sustainable, and safer for the workforce
• Collaborate with customers, suppliers, and workers - Transform interactions with all stakeholders into an interactive, collaborative, and responsive network to strengthen relationships, digitalize data exchanges, make the business more agile, increase profitability, and digitalize the worker.
• Enhance operational and commercial agility - Achieve real-time visibility into operations and run a mine like a factory based on advanced planning and execution to increase agility by combining IT and operational technology (OT) along the entire pit-to-customer process.
• Increase productivity through automation - Digitalize and automate manual processes and focus on value-added processes for employees while automating operations to keep workers out of hazardous environments.

Supporting next practices in mining with intelligent ERP
Transformation in the mining industry is occurring at a rapid pace. Changes in technologies, business environment standards, and the need for agility require constant adaptation. Mining companies must be able to respond to rapidly changing conditions yet still comply with all standards. How does a digital core with a true single source of truth help?

Mining companies must respond to rapid change
A digital core is an IT architecture that offers stability and long-term reliability for core enterprise processes yet also provides the flexibility to adapt quickly to new opportunities, challenges, and regulations. In today’s environment, mining companies cannot continue with old ways of working, so they need to change how they operate. This impacts the industry and its IT –the backbone of modern business –which has to be agile to ensure compliance. Support for mergers and acquisitions is also required to ensure swift adaptation to changing markets.

Mine smarter, not harder
The ability to respond quickly is an essential part of managing a mining business. To do this, simulation, prediction, and analytical capabilities are important components. For example, this can be the simulation of profitability scenarios to identify the best method of mining or to determine the best time to sell a mine.

Generate additional value from data
While overall processes in mining do not change much, the speed of business is disruptive. Mining companies need the computing capability to carry out complex algorithms with large data sets to support timely, real-time analysis. The base data comes from sensors that enable precise digital twins of equipment and processes. In a mine, data sets will be available that can be used by machine learning to improve equipment efficiency and availability. This provides more-reliable information for all related processes. For example, mine production output can be planned and executed more reliably.

Addressing innovative opportunities
In the commodity business, you have to differentiate yourself. Mining companies must improve customer interactions as well as increase operational efficiencies to gain a competitive edge. This impacts every facet of business, including end-to-end (E2E) processes across departments and even company borders. Collaboration and sharing of resources will be part of the new operating models –from customers to mine operations.

The Intelligent ERP
Bringing SAP S/4HANA and SAP Leonardo technologies together as a digital core will result in a more flexible and intelligent enterprise. To achieve next-generation business processes, mining companies need an intelligent ERP solution. For example, machine learning can help in daily business by helping ensure the correct spare part is ordered by using image recognition to identify the correct version. Early adopters have already begun this journey to gain the competitive edge for a top seat in the next-generation mining business.

Start your path to the Intelligent Enterprise with Approyo
Approyo provides full SAP service technology with extensive capabilities in consulting, solutions architecture, hosting and managed services, in order to develop the right solution for our customers. Get started today... 

Top Reasons to attend SAP TechEd Las Vegas

SAP TechEd is the single best technical training program of the year offered by SAP. The experiences and content offered at this event are in alignment with both my personal development needs AND the interests of our organization’s development, growth, and success.

Network
Your SAP Community, your peers, innovative customers,  and the technology experts you trust. All in one place for you to make purposeful connections. A unique opportunity in a great community.

Further your SAP Career
Attend for the information, training, and education you need today. Then future-proof your career with essential skills for your role in your organization’s intelligent enterprise.

SAP Knowledge
Seven tracks. 32 Learning Journeys. Over 600 sessions.  SAP experts and customers delivering best practices,  how-to tips, and advice. Get insight into the innovation and new technologies that will put you at the front of the pack.  Collaborate with SAP technology gurus to get the answers you need. One-on-one engagement, demos, sessions, and hands-on experiences foster brain-storming,  problem-solving, and actionable solutions.

SAP Strategy
Look to the future with product road maps to get answers to your questions about what comes next.  Discuss – and even influence – future product functionality through direct contact with strategists.

Attend our session
Approyo CEO Christopher Carter will be speaking at SAP TechEd in Las Vegas on Wednesday, September 25 from 9:30am - 10:15am PST. His session, A Real-Life Journey on the Upgrade to SAP S/4HANA 1809, will look at what it takes for a company to migrate or upgrade to SAP S/4HANA 1809.

Industry Capabilities with SAP S/4HANA

SAP S/4HANA is an intelligent, integrated ERP system that runs on the in-memory database, SAP HANA. It can help you:

• Address industry-specific requirements with proven best practices for 26 verticals and enable new business models as your marketplace evolves
• Revolutionize business processes with intelligent automation — supported by artificial intelligence and robotic process automation
• Make better decisions faster with embedded analytics, a conversational interface, and digital assistants
• Meet your IT landscape goals with hybrid, cloud, and on-premise scenarios that share a consistent data model, code line, and user experience

Here are just a few capabilities that SAP S/4HANA provides across multiple industries:

• Simplify asset operations and maintenance - Maximize asset value, control risks, and help ensure safety with a holistic view of asset status to plan maintenance activities with the right person, tools, resources, and integrated documentation. 
• Manage environmental, health, and safety risks - Execute tasks in critical environments with a complete view of compliance and safety measures, so you can identify risks and regulations, define priorities, implement controls, and track incidents.
• Maintain service agreements - Provide a single contract for all outcome-based services and reduce administrative burden by consolidating and maintaining task lists, catalogues, maintenance plans, and warranty information.
• Provide customer-oriented services - Engage with customers across a multitude of channels to offer packaged service offerings; manage complaints, claims, returns, and refunds; and schedule and dispatch field services to fulfill service orders.
• Streamline service parts management - Optimize parts logistics and inventory processes with real-time visibility across all supply locations to source service parts globally and ensure their availability.
• Streamline Core HR and payroll processes - Integrate employee master data, organizational data, and cost-center-related information from the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central solution to speed reorganizations and other end-to-end processes.

Start your path to the Intelligent Enterprise with Approyo
Approyo provides full SAP service technology with extensive capabilities in consulting, solutions architecture, hosting and managed services, in order to develop the right solution for our customers. Get started today...

Approyo CEO Christopher Carter to present at SAP TechEd Las Vegas

We are excited to announce that our CEO Christopher Carter will be speaking at SAP TechEd in Las Vegas on Wednesday, September 25 from 9:30am - 10:15am PST. His session, A Real-Life Journey on the Upgrade to SAP S/4HANA 1809, will look at what it takes for a company to migrate or upgrade to SAP S/4HANA 1809.

This session will look into the process used to migrate to SAP S/4HANA 1809. We will discuss the pitfalls, the success, and the overall project. We will not dig into the details on failed activities but will give everyone a sense of the timing and skill set needed to be able to accomplish such a herculean task.

Make sure you add this to your agenda at SAP TechEd.

SAP TechEd is the single best technical training program of the year offered by SAP. The experiences and content offered at this event are in alignment with both my personal development needs AND the interests of our organization’s development, growth, and success.

Top Reasons to Attend TC Sessions: Enterprise

The Approyo team is very excited to be a part of TechCrunch TC Sessions: Enterprise on September 5 in San Francisco! We are a Featured Startup at the event and will be showcasing SAP S/4HANA migrations at our table. This is a packed one day event, so we wanted to highlight a few of the major reasons why you should attend!

Visit the Approyo Table
This one is pretty obvious! Our CEO, Christopher Carter, as well at our CTO Sean Gilmour and our Sr. Director of SAP, Tim Reiss will be on hand talking about S/4HANA upgrades and migrations and why Approyo > Bacon! If you are attending make sure to stop by the table and say Hi to the team!

Industry Speakers
The line-up of guest speakers highlights the SAP ecosystem! Here are some of our top speakers this year:

• DJ Paoni - President, North America (SAP)
• Sanjay Poonen - Chief Operating Officer, Customer Operations, (VMware)
• Max Wessel - Chief Innovation Officer, (SAP)
• Aaron Levie, Co-Founder & CEO (Box)
• Aparna Sinha, Director, Product Management for Kubernetes & Anthos (Google).
• George Brady, CTO (Capital One)
• Jim Clarke, Director of Quantum Hardware (Intel)
• Scott Farquhar, Co-founder & Co-CEO (Atlassian)
• Bill McDermott, CEO, (SAP)

Check out the complete line up: https://techcrunch.com/events/tc-sessions-enterprise-2019/#963f1ce6-ebcf-4e44-a6c2-bd3495420543

Network
There will be two Q&A breakout sessions with top enterprise investors and one with top enterprise founders; this is for founders (and anyone else) to query our speakers directly. Plus, TechCrunch’s unbeatable CrunchMatch app makes it really easy to set up meetings with the other attendees, an incredible array of folks, plus the 20 early-stage startups exhibiting on the expo floor.

We can' wait to see everyone at the TC Sessions: Enterprise!

Stay Connected with Intelligent Business Processes

An intelligent enterprise starts with a digital core. It is the foundation for flexible, connected, and intelligent business processes that enable your organization to keep the customer experience at the center of everything you do.

SAP S/4HANA is SAP's flagship enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. It is built on the power of SAP HANA – SAP's in-memory database management system that provides real-time analytics – to unite transactional systems, overcoming limitations imposed by legacy technologies.

With that, SAP S/4HANA allows you to connect across all your lines of business and, externally, across your ecosystem so you have seamless visibility and insights across your entire business.

Capabilities of an Intelligent Business

Simplify asset operations and maintenance - Maximize asset value, control risks, and help ensure safety with a holistic view of asset status to plan maintenance activities with the right person, tools, resources, and integrated documentation.

Manage environmental, health, and safety risks - Execute tasks in critical environments with a complete view of compliance and safety measures, so you can identify risks and regulations, define priorities, implement controls, and track incidents.

Maintain service agreements - Provide a single contract for all outcome-based services and reduce administrative burden by consolidating and maintaining task lists, catalogues, maintenance plans, and warranty information.

Provide customer-oriented services - Engage with customers across a multitude of channels to offer packaged service offerings; manage complaints, claims, returns, and refunds; and schedule and dispatch field services to fulfill service orders.

Streamline service parts management - Optimize parts logistics and inventory processes with real-time visibility across all supply locations to source service parts globally and ensure their availability.

Streamline Core HR and payroll processes - Integrate employee master data, organizational data, and cost-center-related information from the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central solution to speed reorganizations and other end-to-end processes.

Start your path to the Intelligent Enterprise with Approyo
Approyo provides full SAP service technology with extensive capabilities in consulting, solutions architecture, hosting and managed services, in order to develop the right solution for our customers. Get started today...