Paving the Way to the Digital Age (Part 2)
Boosting performance and flexibility in IT with SAP S/4HANA
Implementing SAP S/4HANA is a major step in the digital transformation of any business. But how is it implemented? And what impact can the switch have on IT departments?
In the first blog post of this series, we outlined the advantages for management. This time, we will look at the implementation options for the next-generation business suite, and see how it can transform a company’s IT.
Embarking on the Digital Journey—with Minimal Disruption
SAP S/4HANA removes technological barriers and helps businesses to manage complexity in the digital age. But where does the journey begin? There are many options for enterprises depending on individual starting points. You can choose from new implementation, system conversion, or landscape transformation. In addition, there are three deployment options: On-premises, cloud, and hybrid.
To help businesses get started and to drive success, SAP have developed the SAP ACTIVATE methodology. This is a simple, modular, and agile approach for implementation that provides full support for initial deployment and continuous business innova-tion—whichever deployment option you choose. It combines SAP best practices, guided configuration, and read-to-run business processes optimized for SAP S/4HANA. This helps enterprises to rapidly implement the next-generation business suite with minimal disruption to business.
Remaining competitive means reacting quicker than other companies. SAP S/4HANA is based on in-memory technology, enabling data to be processed in near real time. And by consolidating disparate data sources, it creates a single source of truth that simplifies analysis and reporting so businesses can obtain accurate and actionable in-sights. Furthermore, this can reduce data footprint by as much as 90%—helping companies to maximize the effectiveness of IT resources and cut costs.
More Time to Tackle New Business Requirements
A major challenge facing many enterprises is how to expand IT capabilities as the business grows and complexity increases. SAP S/4HANA addresses this issue with the option to add new licenses as needed. Additional functionality and updates are implemented automatically, without any effort from internal specialists. IT departments also no longer have to perform system and data maintenance tasks themselves.
The simplicity of SAP S/4HANA and its intuitive SAP Fiori user interface enable employees in every line of business to carry out most tasks without the support of IT staff. And self-service functionality means that the number of helpdesk tickets is reduced. This frees up valuable time for IT experts to tackle new business requirements, assist in decision making, and contribute to the company in ways that were previously not possible.
Another benefit is the open SAP HANA Cloud Platform. This is a platform as a service for SAP solutions that gives companies the flexibility they need to succeed in the digital age. It enables companies to quickly and easily develop their own applications and extensions to improve business. Moreover, additional workflows and modules can be implemented on top of existing SAP solutions
Migrating to SAP S/4HANA is a major strategic decision, but NTT DATA Business Solutions can help you choose the right path in a Value Discovery Workshop with expert consultants. To demonstrate the journey to the next-generation business suite, and to show you the potential results, we have created LaGarda: A fictional enterprise that made the move to SAP S/4HANA. Although this is a hypothetical scenario, it demonstrates genuine migration possibilities and realistic outcomes.