Discover SAP

Preface ... 21



Acknowledgments ... 29



PART I SAP and Enterprise Computing: The Basics



1. SAP: The Company ... 33



The Beginnings of SAP ... 33

Examining the Growth of SAP ... 34

SAP in the 1980s ... 34

SAP in the 1990s ... 35

Entering the New Millennium ... 36

SAP Today ... 37

Conclusion ... 39



2. The SAP Approach to Enterprise Software ... 41



Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP ... 41

The Origins of Standard Business Software ... 43

The Challenge of Integration ... 43

Overview of SAP NetWeaver ... 44

Uniting IT and Business Requirements ... 45

Open Application Environment ... 46

Using Composite Applications ... 46

SAP Support for Business Processes ... 47

SAP and Big Data ... 49

Where Is SAP Headed ... 50

Cloud Computing ... 50

Mobile Computing ... 52

Self-Services for Increased Efficiency ... 53

Benefits of Using SAP Software ... 54

Conclusion ... 55



3. Business Suite 7 Overview ... 57



Overview of Business Suite Solutions ... 58

SAP ERP ... 58

SAP Customer Relationship Management ... 60

SAP Supplier Relationship Management ... 61

SAP Product Lifecycle Management ... 62

SAP Supply Chain Management ... 63

SAP Business Suite 7 Benefits ... 63

Conclusion ... 65



PART II SAP Products



4. SAP ERP Financials ... 69



How SAP ERP Financials Fits in an Enterprise ... 69

Optimized Cash Flow ... 70

Better Business Insight ... 72

SAP ERP Financials and Analytics ... 72

Improved Compliance ... 73

A Closer Look at SAP ERP Financials ... 76

Key Features and Functions ... 76

Industry-Specific Financial Management ... 79

SAP Simple Finance ... 80

SAP ERP Financials Case Study 1 ... 80

Phase 1: Cash, Debt, and Investment Management ... 81

Phase 2: Global Cash Visibility ... 82

Phase 3: Straight-Through Processing ... 83

Phase 4: Hedging of Foreign Exchange ... 83

SAP ERP Financials Case Study 2 ... 84

The Challenges ... 85

The SAP Solution ... 85

Conclusion ... 85



5. SAP ERP Operations ... 87



SAP ERP Operations Overview ... 88

Product Development and Collaboration ... 88

Procurement ... 89

Operations: Sales and Customer Service ... 90

Operations: Manufacturing ... 90

Enterprise Asset Management ... 93

Operations: Cross Functions ... 93

Collaborating with Value Chain Partners ... 93

A Closer Look at SAP ERP Operations ... 94

SAP ERP Operations Solution Map ... 94

Key Features and Functions ... 95

Product Development and Collaboration ... 97

Procurement ... 99

Operations: Sales and Customer Service ... 103

Operations: Manufacturing ... 104

SAP Enterprise Asset Management ... 106

Operations: Cross Functions ... 108

SAP ERP Operations Case Study 1 ... 110

The Challenges ... 110

The SAP Solution ... 110

The Benefits ... 111

SAP ERP Operations Case Study 2 ... 111

The Challenges ... 112

The SAP Solution ... 112

The Benefits ... 112

Conclusion ... 113



6. SAP ERP Human Capital Management ... 115



How SAP ERP HCM Fits in an Enterprise ... 116

Workforce Process Automation to Improve Efficiency ... 117

Improving Talent Management ... 117

More Efficient Workforce Deployment Management ... 118

End-User Service Delivery ... 118

Gaining Insights through SAP ERP HCM Analytics ... 119

A Closer Look at SAP ERP HCM ... 120

Key Features and Functions ... 121

Talent Management ... 122

SAP Visualization ... 123

Workforce Process Management ... 126

Workforce Deployment Management ... 127

End-User Service Delivery ... 128

HR Renewal ... 128

SAP ERP HCM Case Study 1 ... 129

The Challenges ... 130

The SAP Solution ... 130

Looking toward the Future ... 131

SAP ERP HCM Case Study 2 ... 132

The Challenges ... 132

The SAP Solution ... 132

The Benefits ... 133

Conclusion ... 133



7. SuccessFactors ... 135



SuccessFactors Components and the Cloud ... 135

A Closer Look at SuccessFactors ... 137

Core HR ... 137

Analytics Solutions ... 138

Talent Solutions ... 139

Social Collaboration ... 143

Administration Tools ... 144

Provisioning ... 145

XML Programming ... 146

SAP HANA Cloud Platform ... 146

Deploying SuccessFactors ... 147

SuccessFactors Integration with SAP ERP HCM ... 150

SuccessFactors Case Study ... 152

The Challenges ... 154

The SuccessFactors Solution ... 154

Looking toward the Future ... 156

Conclusion ... 156



8. SAP Customer Relationship Management ... 159



How SAP CRM Fits in an Enterprise ... 160

SAP CRM Solution Map ... 160

SAP CRM in an Enterprise ... 161

A Closer Look at SAP CRM ... 161

SAP CRM Overview ... 162

Marketing ... 163

Sales ... 165

Service ... 167

SAP Web Channel Experience Management ... 169

Interaction Center ... 171

Partner Channel Management ... 173

SAP CRM Cloud Solution ... 175

SAP CRM Technical Details ... 176

SAP CRM Case Study 1 ... 177

The Challenges ... 178

The SAP Solution ... 178

The Benefits ... 179

Looking toward the Future ... 180

SAP CRM Case Study 2 ... 180

The Challenges ... 181

The SAP Solution ... 181

The Benefits ... 181

Conclusion ... 182



9. SAP Supplier Relationship Management ... 183



How SAP On Premise Procurement Solutions Fit into an Enterprise ... 183

SRM "Flavors ... 184

SAP SRM Scenarios ... 185

A Closer Look at SAP SRM ... 188

Spend Analytics ... 189

Sourcing ... 191

Contract Management ... 193

Operational Procurement ... 193

Invoice Management ... 195

Supplier Information and Performance Management ... 195

Supplier Collaboration ... 196

Mobile Platform and User Interface ... 196

SAP SRM Case Study ... 197

The Challenges ... 198

The SAP Solution ... 198

The Benefits ... 198

SAP SRM Customer Fast Facts ... 199

Conclusion ... 200



10. Ariba and Fieldglass ... 201



Overview of Ariba and Fieldglass ... 202

A Closer Look at Cloud Solutions for Procurement ... 204

Spend Analysis ... 204

Sourcing ... 204

Contract Management ... 206

Fieldglass: Vendor Management System ... 208

Supplier Information and Performance Management ... 212

Mobile Procurement and Supplier Collaboration ... 213

SAP Ariba Case Study ... 215

The Challenges ... 215

The SAP Ariba Solution ... 216

The Benefits ... 216

Conclusion ... 216



11. SAP Product Lifecycle Management ... 217



How SAP PLM Fits in an Enterprise ... 217

Support for Discrete and Process Industries ... 218

SAP PLM Solution Map ... 218

SAP PLM's Value in Your Enterprise ... 219

A Closer Look at SAP PLM ... 219

Overview of SAP PLM ... 220

SAP PLM and Its Relation to Other SAP Products ... 221

Product Management ... 222

Product Development and Collaboration ... 223

Product Data Management ... 226

SAP PLM Foundation ... 227

SAP PLM Case Study 1 ... 229

The Challenges ... 229

The SAP Solution ... 229

The Benefits ... 230

Looking toward the Future ... 231

SAP PLM Case Study 2 ... 231

The Challenges ... 231

The SAP Solution ... 231

The Benefits ... 232

Conclusion ... 232



12. SAP Supply Chain Management ... 233



How SAP SCM Fits in an Enterprise ... 233

The Adaptive Supply Chain ... 234

Visibility of Information ... 236

Velocity of Response ... 237

Sharing with Partners ... 237

SAP SCM Solution Map ... 239

A Closer Look at SAP SCM ... 240

Overview of SAP SCM ... 240

Supply Chain Planning ... 241

Supply Chain Execution ... 244

Supply Network Collaboration, Design, and Analytics ... 245

Using RFID in SAP SCM ... 246

SAP SCM Case Study 1 ... 247

The Challenges ... 247

The SAP Solution ... 248

The Benefits ... 248

SAP SCM Case Study 2 ... 249

The Challenges ... 250

The SAP Solution ... 250

The Benefits ... 251

Conclusion ... 251



13. The SAP Strategy for Small to Midsize Enterprises ... 253



The Challenges Facing Small to Midsize Companies ... 254

Bringing Enterprise Computing to Smaller Companies ... 254

The SAP SME Portfolio ... 255

How SAP Business One Works for Smaller Businesses ... 257

The SAP Business One Solution Map ... 258

Managing Accounting and Financials ... 258

Connecting with Customers ... 259

Purchasing and Operations ... 260

Inventory and Distribution ... 261

Streamlining Reporting and Administration ... 261

Enabling E-Commerce and Web Stores ... 262

SAP Business All-In-One ... 263

Benefits of Using SAP Business All-in-One ... 263

SAP Business All-in-One is Powered by SAP NetWeaver ... 265

What Is the SAP Business All-In-One Fast-Start Program? ... 267

SAP Business ByDesign ... 268

An Adaptable Suite of Functionality ... 269

Underlying Technology ... 269

SAP Business ByDesign Integrated Functionality ... 270

SAP BusinessObjects BI, Edge Edition ... 272

Small Business and Midsize Company Case Studies ... 273

SAP Business One, Case Study 1 ... 273

SAP Business All-in-One Fast-Start Program, Case Study 2 ... 275

Conclusion ... 276



PART III Essential SAP Tools



14. SAP Reporting and Analytics ... 279



Analytics in the Enterprise ... 279

SAP Business Warehouse ... 280

SAP BW Business Content ... 282

SAP BW Internal ETL-Extract Transform Load ... 283

Other ETL Tools ... 284

SLT ... 284

SAP Data Services ... 286

Enterprise Performance Management ... 288

SAP BW Integrated Planning ... 288

SAP Business Planning and Consolidation ... 290

SAP BusinessObjects Reporting Solutions ... 292

SAP Crystal Reports ... 293

SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards ... 294

SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence ... 295

SAP BusinessObjects Analysis for Microsoft Office ... 296

SAP BusinessObjects Analysis for OLAP ... 297

SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio ... 298

SAP BusinessObjects Explorer ... 299

SAP BusinessObjects Mobile ... 301

The BI Launch Pad ... 301

SAP Lumira ... 302

SAP Predictive Analysis ... 303

SAP Acquires KXEN ... 305

SAP and SAS partnership ... 305

SAP HANA Analytics ... 305

Conclusion ... 306



15. SAP HANA ... 307



SAP HANA: The Game Changer ... 308

The History Behind the Product ... 309

Prior Uses of In-Memory Computing ... 310

Moving to Today's Solution ... 311

The Technology Behind the Product ... 311

In-Memory Computing ... 311

Column-Based Computing ... 312

Multicore Processing ... 314

The SAP HANA Appliance ... 315

Benefits of SAP HANA: Beyond Faster Processing ... 315

Reducing TCO ... 316

Reducing Projects Cost ... 316

Enabling Solutions That Would Otherwise Be Impractical ... 317

Enabling Self-Service Analytics ... 317

Using SAP HANA in the Enterprise ... 318

SAP HANA as a Database ... 318

SAP Business Suite Powered by SAP HANA ... 319

SAP BW on SAP HANA (BoH ... 320

SAP HANA as OLAP ... 321

SAP HANA Live ... 323

SAP HANA Rapid Marts ... 325

SAP HANA Applications ... 326

SAP HANA Application Server (SAP HANA XS ... 326

Native and Non-Native SAP HANA Applications ... 327

Building Mobile Apps with SAP HANA ... 327

SAP HANA Versions: Beyond On Premise ... 328

SAP HANA One ... 328

SAP HANA Developer Edition-AWS ... 328

SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud (SAP HEC ... 329

Big Data Acceleration with SAP HANA ... 329

Conclusion ... 333



16. SAP Mobility ... 335



Why Mobilize ... 336

Types of Mobile Applications ... 337

Web-Based Mobile Applications ... 337

Native Mobile Applications ... 338

Hybrid Applications ... 338

What Type Is Best for Your Organization ... 339

Mobile Apps in the SAP Business Suite ... 340

Mobile Apps for Industries ... 341

Mobile Apps for SAP Cloud Solutions ... 341

Mobile Apps for SAP HANA ... 342

SAP Fiori ... 342

Other SAP and Partner Mobile Apps ... 343

Mobile Security ... 344

SAP Afaria ... 344

SAP Mobile Documents ... 345

SAP Mobile App Protection by Mocana ... 345

Mobile Analytics ... 345

SAP Mobile Platform ... 347

SAP Mobile Platform Server (On Premise ... 348

SAP Mobile Platform Cloud ... 349

SAP Mobile Platform SDK ... 350

Mobile Application Development Tools ... 351

SAP Gateway ... 351

SAP AppBuilder ... 353

SAPUI5 ... 353

Conclusion ... 354



17. User Productivity Tools for Information Workers ... 355



Portals and Roles ... 355

Understanding Portals ... 356

Understanding iViews ... 357

Assigning Roles ... 358

How SAP NetWeaver Supports Portals ... 359

Collaborative Tools ... 360

Workspaces ... 360

Discussion Forums and Wikis ... 360

Self-Service ... 361

Employee Self-Service Workspaces ... 361

Manager Self-Service Workspaces ... 364

Mobile Productivity ... 365

Conclusion ... 366



18. User-Friendly SAP: Duet, Alloy, Adobe Interactive Forms, and SAP Fiori ... 369



Duet: Providing Information Workers with What They Need ... 370

Key Functions and Features ... 371

How Duet Works ... 372

Examples of Duet in Action ... 374

Alloy: Joining SAP and Lotus Notes ... 375

Alloy's Key Features ... 375

The Advantages of Alloy ... 377

An Everyday Example of Alloy ... 377

The Paperless Office: Adobe Forms ... 378

The Need to Go Paperless ... 378

Streamlining Business Processes ... 379

Interactive Forms in the Workplace ... 380

Interactive Forms Extend Outside Your Organization ... 381

SAP Fiori for SAP Business Suite ... 382

SAP Fiori Launchpad ... 383

Accessing SAP Fiori Apps as a Manager ... 385

Accessing SAP Fiori Apps as an Employee ... 386

Conclusion ... 387



19. SAP NetWeaver as a Technology Platform ... 389



The Role of SAP NetWeaver in Your Enterprise ... 389

An Integration Platform ... 390

A Composition Platform ... 390

Enterprise Services Repository ... 391

Management of Information and Reports ... 393

The SAP NetWeaver Solution Map ... 393

SAP NetWeaver Components ... 395

SAP NetWeaver Application Server ... 396

SAP Business Warehouse ... 397

SAP Enterprise Portal ... 399

SAP Process Orchestration ... 400

SAP NetWeaver Master Data Management ... 401

SAP for Mobile ... 402

SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure ... 402

SAP Tools for Developers ... 403

ABAP ... 403

Java ... 405

SAP Solution Manager ... 407

SAP NetWeaver Case Study ... 408

The Challenges ... 409

The SAP Solution ... 409

Future Outlook ... 410

Conclusion ... 410



20. Preparing for an SAP Implementation ... 413



Important Considerations ... 413

Assessing Your Own Business ... 414

Understanding Implementation Costs ... 416

Dealing with Change ... 417

Planning for Success ... 418

The SOA Adoption Program ... 418

SAP and the SAP Community ... 419

Enhancement Packages ... 420

Who Can Help You Implement? ... 421

SAP Services Portfolio ... 421

SAP Services Portfolio: Planning Phase ... 422

SAP Services Portfolio: Building Phase ... 423

SAP Consulting ... 425

SAP Services Portfolio: Running Phase ... 428

SAP Operations Support Options ... 429

SAP Services Tools and Programs ... 430

Getting Information ... 431

Support in Action: A Case Study ... 432

Conclusion ... 433



21 Preparing for an SAP Cloud Implementation ... 435



Important Considerations ... 436

Current Pain Points and Limitations in Your Process ... 436

Strengths of Your Business Process ... 437

Cloud Application Wish List ... 437

Cost of the Implementation ... 437

Project Planning and Methodology ... 439

BizXpert for SuccessFactors ... 439

Ariba ... 441

Change Management ... 442

Communications ... 443

Stakeholder Management ... 443

Workforce Transition ... 443

Training ... 444

Knowledge Transfer ... 444

SAP Cloud Implementation Case Study ... 445

The Challenges ... 446

The SAP Cloud for Travel and Expense Solution ... 446

Looking toward the Future ... 448

Conclusion ... 448



22. An Introduction to SAP Rapid Deployment Solutions ... 449



The Concept ... 450

Assets That Are Available with a Solution Package ... 451

Rapid-Deployment Solution Implementation Case Study ... 454

The Challenges ... 455

The Rapid-Deployment Implementation Solution ... 455

Looking toward the Future ... 456

Conclusion ... 457



23. SAP Solution Manager ... 459



What Is SAP Solution Manager> ... 459

SAP Solution Manager Overview ... 460

The SAP Solution Manager Approach ... 462

SAP Solution Manager Contents ... 463

SAP Solution Manager Case Study ... 466

The Challenges ... 467

The SAP Solution ... 467

The Benefits ... 467

Conclusion ... 468

The Next Step ... 469



Appendices ... 471



A. Glossary ... 473



B. SAP Resources ... 483



SAP Communities and Alliances ... 483

Certification ... 483

Websites and Blogs ... 484

Publications ... 484

SAP Offices ... 486

Office Directory: United States ... 486

Worldwide Country Sites ... 486



C. SAP Solution Maps ... 487

SAP ERP ... 487

SAP Analytics ... 515

SAP In-Memory Computing (SAP HANA ... 516

SAP Mobile ... 516



D. The Authors ... 519



Index ... 523