run simple - isn't so simple!
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Copyright West Trax International December 2014
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“Run Simple” – Isn’t So Simple!
At every possible opportunity SAP is encouraging organisations to prepare for the exciting new world of SAP HANA and SAP in the Cloud with the message – “Run Simple”. But what exactly does this mean for today’s SAP customers? In conferences and articles SAP senior executives speak about re-examining and simplifying the way organisations conduct their business. This includes looking for simpler organisations, business processes and systems. By going through this exercise dramatic gains in productivity, profitability and competiveness will be realised. The benefits will be maximised through the effective deployment of the latest SAP technologies such as SAP HANA, cloud and mobile computing, big data and analytics. The problem that many SAP customers have spotted is that “Run Simple” may be the ultimate destination to aim for, but the journey required to get from today to the bright new future isn’t so simple. It looks complex, expensive and risky. For example, the SAP “Cookbook Business Suite On Hana” provides advice on the prerequisites to consider when planning for SAP HANA. These prerequisites include the minimum release levels and EHP’s required, plus issues to consider in terms of custom code migration and customisation. These include questions such as: -
Which main business processes have the potential to produce the most benefit from running much faster on SAP HANA?
Is any custom code likely to cause performance issues?
Can custom code be modified to improve performance?
Many SAP customers’ systems are not currently at the necessary prerequisite levels for Business Suite on HANA. Some organisations will need to invest significant time and resources to collect detailed and accurate information required to respond appropriately to some of these questions. West Trax whole-heartedly supports the “Run Simple” strategy. The results of nearly 1,500 analyses of SAP systems conducted by West Trax indicate that over time many SAP systems have been subjected to one or more technical upgrades. As a result they may be technically at ECC 6.0 but the processes and functions remain at R/3 or older. Old undocumented custom code often adds complexity and may require significant optimisation or redesign efforts. Large amounts of code may have become redundant, adding unnecessary maintenance overheads and further complexity. Due to a lack of transparency the valuable business benefits offered by the latest level standard SAP functionality and enhanced business processes have often not been well understood and have not been exploited. For many SAP customers low levels of standardisation, high levels of customisation and outdated business processes all contribute to the challenges of starting the journey to “Run Simple”. If you are not sure of your starting point it is very difficult to plan your route to your destination. As the old joke has it - an English visitor to Ireland stopped to ask a roadside farmer the way to his destination. After a long pause the farmer replied, “Ah well sorr. I wouldn’t be starting from here!”
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Copyright West Trax International December 2014
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Before starting on the road to “Run Simple” via SAP HANA a critical look in the mirror is essential. When planning the introduction of a new platform, such as SAP HANA, a system health check is essential to accurately establish the starting point for the journey. Organisations need to be able to confidently answer questions such as, “Are our processes optimally standardised, automated and efficient? Or are they mostly manual and inefficient, having evolved historically?” They need to be sure that they know how well they are using “core SAP“ and how much they are relying on in-house solutions. Precise factual information is vital when considering these issues. Gut feeling is not good enough when deciding whether current processes will derive maximum benefit from HANA. An objective, neutral assessment can rapidly establish reliable facts on which to base the development of a HANA business case. Do you have concerns about how to best prepare your SAP systems for migration to HANA and the Cloud? Why not contact us for a free, no obligation discussion about your plans and concerns? At West Trax we have developed an independent, automated HANA assessment specifically for this purpose. It requires minimal client resources and rapidly provides readily understood facts as a solid foundation for making strategic decisions. To find out more about how West Trax helps organisations prepare for the journey to SAP HANA and maximise the benefits of a well optimised implementation please contact: -
Diana Bohr Chief Technology Officer
T: + (49) 6430 92098 M: + (49) 172 6606604
E: [email protected] W: www.westtrax.com