Read what our conference Prepare for the transition to SAP S/4 HANA was about. We have organized it in cooperation with IBM, Tory Consulting and Hospodárské noviny. Michaela Rybanská from eGroup Solutions talked with us about SAP S/4 HANA and technologies.
The main motive of the conference is the transition to the new SAP S/4HANA systems. Let's discuss in short what it is about.
SAP is an unwritten standard in the market and, thanks to the massive support of the publisher, it is also a promising environment with wide possibilities for the future. As part of a regular renewal cycle, it is constantly necessary to innovate this most widespread ERP system for large companies in Slovakia. At the same time, companies often find that with increasing demands, they also have outdated hardware, or it needs to be re-implemented completely. Reliable solutions and partners are needed for such big changes.
What is the update moment of this topic?
The transition to SAP S/4HANA is mandatory by 2027. SAP will gradually stop supporting older versions, some even earlier than in 2027. There is the possibility of individual extension, but it will be more costly and large companies will get this option sooner. There may seem to be a lot of time, but this transition takes several months and it is really a difficult process. We also know from experience that many people keep things to the last minute. This can lead to an unpleasant market situation in which many companies using older versions for a short time neglect the preparation required.
What is the main reason for this change?
SAP originally used other databases, such as Oracle. However, it also developed its own database system – HANA. This in-memory database provides better job opportunities, is faster, more flexible and uses elements of artificial intelligence. However, it is not just a question of upgrading, but of a comprehensive new system. This is a completely new architecture.
How shall companies be motivated to switch to this system? What benefits will the client get?
Thanks to this change, companies can re-evaluate the company's processes and at the same time improve their entire management system. And also vice versa, when a company is growing or wants to improve processes, it necessarily needs an ERP system. The implementation of more and more modules, such as economic, marketing, HR and so on, is directly related to its development. The development of technology and the constantly mentioned digital transformation of companies is a necessity in the technology-oriented world where we live. So it's not just about the new version of SAP, but also about the new IT infrastructure, which now has to constantly increase the performance, agility and quality of services and processes on which your business depends. For example, on the basis of artificial intelligence, the mentioned SAP HANA can, distinguish between data that is used frequently, i.e. hot, and less often, i.e. warm. The less frequent ones is stored at the disk space, while the often used data is left frequently in RAM.
However, this system needs a strong platform on which to run. What should a client consider when choosing a partner?
Clients may have individual requirements, but we have very good experience with IBM Power Systems. It is a certified platform for HANA since 2015 and is used by more than 5,000 clients worldwide. The infrastructure built on Linux and the server technology IBM Power Systems Servers not only offers clients high performance, but is also extremely reliable. In addition, this solution from IBM was implemented by SAP itself into its public cloud solution, which also speaks for itself. Our company has been cooperating with IBM for more than 10 years and is an authorized platinum partner for the sale and implementation of IBM technologies. The scalability of infrastructure for SAP S/4HANA, which is ready to grow in the future, is also a factor that will definitely weigh in the choice of platform.
How to start if a company wants to modernize its infrastructure?
One of the most important things is choosing a reliable partner who will accompany you throughout the process. This needs to have a lot of experience, quality suppliers and many years of experience in this field. Our company has been dealing with the topic of infrastructure since the beginning, and it has been for more than 10 years. I can say that our added value is a thorough knowledge of technology and the latest trends in building and operating IT infrastructure. It is these benefits that our company offers and we can professionally assist in analysis, preparation and planning, advise on the choice of services and, of course, we also stand by the entire implementation of the infrastructure. In case of interest, we can take long-term care and provide support services for the client.
What requirements for infrastructure capabilities, i.e. hardware and software, are common on the part of clients?
One of the expectations in the implementation of SAP is that it will expand the possibilities of our business, provide certain advantages over the competition and improve communication and cooperation with partners and suppliers. Infrastructure should be the least problematic part of the project. We most often encounter the requirement to secure IT so that the client saves or does not have to worry about the infrastructure at all. Often companies need to partially use the current infrastructure, i.e. SAN, LAN or licenses and solve backup sites, have a high-availability solution at all levels with 99.999% availability or integrate the resulting solution into the given backup and monitoring infrastructure. It is also a very common requirement that the infrastructure does not have to "run" only in the cloud. Many companies still need on-premise operation, so we can also provide combinations in so-called hybrid solutions, where part of the infrastructure is operated in a cloud architecture and part at home.
What can we look forward to at the upcoming conference?
At the conference, you will have the opportunity to listen to the people from practice speaking about the situation, for example in the form of a case study environment for SAP S/4HANA. You will learn more about the practical benefits of using the new SAP S/4HANA functionalities from the customer's point of view, and in addition, you will be able to ask experts during the day what you are most interested in in this area.
Source: Hospodárske noviny
If you want to know more, write to us at the email address sales@egroup.sk