Posts Tagged ‘Management’
martedì, aprile 17th, 2012
From customer and employee information to product lists and supplier profiles, organizations depend on master data to carry out crucial tasks across many lines of business. The accuracy of this data, therefore, is paramount to a company’s efficiency, compliance, and its bottom line. But gaining a single view of master data is easier said than done.
Whenever a new system is integrated, after a merger for example, master data must be added, matched up, and consolidated into the existing system. Even within one company, some data, such as customer information, is often used by several lines of business. If there are even slight variations in the data – using Mike instead of Michael or Inc instead of Co – the system ends up with multiple, inconsistent versions of the same record, making business process efficiency and tasks like reporting and analytics impossible. On top of these challenges, new technology trends, including cloud computing, big data, and social media, present other obstacles.
Companies that deploy their business applications in the cloud face the same difficulties in cleansing and consolidating data as their on-premise peers, but they have the added complication of bridging their data to the on-premise world. The increase in big data and social media data, on the other hand, offers organizations the chance to create much richer customer profiles by linking up social media information with master data. However, if the business system contains duplicate customer records, companies won’t experience all the benefits of integrating that additional data.
The answer to these problems is master data management (MDM). Based on a set of policies for data creation, replication, aggregation, reconciliation, and consolidation, MDM technology enables businesses processes to adhere to rules, ensuring continuous data quality.. For many leading organizations, this discipline forms the foundation for information governance programs. SAP currently offers two ways for companies to manage their master data: the SAP Master Data Governance application and the SAP NetWeaver Master Data Management (SAP NetWeaver MDM) component.
Soon, companies will also have a third option for master data management. The planned innovation, project code name SAP Master Data Services, will support high velocity integration of master data for scenarios such as Customer Data Integration. SAP Master Data Services will be powered by SAP HANA, and will also embed SAP Data Services and Information Steward. The first release will focus on Customer Data Integration, allowing organizations to enrich their customer data across on-premise data as well as cloud-based data and social media data. It is planned for release in the second half of 2012.
On the following pages, we’ll give you an overview of the new offering and take a look at the innovations planned for SAP’s existing solutions for master data management.
Tags: application, approach, Business, cloud, Company, component, creation, customer, data, efficiency, Enterprise, example, governance, industry, Information, innovation, Integration, line, Management, master, MDM, merger, NetWeaver, portfolio, process, release, Software @en, supplier, System, Technology @en
Posted in Press Releases, SAP | No Comments »
lunedì, marzo 26th, 2012
Sustainability reports have traditionally been the exclusive domain of sustainability pundits looking to pore over raw data on an organization’s economic, environmental, and social impact. Recently, though, many businesses have realized their sustainability performance is increasingly of interest to the average person and that it needs to be presented in a relevant and accessible format.
SAP has been a leader in the movement toward more user-friendly sustainability reports for several years, rolling-out a series of ever-more-engaging reports since its first report in 2007. The new, fifth-annual version of the SAP Sustainability Report shows how personal and corporate engagement can make a difference in helping the world run better. It offers visitors inspiring stories of business transformation, highly interactive data charts, the ability to provide comments within the report, and easy integration with social media sites to allow readers to share their views.
Targeted at customers, partners, employees, shareholders, and the general public, the report covers SAP’s innovations in software solutions for energy management and sustainable operations, its own transformation into a more sustainable company, and its social investment strategy. It also showcases real-life stories about the company’s internal focus on sustainability and how it has helped customers run their businesses more sustainably and profitably. The report includes both financial and non-financial information as SAP continues its move towards more integrated reporting.
“As a company founded and thriving on innovation, our goal is to help organizations find better ways of optimizing their use of resources. By doing so, we become a catalyst for more sustainable and profitable business practices. Our new report highlights the progress we have made on this journey of helping the world run better and improving people’s lives,” said Peter Graf, SAP Chief Sustainability Officer. “While much work remains, we are proud of how SAP and our customers are becoming better-run businesses by not simply embracing a sustainability strategy, but rather by making their overall strategies more sustainable.”
Tags: Branitzky, Business, BusinessObjects, carbon, Company, domain, Energy, Engagement, impact, interest, Investment, leader, Management, online, organization, percent, performance, Pore, progress, Report, reporting, run, Software, strategy, sustainability, Technology @en, transformation, transparency, world, year
Posted in Press Releases, SAP | No Comments »
martedì, dicembre 20th, 2011
Individuals are extremely quick to adopt mobile technology. A Google study shows that five years ago only seven percent of users accessed the Internet from their mobile phones and just six percent used mobile apps. Today, 81 percent access the Internet from their mobile phones and 68 percent use apps. This unprecedented rate of technology adoption has left enterprise IT managers grappling to manage integration, services, data security, optimization of enterprise productivity, and a workforce that demands increasing mobility.
The majority of the mobile workforce uses their devices in the hours-per-day range, and many workers use multiple mobile devices. They use their smartphones as a desktop extension to increase productivity and multiply their reach. Mobile workers say the benefits include staying connected on the road; managing and controlling reports on the go; servicing and maintaining customer accounts on the spot; staying unwired within the enterprise campus; capturing data through RFID integration, voice control and image capturing; and using geo data to locate people, things, and businesses.
Supporting a billion smartphones
It’s estimated that by 2013, a billion smartphones will be deployed in the global workforce, each running multiples apps, and many enterprise IT departments are grappling with the task of supporting this number of devices and applications in such a short time.
“All of SAP’s customers realize that mobility is an unstoppable revolution that must be adopted in the enterprise,” said Clemens Suter-Crazzolara, program lead for Mobility SAP Industry Solutions. “This puts considerable strain on companies, as the end-users on all levels request more and richer functionality. Yet, IT departments need to control the risks associated with the oncoming flood of mobile apps as well as numerous device types and operating systems.”
Next page: The fourth wave of enterprise computing
Tags: Adoption, apps, Business, Computing, Crazzolara, customer, Demand, Deployment, device, Enterprise, Infrastructure, Integration, Internet, lead, Management, mobile, Mobile @en, Mobility, percent, productivity, Rapid, Rapid Deployment, reach, security, solution, task, Technology @en, use, wave, workforce
Posted in Press Releases, SAP | No Comments »
venerdì, novembre 11th, 2011
Preview of Business ByDesign FP 3.5: due out early next year. (Photo: Christiane Stagge)
Feature Pack 3.5 for SAP Business ByDesign is due out at the end of January 2012. With this update, the end-to-end on-demand solution will not only run on the iPhone, iPad, and BlackBerry, but also on Android and Windows smartphones. In Madrid, we got a look at a live demo of the latest version of Business ByDesign on the Windows Phone.
Furthermore, Rainer Zinow, SVP of OnDemand Strategy at SAP, discussed the new features available in FP 3.5. This version offers analytic functions and services, which allow extensive profit analyses to be carried out and more transparency in agreements.
New features for enterprises and subsidiaries
Certain new features should be especially interesting for companies that want to deploy Business ByDesign in their subsidiaries. Business ByDesign FP 3.5 will support these business functions: resource management, order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, payroll impact, and data management.
SAP Business ByDesign is suitable for the following business areas: sales, approvals, expense, and reports and analytics. With FP 3.5, the solution will now be optimized for the iPad. At the moment, there only app for the iPad is the Business ByDesign Dashboard, which lets you look at and work on worksheets. Soon users will get full functionality on their Apple table.
Tags: Analysis, attachment, brand, Business, ByDesign, demo, end, feature, impact, iPad, Management, OnDemand, Pack, phone, photo, portfolio, preview, process, productivity, profit, solution, Solutions, strategy, Suite, Version, Windows, work, year
Posted in Press Releases, SAP | No Comments »
venerdì, novembre 4th, 2011
The AQM program for SAP partners defines standards for quality (image: Fotolia)
SAP partners looking for a way to differentiate themselves from the competition now have an additional means to show customers that they hold the key to success for their upcoming IT projects. That key is top-notch quality management and dedicated resources direct from SAP.
The SAP-supported Active Quality Management (AQM) partner accreditation program puts the spotlight on quality to help partners improve customer satisfaction, drive success, and minimize risks. And it’s getting customers’ attention, too – resulting in more bid wins for partners. “Since we work with the AQM framework, our bids are different from the competitors, especially since we offer more value to increase our customers’ satisfaction. This means higher sales,” says Sebastian Bamonde, SAP director at Tecnocom, an SAP partner in Spain that has been in the AQM program since 2010.
Quality Built In
The AQM partner quality program, part of SAP Partner Service Delivery, is designed to support SAP partners in providing more predictable, profitable implementations through unified quality standards and procedures. Participating partners receive an SAP global accreditation for the active management of their sales processes and delivery methodologies based on their fulfillment of an annual quality plan and quarterly quality reviews. Begun in 2010, the program is part of SAP’s efforts to further deepen its collaborative relationships with partners and customers and to raise awareness for quality principles.
To achieve accreditation, partners must develop a quality plan that aligns with SAP’s quality principles, fully participate in the AQM program for at least six months, complete a minimum of two sales or delivery cycles, and demonstrate lessons learned from past projects.
Upon achieving AQM accreditation, partners receive the AQM Partner Kit, which contains tools and templates to help them build up a robust quality management system in their organization. They also receive access to premium services in the form of regular, collaborative discussions with dedicated Partner Quality Advisors. These advisors underscore the value of the AQM program. With visibility of over 450 projects, they provide qualified guidance and advice to partners throughout their implementation projects. This direct and immediate collaboration with experienced SAP experts helps partners to maximize benefits and mitigate potential project risks – thus avoiding costly escalations that can damage credibility. Experts are further available to accredited partners through e-training opportunities in the form of remote, collaborative quality workshops designed to help partners grow their SAP business.
Tags: accreditation, approach, AQM, Business, confidence, customer, delivery, Director, Experts, Fenosa, Form, gas, group, Implementation, key, Kit, Management, part, partner, Plan, program, project, quality, satisfaction, Software, success, Tecnocom, Union, value
Posted in ERP, Press Releases, SAP | No Comments »
mercoledì, novembre 2nd, 2011
Bühler, an automotive components manufacturer, has plants worldwide. (photo: Fotolia)
The midsized family-run automotive components manufacturer Bühler Motoren GmbH is realizing its global aspirations by moving into new territory. Supporting its efforts is SAP industry solution it.automotive supplier, with processes running exclusively on SAP.
Gerhard Denk does not like making decisions from the confines of his desk. Whatever country the CIO of Bühler Motoren GmbH happens to be working in, he takes time to step out onto the factory floor and talk to employees. “If you know where the crux of a problem lies, then you can sort it out in good time,” says the experienced manager. “And it is not just about IT. Most of all, it’s about leadership. You need to motivate and get employees on board with this kind of project – taking the time to listen really pays off.”
Presumably, it is precisely this successful combination of expertise, humanity and persuasiveness that allows Denk to easily inspire people. It is thanks to his and his team’s success that the SAP solution was rolled out uniformly at Bühler worldwide. And as a result, each of the 1,600 employees at Bühler’s global sites can now follow the same process in the same software.
Bühler manufactures parts for Ford, Chrysler, General Motors, and VW. (Photo: Bühler GmbH)
Tags: aim, Analysis, basis, Bühler, Business, CIO, control, country, Everyone, GmbH, Implementation, Industries, industry, Management, manufacturer, model, Motoren, part, process, product, Production, project, solution, structure, supplier, System, team, territory, time, underway
Posted in Press Releases, SAP | No Comments »
mercoledì, ottobre 26th, 2011
SAP has offered L’Oréal a Value Partnership service (image: Fotolia)
As the world leader in cosmetics, L’Oréal is a glamorous brand that is at once synonymous with flawless beauty and a worldly approach to personal care that embraces diversity. And while its products are commonplace in households and local shops the world over, it is no run-of-the-mill business. In 2010 L’Oréal’s sales reached €19.5 billion. Its 23 global brands – spanning the spectrum of personal-care products in skin care, hair care and color, makeup, and fragrances – are distributed in 130 countries.
The Integrated Supply Chain at L’Oréal
Behind L’Oréal’s glamorous products lies a vast and complex supply chain that links marketing and sales on one side and production on the other. A new organization was recently put in place to optimize the supply chain and to reinforce the vision of end-to-end supply chain management. In order to properly manage this change, L’Oréal launched in January 2010 a five-year Integrated Supply Chain Program.
Considering the complexity of such a program, L’Oréal needed the best partners to help them safeguard quality and reduce risks. L’Oréal decided to partner with SAP in this program. “For one thing, we were already using SAP solutions so we just went for the same people we knew,” said Xavier Rodriguez, L’Oréal IT project director. “For another, we wanted to communicate to our stakeholders that we are in good hands.”
Tags: brand, Business, care, chain, degree, Engagement, Expertise, governance, group, Information, Integrated, Integration, January, leader, Management, optimize, order, Oréal, partnership, program, quality, Service, Solutions, supply, team, thing, time, transformation, value, world
Posted in Press Releases, SAP | No Comments »
martedì, ottobre 25th, 2011
REACH conference: leading companies in chemical industry meet with SAP (photo: Andreas Endemann)
Although many people have not even heard of REACH, the European Community Regulation that places complex requirements on companies in the chemical industry and their IT, it directly or indirectly affects large portions of the economy. This European Community regulation is meant to protect consumers and the environment by governing the handling of all chemical substances in circulation in the European Union. It also stipulates extensive documentation duties that manufacturers – the chemical industry, in other words – have to fulfill.
Every year, at SAP’s invitation, AkzoNobel, BASF, Unilever, and other leading chemical companies meet to discuss the current issues and requirements (or, if you ask some, the trials and tribulations) related to Regulation (EG) No. 1907/2006, which began to fundamentally change chemical legislation in June of 2007.
The challenge of REACH
The acronym REACH stands for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals. According to the regulation, only chemicals that have been registered in advance may be put into circulation within the European Union. This registration requires manufacturers and importers to list and define all chemical substances in terms of their composition, quantity, application, and toxicity to humans and the environment. Compiling and preparing this data, as well as ensuring its conformity with the regulation, is a mammoth task.
“We want to help you balance your risks and opportunities,” said Jürgen Schwab, former executive chairman of TechniData AG and now, following the acquisition by SAP, senior vice president at SAP. With the application SAP Environment, Health, and Safety Management (SAP EHS Management), companies can guarantee compliance along the entire value chain, minimize operational risks, and increase their efficiency. “Our customers can benefit tremendously from the application – especially in how well it dovetails with SAP ERP and SAP’s industry solutions,” added Dieter Hässlein, vice president and chief product owner for SAP EHS Management. “This enables companies to easily consolidate all of the information scattered across their various areas into a manageable compendium.”
Lisbeth Svensson from AkzoNobel (photo: Andreas Endemann)
Tags: acquisition, AkzoNobel, application, attachment, chain, chemical, circulation, Community, Compliance, conference, Content, documentation, economy, EHS, environment, European, Everyone, factor, Handling, Industries, industry, Management, photo, president, reach, registration, regulation, Regulatory, safety, sustainability, TechniData, Union, vice
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giovedì, ottobre 20th, 2011
With the it.x-mobile solution it's possible to access ERP data from your iPhone. (Photo: JAB Anstoetz)
You find them everywhere – in private households, airports, hotels and holiday resorts, conference rooms and convention centers: fabrics, carpets, and upholstered furniture from JAB Anstoetz. The renowned company has 1,300 employees and its products can be seen wherever tasteful interior design is called for. Its portfolio contains around 3,000 items in more than 20,000 colors, and the product range changes constantly. This wide variety makes it difficult for interior decorators and designers, the traditional customers of JAB Anstoetz, to manage their assortments.
Until recently, the company would send customers long lists of prices and discontinued items once a year. The customers would then have to cross-check their entire inventory, which can often comprise 300 to 400 samples. JAB Anstoetz first tried simplifying the portfolio management process by digitizing it. For example, it installed scanners that were to record the inventory and price data and then forward this information to customers. But it soon abandoned this project because it would have required too high an effort to regularly update the data.
Tags: accounting, Anstoetz, Business, catalog, Company, conference, Convention, customer, delivery, design, force, Furniture, Holiday, Industries, Information, inventory, iPad, iPhone, itelligence, Jab, Management, portfolio, price, product, project, range, Software, solution, System, Technology
Posted in ERP, Press Releases, SAP | No Comments »
