Get to know SAP S/4HANA and SAP S/4HANA Cloud
SAP S/4HANA is a series of
ERP businesses that are based on a database in SAP HANA memory that allows
companies to conduct transactions and analyze business data in real-time.
SAP released S/4HANA in February 2015. S/4HANA aims to provide ease of use and management, as
well as help solve more complex problems and handle a much larger amount of
data than its predecessor. It is available in on premise, cloud, and hybrid
with SAP strongly encouraging its customers towards cloud options.
History of S/4HANA and the difference between HANA and S/4HANA
SAP S/4HANA is short for SAP Business Suite 4 SAP HANA,
which means that this is the fourth version of SAP Business Suite, but is
designed to run only on SAP HANA. S/4HANA comes from SAP HANA, a database in memory that
was released in 2011. SAP HANA makes it possible to process large-capacity
operational and transactional business data in real time. In 2013, SAP launched
the SAP Business Suite at HANA, an HANA-based ERP system that includes modules
for CRM, SRM, PLM and SCM. The suite on HANA is basically a front end SAP ERP
business application that runs on a database in HANA memory.
SAP S/4HANA needs to rethink the concept of database and
rewrite 400 million lines of code. According to SAP, these changes make the ERP
system easier to understand and use and faster for developers. SAP sees S/4HANA
as an opportunity for businesses to
rediscover business models and generate new revenue by utilizing the internet
from various things and Big Data by connecting people, devices, and business
networks.
Also, because S/4HANA does not require batch processing, businesses
can simplify their processes and direct them in real time. This means that
business users can get information about data from anywhere in real time for
planning, implementing, predicting and simulating, according to SAP.
S/4HANA and SAP Fiori UX
One of the keys to S/4HANA is that it uses SAP Fiori UI rather than the
traditional SAP GUI. SAP Fiori is a collection of commonly used S/4HANA functions displayed in simple tile designs
that are ready for consumer use and that can be accessed on a variety of
devices, including desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
S/4HANA Module
One of the main components of S/4HANA
is SAP Finance (formerly Simple Finance)
which aims to streamline financial processes and enable real-time analysis of
financial data. SAP Finance helps companies adapt their financial and non-financial
data into what SAP calls a source of truth. Some Business Suite users use SAP
Finance as a first step towards S/4HANA . SAP has added more modules and
functionality for the next release, such as:
S/4HANA 1511 - released November 2015 - which
introduces a logistics module called Materials Management and Operations (MMO).
S/4HANA 1610 - released in October 2016 - which
includes modules for supply chain management, including Advanced
Available-to-Promise (aATP); Inventory Management (IM); Material Requirements
Planning (MRP); Extended Warehouse Management (EWM); and Environment, Health
and Safety (EHS).
In January 2018, SAP announced S/4HANA
HCM, an alternative on-premise Human
Capital Management (HCM) application for SAP SuccessFactors, the company's HCM
SaaS application. SAP describes S/4HANA HCM as a companion application that runs side
by side or integrated with S/4HANA , but is not a module that is included. S/4HANA
HCM will be available in 2023 and will
be supported by at least 2030, according to SAP.
s4hana sap
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
In March 2017, SAP released S/4HANA
Cloud, a cloud-based version of S/4HANA .
S/4HANA Cloud is best suited for
organizations with 1,500 or more employees who might want to run a two-tier ERP
system, where corporate entities run a complete business chain such as SAP ERP
Central Component or S/4HANA on-premise
and implement S/4HANA Cloud at the level
division or subsidiary.
HANA S / 4 Cloud includes new
generation technologies such as machine learning through a tool called SAP
Clea, and a conversational digital assistant bot called CoPilot.
S/4HANA Cloud is a SaaS
application with a new edition released every quarter. The naming follows the
local model year and month of release, so SAP S/4HANA Cloud 1709 was released in September 2017.
SAP S/4HANA embedded analytics
S/4HANA includes embedded analytics that allow users
to carry out analytics in real-time on direct transactional data. This is done
through Virtual Data Models, prebuilt models, and reports based on the SAP HANA
Core Data Services that analyze HANA operational data without requiring a data
warehouse. Analytic functions are equipped with S/4HANA software and do not require a separate
installation or license.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
SAP S/4HANA Cloud is the SaaS version of SAP S/4HANA ERP, a series of integrated business
applications. SAP S/4HANA Cloud was
launched in February 2017. According to SAP, the aim is to provide a "Next
Generation Intelligent ERP" system that enables companies to achieve
digital transformation. SAP S/4HANA Cloud is built on SAP HANA and utilizes
processing in HANA memory and data accessibility in real-time, but makes it
available in the SaaS model.
Implementing SaaS means users
can access all S/4HANA functionality
without committing resources to hardware, databases, or IT staff. S/4HANA Cloud includes technology that can help bring
"intelligence" into ERP applications, including machine learning,
virtual and augmented reality, blockchain, and technology that supports sound.
The main functions of the S/4HANA Cloud
include finance, procurement, sales, professional services and manufacturing.
The three pillars of smart
S/4HANA Cloud ERP
SAP S/4HANA Cloud includes
three technologies that form the foundation of intelligent ERP, according to
SAP:
Digital Assistant. SAP
S/4HANA Cloud uses SAP CoPilot, a digital conversation assistant (or
virtual assistant) for companies that allows users to interact with ERP
applications and functions. SAP CoPilot uses contextual data about users and
the tasks they perform to provide information relevant to that task.
Machine Learning. SAP S/4HANA
Cloud includes technology that automates repeated actions or tasks, which can
be repeated and error-prone when done manually, and learn how to do it more
efficiently.
Predictive Analytics.
S/4HANA Cloud has included analytics that can help predict the outcome of
actions. Analysis tools can be configured for user needs and can be developed
into applications, such as inventory management applications that can predict
when stock will arrive or sales quotation applications that allow sales
managers to determine the probability of converting sales quotas.
Implement, configure and run
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
SAP S/4HANA Cloud is available
as SaaS with various subscription options from SAP, which owns and operates the
platform. This is intended to reduce implementation time, costs and risks. SAP
handles all back-end management, including upgrading, security and governance.
All users generally need to do is integrate their data, then turn on the
processes they need and turn off what they don't need.
SAP S/4HANA The cloud version
is scheduled to be updated quarterly, according to SAP. Users access SAP
S/4HANA Cloud from a web browser, and all business applications are
launched from SAP Fiori Launchpad. To access it, users only need an internet
connection, URL and access rights.
Benefits of SAP S/4HANA Cloud
SAP identifies five ways
companies can benefit from implementing S/4HANA Cloud, including faster
ROI, increased business agility, lower total cost of ownership, better
governance, and smarter ERP that increases efficiency.
As a series of next generation cloud
ERP business suites, S/4HANA Cloud prepares businesses for the digital
future. This is expected to be able to integrate business processes, be able to
turn real-time data into actions and increase employee productivity, thus
enabling companies to change existing business processes and develop new
things.