How Can SAP S/4HANA Improve My Existing Workflows?

 

Your business has one core mission at the center of its daily processes: carry out business as quickly and efficiently as possible to maximize profits. When this mission is completed, everyone is happier: executives accomplish their initiatives, mid-level managers’ lives are made easy, and lower-level employees have higher job satisfaction when their tasks are efficient. All levels of business benefit from streamlined work processes, but how can you be sure that your business is working as efficiently as possible? If your business uses SAP ECC, S/4HANA can be the answer to ensuring your business processes run as efficiently as possible. What does this mean, and what does S/4HANA look like in practice for your business? Savvior - a leader among Pittsburgh software companies - is here to break it down for you.

What is SAP ECC?

How ECC Helps Manage Business Processes

If your business uses custom software solutions, chances are that SAP plays a role in your day-to-day operations. ECC stands for ERP (enterprise resource planning) central component. When broken down to its parts, ECC is exactly what it sounds like: a centralized software for carrying out enterprise functions like manufacturing processes, supply chain management, payroll, accounting, and more.

SAP ECC is designed to run on a third-party database within your business and is installed by Pittsburgh software companies like Savvior or an in-house team. ECC aids in data communication and migration from each aspect of your business process, allowing businesses to function on an extremely large scale. Consistently evolving into an improved state, ECC no longer requires a mainframe and is compatible with nearly every database and operating system. In other words, SAP ECC is one of the core components that allow a business to scale and thrive. That being said, SAP ECC on its own has its limitations -- which we’ll break down in a moment.

What Limitations Exist in SAP ECC?

Pittsburgh Software Companies Aid in the Implementation of ECC

When it comes to the implementation of nearly and SAP product, small businesses are in a bit of a Catch-22. SAP ECC has undeniable benefits in helping a business scale and grow to maximize profits over time, but the initial implementation - like with all custom software solutions - can be pricey, particularly for businesses at the tipping point for major growth. However, without the investment in a centralized data communication center, a business may never be able to scale to such great heights.

Outside of an investment for your business, there are few things that SAP ECC cannot do. This custom software solution is designed to carry out your business processes, and since every business is inherently different, you can rest assured that SAP ECC - even at its baselines - has the ability to streamline your processes.

However, technology always permits growth. Communicating important business information from start to finish across global portions of your business is no easy task, which is where S/4HANA comes in to help.

How Pittsburgh Software Companies Use S/4HANA to Enhance ECC

Speed Up Your Centralized Data Communication & Improve Accessibility

SAP by nature is designed to build upon itself and be customized to the specific needs of each business, and Pittsburgh software companies often recommend using S/4HANA as an extension of your existing SAP ECC landscape. SAP S/4HANA is an in-memory database designed to accelerate SAP applications and the business processes they support. In other words, your operations are made more efficient by a simplified data storage structure that allows for faster recall and access. 

S/4HANA with ECC, due to this simplified data structure, and bring unbelievable benefits to your business. From higher productivity to real-time visibility, you’ll have the infight necessary to achieve and surpass your goals with S/4HANA.

There are a variety of real-world examples of S/4HANA at work. For the sake of the Steel City, let’s consider the power of ECC and S/4HANA through the lens of steel production. From creation to manufacturing, shipment, and deliver, you’ll need as clear and efficient communications as possible. On top of that, payroll will need to know who to pay, management needs to see what is happening at each step in the process, and customer service should be able to access and make changes to shipments as necessary. Many of these processes - like pushing back a delivery date - need to be able to be accessed and adjusted in real-time. S/4HANA allows for this by making real-time adjustments to the centralized memory, speeding up the rate in which you can do business with fewer errors.

Think it’s time to seriously consider the benefits SAP can bring to your business? Get in touch with the experts at Savvior - a leader among Pittsburgh software companies - to learn how customized software solutions can help your business.