Equipping an organization with the latest technologies is the right direction to go, but it will not ensure success if its environments are not properly integrated. Secure, convenient, and versatile systems are a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to develop a high position on the market and gain the trust of Clients. Cloud systems play a huge role in digital transformation. They can be perfectly integrated with other applications and technologies that companies use. SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) is a comprehensive cloud solution that can help you get the most out of S/4HANA with a range of analytics, integration, and development tools.
SAP BTP – accumulation of cloud capabilities
SAP Business Technology Platform is a space that connects data management processes with the entire enterprise database. It offers analytical business tools as well as integration functions and application extensions. Thanks to its numerous functionalities, this solution has a wide range of applications.
The right way to achieve even more efficient business performance and ensure growth is to combine SAP S/4HANA with a cloud-based environment (SAP BTP).Such a solution can help a company build a more flexible and advanced business model based on the latest technology.
The possibilities offered by the combination of SAP S/4HANA with SAP BTP:
1. Flexibility and scalability of the working environment – no matter how your business needs change, SAP BTP allows you to meet them, adapt, and grow your cloud environment to satisfy the requirements of your users and your business.
2. Cloud integration – SAP BTP allows you to efficiently, securely, and properly integrate SAP S/4HANA with other cloud-based tools, including external ones; with such functionalities, companies can connect the ERP system with other applications running in a cloud environment, which not only expands its capabilities, but also allows you to preserve your existing team strategies, developed methodologies, and effectively use the capabilities of these solutions.
3. Secure and comprehensive data management – SAP S/4HANA offers an extremely comprehensive space for storing, recycling, and working with data; when combined with SAP BTP, users gain innovative tools designed to manage, process, and analyze data collected in the cloud; these include, among others:
- SAP Data Intelligence Cloud to enable integration, manage massive amounts of data and streams at scale, streamline, operationalize, and manage innovation based on machine learning, and optimize governance and minimize compliance risks with comprehensive metadata management rules;
- SAP Data Services offers access to data from a broader perspective, achieving the highest quality of data management, combining data efficiently, and thus drawing accurate and relevant conclusions.
4. Extend the functionality of custom applications – SAP BTP application development tools enable companies to create or modify custom applications and solutions to meet their needs; these tools can be integrated with SAP S/4HANA while improving its operation and extending its functionality; these tools include:
- SAP Business Application Studio (BAS) as a cloud IDE (based on Visual Studio, providing front-end developers with a full range of application development capabilities),
- Low-code development (available through application templates – Templates, Fiori Elements and CDS Views),
- native integration with SAP systems (to facilitate compatibility and streamline testing).
5. Powerful analytical tools and artificial intelligence – SAP BTP provides solutions that enable in-depth business process analysis as well as work with artificial intelligence and machine learning, leading to more detailed reporting, accurate forecasting, and the development of intelligent, high-tech business applications; these include:
- SAP Analytics Cloud – the tools included in the package with this intuitive name enable you to generate reports based on your company’s data and enrich your analysis with machine-generated analytics,
- self-service modeling and data preparation,
- data mining and visualization,
- enhanced machine-generated analytics,
- “what if” simulation.
SAP BTP – client-centric atmosphere
Like any solution, this one also raises many questions on the part of its potential users. As an experienced implementation partner, we at Hicron have answered many of these questions and addressed many of our clients’ concerns. Their previous experience often shows that they did not receive sufficient implementation support. The questions that potential service recipients ask our specialists allow us to identify their problems. These complications are discussed by our expert – Mateusz Pawłowski:
A new tool in a company, including SAP BTP, requires adequate work not only on the part of its recipients, but especially on the part of the service provider implementing the solution. The success of an implementation project depends mainly on them. As a result, companies are often concerned that the partner they chose for this project will not be able to meet this challenge. Such concerns can arise when an organization is dealing with a supplier that does not have sufficient experience with this type of projects. Lack of trust on the part of Clients can also be due to a lack of knowledge on cloud technologies. Storing data on a server often gives the impression of greater control. Since the user has full access to database management, this sometimes results in the false impression that it is more secure. However, it is important to note that modern, cloud-based technologies such as SAP S/4HANA combined with SAP BTP meet all standards for strict data protection. They are the most secure systems available. The supervision of experienced professionals responsible for securing these tools takes a huge responsibility off the shoulders of companies and provides a guarantee of adequate security of company resources.
Another problem that Clients looking for help in choosing and implementing SAP BTP may face is a lack of experience on the part of the implementation partner. Companies that do not specialize in this type of project will not always be able to handle the migration. Regardless of how well prepared an organization is, it is largely up to the implementation partner to ensure that the technology is properly aligned with the needs of the Clients and their business. That is why it is worth choosing experienced and specialized business partners. In addition to having the right strategy and tailoring the system to the company’s needs, such a team of specialists can help minimize implementation costs. The high price of such a process is another concern of Clients. Using the services of consultants and experts in this field is often associated with their subsequent service support, which significantly reduces the cost of maintaining the system. – Mateusz Pawłowski, Lead SAP Full-stack Developer, Hicron
If you want to lay a good foundation for a smooth and reliable combination of SAP S/4HANA and SAP BTP, you need to ensure that your organization has the right support. According to the experience of our specialists, who regularly carry out such projects and bring them to a successful conclusion, the key to implementation is proper preparation. Creating a test environment serves as a “dress rehearsal” and helps the organization, as our expert once again mentions:
The long experience of our implementation teams shows that creating a demo system that supports several key SAP BTP business modules is an effective strategy. This allows us, as a service provider, to anticipate complications that other partners may not be prepared for. An additional benefit of this approach is the time Clients gain to familiarize themselves with the new technology. Users can experience the product they are interested in, analyze it, and become familiar with its functionalities before the actual implementation. This also allows for a calm and well-organized final installation of the tool. – Mateusz Pawłowski, Lead SAP Full-stack Developer, Hicron
Technological development with the umbrella of SAP BTP tools
When running a business, managers are often looking for new tools and wondering what benefits a particular solution will provide and what sets it apart from others. Low cost of implementation, pace of the project, and simplicity are all advantages, of course, but there is one thing that grabs the attention of business owners the most when it comes to new systems. We are talking, of course, about the benefits they bring. As for the integration of SAP BTP with SAP S/4HANA, there is no shortage of advantages of such a combination and its positive effects.
Faster data migration with proven practices and effective solutions
There are many elements that influence the scope and speed of data migration projects. First and foremost is the number and variety of data acquisition sources. When setting a deadline for such tasks, it is also necessary to take into account the sometimes emerging need to improve the quality of the acquired information, the need to transform it, and the applicable business rules. It is also important to consider issues related to the size of the project team and the intensity of the work to be performed. SAP BTP gives you access to SAP Advanced Data Migration, Synti, and SAP Data Services tools, which enable you to perform data migration quickly and efficiently, regardless of the factors mentioned above. Both solutions enable you to move them from legacy ERP systems to a single, functional, and comprehensive SAP S/4HANA environment. With the ability to track migration processes within a single platform, intuitive dashboards, and built-in templates for designing, mapping, and creating data, their migrations will be smooth and secure. All this helps create a structured, harmonized, comprehensive, and state-of-the-art database.
Data hygiene and organization is the path to success
What matters in data migration is the reliability of the data, access to the sources from which it came, and the people responsible for its creation and acquisition. Reliable and complete information is essential. It is the foundation for making the right business decisions. When structured, it also improves the digital transformation of companies. SAP Master Data Governance, which users can access through SAP BTP, ensures up-to-date, validated data of the highest quality. It enables the aggregation of all information about it to provide a unified and trusted view of the domains from which it originates. In addition, the tool enables faster task execution through pre-built and pre-populated data models, workflows, and user interfaces. SAP Master Data Governance also helps you manage and maintain large volumes of high-quality master data. Using algorithms and machine learning, users can extract and apply hidden data quality rules. This tool provides comprehensive maintenance of the above-mentioned areas, ensuring comprehensive data protection and security against unauthorized access.
Easy and reliable integration of SAP S/4HANA with company applications
Providing a company with reliable integration platform support when connecting to a cloud environment with applications is extremely important. For these types of projects, it is necessary to have access to an integration platform that enables comprehensive processes. SAP Integration Suite was designed with these activities in mind. It helps you develop an appropriate integration strategy, create connections between applications, and increase business agility. It enables companies to create the space to integrate systems and data not only within their own structures, but also with Client systems. The tool also provides increased efficiency and visibility of business processes by fully connecting applications with more than 2,000 pre-built integrations. They are continuously updated and maintained by the vendor. Together with SAP Integration Suite, SAP S/4HANA provides users with 115 ready-made business scenarios. They can be shared among different users, employees, applications, and even Clients. This combination of processes and tools supports business innovation and growth, while freeing up IT departments to focus on more advanced tasks.
Streamline and empower strategic decisions with comprehensive data storage solutions
The combination of SAP S/4HANA and SAP BTP enables you to design a data warehouse that is tailored to the needs of business and IT users. It can operate as a self-service data warehouse as well as in analytical areas. It also allows one to reuse existing resources and solutions developed in SAP BW/HANA, SAP HANA, and SAP S/4HANA, as well as many other tools from the vendor. This results in the expansion of a company’s local data warehouse and accelerates analytical processes. To support the SAP cloud system, the BTP platform also offers SAP Data Warehouse Cloud and SAP BW/4HANA, which constitute ideal warehouse solutions. They provide the ability to connect external data to data sources and the SAP cloud. All this to ensure full access and visibility of information, its reliability, and security. These tools reduce data configuration time with built-in extractors and business content, intended for SAP and SAP S/4HANA users and sources only. This allows you to protect and maximize the value of the data stored on your systems.
Single analytics platform providing a complete picture of processes
SAP BTP helps organizations achieve success by providing users with a complete analytics platform that combines business, forecasting, planning, intelligence, and, of course, analytical functions. It enables you to properly read and interpret business insights to gain a competitive advantage. With SAP Analytics Cloud, companies can increase the speed at which they make decisions, respond to trends, plan development directions and business steps, analyze data, and execute large projects. It also enables you to extend the capabilities of intelligent systems. With the use of this tool, businesses can achieve their goals and realize benefits faster.
SAP S/4HANA expansion as a step to accelerate innovation with structured digital core
By combining SAP S/4HANA with SAP BTP, an organization gains the ability to rapidly develop and expand its application environment. The automation that characterizes this solution allows you to save money on updates and maintain an orderly and fully secured digital core. This environment also allows applications to be developed and built in a way that is consistent with an organization’s existing processes. All this can be done quickly thanks to the available tools and ready-made SAP inter-application templates and scenarios. In addition, such integration protects the investment value of the work done so far by migrating ABAP code and using it by ABAP developers who create applications based on it. Combining the two environments also provides a good understanding of the organization’s business processes and the ability to respond to the changing needs of users and clients. The space created in this way helps to automate tasks for teams, take care of users, and answer frequently asked questions, for example, using chatbots integrated with SAP S/4HANA. All this in a model based on flexibility, full integration, and analysis of business processes, flows and business rules.
Top benefits of SAP BTP according to an expert
Many of the benefits of combining SAP S/4HANA with the SAP Business Technology Platform are very specific functions. It is also important to point out the fundamental advantages of such a solution. In this case, it is best to seek the opinion of an expert:
Among the very general, but extremely clear and important benefits of integrating the cloud version of SAP ERP with SAP BTP for entrepreneurs, I would like to point out the three most obvious ones.
- The Analytics tool – it enables very detailed and accurate analyses that allow managers to make business decisions efficiently. This is a very important source of knowledge for many system users involved in numerous processes that are important for the functioning of the company. As a result, they no longer have to rely on external applications or commissioned specialized forecasts. Thanks to SAP BTP in combination with SAP S/4HANA, such data interpretations are immediately available to every authorized employee.
- User experience – the combination of these two SAP tools guarantees comfort for all users. The environment created by this solution focuses on productivity, which translates not only into employee satisfaction, but also into business results. The combination of the systems makes it possible to customize their appearance and functionality for each user.
- A modern approach to the system – just like companies, SAP moves with the times and guarantees its users the comfort and intuitiveness of its systems. S/4HANA and BTP are no different. The combination of these two environments guarantees, for example, access to a single search engine that supports all modules and applications with a much simpler and clearer interface than in the SAP GUI. Moving your database and work from a traditional SAP system to a combination of S/4HANA and SAP BTP is like moving from an ordinary passenger car to a state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line luxury brand vehicle.
To sum up: cloud technologies and modern integrations of these two tools focus primarily on the comfort of work of the individual user and the powerful organizational machine. – Mateusz Pawłowski, Lead SAP Full-stack Developer, Hicron
