Case 1 - SAP Billing and Revenue Innovation Management and Utilities

In my <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://blogs.sap.com/2023/03/20/sap-billing-and-revenue-innovation-management-commodity-and-non-commodity-services-on-one-or-separate-invoice-is-no-longer-a-dream/">introduction post</a> I described the flexible possibilities of integration between BRIM (CI more in particular) and Utilities.&nbsp; Over the next few weeks, I will show some demo use cases I created for customers to highlight the flexibility of BRM.The first case is a customer that has signed a maintenance contract with the supplier.&nbsp; Each time a maintenance is executed, the company will charge 50€ to the customer.To focus on the rating part, I will not integrate the invoice with a commodity (ISU) invoice, it will be sent separately using CI to the customer. &nbsp;First you will some interesting customizing snippets, and then you will find some screens of the end to end process.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Customizing Snippets</h2>Consumption ClassEverything starts with defining a consumption class. &nbsp;A consumption class is used to create a rateable item.&nbsp; Once the rating is done, this will generate a Billable Item which can be used for CI Billing. A list of interfaces are available to enhance the consumption items to your desired needs.&nbsp; &nbsp;Some interfaces that I find interesting are:<ul><li>Usage Period: to indicate the period for which the consumption item took place</li><li>Payment Reference: this adds specific fields that can be used to show a specific payment reference on the invoice resulting from this consumption item</li><li>Service Types: this can be used to enhance the derivation of the account assignment for the general ledger</li></ul><img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Brim_case_1_picture_1_8f71f9670a.png" alt="Brim-case-1-picture-1.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Brim_case_1_picture_1_8f71f9670a.png 181w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Brim_case_1_picture_1_8f71f9670a.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Brim_case_1_picture_1_8f71f9670a.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Brim_case_1_picture_1_8f71f9670a.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">Rating GroupsUsing different rating groups, you can define one rating group for all your billable item classes that require the same way of treatment.&nbsp; The most important things you can define:<ul><li>Extensions at each step in the rating process</li><li>The rating function module itself. You can:<ul><li>Create your own</li><li>FKK_BIX_RATING_EVENT_30_SD: Use this one for SD rating (provided by SAP)</li><li>FKK_BIX_RATING_EVENT_30_CC: Use tis one for CC rating (provided by SAP)</li></ul></li><li>Field criteria for parallel processing</li><li>Grouping Variants for automatic grouping</li><li>Optional: The TARGET billing process if you want to do integrated billing. This way, directly a billing document will be created using the billable items.</li></ul><img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Brim_case_1_picture_2_6439706c52.png" alt="Brim-case-1-picture-2.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Brim_case_1_picture_2_6439706c52.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Brim_case_1_picture_2_6439706c52.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Brim_case_1_picture_2_6439706c52.png 750w," sizes="100vw">Price SchemeTo perform the rating, you must define this in customizing.&nbsp; This includes the setup of conditions, access sequence, condition types and a calculation procedure. A good example of a basic setup provided by SAP you can find in the following <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2678466">OSS Note</a><img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Brim_case_1_picture_3_358de1d425.png" alt="Brim-case-1-picture-3.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Brim_case_1_picture_3_358de1d425.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Brim_case_1_picture_3_358de1d425.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Brim_case_1_picture_3_358de1d425.png 750w," sizes="100vw"><h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Demo screens</h2>Provider contractThe provider contract is the agreement between the client and you to have the maintenance contract.&nbsp; A more simple version is the partner agreement, which is based on the provider contract but contains less options.&nbsp; Both can be created via:<ul><li>CRM</li><li>Subscription Order Management</li><li>An external interface</li><li>Transactions FP_VT1 and FP_PV1</li></ul>In my example, I use a simple partner agreement with one article which is priced at 50,00 € per piece.<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Brim_case_1_picture_4_a4a04eeb1d.png" alt="Brim-case-1-picture-4.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Brim_case_1_picture_4_a4a04eeb1d.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Brim_case_1_picture_4_a4a04eeb1d.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Brim_case_1_picture_4_a4a04eeb1d.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Brim_case_1_picture_4_a4a04eeb1d.png 1000w," sizes="100vw"><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Consumption Item</h3>In my example, via an external interface I receive the confirmation of the hired operator that they have executed one maintenance for this customer.&nbsp; Hence, one rateable consumption item becomes visible in the system.<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Brim_case_1_picture_5_d105a8a6a1.png" alt="Brim-case-1-picture-5.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Brim_case_1_picture_5_d105a8a6a1.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Brim_case_1_picture_5_d105a8a6a1.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Brim_case_1_picture_5_d105a8a6a1.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Brim_case_1_picture_5_d105a8a6a1.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">This can also be shown via Fiori Apps:<img class="image_resized" style="width:66.77%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Brim_case_1_picture_6_40b0e02645.png" alt="Brim-case-1-picture-6.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Brim_case_1_picture_6_40b0e02645.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Brim_case_1_picture_6_40b0e02645.png 500w," sizes="100vw">Now I can display the consumption items in detail AND I can execute the rating:<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Brim_case_1_picture_7_c008418f0d.png" alt="Brim-case-1-picture-7.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Brim_case_1_picture_7_c008418f0d.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Brim_case_1_picture_7_c008418f0d.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Brim_case_1_picture_7_c008418f0d.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Brim_case_1_picture_7_c008418f0d.png 1000w," sizes="100vw"><img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Brim_case_1_picture_8_591c664a3d.png" alt="Brim-case-1-picture-8.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Brim_case_1_picture_8_591c664a3d.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Brim_case_1_picture_8_591c664a3d.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Brim_case_1_picture_8_591c664a3d.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Brim_case_1_picture_8_591c664a3d.png 1000w," sizes="100vw"><h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Billing and Invoicing</h2>Once this is done, a billing document exists already.&nbsp; This is because in the rating group I chose to set a default target process to directly generate a billing document for the billable item that was created. As a final step, I can now invoice the process, and the invoice is automatically posted in FICA. &nbsp;All these steps that were done individually during this demo have a parallel processing equivalent.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Brim_case_1_picture_9_4c3f2599bc.png" alt="Brim-case-1-picture-9.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Brim_case_1_picture_9_4c3f2599bc.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Brim_case_1_picture_9_4c3f2599bc.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Brim_case_1_picture_9_4c3f2599bc.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Brim_case_1_picture_9_4c3f2599bc.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">The billing document:<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Brim_case_1_picture_10_9429e7909c.png" alt="Brim-case-1-picture-10.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Brim_case_1_picture_10_9429e7909c.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Brim_case_1_picture_10_9429e7909c.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Brim_case_1_picture_10_9429e7909c.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Brim_case_1_picture_10_9429e7909c.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">The invoice document<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Brim_case_1_picture_11_757e5eb946.png" alt="Brim-case-1-picture-11.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Brim_case_1_picture_11_757e5eb946.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Brim_case_1_picture_11_757e5eb946.png 500w," sizes="100vw">This wraps up the first case of BRIM handling. We started with a rateable item and created an invoice in a few steps. Do not hesitate to share your ideas in the comments!

iStock-1485410422.jpg

Case 1: Maintenance contract using rating

SAP Billing and Revenue Innovation Management and Utilities

Cas 1 - SAP Billing and Revenue Innovation Management and Utilities

SAP Billing and Revenue Innovation Management en Nutsvoorzieningen - Casus 1

The Isabel Connector

<h2>Different bank statement processing in S/4HANA&nbsp;</h2>Before explaining the interface connection between SAP S/4HANA we need to understand that Bank statement processing in SAP S/4HANA can be handled through different methods, each offering varying levels of automation and efficiency:<ul><li>Manual processing:</li></ul>In this method, the bank accountant receives the daily bank statement on paper and manually enters the relevant information (e.g., opening balance, closing balance, memo line) into the system.<ul><li>Semi-automatic processing of electronic bank statement (EBS)</li></ul>With this approach, the bank accountant downloads the electronic bank statement (EBS) from the bank platform and uploads it into the SAP S/4HANA system.<ul><li>Fully automatic processing with TheValueChain’s Isabel Connector</li></ul>By utilizing our Isabel Connector, bank statement processing becomes fully automated, eliminating the need for manual download/upload by the bank accountant.&nbsp;<h2>Isabel 6</h2>Isabel 6 is an electronic application which allows you to safely manage and control all your bank accounts via one platform. Bank statements in different XML formats (CAMT053, MT940, ..) can be downloaded and uploaded to the SAP S/4HANA system.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Isabel_blog_picture_1_ea8fc0ca4e.jpg" alt="Isabel_blog_picture_1.jpg" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Isabel_blog_picture_1_ea8fc0ca4e.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Isabel_blog_picture_1_ea8fc0ca4e.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<h2>TheValuechain’s Isabel Connector</h2>With our ‘Isabel Connector’ a direct connection is created between S/4HANA and Isabel 6. Bank statements with all its rich account information (reference, date, account numbers, …) are imported in real time or at specific moments of the day. This eliminates the need for manual intervention, freeing up accountants' time for more valuable tasks.<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Isabel_blog_picture_2_c6db95bb13.jpg" alt="Isabel_blog_picture_2.jpg" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Isabel_blog_picture_2_c6db95bb13.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Isabel_blog_picture_2_c6db95bb13.jpg 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Isabel_blog_picture_2_c6db95bb13.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<h2>Mapping between source message and target message</h2>A mapping was necessary to establish the interface between S/4HANA and Isabel 6. This step was crucial for setting up the connection between the two systems. It ensured seamless communication and data transfer between S/4HANA and Isabel 6.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Isabel_blog_picture_3_385345282b.jpg" alt="Isabel_blog_picture_3.jpg" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Isabel_blog_picture_3_385345282b.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Isabel_blog_picture_3_385345282b.jpg 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Isabel_blog_picture_3_385345282b.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw"><h2>Demo video of fully automated process</h2>

<h2>Real use case of the customer Allinox (S4 cloud public)</h2>Our customer Allinox, decided to implement the Isabel accelerator and upon comparing the three bank statement processing methods over a period of one year, it became evident that the accelerator significantly saves time. As a result, accountants can now focus on value-added tasks, optimizing their productivity.<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Isabel_blog_picture_4_c7762a785b.jpg" alt="Isabel_blog_picture_4.jpg" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Isabel_blog_picture_4_c7762a785b.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Isabel_blog_picture_4_c7762a785b.jpg 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Isabel_blog_picture_4_c7762a785b.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw">

Loutfi

Isabel_blog_picture_header2.jpg

Direct connection between SAP S/4HANA (cloud/ on premise) and Isabel 6 (Bank platform)&nbsp;&nbsp;+ use case example

Le connecteur Isabel

De Isabel Connector

+ use case example

Direct connection between SAP S/4HANA and Isabel 6 

Converting from SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition to Private Edition

<h2>Public vs Private</h2>Where the Public Version is a ready-to-run ERP that delivers the latest industry best practices and continuous innovations as well as preconfigured processes that are ready to go, the Private Version is a tailored-to-fit solution that adapts to the organisation's unique transformation and meets specific business needs.&nbsp;<h2>Who to target?</h2>Usually, smaller businesses tend to get the Public Edition so they can use the preconfigured processes ordered by SAP. One of the main advantages of this solution is the implementation timing. SAP mentions around 30 days for the delivery of the initial scope, resulting in low implementation costs. &nbsp;Nevertheless, existing SAP customers wishing to benefit from cloud advantages without a complete overhaul of their current solution, will often go for the Private Edition. Additionally, new customers with substantial ERP requirements will choose Private over Public, despite the effectively higher implementation time and costs.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Insights from a conversion project</h2>Over the past few months, we have been working on a conversion project, transitioning from a Public Edition system towards the Private Edition. Due to the specific business needs and gaps from the customer, which could not be fulfilled with the Public Edition, we decided to switch to the Private version. By migrating we were able to unlock greater flexibility, empowering customers to configure and optimise various business processes according to their unique needs.When undertaking a conversion project, one of the key differences lies in the customising aspect. Specifically, the Private Edition offers the well-known IMG access, which is very different from the Manage your Solutions app and the CBC used in the Public Edition. Private Edition also gives you access to the backend SAP GUI, which has been utilised for years.In my opinion, the IMG path provides a much clearer view to find out what is needed, while the other app provides a more friendly user experience with a specific indication of the status of the customising point ("open", "confirmed" or "action required") and its importance ("mandatory", "optional" or "recommended"). Additionally, the SAP GUI, accessed through the IMG path, is much faster and more responsive compared to the one used by the Public Edition.&nbsp;<h2>Other differences</h2>In terms of day-to-day work and user experience, there is little difference between Public and Private as the FIORI interface is used in both solutions (though users of the Private Edition can benefit from the SAP GUI if needed/wanted). The speed and responsiveness of the interface is pretty much the same.Note that the Public Edition offers built-in support for its users with relevant documentation and knowledge content based on the current app. You can also report your issues directly to SAP Support. All of which is not available in the Private Edition.&nbsp;Moreover, SAP prioritises keeping the Public Edition up to date with continuous update releases that bring new functionalities. This can lead to frustration as desired functionalities may only become available in future releases, requiring workarounds or alternative solutions in the interim.From a functional consultant's perspective, the private environment offers a more straightforward experience, especially for those accustomed to using the GUI for configuration and problem-solving tasks. You can directly access SE16N, SP01, SMQ2, NACE, SPAD and other useful transactions in the Private Edition. Access to debugging is of course also a major difference, while it can be viewed as a more conventional approach.&nbsp;The Public Edition offers new ways of setting things up. Printer-related transactions are a good example of how things have improved in the public environment. For instance, it now works with apps like Printer Queues and SAP Cloud Print Manager, resulting in more streamlined operations.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Conclusion</h2>To conclude, I cannot recommend one over the other as they both target different audiences and contain many differences depending on your needs. A deep analysis of your business requirements will ultimately guide you toward the right edition for you.

Bangels

Blog_Converting_from_SAP_S4HANA_Cloud_Public_Edition_to_Private_Edition.jpg

Deciding between the Public and Private Edition of SAP S/4HANA Cloud depends on your specific business requirements and needs. In this article we highlight the differences between the two by sharing our insights from a Public to Private conversion project.&nbsp;By the end, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the considerations to make when selecting the edition that best suits your needs.&nbsp;

Conversion de SAP S/4HANA Cloud édition Publique à l'édition Privée

Overschakelen van SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition naar Private Edition

Pick by Cart makes picking easier than ever

<h2>Booming e-commerce</h2>With the current growth of e-commerce, companies are constantly trying to reinvent themselves to cope with an ever-changing supply chain and growing customer expectations. These challenges include:<ul><li>Omnichannel operations (stock levels, track &amp; trace, 24/7 customer service, etc..)</li><li>The right products in the right stock quantities</li><li>Minimum waste in the supply chain</li><li>Fast delivery – order today, receive tomorrow</li></ul>To ensure accurate stock quantities, minimal waste and faster customer deliveries, warehouses have been actively changing the way they work.With the shift in customer behaviour, e-commerce platforms no longer receive full-pallet orders, but rather single-material picking where one item is selected, packed, and shipped to a specific customer. This is of course a very time-consuming activity, involving long distances for each individual item.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Pick by Cart app</h2>This is where EWM’s Pick by Cart solution comes into play. With its release as a Fiori app in the Extended Warehouse Management 9.5 Support Pack 00, it provides the ideal answer for all e-commerce businesses seeking to optimise the picking of small volumes.Some of its main features:<ul style="list-style-type:disc;"><li>tablet-enabled</li><li>multiple orders can be picked at once&nbsp;</li><li>shorter walking distances</li><li>HU’s and their position on the cart are both displayed</li><li>goods are sorted during picking, removing an extra packing step</li><li>scanning and serial numbers are supported</li></ul>Simplify your picking process with a maximum of 25 logical positions on the picking cart. The process starts with an order release where the app instructs the operator which packaging materials he will be needing for his picking round (big box, small box, tote, etc.). The operator can then manually assign these packaging materials to a logical position on the cart.Along the way the operator will be guided to different locations in the warehouse based on the storage bin sorting to make the picking round as efficient as possible.&nbsp;The app not only guides the operator towards the correct location in the warehouse, it also makes it visually clear how many pieces should be picked and in which cartons they should be placed. The logical positions will be highlighted in the app with the correct quantities that are needed for that customer.&nbsp;Once the picking is completed, the system guides the operator towards the final bin (packing station or staging area) where all of the boxes can be dropped off at once, if required.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto1_fcb7944434.png" alt="Figure 1: Pick by cart" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto1_fcb7944434.png 208w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Foto1_fcb7944434.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Foto1_fcb7944434.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Foto1_fcb7944434.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">The strong visualisation in combination with the intuitive way the Pick by Cart app works, really enhances picking methods. Assuming operators can handle up to 25 packages per picking round, they can finish up their picking rounds much more effectively.&nbsp;Want to learn more about the Pick by Cart app and how it can improve your e-commerce warehouse operations?&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thevaluechain.eu/contact">Contact TheValueChain for more information!</a>&nbsp;

Opdenakker

Blog_Pick_by_Cart_makes_picking_easier_than_ever.jpg

With the booming e-commerce industry, companies are facing the challenge of adapting to changing supply chains and rising customer expectations. The Pick by Cart app revolutionises e-commerce picking by enabling operators to pick multiple orders, reduce walking distances and provide clear visual guidance. Discover how this app can optimise your warehouse operations as well.

Pick by Cart rend le prélèvement plus facile que jamais

Pick by Cart maakt het picken makkelijker dan ooit

Lessons learned: SAP Advanced Shipping and Receiving

The introduction of Advanced Shipping and Receiving in 2020 revolutionised the transportation planning process. Users can now seamlessly perform eWM execution tasks, such as Pick-and-Pack, and update the status of outbound delivery orders (ODO) to "Ready for Shipping". Freight units are subsequently updated with package information and quantities of goods picked. By using the Transportation Cockpit, you can plan the freight units onto your freight order manually or automatically. Since no transportation units (TU) are created in eWM, freight orders can be handled directly, which means no more LDAP's getting stuck in queues.When we first tested this new feature, we ran into some limitations that are worth mentioning as they might impact your ongoing implementations. &nbsp;1. &nbsp;All or nothingIn this instance we wanted to use AS&amp;R in just one shipping point and keep the traditional LDAP communication for all others. Since you need to activate the status "Shipping Readiness" and deactivate "Assign Transportation Unit" in eWM customising, it becomes an all or nothing scenario. While it works seamlessly for AS&amp;R, it blocks the classic setup of assigning Handling Units (HU) to Transportation Units (TU) in eWM from working. In short: AS&amp;R and classic LDAP cannot be combined in one system. There is a Business Add-In (BAdi) that can solve this issue, but you need to take it into account.<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/foto_1_5e0ae16358.png" alt="Figure 1: All or Nothing" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_foto_1_5e0ae16358.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_foto_1_5e0ae16358.png 500w," sizes="100vw">2. Cross delivery Handling Units Currently, Cross Delivery Handling Units are not supported in combination with AS&amp;R. You can still create them in eWM but when you try to set the "Ready for Shipping" status on the ODO, you get a 'not supported' prompt. Depending on your scenario, your HU might be blocked. For instance, if you need to consolidate multiple ODOs for the same destination into a single HU using Cross Delivery, you cannot use AS&amp;R. &nbsp;3. Consignment orders in freight bookings SAP introduced "consignment orders" with AS&amp;R; a great feature that can consolidate deliveries in a single consignment order, thereby reducing planning time. However, we found that consignment orders cannot yet be utilised in freight bookings (air/ocean) as only freight orders are currently supported. This is an important limitation when using a multi-modal transport model where a truck brings your goods to the port, after which they are loaded into containers for sea transport. &nbsp;4. Transportation Management for outbound deliveries When using Transportation Management (TM) in S/4HANA Public Cloud in combination with cloud warehouse management (eWM) you will notice that it only works for outbound deliveries. Inbound deliveries cannot yet be planned in TM with a receiving location linked to a warehouse. This is unfortunate for companies that want to keep track of their incoming containers on freight bookings.<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto_2_dc7454b1f3.png" alt="Figure 2: Transportation Management for outbound deliveries" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto_2_dc7454b1f3.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Foto_2_dc7454b1f3.png 500w," sizes="100vw"> Naturally, we must bear in mind that AS&amp;R is a relatively new solution. As the saying goes: Rome wasn't built in a day. Over time SAP will extend AS&amp;R functionalities, overcoming the aforementioned limitations and hopefully rendering this blog obsolete. As an example you can read about the&nbsp;<a href="https://blogs.sap.com/2023/05/16/sap-transportation-management-in-sap-s-4hana-2022-highlights/">new features</a> that were released in SAP S/4HANA 2022 FP0.

Blog_Lessons_learned_SAP_Advanced_Shipping_and_Receiving.jpg

Advanced Shipping and Receiving (AS&amp;R) is an innovative solution introduced in S/4H 2020 FPS01 for execution-driven transportation planning. In this article we delve into the limitations that we discovered while using AS&amp;R. Plus, we provide insights that can help you navigate them in order to optimise your ongoing implementations.

Leçons apprises : SAP Advanced Shipping and Receiving

Lesje geleerd: SAP Geavanceerde Verzending en Ontvangst

SAP Billing and Revenue Innovation Management

Traditionally, non-commodity billing and invoicing required complex and manual processes, which are time-consuming and prone to errors. Being in the Utilities world for many years, I have seen many different approaches for invoicing non-commodity. Some of the solutions used in the field include:<ul><li>The SAP Sales &amp; Distribution component: while SAP SD allows users to streamline non-commodity invoicing and billing to a certain extent, it has its limitations. For one, an SD customer is required. Integration with SAP IS-U Invoicing is not straightforward and overall flexibility is limited, for instance when it comes to Item Postings (main/sub transactions). Moreover, each use case requires implementation time.</li><li>Using a ‘dummy’ utility contract to simulate a recurring billing plan: this solution involves creating a billing plan for non-commodity services and linking it to a dummy contract. However, this requires duplicating master data (MRU, rate determination, utility installation data, division, etc.), setting up utility contract management and creating specific billing rates. Additionally, the budget billing plan has its limitations regarding flexible billing plans.</li><li>Using Z-rates that read Z-tables and insert the non-commodity lines to the billing document when executing the billing process.</li><li>Using external applications or posting manually in FI: some utilities use external applications to manage non-commodity billing and invoicing and interface the postings in FI. Others opt for an even less desirable solution and manually post these invoices in FI. Clearly, this approach is time-consuming, extremely sensitive to errors and allows for limited visibility due to the multiple interfaces.</li></ul>Have you seen other ways that your client implemented for adding non-commodity on the Utilities invoice or to invoice non-commodity services?&nbsp; Don’t hesitate to share these in the comments.&nbsp;<h1 style="margin-left:0px;">Optimising process design, sales, billing and reporting with SAP BRIM</h1>Why is BRIM (Billing and Revenue Innovation Management) so interesting for the Utilities world?It consists of the following main components:<ul><li>Subscription order management to manage product catalogues, services and physical goods</li><li>Convergent charging to rate consumption items with prices</li><li>Convergent invoicing to bill incoming items from external interfaces, programs, convergent charging, billing plans, etc.</li><li>Integration with Contract Accounts Receivable &amp; Payable: BRIM seamlessly integrates with FICA and is thus easy to implement for IS-U (and other industries)</li></ul>SAP BRIM is a flexible and modular solution with interfaces that allow users to activate required components per billable item. It features enhanced customisation tools for managing incoming billable items, such as grouping and selection variants, clarification worklists, duplicate checks, processing rules, field derivation, source item management, defining the billing form per invoicing type, and flexible integration with the IS-U billing and invoicing process. Additionally, it has a faster time to market and a lower cost to serve compared to previous solutions. BRIM can be implemented with a use case approach. SAP BRIM (more specific Convergent Invoicing) is included in the S4 Utilities Core offering, andSince SAP S/4HANA 2020 FPS0, SAP offers two ways of integration between ISU and BRIM: &nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Option 1: Transfer Billable Items to your ISU Billing engine</h2>Focussing on the integration between BRIM and ISU, this is the most classic way to set up your system.&nbsp; You keep the normal way of working for your commodity part that you have been setting up and fine tuning over the last years.&nbsp; On top of that, you create specific billable items that you can target to be invoiced in ISU.<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Blogpicture_oleh_4_jpg_e4ff0d8a92.jpg" alt="Blogpicture_oleh_4.jpg .jpg" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Blogpicture_oleh_4_jpg_e4ff0d8a92.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Blogpicture_oleh_4_jpg_e4ff0d8a92.jpg 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Blogpicture_oleh_4_jpg_e4ff0d8a92.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw"><img src="https://blogs.sap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/brim_0.png" alt="">Technically the system will still create an invoicing document in CI, which is integrated in your Utilities invoice.&nbsp; The difference is that you cannot create the invoicing document via CI invoicing. You can specify which Utilities process triggers this invoicing process, and what are the selection conditions under Contract Accounts Receivable &amp; Payable -&gt; Convergent Invoicing -&gt; Invoicing -&gt; Invoicing Process -&gt; Define Invoicing Process.<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Blogpicture_oleh_3_b97606a7d5.jpg" alt="Blogpicture_oleh_3.jpg" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Blogpicture_oleh_3_b97606a7d5.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Blogpicture_oleh_3_b97606a7d5.jpg 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Blogpicture_oleh_3_b97606a7d5.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw"><img src="https://blogs.sap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/brim_1.png" alt="">To do the exact integration, you can assign the desired billable item class to the right Target process under Contract Accounts Receivable &amp; Payable -&gt; Convergent Invoicing -&gt; Integration -&gt; External Invoicing -&gt; Assign Billable Item Classes to Target Processes<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Blogpicture_oleh_2_5bc0765615.jpg" alt="Blogpicture_oleh_2.jpg" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Blogpicture_oleh_2_5bc0765615.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Blogpicture_oleh_2_5bc0765615.jpg 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Blogpicture_oleh_2_5bc0765615.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw"><img src="https://blogs.sap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/brim_2.png" alt="">&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Option 2: Create Billable items in CI using Utilities Billing and deactivate Utilities Invoicing</h2>This way, you leverage maximally the power of CI, and you disable the invoice printing and invoice posting for the ISU print document. &nbsp;Once the billable item is created, CI takes over and performs billing and invoicing.<img src="https://blogs.sap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/isu_to_ci_good.png" alt=""><img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Blogpicture_oleh_1_61004b1156.jpg" alt="Blogpicture_oleh_1.jpg" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Blogpicture_oleh_1_61004b1156.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Blogpicture_oleh_1_61004b1156.jpg 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Blogpicture_oleh_1_61004b1156.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw"> * Note that this will not support the adjustment reversal process in Utilities. ** You can transfer synchronously or asynchronously to CI.&nbsp;<h1 style="margin-left:0px;">SAP BRIM in action</h1>Over the next&nbsp; weeks, I will show the flexibility of BRIM by detailing the particularities of four&nbsp; scenarios taken directly from the Belgian energy market.<h3 style="margin-left:0px;"><a href="https://blogs.sap.com/2023/04/04/sap-billing-and-revenue-innovation-management-and-utilities-case-1-maintenance-contract-using-rating/">Case 1: Maintenance contract</a></h3>The customer has a boiler maintenance contract. The service fee needs to be added to their monthly energy invoice. Perform a rating using convergent charging and invoice in CI.<h3 style="margin-left:0px;"><a href="https://blogs.sap.com/2023/04/19/sap-billing-and-revenue-innovation-management-and-utilities-case-2-grid-fee/">Case 2: Grid fee</a></h3>The utility wants to receive grid fee billable items from Central Market System and invoice them together with the standard IS-U invoice.<h3 style="margin-left:0px;"><a href="https://blogs.sap.com/2023/05/18/sap-billing-and-revenue-innovation-management-and-utilities-case-3-billing-plans/">Case 3: Home battery rental</a></h3>An energy provider recently launched a home battery rental service. They want to create a billing plan and invoice it together with the partial IS-U invoices.<h3 style="margin-left:0px;"><a href="https://blogs.sap.com/2023/06/07/sap-billing-and-revenue-innovation-management-and-utilities-case-4-isu-to-ci/">Case 4: Create billable items in CI for an IS-U billing document</a></h3>In this case, we don’t want to use the SAP Utilities invoicing.&nbsp; We create a simple Utilities billing document with consumption data, and create Billable Items in CI.

AdobeStock_197838016.jpeg

Commodity and non-commodity services on one (or separate) invoice is no longer a dream.

SAP Billing and Revenue Innovation Management (Gestion de l'innovation en matière de facturation et de recettes)

SAP Billing en Revenue Innovation Management

Commodity and non-commodity services on one (or separate) invoice is no longer a dream.

Migrating dangerous goods data in SAP S/4HANA

Neem contact met ons op

Want to know more? 

Blog_Migrating_dangerous_goods_data.jpg

Migrating dangerous goods data in SAP S/4HANA: Not as easy as it seems!

Migration des données relatives aux marchandises dangereuses dans SAP S/4HANA

Migratie gevaarlijke goederen data in  SAP S/4HANA

Sopura goes for a think-inside-the-box approach with SAP 

As a global player in hygiene and water management solutions for the food and drink industry, Sopura is automating and harmonising its front and back-end processes on the basis of standard SAP. The company started with its CRM. ‘A deliberate choice,’ says Wim Wouters, Global Director of Engineering &amp; IT at Sopura. ‘The knowledge and experience we are acquiring from this worldwide cloud project will yield important benefits when we later begin with ERP.’&nbsp; Sopura is one of the world´s leading experts in the production of cleaning, disinfection and water treatment agents for the food and drink industry. To improve its overview and insights while harmonising processes and making them more efficient, the company wanted to make the change to cloud technology for ERP, sales, and marketing automation, and introduce new technologies such as IoT.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Choosing SAP&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>The company weighed best-of-breed solutions against integrated enterprise-wide software platforms such as Microsoft and SAP. The choice ultimately fell on SAP because it integrates all of the elements demanded by Sopura, ranging from CRM, ERP and IoT-related digital innovations to machine learning, blockchain, artificial intelligence and big data.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">CRM first&nbsp;</h2>Sopura decided to implement CRM as a first overarching solution for the entire group. The CRM software stands alone and is not yet integrated with ERP. ‘An ERP implementation is on a whole different level,’ says Wim Wouters of Sopura. ‘It has an even greater impact on the organisation and requires more of a support base. This CRM project paves the way in terms of cloud approach and project methodology.’ Since the beginning of 2020, the new CRM software has been rolled out worldwide, including in Europe, Australia and Vietnam.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Thinking inside the box&nbsp;</h2>Sopura very deliberately opted for standard SAP and best practices. ‘Our philosophy was to start small and think big,’ says Wouters. ‘We prefer to be creative within the existing framework rather than doing customised developments. Think inside the box, you might say. SAP is a box brimming with possibilities that you discover during the course of the project. That presumes a high level of trust in your SAP partner in order to brainstorm with you and neatly match up functionality and processes.’&nbsp;‘TheValueChain lived up to this trust. They proved to be an agile, flexible and dynamic partner with competent people. We clicked right away. Shoulder to shoulder we activated the functionality one step at a time, at our own pace.’&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Support base&nbsp;</h2>Harmonisation across the several languages and cultures was a challenge. The processes differed from site to site. ‘A project of this scope injects a different dynamic into a company,’ explains Wouters. ‘It succeeds only if everybody is on board, so we invested heavily in creating a solid support base. A few enthusiasts took the lead for the group, with our Italian sales manager Gianni meriting special recognition.’&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Training the trainer&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>TheValueChain gave key users thorough training so they knew the system inside and out and could in turn give the internal training courses. ‘The train-the-trainer principle worked perfectly,’ continues Wouters. ‘It saved us time and expanded the project´s internal support. We trained our employees in their native language, which proved to be a crucial element for clearly transmitting the message.’&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">The future&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>According to Wouters, a good basis has been created in order to proceed in the future with marketing automation, ticketing and the ERP platform. ‘The story isn´t finished, but the foundation is there – a solid foundation on which we can continue to build.’ &nbsp;&nbsp;Interested in reading more about an SAP CRM-first approach?&nbsp;

Go to the SAP blog

Get in touch

Drop us a line and we'll be happy to catch up.

Want to know more?

blog_Sopura_kiest_voor_inside_the_box-aanpak_met_sap.jpg

Sopura goes for a think-inside-the-box approach with SAP

Sopura goes for a think-aside-the-box approach with SAP

How to get started with SAP Commerce in a B2B setting

<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Getting your customers to use your SAP Commerce system&nbsp;</h2>All the benefits of having an SAP Commerce system&nbsp;<a href="https://blogs.sap.com/2021/09/15/4-reasons-for-having-an-sap-commerce-system/#:~:text=4%20reasons%20for%20having%20an%20SAP%20Commerce%20system,...%204%204.%20You%20don%E2%80%99t%20miss%20the%20boat"> to Four Reasons to invest in an SAP Commerce system </a>disappear if none of your customers use it. Below are four tips to get the most out of your SAP Commerce system.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Involve your B2B customers early&nbsp;</h2>Incorporating SAP Commerce in your company calls for a technical rollout and business process changes. Ultimately, it's your customers who will be using the front-end system, and if they're not satisfied, they may switch to your competitors. This highlights the importance of involving them in the rollout as early as possible.&nbsp; &nbsp; You must arrange customer interviews, share planned features, listen to their feedback and use it to improve your system. The sooner you do this, the more the system will align with the needs of your customers and the more they will use it. Preferably you start this process before the system even exists, and you never stop doing this.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Use your fans&nbsp;</h2>It's best to involve your most enthusiastic customers during the onboarding process. These customers are typically responsible for a significant portion of your revenue and have a strong connection to your business.&nbsp;By involving them, you can more easily gather feedback and input, and share your plans with them. Additionally, your system will be more tailored to the needs of your most valuable customers, providing further benefits to your business.&nbsp; &nbsp; Involving a sceptical customer is not something you should avoid because they might provide you with valuable insights. However, always surround yourself primarily with the people who want to work and grow with you.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Provide incentives&nbsp;</h2>Having all this customer involvement is great, but nobody is going to change their workflow if it does not offer any improvements or benefits for them. Therefore, you should think about which benefits your SAP Commerce system is going to offer.&nbsp;A very basic incentive might be to simply offer better prices on your webshop. If these discounts are offset by a decrease in business costs, this might be a worthwhile road to take. However, often you want to be smarter with your incentives.&nbsp;Many customers may be satisfied with exclusive features offered only in your webshop. For example, you could offer detailed production and shipment tracking on your storefront. You could also provide features that marginally enhance their workflow, such as the ability to schedule recurring orders or reorder quickly based on their order history.&nbsp; &nbsp; Consider the benefits your customer could gain from your webshop and make sure they are available for them to enjoy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Use your business flows&nbsp;</h2>Leverage the SAP vision of the future, which emphasises intelligent and connected enterprises with a streamlined customer experience. For instance, you can incorporate links to your webshop in invoice e-mails, which can help increase traffic to your site. Additionally, you can utilise shipment tracking e-mails, FAQ links sent by your help desk and QR codes on shipment documents to facilitate quick communication with customers regarding any potential issues.&nbsp; &nbsp; By thinking about the full customer experience and how all these customer interactions flow through your business, you can easily guide customers towards the systems you want them to use.&nbsp;Need help attracting and retaining customers with SAP Commerce? TheValueChain will help you on your road to success.&nbsp;

Drop a line and we'll be happy to catch up.

blog_hoe_sap_commerce_inzetten_als_b2b_bedrijf.jpg

Comment démarrer avec SAP Commerce dans un environnement B2B ?

Application Lifecycle Management in SAP Cloud Platform

Transitioning from on-premise SAP to SAP Cloud Platform requires understanding the differences in application lifecycle management. This overview aims to simplify the complexities of this transition, namely:&nbsp;<ul><li>Source code validation&nbsp;</li><li>Source code management&nbsp;</li><li>Moving developments throughout the system landscape&nbsp;</li></ul>&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Source code validation&nbsp;</h2>Source code validation ensures a robust codebase and high-performing applications. To compare on-premise and cloud-based source code validation, we'll use ABAP and JavaScript.&nbsp;ABAP can be developed in Eclipse or SAP GUI, while JavaScript can be written in any plain text editor. ABAP developments are automatically checked for syntax errors on the server, but it doesn't ensure bug-free development. ATC checks can detect bad constructions and performance issues.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, JavaScript doesn't undergo automatic validation when deployed, making it susceptible to syntax errors in production. ESLint tools can validate and optimise code and popular IDEs have ESLint integration or plugins, but configuration varies by developer preference.&nbsp;Centralising code validation like ABAP would be ideal and &nbsp;leads us to our next topic: source code management.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Source code management&nbsp;</h2>In ABAP-based systems, each change to a development object is tracked and a new version is automatically created, allowing easy reversal to a previous version. In contrast, cloud-based development requires a separate source code management system like GIT for version control.&nbsp;Additionally, GIT can be integrated with a continuous integration (CI) server to create pipelines for automated source code validation (e.g. ESLint), automated integration and unit testing. This centralises our code validation and ensures that all developers follow the same standards and settings.&nbsp;Worth noting is that SAP provides a set of best practices and ready-to-use pipelines in the form of Project Piper. This can be used as-is or to set up your own custom pipelines. It supports cloud-only, hybrid and on-premise scenarios.&nbsp;With our centralised source code management system, let's now explore how to move applications across environments.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Moving developments throughout the system landscape&nbsp;</h2>ABAP systems use the SAP Transport Management System (TMS) to move changes across the system landscape. Changes are recorded, saved and transported from the development system to the destination systems.&nbsp;However, in cloud-based systems like SAP Cloud Platform, there is no automatic recording of changes that can be moved from one environment to another. Despite this, we have options available for deploying our applications to different environments.&nbsp;Deploying each application manually in each environment is not recommended due to the potential for human error, as well as developers bypassing the central source code management system and its tests.&nbsp;Option two is to add Continuous Delivery (CD) steps to your CI server pipeline to create a deployable package of the application after tests have passed. The package can be deployed manually or automatically. However, configuring the system landscape for each repository can be time-consuming.&nbsp;Another option for SAP Cloud Platform is to use SAP Cloud Platform Transport Management with Continuous Delivery steps in your pipeline. This tool allows you to configure system landscapes in a similar way to on-premise ABAP-based systems. Once a deployable package is created, it will be added to the import queue of SAP Cloud Platform Transport Management, where it can be manually or automatically imported. SAP Cloud Platform Transport Management also supports SAP Cloud Platform Integration.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Wrap-up&nbsp;</h2>A solid application lifecycle management strategy is crucial when developing on the SAP Cloud Platform. It can save time and money in the long run, so it's important to set up a good strategy early on.&nbsp;Need help with your application lifecycle management strategy for SAP Cloud Platform? TheValueChain can guide you through every step.

Blog-application-lifecycle-management.jpg

By Geert-Jan-Klaps

Gestion du cycle de vie des applications sur la plateforme cloud SAP

The technology behind SAP Sales and Service Cloud V2

<h1>The technology behind SAP Sales and Service Cloud V2</h1>Hosting on hyperscalers: flexible options for high-performance hosting environments:In today's business environment, companies are constantly looking for ways to improve the performance and scalability of their hosting environments. One way to achieve these goals is by hosting on hyperscalers. Hyperscalers are companies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Alibaba, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) that provide a wide range of services for hosting, storage and computing.By hosting on a hyperscaler, companies have access to flexible options for high-performance hosting environments. Hyperscalers provide a wide range of services, including virtual machines, containers and serverless computing, which can be tailored to the specific needs of each organisation. This allows companies to scale their resources up or down as needed, providing them with the ability to handle peak loads and unexpected traffic. SAP Sales and Service Cloud V2 leverages this to provide a very performant system that is also scalable to the growing needs of a company.As you may have read in our previous blog, Sales and Service Cloud V2 uses an API-first/microservices approach to allow more flexibility and extensibility. This is another advantage made possible thanks to hosting on a hyperscaler. Microservices are a way of building applications as a collection of small, independent services that can be easily composed to create new applications. By using microservices, companies can break down their applications into smaller, more manageable pieces that can be easily scaled and managed. The API-first approach enables state-of-the-art composability of apps and flows, which in turn enhances customer engagement everywhere.Another aspect of hosting on a hyperscaler is the ability to improve cloud qualities such as security, scalability, reliability and performance at every step. Hyperscalers are known for providing robust security features and compliance certifications, which ensures that the data and applications hosted on their platforms are protected from various security threats. This makes SAP Sales and Service Cloud V2 one of the best protected cloud CRM systems on the market.&nbsp;<h2>Integration value: how rich mash-up capabilities, embedded application screens, and low-code/no-code tools are improving user experiences</h2>Users expect seamless, efficient, and fluid experiences when interacting with software. To meet these expectations, companies are turning to integration and extension strategies that allow them to deliver the necessary user experience.One way that companies are delivering this type of experience is through the use of mash-up capabilities. These capabilities allow administrators to embed application screens from SAP or third-party solutions directly into their SAP Sales or Service Cloud V2 system, providing a seamless and efficient user experience. For example: by directly embedding the S/4HANA Fiori UIs with context transfer, key information is pre-entered, which can save users time and improve their overall experience.Finally, the low code/ no code UI tool SAP Build leverages application APIs as another way to deliver integration value. It allows users to create simplified experiences that are tailored to their specific needs and can be easily customised as business requirements change. By providing users with the ability to create their own experiences, companies are empowering them to work more efficiently and effectively.&nbsp;<h2>No-code extension</h2>How SAP Build can reduce TCO and improve sales and service processes:Companies are constantly looking for ways to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) and improve the efficiency of their sales and service processes. One way to achieve this is by using a no-code approach to extend and connect processes.SAP Build is a low-code solution that helps accelerate development and automation. By eliminating the complexity related to processes orchestration, SAP Build provides a visual design approach with predefined data sources and connectors. This allows companies to focus on delivering comprehensive, integrated and fluid sales and service processes to their sales reps or service agents.One of the key benefits of using SAP Build is its ability to reduce TCO and time to value. By eliminating the need for complex coding and development, companies can significantly reduce their costs and get new apps and processes up and running faster. Another advantage of using SAP Build is its ability to easily embed apps into the sales or customer service processes directly within the SAP Sales or Service Cloud V2 solution. This allows users to access and use different apps without having to leave the CRM platform, improving the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the sales or service processes.Want to know more about SAP Build? Get in touch!&nbsp;<h2>The technology behind SAP Sales and Service Cloud V2 in a nutshell</h2>About hyperscalers:Hosting on hyperscalers provides companies with flexible options for high-performance hosting environments. By taking advantage of the wide range of services offered by hyperscalers, companies can improve their overall effectiveness and efficiency, while also ensuring security, scalability, reliability and performance at every step. Additionally, the microservices API-first approach, Advanced Business Capabilities and Simplified Extensibility &amp; Improving Usability enables innovative user experiences and adaptability to boost productivity and engagement.About extensions and integration:By delivering rich mash-up capabilities, embedded application screens and low-code/no-code tools, companies are not only improving the user experience but also increasing efficiency and productivity. The ability to integrate different systems and applications seamlessly is becoming increasingly important in today's business environment, and companies that are able to deliver this type of integration will be well-positioned for success.About SAP Build:Using the SAP Build no-code approach to extend and connect processes can significantly reduce TCO and improve service processes. By providing a visual design approach, predefined data sources and connectors, SAP Build allows companies to deliver comprehensive, integrated and fluid service processes to their service agents, while reducing complexity and increasing efficiency.&nbsp;<h2>What’s next?</h2>In the coming weeks, more blog posts will be added about these new solutions. Some topics you can expect:&nbsp;<ul><li>An introduction to the future of CRM: SAP Sales and Service Cloud V2: Available here!&nbsp;</li><li>The technology behind SAP Sales and Service Cloud V2: read it again!</li><li>Account management in Sales and Service Cloud V2</li><li>Guided selling in Sales Cloud V2</li><li>Case management in Service Cloud V2</li><li>Reporting in Sales and Service Cloud V2</li><li>System configuration in Sales and Service Cloud V2</li><li>Integration possibilities in Sales Cloud V2</li><li>Integration possibilities in Service Cloud V2</li></ul>Eager to find out more? Follow our blog updates! Can’t wait for more posts, interested in a demo or have additional questions? Get in touch!

Blog-technology-behand-sap-sales-and-service cloud.jpg

De technologie achter SAP Sales en Service Cloud V2

Living in an interconnected world… just like your e-commerce 

COVID-19 has greatly boosted e-commerce, including a significant increase in B2B adoption. B2B buyers now expect the same consistency and personalised experience as consumers, regardless of the channel. According to a study of 300 B2B companies by DigitalCommerce360, 73% of respondents believe e-commerce is vital to the overall digital transformation of their company.&nbsp;Buyers and sellers are increasingly present online. They follow the digitisation momentum and do not want to be left behind. According to McKinsey &amp; Company, 96% of the sizable segment have changed their go-to-market strategy since the pandemic. This shift is here to stay.&nbsp;Omnichannel is a way to reach your customers more efficiently and consistently while increasing customer satisfaction. The challenge is to combine information from several channels. E-commerce does not compete with traditional channels – it complements them. The challenge is: how do I keep my customers on my platform? To do so, it is vital that you build strong partner relationships and get to know your customers in-depth. &nbsp;Integration is the key to success&nbsp;Know your customer, both online and offline! Customers offer you valuable information through different channels. It’s about consolidating this information and using it to get a better understanding of what your customers want and need.&nbsp;Five SAP Clouds to the rescue!SAP offers you an integrated platform for customer experience, composed of five Clouds. The platform’s purpose is to help you achieve your business goals. It guides customers through their entire customer journey and optimises customer satisfaction levels.These are the five Clouds:<ul><li>SAP Commerce Cloud (Hybris)</li><li>SAP Marketing Cloud</li><li>SAP Sales Cloud (including configure, price, and quote - CPQ)</li><li>SAP Service Cloud (including CPQ &amp; Field Service Management)</li><li>SAP Customer Data Cloud/Platform (see Fig. 1).</li></ul>&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/IMAGE_1_d2ab50bdaf.png" alt="Blog Myriam image1 | TheValueChain" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_IMAGE_1_d2ab50bdaf.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_IMAGE_1_d2ab50bdaf.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_IMAGE_1_d2ab50bdaf.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_IMAGE_1_d2ab50bdaf.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;The Clouds run on SAP Cloud Platform, a core driver of innovation. It offers you a wide range of integration and extension capabilities with other systems or technologies. For example, it will enable you to deploy:<ul><li>chatbots and assistants that help your customers find your nearest branch;</li><li>machine learning algorithms that suggest recommended movies;</li><li>IoT, e.g. to pre-heat the car when it is -20°C outside;</li><li>scenarios like the one below (Fig. 2): John wants to buy a new pair of shoes!</li></ul><img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture2_038184a3c4.png" alt="Blog Myriam image2 | TheValueChain" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture2_038184a3c4.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture2_038184a3c4.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Picture2_038184a3c4.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Picture2_038184a3c4.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">This last example illustrates some of the possibilities of the SAP Cloud Platform:&nbsp;<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">Data integration: combining data about your customer, products, pricing, orders, online/offline, etc.&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Sales channel harmonisation: BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) or return in-store, order in-store but deliver to customer address, view in-store stock online, etc.&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Services integration: customers expect to receive the same service level through all channels; omnichannel dialogue is required for the best customer experience&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Marketing: get a holistic 360-degree view of the customer for personal and contextual communication&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Identifying customers across channels by integrating Commerce Cloud with Customer Data Cloud: online/offline, loyalty programmes, cookies, registrations/login, consent management, connecting profiles with social networks&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Enabling organisation: omnichannel forces companies to consolidate data and align the organisation internally, opening up endless opportunities&nbsp;</li></ul>SAP CPQ also integrates with SAP Commerce for Quotes, increasing sales efficiency, and supporting configurable products on the frontend, including SAP Subscription billing&nbsp;Conclusion&nbsp;Customer intimacy and personalisation are essential to stand out and offer a unique experience to your customers. Omnichannel strategies are here to stay. The need for integration and data consolidation is more urgent than ever.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture3_d303611669.png" alt="Blog Myriam image3 | TheValueChain" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture3_d303611669.png 192w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture3_d303611669.png 500w," sizes="100vw">Research by Gartner and IDC MarketScape (Fig. 3) shows that SAP excels at delivering business value with future-proof digital projects. SAP offers solutions for CX sales/marketing and an all-in-one digital commerce platform supporting B2B and B2C business models. In both cases, SAP is an excellent choice!&nbsp;TheValueChain can help you optimise your e-commerce through SAP.&nbsp;

Blog-Living in an interconnected world.jpg

In een verbonden wereld leven... Net zoals je e-commerce

Embracing the low-code / no-code-continuum 

<h1>Embracing the low-code / no-code-continuum as a pro-code developer</h1>As a pro-code developer, I’ve always been a little sceptical when it comes to low-code / no-code development environments. In my personal experience, in the past these type tools either generated (inefficient) code to be deployed or were too complicated for people without development experience.With the recent announcements and absolutely great demos at SAP TechEd of the SAP Build portfolio, I was triggered to give low-code / no-code another shot.In this blog, I’ll give you my personal insights and experiences with the SAP Build portfolio and my learning journey towards getting certified as a Citizen Developer.<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/image1_011eab1798.png" alt="image1.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image1_011eab1798.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_image1_011eab1798.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_image1_011eab1798.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_image1_011eab1798.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<h2>How I got started</h2>In my role as SAP Innovation Architect, I’m always interested in keeping a broad view over the available (technical) SAP solutions. I’m less interested in each and every detail, but I at least want to understand what is available, what the use-cases are and how products work / integrate together.Around TechEd, I started with setting up my own personal SAP Lab using&nbsp;free-tier services. So, right after TechEd, I started by enabling the services needed for my own low-code / no-code lab.Enabling&nbsp;SAP Build Process Automation&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;SAP Build Apps&nbsp;is just a matter of executing the right boosters and configurating SAP Identity Authentication Services. Technically, I was up and running very fast!Next, it was time to dig into the details. For that I used the&nbsp;Utilize SAP Build for Low-Code/No-Code Applications for Citizen Developers&nbsp;learning journey. (Which is also the learning journey to get certified as a Citizen Developer!)&nbsp;<h2>The Learning Journey</h2>The learning journey consists of 6 bite-size units, each unit building on top of knowledge gathered in the previous unit. I’ll give you a high-level overview of each unit in the learning journey.1) Becoming a Citizen Developer with SAP LearningThis unit really was an eye-opener for me personally. Although I had some basic knowledge about low-code / no-code technologies, this unit gave me a really good overview of:<ul><li>What low-code / no-code technology is</li><li>Going from basic simple task automation to hyperautomation</li><li>The difference between code-first and no-code / low-code platforms</li><li>The how and why low-code / no-code developers and pro-code developers need to work in a synergy</li><li>Use-cases for low-code / no-code platforms</li></ul>Next to that, the unit also provides the necessary pre-requisites you need setup to be able to do the hands-on part of the next units.&nbsp;2) Developing a Process with SAP Build Process AutomationIn this unit you’ll get an introduction to the process orchestrator of the SAP Build portfolio, SAP Build Process Automation.Starting from a real-life example, an order approval flow, you’ll see how SAP Build Process Automation can be used to orchestrate your process using:<ul><li>Forms &amp; Approval Forms</li><li>Automations to read data from Excel files</li><li>Conditions to influence the branching of the workflow</li><li>Decisions to determine the approver(s) based on the workflow context</li></ul>Furthermore, you’ll see how you can:<ul><li>Release, deploy and monitor your process</li><li>Get insights into your process using process visibility scenarios</li></ul>Resulting in your first process:<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/build_process_automation_0ff8548952.png" alt="build-process-automation.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_build_process_automation_0ff8548952.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_build_process_automation_0ff8548952.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_build_process_automation_0ff8548952.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_build_process_automation_0ff8548952.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;3) Composing a No-Code Mobile App with SAP Build AppsBuilding applications / user interfaces is one of the most important (if not the most important) part of the user experience. In this unit you’ll be introduced to another part of the SAP Build Portfolio, SAP Build Apps.Starting from a simple use-case, a barcode scanner for food products, you’ll see how you can easily create a mobile application from scratch. In this unit you see:<ul><li>How you can handle events in an application without coding</li><li>Integrate a REST API to get data from an external source</li><li>Handle data in your applications using data variables</li><li>Test your application directly from your mobile phone</li></ul>And the greatest part of it all, you won’t write a single line of code!<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/IMAGE_3_75917e09b5.png" alt="IMAGE3.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_IMAGE_3_75917e09b5.png 230w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_IMAGE_3_75917e09b5.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_IMAGE_3_75917e09b5.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_IMAGE_3_75917e09b5.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;4) Developing a No-Code Extension with SAP Build AppsStarting with an introduction to SAP Sales Cloud and again a real-life use-case (displaying public webinars from SAP Sales Cloud using an app), this unit builds a little further on the knowledge gathered in the previous unit. You’ll also see what an extension to SAP software is.I’m not diving into the details of this unit since it’s quite similar to the previous unit, but basically this unit shows you how to:<ul><li>Create small custom component</li><li>Integrate an OData API</li></ul>&nbsp;5) Creating a Business Site with SAP Build Work ZoneIn this unit you’ll dive into the features of SAP Build Work Zone, advanced edition. This unit is handled from a theoretical perspective, since there’s no free-tier edition available.6. Continuing your SAP Citizen Developer Learning JourneyAfter seeing some real customer cases, you’ll get some more information on where to continue you learning journey. and learn even more about the SAP Build portfolio.To sum up the learning journey, it was exactly what I’d hoped for! Kudos for the SAP Learning team behind this learning journey!&nbsp;<h2>Getting certified</h2>Looking at the&nbsp;<a href="https://training.sap.com/certification/c_lcnc_02-sap-certified-citizen-developer-associate---sap-build-low-codeno-code-applications-and-automations-g/">topic areas</a>&nbsp;of the certification it’s very clear that the focus is towards a Citizen Developer only. You won’t see any questions about the administration and the setup within SAP Business Technology Platform.The good news is: the learning journey contains everything you need to know to get certified as it promises, although I do recommend getting some additional hands-on experience&nbsp;<h2>Wrap-up</h2>After playing around with the SAP Build Portfolio, I do see where this can improve my life as a pro-code developer. The speed with which you can create applications and orchestrate processes using SAP Build amazed me quite a lot personally.What I like most is that this SAP Build Portfolio is more then what I’ve seen in the past in terms of low-code / no-code, just building applications. SAP Build contains way more than that and building applications is only a part of the whole portfolio. Going from low-code / no-code application development with SAP Build Apps to process orchestration using SAP Build Process Automation and finally exposing everything to the end-users using SAP Build Work Zone, that’s what I call an end-to-end solution!I think SAP Build can not only be used by Citizen Developers, but even by pro-code developers setting their first steps in cloud development. Adding this low-code / no-code portfolio to you toolbox / skillset as a pro-code developer won’t be a waste of time in my personal opinion.As a pro-code developer, the steps to get started with low-code / no-code are limited. You have the big advantage that you already think as a developer, it’s just a matter of getting to know the new toolset you have available with SAP Build.For me personally, my next steps with these solutions will be:<ul><li>Diving into governance</li><li>Setting up end-to-end flows</li><li>Combining these solutions with pro-code developments</li></ul>The learning journey was absolutely great! I highly recommend you to go through the learning journey, so you can see the power of SAP Build in action with your own eyes!Happy learning!

Drop us a line and we'll be happy to catch up.

Want to know more ? 

d72ed8f9ad58cf5c397d778c063b2af4 kopie2 kopie.png

By Geert-Jan Klaps

Adopter le continuum "low-code" / "no-code"

Het omarmen van low-code / no-code-continuüm als pro-code ontwikkelaar

Embracing the low-code / no-code-continuum as a pro-code developer

Business Technology Platform solution diagrams and icons taken to the next level

A few years back, the introduction of the SAP Icons &amp; Samples for solution diagrams eased our lives as BTP architects. It was and still is great to have all icons available and a set of templates as a basis to start from (although PowerPoint is not the best solution in my personal opinion).&nbsp;Announcement blog: <a href="https://blogs.sap.com/2018/01/05/be-visual-use-official-icons-and-samples-for-sap-cloud-platform-solution-diagrams/">Be Visual! Use Official Icons and Samples for SAP Business Technology Platform Solution Diagrams | S…</a>&nbsp;In the meanwhile, the original Wiki page has already been removed and it’s now only possible to download the templates and icons through direct links provided in the comments. Unfortunately, the last update of the SAP BTP Icons dates from somewhere around March 2021.&nbsp;A few weeks ago, I saw some new blogs reusing the same outdated icons for draw.io, which is an absolutely great alternative compared to the PowerPoint templates.&nbsp;<ul><li><a href="https://blogs.sap.com/2022/11/07/create-sap-btp-solution-diagrams-with-draw.io-diagrams.net/">Creating SAP BTP solution diagrams with Draw.io (Diagrams.net) | SAP Blogs</a> (by <a href="https://people.sap.com/mauriciolauffer">Mauricio Lauffer</a>)&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://blogs.sap.com/2022/06/29/creating-architecture-diagrams-with-code/">Creating architecture diagrams with code | SAP Blogs</a> (by <a href="https://people.sap.com/ajmaradiaga">Antonio Maradiaga</a>)&nbsp;</li></ul>Edit: The original solution Mauricio mentioned in his blog does contain updated icons, which I missed while I wrote this blog and created this solution. (See <a href="https://blogs.sap.com/2022/11/26/business-technology-platform-solution-diagrams-and-icons-taken-to-the-next-level/comment-page-1/#comment-649331">Mauricio’s comment</a> below.)&nbsp;So that got me thinking: how can I make sure I have the latest BTP icons available for my solution and architecture diagrams? I came up with a few requirements I wanted to have available in my solution diagrams:&nbsp;Latest version of BTP service icon as-is&nbsp;Latest version of BTP service icon surrounded by a circle (as typically seen in the previous libraries)&nbsp;Generic SAP Icons (as included in SAP Fiori)&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;"> Introducing the BTP Diagram Icon generator&nbsp;</h2>The BTP Diagram Icon Generator is a yeoman generator that:&nbsp;<ul><li>Downloads the latest BTP service icons from the SAP Discovery Center&nbsp;</li><li>Generates a version of the service icon surrounded by a circle&nbsp;</li><li>Uses the UI5 Web Components to extract the Fiori icons&nbsp;</li><li>Icons are generated in two formats: file-based in a folder structure so they can be used in any diagram designing tool and as a draw.io/diagrams.net library which can easily be imported.&nbsp;</li><li>Icons can be organised by category as defined in the SAP Discovery Center or by type.&nbsp;</li></ul><img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture1_cd70396bf1.png" alt="Picture1.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture1_cd70396bf1.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture1_cd70396bf1.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Picture1_cd70396bf1.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Picture1_cd70396bf1.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<h2>&nbsp;Using the BTP Diagram Icon Generator&nbsp;</h2>Generating your own BTP diagram icons is a matter of installing Nodejs, <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/yo">yeoman generator</a> and the <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/generator-btp-diagram-icons">BTP Diagram Icon Generator</a> itself.&nbsp;<ol><li>1.First <a href="https://nodejs.org/en/download/">download</a> and install Nodejs for your OS.&nbsp;</li><li>2. After installing Nodejs, open a terminal/command-line and execute following command:&nbsp;</li><li>3. npm install -g yo generator-btp-diagram-icons&nbsp;</li></ol>Now you’re ready to run the generator! In the terminal/command-line, navigate to the folder where you want the icons to be generated and execute following command:&nbsp;yo btp-diagram-icons&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture2_28adbacd88.png" alt="Picture2.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture2_28adbacd88.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture2_28adbacd88.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Picture2_28adbacd88.png 750w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>After the generator is finished, your folder will contain a set of folders containing the icons and libraries based on the choices made in the generator.<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture3_87850d6b3a.png" alt="Picture3.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture3_87850d6b3a.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture3_87850d6b3a.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Picture3_87850d6b3a.png 750w," sizes="100vw">btp: BTP service icon files (regular &amp; circled)icons: SAP Fiori icon fileslibraries: draw.io/diagrams.net libraries&nbsp;<h2>Wrap-up</h2>You now have the latest icons available for all your BTP solution diagrams! Whenever a new service is released, it’s just a matter of running the generator again and the new service icon will be created automatically.Hope you enjoyed this new open-source solution and happy diagramming!&nbsp;

Blog-business-technology-platform-solution.jpg

Plateforme SAP Business Technology  : solutions de diagrammes et d'icônes à un niveau supérieur

From SAP Key User to SAP Consultant

<h1>From SAP Key User to SAP Consultant</h1>Anyone who takes the step from SAP key user to consultant usually doesn’t take it lightly. This is how it went for me, I have no regrets of my decision.Immediately after graduating, I ended up in a manufacturing company. It was using SAP to manage the supply chain, from customer service up to planning and maintenance. I was active in various departments and repeatedly came contact with SAP.I acquired a lot of knowledge in a very short time.&nbsp; For example, I noticed that you could approach each flow in different ways. As end-user, you often only see one possibility to reach a solution. When you start digging deeper, you sometimes discover new methods to reduce the workload or to approach things in a simplified way. However, colleagues don’t always appreciate it when you, as an end-user, offer other ways of working. They prefer to stick to the way they know.As a consultant, you are in a different position: people expect you to offer added value.&nbsp; I was interested in digging deeper into the world of SAP and working with it from a different perspective. However, taking that step wasn’t easy. They are two different worlds. I didn’t have enough knowledge to make it as a consultant – or so I thought!When I had the chance to roll into the world of SAP, I took that opportunity with the both of my hands.I didn’t hesitate, this seemed like an excellent way to fulfill my ambition.Today, I am continuously learning, which makes the job very exciting. Helping customers on their way when they run into problems brings me great satisfaction.SAP is a world of continuous innovative developments. I can fully anticipate, and work on my career in areas of my own interest. Everything I learn, I share with colleagues and implement at the customer. It is fascinating and enriching to be able to control the buttons behind the scenes and to know exactly what each action leads to.Are you hesitating to take the step? Are you really fascinated, but does it seem like way too deep a dive? Then my advice is: GO FOR IT. With the right motivation you will conquer any mountain!Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback in a comment and of course, follow my profile for more content!&nbsp;

Consultants | TheValueChain

Van SAP Key User naar SAP Consultant

D'utilisateur final de SAP à consultant SAP

Signhere to sign procurement documents: go or no go?

<h1>Signhere to sign procurement documents: go or no go?</h1>A client with SAP recently faced the need for a new solution to sign procurement documents electronically using eID or Itsme. Their old solution no longer met current security requirements. They decided to go with Signhere, and I was involved in the implementation and integration with SAP. An interesting experience!The customer needed a user-friendly tool to sign documents with certified ID verification for procurement documents.The old solution did no longer meet today’s security requirements. To sign a procurement document, you had to insert your eID into the eID card reader of your workstation. The solution was based on Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) and used Adobe Acrobat and plug-ins.As IE was phased out, the customer had to choose a new browser as their default and a new tool for signing. The customer opted for Chrome as the default browser in the company. However, that was not compatible with the existing solution based on Adobe Acrobat. The customer found a good alternative in Signhere.Some changes had to be made to integrate the new tool with the existing implementation. The workflow for signing the purchase orders underwent a few changes.The approval flow had to remain the same, however. The document is handled in custom development in SAP. The people involved approve the content on a Chrome screen. The last person in the approval chain signs the document in Signhere.&nbsp;<h2>This is how the integration with Chrome and Signhere works:</h2>· When the approval workflow starts, the system checks whether a previous version of the document already exists in Signhere. If so, this version is removed. Sometimes a document that is already in Signhere still undergoes significant changes. The idea is that a significant change triggers a new approval flow.<ul><li>If the highest level in the approval chain -1 agrees with the document’s content, it is transferred to Signhere.</li><li>The top-level in the approval chain then receives a work item in his/her inbox with two options: go to Signhere now, or decide to do so later. If you press the &lt;go to Signhere&gt; button, the system will show you a small process description of the subsequent actions in Signhere.</li><li>If you select &lt;go to Signhere&gt;, Signhere opens the document to be signed. The user must scroll through the entire document to ensure he/she has thoroughly checked it before signing. The reject button can be used without scrolling through the whole document.</li><li>If the user decides to sign the document, he/she must confirm Signhere’s terms and conditions by ticking a checkbox. Only then does the &lt;Start signing&gt; button appear. When the user presses the button, a pop-up gives him/her a choice between 2 options: sign with Itsme or via your eID.</li><li>The workflow waits for feedback from Signhere about whether the document has been signed or rejected.</li><li>A signed document is saved. A rejected document enters a new cycle for adjustments and approval. In both cases, the document is removed from Signhere, so it can not contain different versions of the same document.</li></ul>I implemented document signing with Signhere via eID or manually in the test environment. In the production environment, signing is possible with Itsme or eID.&nbsp;<h2>Conclusion</h2>My conclusion is simple. You can sleep on both ears when you consider implementing Signhere to sign your SAP PDF purchase orders. You have several options such as eID, Itsme, or just using your mouse or touchpad.&nbsp;I look forward to hearing your feedback and questions!

Blog-sign procurement documents.jpg

Signhere om aankoopdocumenten te ondertekenen: go of no-go?

RITA helps you manage your indirect taxation abroad 

Blog_Rita.jpg

SAP has developed a solution called RITA (Registration for Indirect Taxation Abroad) to enable foreign VAT transactions without setting up a permanent establishment, requiring a company code for instance.&nbsp;In this blog, I present you with a use case from practice. Step by step, I will explain how RITA provided a solution for our client.&nbsp;&nbsp;By Youssef Loutfi&nbsp;

RITA vous aide à gérer votre fiscalité indirecte à l'étranger 

SAP has developed a solution called RITA (Registration for Indirect Taxation Abroad) to enable foreign VAT transactions without setting up a permanent establishment, requiring a company code for instance.&nbsp;In this blog, I present you with a use case from practice. Step by step, I will explain how RITA provided a solution for our client.&nbsp;

SAP S/4HANA Advanced Variant Configuration 

The new Advance Variant Configuration is available from SAP S/4HANA Cloud 1808/On-Premise 1809 releases. With Variant Configuration, there’s no need to create a separate material for each variant; instead, you can use one configurable material that covers all possible variants. Advanced Variant Configuration offers new possibilities in high-level configuration and features a new processing mode, a new Fiori app, negative expressions to restrict domains, and more.&nbsp;<h2>Purpose of Variant Configuration&nbsp;</h2>SAP Variant Configuration is intended for the manufacturing of complex products with many variants. During order processing, you change the existing product designs. It’s all about responding quickly to customer requirements.&nbsp;The customer determines the features of the product. Think about buying a car, for example. You can choose from a long list of options and combination possibilities to turn your car into something unique and valuable. For true car lovers, these are the glory days!&nbsp;Many manufacturing industries use SAP Variant Configuration for everything from automobiles, hydraulic elevators and PCs to pumps, furniture, chemical adhesives, and more.&nbsp;Variant Configuration helps the customer and the salesperson determine the correct price for the configured product. It also ensures that the product is manufacturable and does not contain impossible combinations.<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto1_b87577d4fe.jpg" alt="Figure 1: Purpose of variant configuration" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto1_b87577d4fe.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Foto1_b87577d4fe.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw"><h2>Features of Variant Configuration&nbsp;</h2>With Variant Configuration, there’s no need to create a separate material for each variant. You can use one configurable material that covers all possible variants. One super bill of material (BOM) and a super routing contain all the components and operations you need to produce all variants.The features of the configurable material are converted into characteristics with different values in the SAP system.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto2_18bd44aa24.jpg" alt="Figure 2: Features of variant configuration" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto2_18bd44aa24.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Foto2_18bd44aa24.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw">The customer can choose from different options (values) for each characteristic. The only limitations are combinations of features that are not possible for technical or marketing reasons. With dependencies, you control these limitations. Each configurable object must have a configuration profile. This ensures a correct configuration process when creating a sales order.In some cases, the price of a variant depends on the chosen characteristic values. SAP Variant Configuration covers this by using variant conditions to define surcharges and discounts for a variant.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/foto3_80bdaf50de.jpg" alt="Figure 3: Variant tables &amp; functions" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_foto3_80bdaf50de.jpg 156w," sizes="100vw"><h2>What’s New in Advanced Variant Configuration in S/4HANA&nbsp;</h2>S/4HANA incorporates the clever functionality of R/3 and adds some excellent extra features:&nbsp;Processing mode&nbsp;An interesting new feature in S/4HANA is that it offers you an alternative way to process your configuration: Advanced Variant Configuration. This ‘engine’ provides new possibilities in high-level configuration.&nbsp;You can choose between two processing modes: the well-known Logistics General-Variant Configuration (LO-VC) and the new Advanced Variant Configuration (AVC).&nbsp;You can make your decision in the new data object ‘processing mode’, which you can specify in the configuration profile, dependencies, constraint nets and constraints. The processing mode of the constraint is inherited from the constraint net.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto4_954d937043.jpg" alt="Figure 6: Variant configuration screen(2)" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto4_954d937043.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Foto4_954d937043.jpg 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Foto4_954d937043.jpg 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Foto4_954d937043.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/foto5_549c403bd0.jpg" alt="foto5.jpg" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_foto5_549c403bd0.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_foto5_549c403bd0.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw">If you select Classic mode, the familiar LO-VC engine will process the data model. With Advanced mode, the new AVC engine will process it.&nbsp;Note: if you need object dependency for the super BOM and super routing in your low-level configuration, you still need to use the Classic processing mode. The selection condition to select BOM items and routing operations still uses the LO-VC processing mode. BOM items and routing operations are part of the low-level configuration. The new Advanced processing mode is used in the Product Variant Configurator for high-level configuration.&nbsp;New Fiori app – Variant Configuration overview&nbsp;One of the new AVC features is the overview page, only available in Fiori. As a product modeler, you can view and change all objects that are relevant for you.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/foto6_34ca0b4405.png" alt="Figure 6: New Fiori app" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_foto6_34ca0b4405.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_foto6_34ca0b4405.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_foto6_34ca0b4405.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_foto6_34ca0b4405.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">Negative expressions&nbsp;With AVC, you can now use negative expressions to restrict domains. In the LO-VC engine, the concept of truth is important. A statement always needs to be true before it is processed. The LO-VC engine uses the Truth Maintenance System (TMS) for this purpose. The AVC engine does not use this system. TMS has been replaced with a new constraint solver and mathematical formulas. As a result, the truth principal is no longer critical.&nbsp;In LO-VC, you must list all values for which a certain condition is possible. In AVC you can now exclude the value for which the condition is not possible.&nbsp;Also, the interference section is no longer needed in AVC: all characteristics will always be inferred, while in LO-VC you need to indicate which characteristics are inferred.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto7_54ce95a0eb.jpg" alt="Figure 7: Negative expressions" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto7_54ce95a0eb.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Foto7_54ce95a0eb.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw">Actions have been removed&nbsp;A long time ago, SAP announced that the dependency type ‘Actions’ was outdated and recommended converting them into ‘Procedure’ dependencies.&nbsp;In S/4HANA, the dependency type ‘Actions’ has been removed. Existing actions will still work, but you can’t create new ones as a user.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/foto8_6ec6c0975f.jpg" alt="Figure 8: Actions have been removed" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_foto8_6ec6c0975f.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_foto8_6ec6c0975f.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw">Multiple characteristics can be restricted&nbsp;In the LO-VC set-up, you had to flag all the characteristics you wanted to use in constraints as ‘restrictable’. For multiple value characteristics, however, this is impossible. The only way to create restrictions on multiple value characteristics is by using preconditions.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto9_afa0266755.jpg" alt="Figure 9: Multiple characteristics can be restricted" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto9_afa0266755.jpg 199w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Foto9_afa0266755.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw">In AVC ALL characteristics are considered ‘restrictable’. You can now restrict multiple value characteristics by using them in constraints.&nbsp;If you still want to use preconditions on values, this still works in AVC, but you need to check the configuration result via the simulation apps. I have read that users have experienced issues, especially when using the SPECIFIED statement. This is because AVC handles preconditions as constraints. As a result, it is no longer possible to control the order in which they are executed.&nbsp;Characteristic Groups&nbsp;In order to keep a clear overview off all characteristics of a configurable material in the configurator, you can group them on several tab pages in LO-VC. The prerequisite is that you have to specify an interface design name in the configuration profile.&nbsp;In AVC, a new master data object (‘Characteristics Groups’) is available to achieve this. This makes it easier to design a user interface.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto10_1b1b243d4a.jpg" alt="Figure 10: Characteristic groups" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto10_1b1b243d4a.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Foto10_1b1b243d4a.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw">In a new Fiori application, you can create new groups or assign existing groups. You determine how to group the characteristics and how you want to sort them within the group.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto11_85ccf81531.png" alt="Figure 11: Create/ assign groups" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto11_85ccf81531.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Foto11_85ccf81531.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Foto11_85ccf81531.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Foto11_85ccf81531.png 1000w," sizes="100vw"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto12_66fc46a7cc.png" alt="Figure 12: sort characteristics in group" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto12_66fc46a7cc.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Foto12_66fc46a7cc.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Foto12_66fc46a7cc.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Foto12_66fc46a7cc.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">A characteristic group can be reused in multiple configuration profiles (materials). You can sort the assigned characteristics and change the order in which the user sees them.&nbsp;<h2>Conclusion&nbsp;</h2>The upcoming SAP releases will definitely bring other improvements and make it even easier to handle complex configurations. New Fiori apps make sure that, as a user, you can keep an overview and process changes more easily. I look forward to new the features coming up!&nbsp;

Blog_Advance_Variant_Configuration.jpg

By Stijn Willems

SAP S/4HANA Geavanceerde Variant Configuratie

How Migration Cockpit keeps your GL master data clean 

Although migrations are not popular with financial professionals, they are often unavoidable. Migrating can have a significant impact on the general ledger, as the load of GL accounts may share a common structure across various entities, but with slight variations, such as the link to alternative accounts. Fortunately, SAP's Migration Cockpit makes your life a lot easier. In this blog, I will explain how to maximise the use of the Migration Object Modeler to ease your migration process.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Migration Cockpit&nbsp;</h2>In the SAP S/4HANA environment, one of the most common solutions for master data migration and load – both for new implementations and conversions – is the SAP HANA Migration Cockpit, also called Landscape Transformation Migration Cockpit or LTMC.&nbsp;LTMC facilitates the migration of data import through predefined templates in a file-based approach. The cockpit is based on a systematic data control approach that ensures data quality through system-based data duplicates and pre-existence checking.&nbsp;Are you operating in an international environment? Then the migration process will probably be split into different waves, with phased deployments per country. Let’s assume that all the different entities across your international environment share a common Chart of Account and different country/local charts of account.&nbsp;&nbsp;Data-update-driven object&nbsp;The automatic duplicate/pre-existence check performed by the migration cockpit can prevent the load of your master data GL account at company code level if the set of GL accounts is identified as already existing.To bypass this, the Migration Object Modeler Tool (LTMOM) provided by SAP can be used to transform standard migration objects into data-update driven objects. The tool offers you a wide range of possibilities. For this blog we’ll focus on two main elements:&nbsp;<ul><li>copying an existing migration object&nbsp;</li><li>field mapping – action for data record transition from ‘import’ to ‘update’ type</li></ul>&nbsp;Before you start&nbsp;Prerequisites for this approach are:&nbsp;<ul><li>the migration project has already been created&nbsp;</li><li>standard migration objects have already been defined within this project&nbsp;</li></ul>Here is how the process goes&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Create a copy of an existing object&nbsp;The first step is to create a copy of an existing migration object. The copied version must remain an object specifically dedicated to a file/table-based migration. The newly created object is not subject to a specific naming convention and, in most case scenarios, follows the migration project logic. You can even turn the newly created object into another migration project.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:34.78%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto1_da16e76f13.png" alt="Figure 1: Create a copy of an existing object" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto1_da16e76f13.png 245w," sizes="100vw"><img class="image_resized" style="width:34.39%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto2_c021449cfa.png" alt="Figure 2: Create a copy of an existing object (2)" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto2_c021449cfa.png 245w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;2. Field Mapping: change the object set up from ‘Import’ to ‘Update’ parameter in the following fields&nbsp;Once you have created the extended version of the standard object, you can access the field mapping of the newly created version and start applying new mapping rules and action records.&nbsp;In this scenario, we’ll transform our GL_Account (extended) object so that it no longer fulfils a sole importing purpose but also an updating one. As such, we’ll swap the parameter value of the action data record of the four following elements from I-type (import) to U-type (update):&nbsp;<ul><li>Chart of Accounts &lt;&lt; General Data&nbsp;</li></ul><img class="image_resized" style="width:40.68%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto3_06ce598ef7.png" alt="Figure 3: Chart of accounts" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto3_06ce598ef7.png 245w," sizes="100vw"><img class="image_resized" style="width:41.27%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto4_89ce65e27f.png" alt="Figure 4: Chart of accounts (2)" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto4_89ce65e27f.png 245w," sizes="100vw"><ul><li>Descriptions &lt;&lt; Account Names&nbsp;</li></ul><img class="image_resized" style="width:46.88%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/foto5_7d57d87fe2.png" alt="Figure 5: Descriptions" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_foto5_7d57d87fe2.png 245w," sizes="100vw"><ul><li>Key Word &lt;&lt; Account keywords&nbsp;</li></ul><img class="image_resized" style="width:46.54%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto6_06f308b852.png" alt="Figure 6: Key word" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto6_06f308b852.png 245w," sizes="100vw"><ul><li>Controlling Area &lt;&lt; General data&nbsp;</li></ul><img class="image_resized" style="width:46.67%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto7_f2c3e7ffe9.png" alt="Figure 7: Controlling area" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto7_f2c3e7ffe9.png 245w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp; &nbsp;3. Save and generate the new/extended object&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:47.08%;" src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Foto8_fb12c8daea.png" alt="Figure 8: Save and generate the new/extended object" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto8_fb12c8daea.png 245w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<h2>Result&nbsp;</h2>The result is that a new object will be created, oriented on the update of system values, not on the import. This new object will allow you to proceed with your file-based import without further duplicate checks.&nbsp;Attention points on data over-write priority&nbsp;With the method, the risk remains that master data will be overwritten, such as GL account master data at the company level for other company codes. This is because the migration template no longer performs a pre-existence check. It may force the new values for all entities at the general data level, such as GL account group. Please be aware of this.&nbsp;&nbsp;RecommendationsMigration is an important phase in any implementation or conversion project, which often involves specific planning. Will identical objects need to be loaded at different times for different entities? Then consider standard migration objects and systematic checking for duplicates and pre-existence. This will help you avoid problems with future loads.&nbsp;A good understanding of the LTMOM tool and the possibilities of object extension for update purposes is beneficial. The use of LTMOM is not restricted to the change of action for data record. It also covers various other needs, such as the definition of specific mapping for standard and custom objects.&nbsp;It’s also important to remember that working with data-update-driven objects may affect the data already stored in the system. If you are planning to use this method to load additional accounts to other foreign entities, then be aware that part of the GL account data set may be modified if your load file is not perfectly aligned with your target system.&nbsp;&nbsp;More informationI hope you found this blog helpful. For more information, please look into <a href="https://assets.cdn.sap.com/sapcom/docs/2017/07/26113ac0-c47c-0010-82c7-eda71af511fa.pdf">SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit SAP S/4HANA 2020 FPS02</a>&nbsp;or <a href="https://help.sap.com/viewer/ffaed9ee977247e689972af70212149e/SHIP/en-US/aa522d5e44934907a3530e68b5cb1c2f.html?q=LTMOM">SAP S/4Hana Migration Object Modeler – Files/staging Tables</a>.&nbsp;Or ask your question via <a href="https://answers.sap.com/questions/ask.html?primaryTagId=be32fdc2-968e-4717-97e2-1be5fb65bf99">SAP Q&amp;A</a>.&nbsp;

Blog_Migration_Cockpit.jpg

By Quentin Destat&nbsp;

Comment le Cockpit de migration assure la qualité de vos données de base GL 

Hoe de Migration Cockpit Grootboekrekening master data proper houdt 

SAP Field Service Management: multi-sector and versatile 

<h1>SAP Field Service Management: multi-sector and versatile&nbsp;</h1>Some time ago, we posted a couple of blogs about SAP Asset Manager and its IS-U functionalities. However, SAP Asset Manager is not the only option for utility companies to support service activities. There is also this thing called SAP Field Service Management (FSM). Let’s take a closer look!&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>What is SAP Field Service Management?</h2>SAP FSM is a SaaS solution that facilitates the service processes. It helps you:<ul><li>Plan service activities via a web application;</li><li>Execute service activities through a mobile app that is accessible online and offline. It is available on iOS, Android or Windows devices.</li></ul>Configuration tools allow you to fully customize FSM to your needs by adding extra screens, for example, or hiding standard screens. And that’s not all. SAP FSM also offers you a customer self-service portal, smart forms, real-time analytics, and a wide range of APIs. You can find an additional technician workforce in real-time using a Crowd Marketplace consisting of subsidiaries, service partners, and freelancers to meet your demands. On top of that, FSM provides a partner portal and standard integrations with many other SAP products like SAP C4C Service, S/4HANA and ECC.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture1_0cc85d1afa.png" alt="Picture1.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture1_0cc85d1afa.png 168w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture1_0cc85d1afa.png 500w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>What are the benefits of SAP Field Service Management?</h2>FSM provides your technicians with many exciting functionalities, enabling them to consult detailed information about the maintenance activities, access documents, execute checklists to ensure correct maintenance, create follow-up tickets, ...It may also create benefits in many other areas, including these:&nbsp;<ul><li>Paper is replaced by digital: your technicians can directly code the results in the app instead of on a piece of paper which leads to a paperless company;</li><li>Faster up-to-date system: the encoded info will be available in your back-end system as soon as possible;</li><li>Cost reduction: thanks to the intuitive front-end, the technicians can encode their work faster; thanks to the automatic synchronization with your back-end system, no one else needs to be involved in the encoding process;</li><li>Optimized route planning;</li><li>Improved decision-making thanks to real-time visibility and insights.</li></ul>&nbsp;<h2>Is SAP FSM a solution for distribution and water companies only?</h2>At first sight, I would say yes, because these companies have a lot of service activities to perform. However, there is no doubt that before long, SAP FSM will provide its added value to suppliers and other companies in the utility sector.Why? For the simple reason that SAP developed FSM to support service activities in many sectors. It is a trend that product suppliers offer more and more services to their customers: maintenance and repair of refrigerators, boilers, forklifts, installation of charging stations for electric cars, you name it. SAP FSM can be an interesting part of the system architecture for all these service providers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>What does the SAP FSM architecture look like?</h2>Here’s a high-level overview of the SAP FSM architecture – from trigger to mobile app and back:<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture2_f645384265.png" alt="Picture2.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture2_f645384265.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture2_f645384265.png 500w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<h2>What about SAP’s release strategy?</h2>SAP Field Service Management is a SaaS-based product. All our customers run the same version of the software. Changes can be previewed by using the ‘Preview Program’ and other ones are ‘silent’ (disabled by default).Release updates are scheduled on a quarterly base.&nbsp;These are the schedules for 2022:<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture3_6a6ae614d2.png" alt="Picture3.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture3_6a6ae614d2.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture3_6a6ae614d2.png 500w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<h2>Sneak preview of SAP Field Service Management</h2>Would you like to discover the functionality of SAP FSM? Here is a sneak preview!Planning and dispatching. The life of your dispatcher becomes easier thanks to the user-friendly planning board and the semi-automatic or automatic planning functionalities.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture4_0b92432e3a.png" alt="Picture4.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture4_0b92432e3a.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture4_0b92432e3a.png 500w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;Customer self-service portal. Your customer agenda can change. So, let’s make life easier by offering a rescheduling functionality.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture5_8ab8fd9d94.png" alt="Picture5.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture5_8ab8fd9d94.png 139w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture5_8ab8fd9d94.png 446w," sizes="100vw">Partner portal.&nbsp;Make the life of your partners easier!<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture5_5779796ba0.jpg" alt="Picture5.jpg" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture5_5779796ba0.jpg 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture5_5779796ba0.jpg 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Picture5_5779796ba0.jpg 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Picture5_5779796ba0.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">Mobile app. Your technicians can focus on their core activities and perform administrative tasks much more easily than before.<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture6_c2af720ea9.png" alt="Picture6.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture6_c2af720ea9.png 77w," sizes="100vw"><img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture7_8c095c14e7.png" alt="Picture7.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture7_8c095c14e7.png 83w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture7_8c095c14e7.png 266w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;Smartforms. Digitalize existing checklists based on a PDF in an easy way.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture8_333bf4f668.png" alt="Picture8.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture8_333bf4f668.png 121w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;Curious to hear more about SAP FSM?Let´s meet for a coffee or tea! Or contact us!

Interested in getting more details about this blog ? Give us a shout !

NL blog SAP Field Service Management.jpg

SAP Field Service Management: multi-sector and versatile

Integration of carrier API calls in SAP eWM and TM

In this blog we demonstrate a real-world example of how APIs can be used for carrier integration in transportation management (TM) and extended warehouse management (eWM). Rather than sending files to notify parcel carriers of truckloads, we integrate with all major carriers (UPS, FedEx, DHL, Shunfeng, etc.) through APIs.&nbsp;Request and receive quotations from carriers&nbsp;When a parcel rolls off the packing belt and is completed in eWM, an API call is automatically launched to one or more carriers. Based on the destination and the size of the parcel, they return their best quotes within seconds. All incoming quotes are displayed on a small RF scanner screen. The information is limited but it contains enough detail for you to make the right choices and scan the handling units or pallets on the shop floor.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Blog_Lieven_De_Clercq_1_4f457bdc33.png" alt="Blog_Lieven De Clercq_1.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Blog_Lieven_De_Clercq_1_4f457bdc33.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Blog_Lieven_De_Clercq_1_4f457bdc33.png 500w," sizes="100vw">Shipment&nbsp;After receiving all the quotes on the RF screen, you can select your preferred carrier and service to trigger a new API for booking. You can also indicate who will pay for transport and duties, a useful feature for EXW and FCA shipments where customers may have preferred carriers with better rates. For shipping dangerous goods, you can include data from SAP EHS in your shipment call. Once booked, you'll receive a tracking number to monitor the shipment.&nbsp;Documents&nbsp;Developing a shipping label in SAP Smart Forms or PDF Builder can be exciting, but with the API, it's no longer necessary. Once the shipment is booked, you’ll receive the shipping labels from the carrier and only need to convert them to PDF for printing. This process is fast and carrier-independent, so any label changes made by the carrier won't affect you.&nbsp;If you pass on the data in the shipment API, the carrier will provide you with shipping labels, pro forma invoices, dangerous goods labels, declarations, and more. To organise different calls to different carriers, we created one message structure with all necessary information in S/4HANA. The data is aggregated into one CDS view and passed to SAP Process Orchestration, which maps it based on the carrier. For a new carrier, we just need to update the mapping in SAP PO without changing anything in the CDS in S/4HANA.&nbsp;How is this linked to SAP Transportation Management?&nbsp;After a successful shipment call, the handling units are automatically linked to the transportation units in eWM and TM.&nbsp;Once the truck departs, all assigned parcels are updated in the TM freight order. Rather than using rate tables, we utilise the stored quote results in our internal tables to determine charges. This allows for accurate creation of FSD documents and freight POs against the carrier, resulting in minimal discrepancies in incoming invoices. However, deviations can still occur, such as discrepancies in parcel size or address corrections made by the driver during delivery.&nbsp;Conclusions&nbsp;Benefits&nbsp;<ul><li>No more label creation&nbsp;</li><li>Mobile solution: user can walk around while scanning packages&nbsp;</li><li>Online choice of the cheapest carrier: on every call, we can compare rates of different carriers resulting in a lower freight invoice&nbsp;</li></ul>&nbsp;Points of attention&nbsp;• If the carrier connection is lost, shipping is no longer possible. While major carriers have backup measures, smaller local partners may experience reliability problems.&nbsp;• Quick response time is critical. Slow API calls cannot create bottlenecks at the packing station. You cannot expect users to wait ten seconds for every scanned parcel. Our solution was designed to be as lean and fast as possible.&nbsp;&nbsp;TheValueChain helps you create and integrate custom APIs for all your business needs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

blog-Integratie-van-carrier-API-calls-in-SAP-eWM-en-TM.jpg

Professional Services in S/4HANA Cloud

Professional Services is an exclusive S/4HANA Cloud Essentials module for service providers. It offers project management functionalities and shares similarities with Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management (EPPM), including support for customer/internal projects, financial reporting and time recording. However, Professional Services has its own CDS views and Fiori apps, which are totally different from those in the EPPM solution.&nbsp;Let’s take a look at some key capabilities of Professional Services to understand how it differs from EPPM.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">1.      Dedicated Fiori apps for project management&nbsp;</h2>Professional Services has dedicated Fiori apps that are not available in EPPM, and vice versa. The most important ones are Plan Customer Projects and Plan Internal Projects. These offer a wide range of PM functionalities such as project and WBS structure creation, status management, resource assignment, cost planning (baseline + current), billing plan maintenance, and project status &amp; financial overview. For customer projects you can also navigate directly to the billing app.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">2.      Basic and advanced resource management&nbsp;</h2>In Professional Services, assigning resources to WBS elements is simple. The system calculates planned costs and revenue based on planned hours and rates. Cost rates can be made more granular using different dimensions, from company code to employee number. Assigned resources can see tasks automatically in the 'My Timesheet' app. The 'restrict unstaffed posting' flag controls whether non-assigned resources can book time.&nbsp;&nbsp;Advanced Resource Management isn't included by default but can improve project staffing. It provides better insights into utilisation rates and requested resources, identifies overbooked and available resources and considers skill sets. You can take action based on current assignments, open resource requests and the skill set of each individual resource.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">3.      Project billing&nbsp;</h2>In Professional Services, the 'Plan Customer Projects' app manages billing using a sales order (SO03). The module offers fixed price, time &amp; expenses, periodic service and usage-based billing. Billing begins with creating a debit memo request, optional preliminary billing and final billing. Time and expense billing allows postponing and writing off amounts.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">4.      Limitations of Professional Services&nbsp;</h2>The above features are an advantage when using Professional Services compared to EPPM. However, Professional Services also has its limitations and lacks a number of features.&nbsp;Professional Services is not designed for logistics projects, so it doesn't integrate with demand management for stock materials, nor does it cover outbound deliveries linked to projects. While it's technically possible to link free-of-charge sales orders to a project via WBS elements and create demand and deliveries, this process isn't officially supported by SAP for Professional Services, unlike in EPPM, where it's an SAP best practice. In project management, Professional Services has a two-level structure of WBS elements, with the first level reserved for billing WBS elements, leaving only level 2 for subordinate cost WBS elements. Cost WBS elements have a flat structure without hierarchy, unlike EPPM, which has a multilevel structure like S/4HANA On-Premise.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Conclusion&nbsp;</h2>Professional Services offers unique features that are not found in EPPM, making it valuable for companies in the service industry. Even businesses with manufacturing or engineering activities linked to their projects may find these features useful. However, because of its limitations in logistics, EPPM may be more suitable.&nbsp;&nbsp;For companies focused solely on professional services, this industry solution is an excellent option, as they can take advantage of the specialised Fiori apps, tailored billing processes and advanced resource management capabilities.&nbsp;Want to optimise your Professional Services through S/4HANA Cloud? TheValueChain has your back.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Professional Services | TheValueChain

By Jonas Claes

Documenting, testing and validating SAP NetWeaver Gateway projects  

SAP NetWeaver Gateway allows you to make SAP system data accessible on mobile devices. Creating APIs is simple, but obtaining business validation can be challenging. This is because APIs lack GUIs. In this blog, we explore three popular solutions: SAP NetWeaver Gateway Client, Postman collections and OpenAPI. Unfortunately, each has limitations, such as lacking combined documentation and testing of SAP NetWeaver Gateway services. Fortunately, TheValueChain has a solution, so let's take a closer look.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;"> SAP NetWeaver Gateway Client&nbsp;</h2>The standard way to have an API validated is to create test cases, clustered in test groups, in the SAP NetWeaver Gateway Client. <img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Blog_Geert_Jan_picture1_29c558d58d.png" alt="Blog Geert-Jan picture1 | TheValueChain" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Blog_Geert_Jan_picture1_29c558d58d.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Blog_Geert_Jan_picture1_29c558d58d.png 500w," sizes="100vw">As a functional analyst, you can select a test case, manipulate the predefined request body to fit the test scenario and execute the API call.<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Blog_Geert_Jan_picture2_9d0450448b.png" alt="Blog Geert-Jan picture2 | TheValueChain" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Blog_Geert_Jan_picture2_9d0450448b.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Blog_Geert_Jan_picture2_9d0450448b.png 500w," sizes="100vw">This approach has several advantages:&nbsp;<ul><li>Standard SAP solution&nbsp;</li><li>Automatic CSRF token handling for modifying requests&nbsp;</li><li>Automatic retrieval of supported entity sets&nbsp;</li><li>All available URI options can easily be selected from the main menu&nbsp;</li></ul>It also has a few drawbacks:&nbsp;<ul><li>It is a rather technical approach: each basic scenario needs to be prepared by the developer&nbsp;</li><li>The functional analyst or user needs to understand the OData metadata to create their own requests for cases that were not prepared by the developer&nbsp;</li></ul>It’s a test tool only, not a documentation tool&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Postman collections&nbsp;</h2>Postman is a useful tool for testing REST APIs, and API calls can be organised into collections for easy use. However, the free version limits requests to 20 and Postman does not automatically handle CSRF tokens for modifying requests. To work around this, a user can create a Postman environment and test cases for the CSRF token request, but the user must still manually execute the request before any modifying request.&nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Blog_Geert_Jan_picture3_ade51441c9.png" alt="Blog Geert-Jan picture3 | TheValueChain" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Blog_Geert_Jan_picture3_ade51441c9.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Blog_Geert_Jan_picture3_ade51441c9.png 500w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Blog_Geert_Jan_picture3_ade51441c9.png 750w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Blog_Geert_Jan_picture3_ade51441c9.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">Postman advantages:&nbsp;<ul><li>More intuitive than SAP NetWeaver Gateway Client&nbsp;</li><li>Easy grouping of requests into collections and folders&nbsp;</li></ul>Disadvantages:&nbsp;<ul><li>No automatic CSRF token handling&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Request sharing is limited in the free version&nbsp;</li><li>This is a test tool only, not a documentation tool&nbsp;</li></ul>&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">OpenAPI documentation&nbsp;</h2>One of the standards in API documentation is the OpenAPI standard. You can use it to fully describe and document the API functionalities using JSON or YAML. A tool like Swagger UI enables you to generate interactive documentation that allows users to test every functionality provided by the API.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Blog_Geert_Jan_picture4_4546c27c21.png" alt="Blog Geert-Jan picture4 | TheValueChain" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Blog_Geert_Jan_picture4_4546c27c21.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Blog_Geert_Jan_picture4_4546c27c21.png 500w," sizes="100vw">However, there is no standard way to create a valid OpenAPI JSON or YAML file from an SAP NetWeaver Gateway service. That is why creating this type of documentation is quite cumbersome, complex and time-consuming.&nbsp;OpenAPI has some powerful characteristics, such as:&nbsp;<ul><li>Universal way of describing a REST service&nbsp;</li><li>Interactive documentation capabilities&nbsp;</li><li>Capable of being imported into several API management tools, including SAP Cloud Platform API Management and Azure API Management&nbsp;</li></ul>Unfortunately, the testing functionality does not work because of the Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) policy. There is no standard way to handle CSRF tokens for modifying requests.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">TheValueChain’s solution: embedded Swagger UI&nbsp;</h2>None of the solutions mentioned can serve as both documentation and testing/validation tools for SAP NetWeaver Gateway services. The closest option is OpenAPI documentation with Swagger UI.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; However, at TheValueChain, we have developed a solution to overcome these limitations by creating an embedded Swagger UI in SAP. This tool supports both V2 and V4 OData services, automatically transforms metadata into OpenAPI JSON format, and allows functional analysts and users to generate interactive documentation and start testing and validating APIs.&nbsp;Want to know more about our custom UI solutions?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

By Geert-Jan Klaps

Documenting, testing and validating SAP NetWeaver Gateway projects 

Documenter, tester et valider les projets SAP NetWeaver Gateway 

4 reasons for having an SAP Commerce system

Webshops are not a novelty anymore. With online shopping being commonplace and B2C businesses plateauing, you may wonder why an SAP Commerce system is still a valuable investment for your B2B company. We give you four good reasons.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">1. It reduces your cost of doing business&nbsp;</h2>You SAP Commerce platform can fulfil a wide range of business functions. It can make information available to customers, accept orders, give automatic discounts, act as a product information management system, and much more. The system will most likely help you increase the efficiency of at least some of your current processes.&nbsp;By allowing customers to create orders themselves through SAP Commerce, sales reps can save time on answering e-mails and phone calls. The platform also verifies stock availability to ensure orders can be fulfilled. Additionally, new and corrected product information is instantly accessible to customers without the need for catalogue updates.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thanks to its integration with the SAP ecosystem, SAP Commerce streamlines business processes by automatically directing data where it's needed.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">2. It reduces your customers’ cost of doing business&nbsp;</h2>A well-thought-out SAP Commerce will optimise your customers processes, which in turn will increase the likelihood that they do business with you.&nbsp;By offering detailed track and trace information and scheduled ordering in your platform, customers can plan ahead and save time replenishing stock. These features can improve their experience and increase their loyalty to your brand.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">3. It allows for experimentation&nbsp;</h2>SAP Commerce offers a range of modern webshop features that can be utilised to enhance your business. For instance: A/B testing to compare products, releasing new products to selected customers and experimenting with different marketing strategies.&nbsp;Moreover, SAP Commerce is adaptable to both B2B and B2C markets, making it a flexible platform to explore new sales channels and expand into new territories without requiring significant investment in new sales divisions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">4. You don't miss out&nbsp;</h2>The workforce is constantly evolving as new employees join every day. The Amazon webshop was already in existence before some of today's customers were even born, and younger generations have never known a world without iPhones.&nbsp; &nbsp; Are you willing to take a chance against your expanding customer base? While your customers may be businesses, they are ultimately made up of people who are increasingly accustomed to digital commerce. Today's webshop experience is vastly different from that of the 90s and 2000s, but the market is still rapidly growing.&nbsp;Investing in a webshop now can help ensure that you do not lose out on future revenue by failing to adopt the modern, mainstream way of doing business.&nbsp; &nbsp; Discover all the benefits of SAP Commerce for your company together with TheValueChain.&nbsp;

blog_4_redenen_om_te_investeren_in_sap_commerce.jpg

Boost your decision-making with embedded SAC in C4C

<h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;">SAP is there to help you.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>Did you know that the SAP Cloud for Customer (C4C) license comes with an out-of-the-box solution to boost your analytics? I’m talking about the embedded SAP Analytics Cloud, aka SAC.&nbsp;Embedded SAC in SAP Cloud for Customer analyses your data in real-time. It provides insights to support you in making intelligent decisions for better business outcomes.&nbsp;Thanks to the live data connection, SAC allows you to analyse and visualise your data directly in the source system without the need for complicated and time-consuming data preparation.&nbsp;&nbsp;SAC comes with prebuilt but highly customisable ‘Stories’: words, charts, graphs, tables and other visual elements that tell the story of your organisation.&nbsp;&nbsp;Atlas Copco challenge&nbsp;At the SAPience.be Hackathon in June 2021, we decided to take on the challenge submitted by Atlas Copco to improve their leading dashboard. The C4C analytics didn’t allow them to set trend lines and targets on the graphs to measure actuals versus targets and trends, nor was it possible to set fixed colours for each category. The same data was represented by different colours in different graphs, resulting in confusing data visualisation and difficult data analysis.&nbsp;&nbsp;These might seem like small details, but if you’re an intensive report and dashboard user like they are at Atlas Copco, you expect your reports and charts to be clear and immediate, so you can quickly turn insight into action. As an SAP user, you deserve that. &nbsp;Embedded SAC in C4C &nbsp;TheValueChain and partner company Bmatix easily fixed the issues the customer was struggling with thanks to embedded SAC in C4C. Custom colour determination was set up and trends, targets and a forecast overview were added to the dashboard. The solution was simple, straightforward and enabled the customer to get the best out of their analytics.&nbsp;<img src="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Picture1_96de8c34cf.png" alt="Picture1.png" srcset="https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Picture1_96de8c34cf.png 245w,https://thevaluechain-corporate-website.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Picture1_96de8c34cf.png 500w," sizes="100vw">Why should you shift towards embedded SAC?&nbsp;<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">&nbsp;There’s no need for more investment. You have a powerful BI tool that allows you to perform real-time analytics&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">You don’t have to worry about data replication or data preparation&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">You don’t have to re-build authorisations because SAC uses the ones created in C4C&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Embedded SAC provides advanced analytics and data visualisation while remaining a solution that is easy to use and easy to learn for new users&nbsp;</li></ul>What about prerequisites?&nbsp;An SAP Cloud for Customer Enterprise License is a prerequisite.&nbsp;The embedded SAC functionality is not yet generally available in C4C, but you can request access via SAP support (currently in beta). A clean and well-maintained data set is always recommended.&nbsp;What are you waiting for? Contact us for more info on embedded SAC in C4C!&nbsp;

Masotti

blog-sac-in-c4c.jpg

In the digital era, collecting data is vital for all businesses, regardless of the size or the sector. But why bother collecting data if you cannot process it promptly and efficiently to support decision making?&nbsp;

Améliorez votre prise de décision grâce au SAC intégré dans C4C

Blogs | TheValueChain

Looking for an answer to an SAP related question? Our experts have your back.

SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud

Case 1 - SAP Billing and Revenue Innovation Management and Utilities

Direct connection between SAP S/4HANA and Isabel 6

Converting from SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition to Private Edition

Pick by Cart makes picking easier than ever

Lessons learned: SAP Advanced Shipping and Receiving

SAP Billing and Revenue Innovation Management

Migrating dangerous goods data in SAP S/4HANA: Not as easy as it seems!

Sopura goes for a think-aside-the-box approach with SAP

How to get started with SAP Commerce in a B2B setting

Application Lifecycle Management in SAP Cloud Platform

The technology behind SAP Sales and Service Cloud V2

Living in an interconnected world… just like your e-commerce

Embracing the low-code / no-code-continuum as a pro-code developer

Business Technology Platform solution diagrams and icons taken to the next level

From SAP Key User to SAP Consultant

Signhere to sign procurement documents: go or no go?

RITA helps you manage your indirect taxation abroad

SAP S/4HANA Advanced Variant Configuration

How Migration Cockpit keeps your GL master data clean

SAP Field Service Management: multi-sector and versatile

Integration of carrier API calls in SAP eWM and TM

Professional Services in S/4HANA Cloud

Documenting, testing and validating SAP NetWeaver Gateway projects

4 reasons for having an SAP Commerce system

Boost your decision-making with embedded SAC in C4C