In the dynamic landscape of enterprise technology, SAP has emerged as a trailblazer in delivering innovative solutions that cater to the evolving needs of businesses. At the forefront of this transformation is SAP SaaS, an integral component of the company’s cloud strategy.
From human resources management to procurement, supply chain management, customer relationship management, and beyond, SAP’s SaaS offerings exemplify a shift in software deployment, promising technological advancements and revolutionizing how businesses interact with enterprise applications.
This article discusses the main features and advantages of SAP SaaS, how it enables customers to access critical information through a web browser with no need to install or host software on-site, and where our team of SAP consultants can come in to help.
Understanding Cloud Solutions for Enterprise Organizations
Modern enterprise organizations have turned to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), delivering enterprise applications through the cloud without requiring complex installation or on-site hosting to improve access to critical business tools and resolve business issues immediately.
SaaS applications provide the flexibility and scalability needed to help companies run and manage business processes efficiently, access the software they need right when they need it, and improve productivity by leveraging a unified cloud solution.
SAP has taken SaaS functionality a step further, offering a unified cloud infrastructure based on SAP HANA, robust line of business (LOB) applications, and critical acquisitions of Ariba, Concur, Fieldglass, and SuccessFactors technology to further improve efficiency and collaboration across platforms.
SaaS solutions in the SAP landscape can also be deployed privately, publicly, or through managed cloud services, enabling customers to start their SAP SaaS journey anywhere and run business applications everywhere in the cloud, depending on their unique business needs.
Advantages
- Reduce system maintenance requirements by not handling the technical backend of a system
- Utilize rapid process configuration and packaged integration to accelerate system adoption
- Limit administrative burden for responsibilities like system security or user access requests
- Improve system scalability and accelerate deployment without incurring large investment costs
- Leverage efficient implementation timelines to reduce time to value for new software versions
- Complete system updates and implement bug fixes via the internet rather than a physical drive
Disadvantages
- Limits the level of customization companies can make to their SAP solution landscape
- Provides less flexibility in customization than on-premise solutions
- Offers software updates on a fixed basis, requiring companies to resolve change enablement issues as they adapt to updated or new functionality
- Raises concerns over data security and controlled access for sensitive data stored in cloud solutions
List of SAP Cloud Software Applications
SAP takes a two-pronged approach to its cloud strategy, developing specific solutions in-house and adding others to its portfolio with aggressive acquisition strategies.
Here are a few critical SAP applications deployed in the cloud to improve HR, procurement, customer engagement, data management, and other essential business processes.
SAP Analytics Cloud
SAP Analytics Cloud is a comprehensive business intelligence (BI) solution that consolidates planning, predictive analysis, and other key business intelligence functionality in a unified solution, enabling users to improve data connectivity across systems, build visualization stories, and access analytics from cloud and on-premise solutions.
SAP Ariba
The SAP Ariba platform is a suite of applications that enable better procurement efficiency, including supplier relationship management, contract and invoice management, spend analysis, supplier collaboration, and more.
SAP Business ByDesign
SAP Business ByDesign is a pre-configured ERP solution designed to help medium-sized businesses improve efficiency and productivity across various teams and functional areas, including human resources, customer relationship management, finance, and project management.
SAP Cloud Application Lifecycle Management
The SAP Cloud Application Lifecycle Management (SAP ALM) solution is an administrative tool used by companies that have already deployed SAP cloud solutions to keep their systems up-to-date and secure as system requirements and features change over time.
SAP Concur
SAP Concur offers intelligent travel and expense management capabilities to help companies book corporate travel, manage reimbursements for incurred expenses, and process other non-compensation-based employee finances and expenses.
SAP Customer Experience
The SAP Customer Experience (SAP CX) suite comprises five critical applications, including SAP Customer Data Cloud, SAP Commerce Cloud, SAP Marketing Cloud, SAP Service Cloud, and SAP Sales Cloud, to improve customer experiences and enhance autonomy.
SAP Data Warehouse Cloud
The SAP Data Warehouse Cloud (SAP DWC) is built on the foundation of existing SAP data warehousing tools like SAP BW, SAP BW/4HANA, and SAP HANA to improve data access, management, and security across the complete SAP enterprise landscape.
SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud
SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud comprises SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud for Insights, SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud for Execution, and SAP Digital Manufacturing Network to replace existing SAP Manufacturing Execution and Plant Connectivity solutions and improve manufacturing productivity.
SAP Fieldglass
SAP Fieldglass enables companies to find, hire, and retain contingent workers more effectively, including filling short-term labor shortages or stepping in when existing labor cannot fulfill their responsibilities.
SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud
The SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud is a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution built to help users gain better insight into how to run SAP HANA, utilize SAP HANA in a cloud managed by SAP or its strategic suppliers, and manage critical operations to scale.
SAP Intelligent Asset Management
The SAP Intelligent Asset Management (SAP IAM) suite comprises SAP Asset Strategy and Performance Management, SAP Asset Intelligence Network, SAP Predictive Maintenance and Service, SAP Predictive Engineering Insights, and SAP Mobile Asset Management to improve data visibility and facilitate more informed decision-making.
SAP Logistics Business Network
SAP Logistics Business Network (SAP LBN) is a fully integrated logistics operations tool that enables companies to improve inter-company collaboration, develop products across business units, and enhance the efficiency of their most critical logistics processes.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
The SAP S/4HANA Cloud offers intelligent finance, supply chain, sales, supplier relationship, and research and development tools that leverage the benefits of cloud solutions and the in-memory computing architecture of on-premise solutions to improve efficiency and gain real-time insights into performance.
SAP SuccessFactors
SAP SuccessFactors is a comprehensive human capital management application designed to help users manage core HR and talent management initiatives in a single, unified platform, including recruiting, onboarding, training, succession planning, and more.
Making the Most of Your SAP Solutions
When it comes to maximizing your SAP Cloud investment, you need people in your corner who understand the ins and outs of your SAP solutions, have years of experience navigating multiple SAP modules and add-ons, and will stick by your side to and through implementation.
This is where Surety Systems comes in to help, offering personalized SAP consulting services guaranteed to meet your needs, whether you’re just starting your journey with SAP cloud solutions, navigating integrations between systems, or looking for additional post-implementation support.
Our senior-level, US-based SAP consultant team has the knowledge, skills, and experience to handle your most critical projects and help you achieve continued success in the long run.
Getting Started with Our Team
Interested in learning more about SAP SaaS applications or how they can transform collaboration and efficiency across your business networks? Ready to get started on a project with our team of SAP consultants?
Contact us today for more information!
