How SAP S/4 HANA Cloud Empowers Business Evolution

The business case for digital transformation has never been as clear as it is today. Customer expectations are higher. Employees demand more transparency. And prioritising corporate responsibility and sustainability is vital. However, your company has to solve all of these challenges without impacting your bottom line.

Also, the business world is facing a period of unprecedented change. As a result, companies are shifting to hybrid workforces and new supply chains and finding innovative ways to make their operations leaner.

Where becoming a cloud-first, agile organisation was a medium to long-term plan for many companies pre-pandemic, today, businesses are seeking comprehensive solutions that enable them to embed agility within their digital core right now.

SAP S/4 HANA Cloud is an intelligent enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that puts control back in the hands of business leaders. With a responsive system, enterprise organisations can face uncertainty with confidence, adapt to change swiftly, and grow without boundaries.

Let’s explore how S/4 HANA Cloud can deliver business value in an increasingly complex environment.

What Is SAP S/4 HANA Cloud?

S/4 HANA Cloud is a complete ERP system with built-in artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, and intelligent process automation.

It’s the cloud-based version of SAP’s fourth-generation business suite, which means users benefit from all the cost-saving and flexibility that comes with a software as a service (SaaS) model. And, they get all the industry-depth and intelligent analytics that comes with S/4 HANA.

What Does the Cloud Version Offer Over On-Premises Systems?

In 2019, sales of S/4 HANA Cloud grew by 300%. In comparison, on-premises sales grew by just 20%.

This represents a shift in the mindset of enterprise organisations. The cloud offers businesses lower and more predictable technology costs because there’s no need to commit resources to hardware, IT staff, or databases.

Because the system is powered by cloud computing, SAP is able to embed advanced technologies, like machine learning, AI, augmented reality, and blockchain, enabling faster innovation. Add to that easier scaling, swifter onboarding, and rapid analytical insights, and you have a robust business case for the cloud.

To maintain a competitive edge, companies have been shifting more of their workloads to the cloud in recent years. This trend is expected to accelerate – Gartner predicts that by 2026, public cloud spending will exceed 45% of all enterprise IT spending.

What Are the Benefits of SAP S/4 HANA Cloud?

A single source of truth for all data and equipped with an in-memory database, SAP’s latest cloud-based ERP system provides users with personalised insights in real-time. And with AI-powered capabilities for every industry, your business will have everything it needs to adapt, innovate, and accelerate growth.

Let’s dive into some of the key benefits that will enable your business to position itself ahead of change and uncertainty:

Complete ERP

SAP S/4 HANA is a comprehensive enterprise resource planning system that lets you handle everything from sales performance and operational purchasing to engineering and accounting. Capabilities include asset management, finance, sales, procurement, manufacturing, research and development, service, and supply chain management.

Core functionality

SAP S/4 HANA Cloud serves as the heart of your business system. Data is fully integrated, giving users a clear view of in-the-moment operations.

And with increased visibility across business operations, networks, and processes, all of your users are always in sync even though they might be focusing on different tasks, for different departments, in different parts of the world.

That’s the level of harmony an enterprise organisation needs to consistently outperform competitors.

Robust and intelligent digital platform

With machine learning and AI, there’s no limit to what you can do with automation. SAP S/4 HANA automates repeated tasks and learns how to make processes more efficiently.

You can also create fully automated processes that enable you to easily and quickly launch new digital business models, allowing your company to tap into the subscription service market.

Built-in analytics

With insights personalised to the user, each one of your employees has the information they need to make intelligent decisions at every moment.

The embedded analytics can be configured to the individual user’s needs. You can also develop your analytics into apps for specific roles, such as a materials management app that shows managers when stock levels are low, or a sales quotation app so sales managers can see the probability of a conversion.

Device-independent

With cloud ERP, all your users can access your system through a secure online portal, and they can log in from any device and any location. This allows corporate organisations to operate seamlessly with a distributed workforce. Whether you’re using a hybrid, remote, or in-office work model, your teams will stay connected.

SAP S/4 HANA Modules Unpacked

As a complete ERP system, you have all the business modules your organisation needs to streamline processes, enhance the customer experience, and keep up with industry best practices. No need to piece together business applications – everything’s there for you with SAP S/4 HANA.

And, with native integration between processes, your data updates across the entire ERP system in real-time. This means all of your users will have instant access to up-to-date analytics and predictive insights.

Here are some of the modules you’ll find in SAP S/4 HANA Cloud:

• Finance – Automate compliance, minimise risk, and improve financial performance.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – Identify emerging growth opportunities and provide leading-edge customer experience.
• Supply Chain Management (SCM) – Bring products to market faster with total control and real-time visibility of the entire supply chain.
• Human Experience Management (HXM) – Enhance the employee experience with deep insights into talent needs, performance, and development, and streamline HR essentials, such as time tracking, payroll, and benefits administration.
• Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC), and Cybersecurity – Better manage risk, automate compliance tasks, and benefit from real-time insights on cybersecurity, access control, and international trade.
• Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) – Take your sustainability standards to the next level and stay on top of environmental, health, and safety best practices in your industry.

With S/4 HANA, all of the modules your business needs are integrated, giving you an all-in-one solution that makes fast growth, innovation, and business evolution possible.

Redefine Your Enterprise Organisation with Intelligent ERP

With a complete ERP system and all the flexibility benefits of the cloud, you can future-proof your organisation and accelerate growth. Find out how you can use intelligent ERP to become an innovator in your industry. Contact Discovery Consulting today.