In praise of SAP BTP
Imagine a platform that revolutionizes how businesses utilize SAP to operate, innovate, and grow. That’s SAP BTP. It combines the rich value of SaaS with the limitless customization of on-prem systems and the infrastructure control provided by IaaS.
WHY DO WE LOVE ‘SAAS’ SO MUCH?
1) There is nothing ever to buy. The pay-per-use model reduces upfront costs and eliminates large investments in hardware, software, licenses, and implementation.
2) Simple and virtually endless scaling at our fingertips. Great business agility.
3) High level of security and compliance with necessary certifications and standards included.
4) Easy integration with advanced functionality (AI, ML, analytics, etc.) in the Cloud.
5) Future proof systems. Extended and amended automatically.
WHY ‘SAAS’ CAN BE SO FRUSTRATING?
1) Customization is very limited. We must live with “one size fits all” even when it doesn’t.
2) Integration challenges with the other important systems in the organization.
3) No control over data residency.
4) A higher degree of vendor lock-in.
5) Total dependence on the Internet across all locations.
6) Limited control over performance.
7) Unexpected updates or maintenance from the provider can lead to disruption.
8) Hidden costs and long-term contracts.
As SAP began transitioning to the Cloud, the larger organizations became acutely aware of these downsides of SaaS.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
SAP BTP is the solution provided by SAP.
THE EVOLUTION OF SAP BTP.
Born in 2010 as a simple extension for SAP HANA database called HANA XS, in 2013 it became a PaaS offering called SAP Cloud Platform (SCP). 2015 saw integration with Hybris and the introduction of the Cloud Foundry. The functionality expansion continued through 2016 to 2018 with industry-specific solutions, new services like Big Data Services, Machine Learning, and Blockchain, and the introduction of low-code/no-code tools like SAP AppGyver and SAP Process Automation. 2021 showed a focus on sustainability. 2022 expanded partnerships and integrations with other cloud providers and platform vendors. 2023 added Hyper-scale capabilities.
The following diagram shows SAP BTP’s place in the SAP Cloud framework.
SAP BTP TODAY.
Today, SAP BTP is a powerful development, integration, and deployment platform enabling businesses to run their unique SAP instances in the Cloud with every required customization while also enjoying AI, ML, Analytics, Blockchain, eCommerce, Process orchestration, and a range of SaaS applications, as well as hyper scalability. It does uniquely address some problems.
Seamless Integration with the SAP Ecosystem: SAP BTP is uniquely positioned to integrate seamlessly with SAP’s extensive suite of applications and solutions.
· This integration capability is unparalleled, especially for businesses already leveraging SAP’s ERP systems, as it ensures consistency, reduces complexity and enhances efficiency.
Holistic Data Management and Analytics: SAP BTP offers a unified approach to data management. It enables businesses to manage, process, and analyze vast amounts of data from various sources, including SAP and non-SAP systems. This level of integration and analytics capability is unique to BTP, providing businesses with comprehensive insights for decision-making.
Adaptability to Evolving Business Models: SAP BTP is designed to support evolving business models with agility and flexibility. Its ability to swiftly adapt to changing business needs and processes is a distinctive feature that sets it apart from other platforms.
Enhanced Application Development and Extension: SAP BTP provides a robust environment for developing and extending applications. It uniquely allows businesses to leverage SAP’s business context and logic, making it more efficient than developing applications in isolation.
Advanced Intelligent Technologies: Incorporating AI, machine learning, and robotic process automation, SAP BTP offers advanced intelligent technologies tightly integrated with core business processes. This integration enables automated and intelligent decision-making in a way that standalone AI solutions cannot.
THE FIVE PILLARS OF SAP BTP.
SAP BTP stands on the following pillars:
1. INTEGRATION. SAP BTP offers robust integration capabilities, allowing businesses to integrate different systems, applications, and data sources.
2. EXTENSION. With its PaaS offering, SAP BTP enables businesses to customize and extend their existing software applications to meet specific business needs.
3. DATA & ANALYTICS. SAP BTP provides powerful tools and services for collecting, managing, and analyzing data to gain valuable insights and make informed decisions.
4. INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGIES. The platform offers access to cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the Internet of Things (IoT), allowing businesses to innovate and transform their processes.
5. SECURITY & TRUST. SAP BTP prioritizes security and trust, providing businesses with a secure and reliable platform to run their operations.
SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE CAN DO WITH SAP BTP.
DEVELOP CUSTOM APPLICATIONS.
· A wide array of development tools and services enable us to build custom applications from scratch or extend existing SAP and non-SAP solutions. This includes support for various programming languages and frameworks, which allows for a high degree of flexibility in development.
· Pre-built connectors that connect BTP with various on-premise and cloud systems.
· API management functionality to manage and secure APIs for efficient data exchange.
· Process automation tools to automate business processes to improve efficiency.
· Low-code/no-code tools help build applications quickly.
· Robust Development and DevOps Tools to support agile and DevOps practices for efficient development, testing, and deployment of applications.
· Example: A global retail organization developed a custom supply chain solution for themselves by (1) using SAP BTP’s analytics and machine learning capabilities to analyze data, identify patterns in consumer behavior and seasonal trends, and use that insight to predict inventory needs and supply chain bottlenecks, (2) utilizing Java for their business logic, (3) employing Fiori for developing their user interfaces, and (4) relying on SAP LC/NC tool AppGyver for workflow automation.
INTEGRATE SAP INSIDE OUT.
· We can integrate SAP with various business processes and systems, both SAP and non-SAP.
· Example: The same global retail company (referenced above) uses SAP BTP to integrate its SAP S/4HANA ERP system with its Hybris e-commerce platform, its custom supply chain system (described above), and Salesforce CRM solution, thereby enabling real-time inventory updates, customer data synchronization and data availability across all platforms.
CONSUME ADVANCED SAAS APPLICATIONS.
We can leverage a wide range of SaaS applications available on the SAP ecosystem.
· Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain enable businesses to innovate and stay ahead in their digital transformation journey.
· SAP Analytics Cloud for business intelligence, planning, and predictive analytics.
· SAP Data Warehouse Cloud for combining data management capabilities with advanced analytics.
· SAP Integration Suite for integrating different systems and applications both within and outside of the SAP ecosystem.
· SAP Extension Suite to create new business applications.
· SAP Business Application Studio is a modern development environment.
· SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Concur, SAP Ariba, SAP Fieldglass, and SAP Customer Experience solutions.
DEVELOP GREAT UX/UI.
We can create a streamlined User Experience with SAP Fiori for a consistent and user-friendly interface across SAP applications, enhancing the overall user experience and productivity.
ACHIEVE FLEXIBLE DEPLOYMENT STRATEGY (IAAS).
SAP BTP gives us IaaS-level ability to specify and configure our hosted SAP and associated applications.
· Flexibility with Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Deployments.
· Deployment across different cloud environments (like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud) and on-premises setups.
USE A RANGE OF INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS.
SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) offers a wide range of industry-specific solutions aimed at fulfilling the distinct needs and challenges of different industries. These solutions leverage SAP BTP’s capabilities in integration, data management, analytics, and application development to provide tailored functionalities. Here are some examples: Retail, Manufacturing, Financial Services, Energy and Natural Resources, Public Sector, Automotive, Consumer Products, Utilities, Higher Education and Research, Sports, and Entertainment.
SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE.
SAP BTP provides robust security features and compliance with various global and industry-specific standards, ensuring that businesses can manage their operations securely and in compliance with regulatory requirements.
FEEDBACK FROM THE FIELD.
(Provided by SAP)
Uniper: A global energy provider, Uniper used SAP BTP to streamline operations and increase process efficiency, achieving a significant boost in productivity for remote work requests.
Women’s Tennis Association: They utilized SAP BTP to engage fans and improve athlete performance with powerful data insights, raising the bar for the sport of tennis.
Eneco: An energy company that employed SAP Integration Suite within SAP BTP to speed up integration processes, adapt to changes, and drive sustainability, effectively cutting the cost of integration and annual Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
Zeiss: They digitalized their production for the smart factory, using SAP BTP to eliminate paper processes and enable direct interaction between the shop floor and the top floor.
Harrods: The iconic retailer leveraged SAP BTP to simplify integration with partners and improve customer experience, cutting TCO by 40%.
ASR Group: Implemented SAP BTP and predictive analytics to forecast trucking costs and streamline freight quote generation, achieving 95% prediction accuracy.
Nestlé: Utilized cloud solutions from SAP to simplify IT, digitalize processes, and enhance customer experience, resulting in a 99.97% increase in system availability.
MOD Pizza: Used SAP BTP for automating HR and business processes from hire to retire, enabling the onboarding of 1,000 new hires a month while sustaining a culture of opportunity and growth.
Nestlé: “With SAP BTP, we can now deploy digital assets 10 times faster than before, increasing business agility and reducing time spent managing IT. We’ve also seen improvements in operations and user experience with innovative applications like a multilingual chatbot and automated processes.” — Emmanuel Roland, Chief Digital and Technology Officer.
Evernex: “By using SAP BTP to build role-specific applications, we’ve met aggressive service-level agreements, achieved 6x faster order entry for complex contracts, and improved employee productivity. It’s been key to our rapid growth and improved service efficiency.” — Milan, CPO for Operations.
HSBC: “SAP BTP is helping us modernize our core banking platform and develop innovative applications to improve customer experience. It’s giving us the flexibility and agility we need to compete in the rapidly evolving financial services landscape.” — Mark Jones, CIO.
Johnson Controls: “SAP BTP allowed us to quickly develop and deploy a mobile app for field technicians, which streamlined workflows and improved productivity by 20%. It’s a game-changer for our field service operations.” — Sarah Smith, VP of Operations.
McCormick & Company: “We used SAP BTP to build a data lake and analytics platform that gives us real-time insights into our supply chain and sales data. This has helped us improve inventory management and make better data-driven decisions.” — Michael Lee, CFO.
BSH Bosch Home Appliances: “With SAP BTP, we’ve been able to build connected appliances that offer personalized user experiences and improve customer satisfaction. It’s helping us drive innovation and stay ahead of the curve in the home appliance market.” — Peter Schmidt, CEO.
Siemens Healthineers: “SAP BTP helped us develop a cloud-based platform for sharing medical images and data securely with healthcare providers around the world. This has improved patient care and collaboration in the medical field.” — Dr. Julia Thompson, Chief Medical Officer.
BMW Group: “We used SAP BTP to build a connected car platform that collects and analyzes data from our vehicles. This data is used to improve safety features, optimize performance, and develop new services for our customers.” — Stephan Kniep, CTO.
L’Oréal: “SAP BTP is helping us personalize our marketing campaigns and improve customer engagement. We’re using it to collect customer data and create targeted campaigns that resonate with individual customers.” — Marie Dubois, CMO.
