SAP Insights | February 2021
SAP Insights | February 2021
From Data & Analytics, to Security & Privacy, to Business Process Optimization and Risk & Compliance, we have you covered!
BLOGS
Build an Analytics Center of Excellence with the Support of AMS
While no two Centers of Excellence for Analytics are the same, their responsibilities generally include:
- Setting a vision for analytics within an organization and driving adoption of that vision
- Establishing and maintaining standards
- Managing programs, funding, and prioritization
- Developing users, analysts and support members
- Building and maintaining the technical blueprint
Companies typically establish COEs for their applications so that they get strong user adoption, maximizing the expected return on the money spent on the solutions built.
Why Choose a Cloud Installation with SAP BusinessObjects 4.3
The role of business intelligence and subsequently, analytics, has become more prominent in recent years and as such, the management of the infrastructure to support these platforms has become just as important. In June 2020, SAP released version 4.3 of BusinessObjects and in December of the same year, the first service pack was also released.
The new release of 4.3 is known as the hybrid release and introduces a brand new HTML5 Fiori Launchpad, as well as integrated support for cloud connectivity. It is also the first release to deprecate Flash components and add-on components that rely on these such as SAP BusinessObjects Explorer. These changes do have an impact on how a BusinessObjects 4.3 environment should be sized and can impact the resource requirements for a new install or upgrading an existing installation.
What to Know About Design-In Security and Controls for SAP S/4HANA (and What Auditors Care About)
Having worked with different clients throughout the years, across industries and varying sizes, we notice there are many thematic “hot topics” and concerns that come in waves. Much of this has to do with evolving audit requirements, increased regulatory compliance and ensuring there is accountability, transparency, and effective risk management practices throughout organizations.
As many companies are planning for, or have already started their journey to SAP S/4HANA, now is the time to ensure the below considerations are designed into the project or at least discussed with key stakeholders early on (e.g., collectively deciding SAP Access Control is the preferred access management solution). Without these discussions, organizations may find themselves having to retrofit an area after the initial upgrade, which will end up costing significantly more time, money and end user disruption. Or worse, on day one of the go-live they are forced to assign end users “SAP ALLmost” access just to keep the business running!
Maximizing the SAP S/4HANA Investment Post Implementation
As more and more companies complete the initial move to SAP S/4HANA, we are starting to see some common challenges. Many have been focused on getting to the S/4HANA platform quickly. either through rapidly deployed greenfield implementations with limited enhancements, or brownfield migrations to minimize risk. In both approaches, much of the anticipated benefits were either pushed, or planned into future phases. In other words, the focus was to get on the platform and stabilize, and then optimize from there. The challenge is where to start that optimization. Based on our interactions with our clients, prospects, and partners, we recommend considering the following as a next step in the transformation journey:
- Process optimization – Enabling new functionality available in S/4HANA, Automation (RPA, ML, AI)
- Centralization – Revisiting operating model for more efficiency
- User Experience – Fiori
WEBINARS
5-Part Webinar Series
Enabling Your Financial Transformation Journey Leveraging SAP Solutions
- Mar 4 | 11:00 am ET
Executing Your Finance Transformation with SAP S/4HANA Finance
- Mar 18 | 11:00 am ET
Optimizing Processes and User Experience with SAP Fiori - Mar 25 | 11:00 am ET
Protecting S/4HANA Finance with Emerging Security and Control Technologies - Apr 1 | 11:00 am ET
Analyzing Your Finance and Operational Performance with SAP Analytics Cloud Planning - On-Demand
Phase 0 - Preparing for Your Financial Transformation Journey with SAP
6-Part Webinar Series
Key Controls in the SAP Procure to Pay Process
Take part in our 6-part webinar series on and learn how to identify and mitigate control weaknesses in Procure to Pay access controls, Segregation of Duties controls, application (configuration) controls and data-driven controls.
Topics Include:
- Mar 9 | 10:30 am ET
Introduction to SAP Control Environment - Mar 16 | 10:30 am ET
Vendor Master Date Maintenance - Mar 23 | 10:30 am ET
Purchasing - Mar 30 | 10:30 am ET
Delivery and Receipt - Apr 6 | 10:30 am ET
Invoice Processing - Apr 13 | 10:30 am ET
Vendor Payments
CONFERENCE
SAPinsider GRC / FIN 2021
- Live Session | Mar 10 | 2:00 pm ET
Enabling Business Transformation with SAP S/4HANA - Impact 20 Session | Mar 9 | 1:30 pm ET
What's New with Access Control 12 and Identity Access Governance - Mar 10 | 1:00 pm ET
Optimize Your FP&A Processes with SAC and SAP S/4HANA - Mar 11 | 1:00 pm ET
Enabling SAP Fiori to Improve the Way You Work
Register today for a complimentary pass using code PROTIVITIGUEST!
*Registering for this event will give you access to the content until April 9, 2021*
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