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SAP for e-commerce: Supporting digital retail

Online shopping has become a big part of the retail landscape and more recently due to the world pandemic, a necessity for many.

Business has been conducted online since the early days of the internet, though the standard we are at today is lightyears ahead of the first retailers trading digitally. In its beginnings, e-commerce lacked personalisation and good customer service, and the challenges around sharing personal details and bank cards made it even more difficult to operate. It has taken companies a lot of time and effort to build their reputations and gain customers’ trust, but despite all the scepticism, e-commerce has proved that online trading cannot only deliver to great standards, but also that it is a very convenient and time-saving solution that can compete and in many cases beat high street operations.

SAP has a number of solutions that have helped businesses manage e-commerce in a more efficient manner, providing better experiences to customers and employees, and supporting company growth.

ZALORA fashion continues 30% yearly growth with S/4HANA

ZALORA is an online fashion retailer that delivers millions of orders across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. They offer over 30,000 products on apparel, shoes and accessories from big names such as Mango, Dorothy Perkins and Superdry, as well as ZALORA labels and smaller local brands. Their quick delivery – as fast as three hours in some markets – and flexible payment methods are part of their strategy to become a leading retailer.

ZALORA, first founded in 2012, has sustained a growth  pace of 30% year on year. To support this expansion, they needed to automate and streamline their processes and delivery models across the eight countries where they operate. To resolve this, they implemented S/4HANA Retail solution for merchandise management, with a significantly faster reconciliation of sales orders. This has allowed customers to receive on-time delivery and pre and post-payment options that include cash on delivery, increasing sales as a result.

The real-time reporting and analytics of S/4HANA has helped ZALORA to stay ahead of trends and deliver an exceptional shopping experience to their customers. S/4HANA has provided the scalability required to  provide an increased selection of products and a new ability to quickly add cross-sell products to meet customers needs. This has helped ZALORA build strong partnerships with their main suppliers, but also with local designers, who they have helped expand and reach new markets.

With S/4HANA’s capabilities, ZALORA has optimised the resource distribution and streamlined IT and finance, with a reduction in finance payroll and other administrative expenses. Furthermore, ZALORA has benefited from the visibility, process standardisation and a single source of truth, allowing the online business to better manage workflows, improve transparency in supplier payments and improved cash management.

S/4HANA jobs SAP jobs

Frucor Suntory goes digital with SAP

Frucor Suntory has been distributing beverages for 50 years in Australia and New Zealand to customers of all sizes, from large supermarkets to corner shops. With the evolution of the digital markets, Frucor Suntory customers’ expectations and demands have increased, so they decided to join the online world and build e-commerce capabilities.

To meet the challenge of having an online offering, Furcor Suntory  deployed the SAP Customer Experience solution . Customers can now do their routine shopping through this self-service option from any device at any time of day, and Furcor Suntory now has better insights into their customers, in real-time, improving  their B2B sales and order processes.

With the integration of the C/4HANA suite, the sales teams at Frucor Suntory can access customer data and online orders relevant to their regions. The business has an integrated view across all departments, capturing demand and retail availability and enabling the team to be more responsive to customers’ demands. The Order to Cash system, which combines Commerce Cloud, Sales Cloud and SAP ERP reduces manual effort and errors, allowing employees to focus on more important tasks.

The future of online shopping

As operational software and hardware develops, we are seeing increasingly innovative approaches to meeting customer demands. Businesses are experimenting with drone deliveries and warehouse robotics, customers receive targeted advertising through search engines and e-mail marketing, and some are trying to bring virtual reality shopping  to the mainstream. Social shopping is also on the rise through platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube, and tools like Idealo, PriceGrabber and Kelko help consumers compare prices from the comfort of their home. There is a large range of products that can now be purchased online including groceries and takeaway food but also services like educational courses or even allergy tests. We can safely say e-commerce is here to stay and we are looking forward to see more of S/4HANA and general SAP capabilities in the  world of e-commerce.

S/4HANA jobs SAP jobs

SAP S/4HANA solutions for the automotive industry

Selling a world-class vehicle is no longer enough in the automotive industry. Customers are looking for leading-edge technology and unique customer experiences, encouraging automotive manufacturers to modernise their production processes to be able to deliver.  Companies like Indus Motor Company, Goodyear and Mercedez-Benz are solving this challenge with the support of SAP’s S/4HANA, focusing on smart manufacturing, digital supply chain and services mobility.

Indus Motor Company upgrade to S/4HANA

Indus Motor Company is a joint venture between the House of Habib in Pakistan, Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Tsusho Corporation of Japan. As a publicly listed company in Pakistan, Indus Motor Company is required to have controls and reporting in place, and maintain high standards of compliance.

Indus Motor Company’s journey to transformation began in 2015, when the company decided the SAP systems they have been working with since 2004 were no longer enough to manage the business. They dedicated six months to evaluate the ERP landscape, including Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle E-Business Suite and SAP S/4HANA. They finally took the decision to upgrade to S/4HANA due its in-memory capabilities not offered by SAP’s competitors at the time, which allowed real-time reporting and data centralisation. Furthermore, upgrading to a new version of SAP meant it would be easier for the users to adapt to the new SAP system, rather than to a completely new provider.

Some of the primary benefits Indus Motor Company received from the upgrade are:

Better Materials Requirements Planning – The process of running their MRP used to take four hours, it now takes 12 minutes and helps them avoid lost production that could cost an estimated $250,000 annually.

Efficient closing of books at the end of a financial period used to take eight days, it now takes three days and is saving the company up to 800 hours per month, which translates to nearly $200,000 in employee time per year.

Quality management – Consolidating defects could only be done at the end of each week, the correction is now done immediately, saving a company $10,000 per minute in lost production.

It’s worth mentioning that for this transition, Indus Motor Company decided not to migrate its old data to the new system as a strategy to streamline the implementation. With the new platform, they have put new processes in place, improving and modernising the company.

SAP Jobs

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tyre companies, employing around 64,000 people across six continents. Before moving to S/4HANA, the manufacturer was running separate ERPs in over 45 sites in 21 countries. Following SAP’s original announcement to cancel maintenance for SAP ERP Central Component by 2025 – now changed to 2027, Goodyear decided it was time to leverage the latest SAP technologies and to simplify and standardize their applications architecture to support business requirements.

Since Goodyear was running in multiple ERP systems, they decided to take a hybrid approach, making their first deployment a new implementation in finance, an implementation that has allowed users to provide fully transparent and highly detailed comparable data globally for the first time in the history of the company.

Goodyear has made this upgrade through deploying SAP S/4HANA on SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud.  This allows them to focus on processes and business plans while leaving the management of S/4HANA to SAP. Goodyear is currently using finance and plan for central procurement, SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Concur, and SAP Fieldglass solutions. Finance professionals no longer make decisions based on yesterday’s numbers, they now make better and more informed decisions based on real-time data.

As mentioned by Horst Ebert, vice president of Global IT at Goodyear, during a recent SAP panel discussion, Goodyear plans to add more business processes and innovations to continue the journey to become an intelligent enterprise, following this successful initial implementation.

SAP Jobs

Mercedez-Benz partnership with SAP

In the latest ABB FIA Formula E Championship celebrated in Saudi Arabia, the Mercedez-Benz EQ Formula E team debuted with two fully-electric racing cars. Building a Formula E car involves complexity, advanced technology and specific car parts, it requires efficient procurement processes, as well as thorough supplier evaluation and business performance monitoring. The use of S/4HANA and its tailored solutions has enabled the Mercedez-Benz EQ Formula E team to analyse large volumes of data and manage this process effectively. When it comes to competing on the tracks, Mercedez-Benz makes use of the SAP Sports One solution to monitor, understand and act on human performance through fitness trackers and other wearable technology.  The collection of the drivers’ biometric data allows the team to have visibility of their health, sleeping patterns and hydration levels, as well as coordinate and manage training, talent development and medical processes to ensure performance at the highest level. Take a look at other sports gaining a competitive edge with SAP.

The strong partnership between SAP and automobile brand Mercedez-Benz has opened a range of opportunities to develop technologies in other areas such as retail. In recent years, Mercedez-Benz’ parent organisation Daimler AG, in partnership with SAP Consulting and students at the University of Applied Science, developed the car detection app for their Mercedez-Benz’s customers. The app, which uses recognition algorithms that run on SAP Leonardo Machine Learning, allows users to take a photo of any car they like while being out and about, and displays Mercedez-Benz cars that best match the photo, as well as the nearest car dealerships. Whilst it might sound like a too-simple app for a generation that can control homes and cars from their phones or through voice orders, the technology behind it involves a lot of data storage and AI technology. It is after all the user-friendly characteristics, aligned with the users’ expectations, that makes apps for customers successful.

Automotive predictions

Car-generated data may become a $450 to $750 billion market by 2030. – McKinsey&Company

Sales of electric vehicles will increase from a record 1.1 million worldwide in 2017 to 11 million in 2025 and then will surge to 30 million in 2030. – Bloomberg NEF

89% of millennial new-car intenders who currently own a vehicle with an “infotainment” system are willing to pay for software updates that improve or add functionality to their vehicle. – IHS Automotive

By 2030, more than one in three kilometres driven could involve shared driving. – PWC

Is your business IR35 ready?

The changes to the IR35 rules in the private sector are causing concerns for medium and large-sized businesses across the UK. From April 6, 2020, these organisations will be responsible for determining whether a contractor is inside or outside IR35. If an HMRC investigation results in any penalties, it is the fee-paying client that will be liable for back taxes, National Insurance contributions, interest and late payment fees.

Businesses are now reviewing their contractor workforce plans, hiring practices, payroll processes, and relationships with recruitment agencies in order to ensure they are compliant with the legislation when the changes get rolled out.

Do the IR35 changes apply to my business?

This change applies only to medium and large-sized businesses. This includes any company that meet two of the three following conditions for the last two consecutive financial years:

  1. Over £10.2 million revenue
  2. Over 50 employees
  3. Over £5.2 million on the balance sheet

Even then, a business only legally gets classified as new size at the beginning of the next government fiscal year (the following April).

Who is liable?

In situations where a contractor is deemed to have been incorrectly placed outside IR35, the liability sits with the organisation that pays the contractor (i.e. the client or the recruitment agency). There are situations where this liability passes to the client e.g. if a determination hasn’t been made or hasn’t passed down the supply chain, or the fee payer is unable to pay. By using a reputable and diligent recruitment agency with a strong financial record, these risks are minimised.

What does inside or outside of IR35 mean?

Inside IR35 –The contractor is considered, for tax purposes, to be an employee of the client due to the nature of their role written in the contract and in practice.

Outside IR35 – The contractor is considered to be a legitimate independent business providing a product/service for a client due to the nature of their role written in the contract and in practice.

Are my contractors inside or outside of IR35?

It all depends on the relationship between the contractor and your business, as laid out in the contract and working practices. A few key factors that should be considered:

  • Direction and control: Does the contractor have the authority over the work they do as well as how, when, and where they do it?
  • Substitution: Is the contractor able to hire someone to do their work for them / provide them with substantial help with the work?
  • Mutuality of obligation: Is the client free to not provide the contractor with continuous work once the contract has ended and, if they do, is the contractor free to decline further work from the client?
  • Financial risk: Is the contractor required to rectify defective work at their own cost? Do they have their own insurances?

If the answer to the questions above is ‘yes’, then the contractor may be considered outside of IR35.

If any of the answers to the questions above is ‘no’, then the contractor is inside IR35 rules and will be taxed on their earnings through the normal employee PAYE scheme.

How can my businesses remain compliant?

In order to remain compliant with IR35, based on the draft legislation, from 6 April 2020 your businesses will need to:

  1. Provide the contractor and the recruitment agency (where applicable) with an IR35 status determination statement.
  2. Demonstrate reasonable care when making the status determination, including considering the key factors discussed above.
  3. Respond to any disagreement (with reasons) made by the contractor or the agency (where applicable) within 45 days.
  4. Notify the contractor or the agency (where applicable) of the business’s change to a small business (as the new rules will not apply to them at that point).

We can help

We have worked with clients in the public sector who have already been affected by the rules under IR35 since 2017. These clients include HMRC, Home Office, Ministry of Defence and police forces, and we currently provide support to our candidates and clients regarding the new changes.

We can:

  • Manage contractor communication and dispute resolution on your behalf.
  • Guarantee that your legal requirement to have used ‘best endeavours’ to arrive at the determination has been met.
  • Manage the determination review process on your behalf, providing a single, simple questionnaire to the relevant person within your organisation.
  • Indemnify you against all costs, fees, penalties and liabilities arising from any challenge relating to the determination or the subsequent engagement.

Learn more on:

IR35 changes impacting private sector companies & contractors

IR35: Why you should review your working practices

Contractor Payroll Services  SAP and IT recruitment

UK work permits for Europeans – latest Brexit update

Following the most recent UK elections held last December, there have been a few changes in regards to the routes that European citizens can take to be able to live and work in the UK legally after Brexit. Don’t panic, it is all positive, so please keep reading.

Firstly, when is Brexit?

Brexit day is on 31st January 2020, this is when trade talks with the EU will begin to try to reach new agreements. The deadline to reach an agreement is at the end of this year, on the 31st December 2020 – unless an extension is requested by the 30th June 2020.  The UK will then start the transition on the 1st January 2021, regardless of whether an agreement with the EU has been reached (soft Brexit) or no agreement has been made (hard Brexit).

Applying to the European Settlement Scheme

If you are already living in the UK, the quickest and least expensive option (it’s free) is to apply to the European Settlement Scheme. Once you apply to this scheme, you’ll be granted either a pre-settled or a settled status. You’ll get pre-settled status if you’ve lived in the UK less than five years and settled status if you’ve lived in the UK for five years or more. People with pre-settled status can apply for a settled status once they have completed five years living in the UK.

Who can apply to the European Settlement Scheme?

  • European citizens from the EU, EEA and Switzerland currently living in the UK
  • European citizens from the EU, EEA and Switzerland moving to the UK before Brexit exit dates
  • European citizens with a UK permanent residence status
  • European citizens with indefinite leave to remain
  • EU, EEA and Swiss Frontier workers wanting to live in the UK
  • Non-EU citizens living in the UK who are family of EU frontier workers
  • European citizens who start work or self-employment in another EU country but return home every week
  • Citizens who fall into other categories

European citizens living in the UK

All European citizens from the EEA (European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland currently living in the UK are required to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Citizens holding a British passport, Irish passport or indefinite leave to remain are exempt from applying. Citizens with indefinite leave to remain can choose to apply if they would like to take advantage of an extension in the length of time they can live outside of the UK without losing their status.

The deadline to apply depends on whether the UK leaves with or without a deal as follows:

Deal: Apply for EU Settlement Scheme by 30th June 2021

No deal: Apply for EU Settlement Scheme by 31st December 2020 (deadline has been extended)

UK permanent residents

All EEA or Swiss citizens with UK permanent residence must apply either to the European Settlement Scheme or for British citizenship (if they are eligible) before the UK leaves the EU as follows:

Deal: Apply for EU Settlement Scheme or British Citizenship by 30th June 2021

No deal: Apply for EU Settlement Scheme or British Citizenship by 31st December 2020

Find out more about applying for British Citizenship

If you start work or self-employment in another EU country

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen you can get settled status if you start work or self-employment in another EU country as long as you have lived and worked or been self-employed in the UK continuously for three years beforehand, and usually return to your UK home once a week. Your family may also be eligible for settled status if they were a family member at the time you started work or self-employment in another EU country.

Frontier workers

If you are a frontier worker who is not living in the UK, you will be able to continue crossing borders and do not need to apply for the European Settlement Scheme to be able to enter the UK to work. However, if you’d like to live in the UK, you’ll be required to apply for the European Settlement Scheme.

Non-EEA citizen family members of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen frontier workers can also apply for this scheme if the EU, EEA or Swiss citizen frontier worker does not live in the UK, as long as the family member does. Find out more about rules for frontier workers and their families.

Europeans intending to move to the UK

If you are intending to move to the UK to live permanently, there is one deadline to enter the country and another deadline to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme.  It is imperative that you are already in the country when applying. The dates depend on whether the UK leaves the EU with a deal or without a deal as follows:

Deal

  • Enter the country by 31stDecember 2020
  • Apply for EU Settlement Scheme by 30thJune 2021

No deal

  • Enter the country by the date the UK leaves the EU, currently set at 31stDecember 2020 (deadline has been extended)
  • Apply for EU Settlement Scheme by 31stDecember 2020

Applying for British citizenship

If you are eligible, you can apply for British citizenship to gain full British citizen rights. This process involves taking the Living in the UK Test and an English language test, as well as completing some paperwork and an application fee, amongst other requirements.

You can apply for British citizenship if you hold any of the following status:

To apply for British citizenship, you should have lived in the UK for at least 12 months after gaining any of the above status, unless you are married to a British citizen in which case, you’ll be able to apply straight away.

Please note: all information above is correct to the best of our knowledge at time of writing. Please be sure to do your own research and seek professional advice if you are unsure or visit the UK government website for further details and applying.

You can see our SAP, Oracle and IT job opportunities in the UK here:

SAP Jobs in the UK IT Jobs in the UK

2020 must-attend SAP events

Do you want to keep up to date with the latest and greatest of SAP? From tailored Code Jam sessions to the biggest conferences and exhibitions, here is our list of the SAP events around the world that you cannot miss in 2020.

Headline SAP events

 

SAPPHIRE NOW and ASUG Annual Conference

An annual conference showcases SAP’s latest technologies for digital leaders from the biggest industries: aerospace and defence, automotive, oil and gas, banking, high tech, industrial machinery and more.

When: May 12 – 14, 2020
Where: Orlando, USA

 

SAP NOW conferences

Travelling conferences include interactive showcases, virtual demos, industry-specific case study keynotes from local experts, and networking opportunities. The event is aimed at business leaders, decision-makers and executive directors looking for inspiration and solutions through the latest innovations.

Current events are scheduled for 2020 in various locations in Europe, and North and South America, but keep an eye out as more will be added throughout the year.

When: Throughout the year
Where: Various countries across North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

More info

 

SAP TechEd

This is an essential technical training and networking conference for IT professionals who develop, implement, optimise, and upgrade SAP solutions. The event offers hundreds of sessions led by SAP experts that share road maps, best practices, demos and tips. The SAP TechEd events are usually held on three different continents. Only two have been announced so far.

When: November 3-6, 2020
Where: Austin, USA

When: September 29 – October 1, 2020
Where: Barcelona, Spain

More info

 

UKISUG Connect

The UK’s biggest conference and networking event for SAP users, organised by the UK and Ireland SAP User Group. The event is usually held towards the end of the year, we’ll update as soon this has been confirmed for 2020.

When: TBC
Where: Birmingham, United Kingdom

More info

 

SAP Code Jam events

A hands-on event for developers to learn about specific SAP technologies, platforms and tools.  It’s a platform for learning, networking and collaborating.

When: Various dates
Where: Worldwide

Current Code Jam events
Request an SAP Code Jam event

Industry-focused SAP events

 

International SAP Conference for Oil and Gas

When: April 1-3, 2020
Where: Basel, Switzerland

More info

 

International SAP Conference for Utilities

When: April 1-3, 2020
Where: Basel, Switzerland

More info

 

International SAP Conference for Mining and Metals

When: June 23-25, 2020
Where: Madrid, Spain

More info

 

International SAP Conference for Chemicals

When: June 23-25, 2020
Where: Madrid, Spain

More info

 

International SAP Conference for Building Materials

When: June 23-25, 2020
Where: Madrid, Spain

More info

 

International SAP Conferences for Forest Products, Paper and Packaging

When: June 23-25, 2020
Where: Madrid, Spain

More info

Topic-focused SAP events

 

International SAP Conference on Internal Controls, Compliance and Risk Management

When: March 3-4, 2020
Where: Copenhagen, Denmark

More info

 

SAP Concur Fusion

When: March 9-12, 2020
Where: Orlando, USA

More info

Full list of global one day Concur Fusion Exchange events here

 

Mastering SAP Conferences – Financial, HR & Payroll, Technologies

When: March 16-17, 2020
Where:  Johannesburg, South Africa

More info

 

SAP-Centric EAM & Supply Chain

When: March 16-18, 2020
Where: San Antonio, USA

More info

 

SAP Ariba Live

When: March 16-18, 2020
Where: Las Vegas, USA

Other dates and locations TBC

More info

 

Mastering SAP Conferences – Enterprise Asset Management, Supply Chain and Procurement

When: June 1-2, 2020
Where: Johannesburg, South Africa

More info

 

International SAP Conference for Financial Services

When: July 14-16, 2020
Where: Madrid, Spain

More info

 

SAP Controlling

When: September 21-24,2020
Where: San Diego, USA

More info

 

SAP Customer Experience LIVE

When: Dates tbc
Where: various locations

More info

SAP S/4HANA events

 

Die Reise zu SAP S/4HANA – wie Sie jetzt die ersten Schritte Ihrer Reise erfolgreich umsetzen

When: January 28, 2020
Where:  Online – Live

 

Deep-Dive: SAP S/4HANA Business Benefits & Projektbeschleuniger

When: February 4, 2020
Where: Walldorf, Germany

 

Your move to S/4HANA

When: February 5-6, 2020
Where: Chicago, USA

 

Digital Core and Intelligent Platform built on SAP S/4HANA

When: March 17-19, 2020
Where: Las Vegas, USA

Exhibiting at UKISUG Connect 2019

After last year’s success, Whitehall will be returning to exhibit at UKISUG Connect, the UK’s biggest conference and networking event for SAP users.

The event will take place from 1st to 3rd December at the Birmingham ICC and is expecting over 200 SAP experts, 75 exhibitors, 90 hours of learning and 7 keynotes.

If you’d like to book a meeting you can do so by emailing meetus@whitehallresources.co.uk, or if you’ve prefer, come visit us at stand G11!

Haven’t got your tickets yet? Book them here. See you there!

S/4HANA solutions for the oil and gas industry

The oil and gas industry is a thriving multi-trillion dollar sector with no signs of going anywhere for the foreseeable future. As one of the world’s largest software providers, it’s no surprise that over 70% of the industry is powered by SAP. This large niche market has SAP-tailored upstream and downstream solutions that include operations, retail, management and distribution.

With the introduction of S/4HANA, oil and gas organisations are looking to SAP to gain better insight into their business, from drilling operations to final destinations at the petrol pump.

Oil and gas companies moving to S/4HANA

Established in 2011, Vivo Energy is a fuel retailer with over 2,100 service stations across 23 African countries. They also sell lubricants through Shell and Engen, sell petroleum to business customers, jet fuel for the aviation industry and manages non-fuel services such as car washing, shops and restaurants in partnership with chains like Burger King and KFC.

Managing all this data through multiple disparate IT systems was becoming more and more challenging as they grew, so they made the decision to implement S/4HANA to bring everything into one place and benefit from all the positives that the SAP system brings.

Vivo Energy implemented a suite of SAP S/4HANA solutions that included SAP S/4HANA Oil & Gas as well as the Retail, Finance and Supply Chain modules, alongside SuccessFactors, SAP Cloud for Customer (C4C) and SAP Integrated Business Planning. With the transformation now in place, Vivo Energy benefits from the simplicity of having a single source with truth across the entire organisation, managing inventory efficiently from end to end supported by automated product replenishment, optimizing resources across the supply chain, supporting efficient hiring, training and employee retention. On the customer side, it enabled employees to engage better with their B2B customers by having the latest information available, and enabled them address queries effectively and efficiently.

There are many other industry leaders who have implemented S/4HANA, including Shell, Schlumberger, Chevron and SAASREF in Saudi Arabia.

S/4HANA jobs SAP jobs

S/4HANA deployment options for Oil and Gas

There is an extensive collection of S/4HANA modules and components for the oil and gas industry. Some of the most notable are:

SAP S/4HANA Oil & Gas for hydrocarbon management (HPM): Integrates hydrocarbon production, maintenance, engineering, and planning.

SAP S/4HANA Oil & Gas hydrocarbon supply and primary distribution (TSW): Helps coordinating trading and scheduling activities for inventory optimization, cutting transport costs, and reducing risk.

SAP S/4HANA Oil & Gas for secondary distribution management (SDM): Provides key capabilities for automated order management and logistics from supplying terminals to end consumer, forecast and replenishment of tanks and truck scheduling and dispatch with route optimization.

SAP S/4HANA Oil & Gas for retail fuel network operations (RFNO): A solution for service stations that monitors and controls data related to cash flow and payments, fuel inventory management, replenishment and daily lessee settlement.

SAP S/4HANA Oil & Gas for upstream contracts management (JVA): Ensures the correct business partner gets invoiced for the correct amount in regards to expenditures according to shares and pre- agreements when different companies work together in a joint venture.

SAP S/4HANA Oil & Gas for upstream revenue management (PRA): Helps moderating the financial effects of bust-and-boom cycles caused by oil price. It aims to optimize profitability, reduce operating costs, provide tighter management and enforcement of credit limits, and automate cash application.

SAP also offers SAP Model Company for Oil & Gas, a pre-configured solution with best practice solutions tailored for the industry, reducing costs, decreasing risks, and accelerating adoption during discovery, exploration, and realisation activities.

S/4HANA jobs SAP jobs

SAP Blockchain’s fight against fraud, counterfeit and bureaucracy

Blockchain technology is expanding across different industries and sectors. Organisations are building customers trust based on traceability, sustainability and fair trade, as well as finding opportunities for improvement through to the use of reliable data. It is not only the private sector that are getting involved, public organisations and governments are also proactively adopting this technology and participating in its development.

Protecting citizens against fraud

Deutsche Telekom started an initiative last year to help the industry respond quicker to smartphone theft. Previously, the German telecommunications provider could quickly switch off network access to stolen devices but couldn’t prevent the smartphone from being used on other networks. “Unfortunately, smartphone theft is a lucrative business,” says Dr. Stephan Westermeyr, vice president of Order Management and Billing at Deutsche Telekom. “If we succeed in using blockchain technology to dry up this black market, we’ll not only protect smartphone users against theft, but safeguard companies’ sensitive business data for the long term as well.” Deutsche Telekom worked in partnership with Camelot ITLab and SAP to develop a blockchain solution that could be used across the telecom industry to list and identify stolen devices. Now, network operators, smartphone manufacturers, end users and authorised parties can blacklist a stolen device and immediately inform all other operators.

Fighting bureaucracy

The government of South Tyrol, a province in the Italian Alps is on a mission of engaging better with its citizens and provide them with an enjoyable and efficient service. Prior to using SAP blockchain, citizens were required to fill in long forms with their personal information every time they engaged with public departments. To reduce bureaucratic processes, South Tirol replaced inefficient legacy systems with SAP Leonardo’s blockchain technology that runs in the SAP Cloud Platform and created a prototype that requires citizens to enter their information only once.  The data is then verified and secured with blockchain technology.  South Tyrol is now able to provide a better and more efficient service to its citizens in all public offices and is able to comply with European data sharing regulations. This model has been so successful it is being considered to deploy across the rest of Italy.

SAP Jobs in the UK SAP Jobs in Europe SAP Jobs in the Middle East

Defying counterfeit

Protecting our oceans is a worldwide concern, and as businesses and customers are more aware of the risks of overfishing, fish companies are adopting practices that support sustainability and circular economy while providing customers with guaranteed quality products.

Norwegian salmon represents 59% of the world’s farmed salmon. To protect the industry’s reputation, Norwegian SAP and IBM consultancy EY Skye developed a blockchain solution on SAP Cloud Platform that tracks salmon from egg to fish, and across the supply chain to point of sale, even if the fish is cut or transformed into a different product, ensuring customers are provided with the product they paid for.  The solution includes an application where customers can rate the product’s quality, enabling producers to identify bad batches of fish – which can happen through farm contamination or a change in storage temperature whilst travelling. This information provides producers and suppliers with opportunities to minimize risks and identify areas of improvement, and gives retailers, restaurants and consumers (who can now find product information via QR codes on packaging) more confidence in the source and quality of the product.

The technology of the future

There are other international organisations that are proactively participating in developing blockchain. The European Union Intellectual Property Office and the European Commission established the ‘EU Blockathon competition’ in 2018, gathering a wide community around the problem of IPR infringement with the aim of designing and implementing the next level of anti-counterfeiting infrastructure. The EUIPO has since created the anti-counterfeit Blockathon Forum to connect organisations, enforcement authorities and citizens to help the transport and proof of authentic goods and address the challenges of counterfeiting.

More recently, during GITEX Technology Week 2019, the Ministry of Community Development in the United Arab Emirates opened an invitation to programmers, graphic and interface designers to compete in ‘The Blockathon Social Competition’, the latest initiative to make the city of Dubai the world’s first “Blockchain City”. The Social Blockathon is a competition where participants will be challenged to develop blockchain-apps in the areas of awareness and social care to win a prize of 30,000 AED ($8,200) for the team who creates the best blockchain social enterprise project.  There is no doubt that new and improved blockchain solutions will be developed in the upcoming years and we can expect it to be one of the most powerful emerging technologies.

SAP Jobs in the UK SAP Jobs in Europe SAP Jobs in the Middle East

We’re attending GITEX 2019

The Gulf Information Technology Exhibition returns to Dubai World Trade Centre from the 6th to 10th October. GITEX is a conference and trade show exhibition where technology and business leaders meet to exhibit, discuss and debate about technology and global transformation.

Whitehall Resources will be attending, and we’ll be happy to speak to you at any time so be sure to connect with SAP MENA specialist Harrison Pickett, Oracle MENA specialist Nicola Coleman and Senior Business Manager Neil Mansfield.

With over 4,800 exhibitors, this year’s event is expecting over 100,000 visitors from 140 countries. Attendees include IT professionals, technology enthusiasts, investors and consumers.

GITEX is an opportunity to see upcoming technologies, build connections across the technology sector, and gain powerful insights from guest speakers that include professionals from Honeywell, Etisalat Group, Ericsson and many more.

If you are attending GITEX, get in touch ! We’ll love to have a chat.

The benefits of transitioning to S/4HANA

The speed and data availability in modern technology are shifting how businesses and economies function. We’ve recently seen some pioneer brands like Karen Millen and Debenhams having to change owners after facing stiff competition from online shopping, but on a brighter side, we’ve also seen businesses surviving the fast-paced technology world through adding online experiences to their mix of traditional points of sale. The New York Times and other publishers have implemented a subscription model for their online content, supermarkets like Walmart and Tesco have embraced online grocery shopping and home deliveries, and travel leader TUI launched an SAP app for their customers – all of these companies are going through digital transformation whilst still delivering to customers with traditional buying behaviour.

For SAP clients, the transition to S/4HANA is no longer a case of “if” but “when” it’s going to happen. This raises the next question… why transition to S/4HANA? Here is an overview of the key benefits to your organisation, stakeholders and customers.

The benefits of S/4HANA to your organisation

Innovation

With S/4HANA, you can take advantage and maximize the opportunities provided by new technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. You are able to stay ahead of the competition through the availability of the real-time business data, providing the opportunity and potential to make better decisions.

Productivity

SAP S/4HANA runs on SAP HANA Cloud, an in-memory database providing faster transaction processing and live data. This gives you real-time planning, reporting and forecasting based on reality. Through project planning and implementation, you will also inevitably identify areas for improvement and innovation. The SAP HANA Cloud is the platform that has helped Cirque du Soleil and FC Bayern Munich create unique experiences for their customers and even helped organisations like Veolia and the Waterwatch Cooperative put processes in place whilst having a balanced relationship with the environment

Cost effectiveness

More efficient processes reduce costs whether it is in manufacturing, administration or personnel. Furthermore, S/4HANA updates and improvements are released on a quarterly basis, this means no large-scale software upgrades will be required, reducing IT operational costs and infrastructure investment.

Adaptability

Although SAP recommends transitioning to S/4HANA in the cloud, there are other platform options. You can choose the option that best accommodates your business. You can also reduce transition time through utilising an SAP Model Company if available for your industry.

S/4HANA benefits to stakeholders

It is not only the business bottom line that can benefit from a fast and reliable system. A user friendly and efficient ERP has a much greater impact on your employees, managers and other stakeholders. Enjoyable experiences are important to engage stakeholders in maximizing the use and potential of the system and to get them onboard in the organisation’s plans for digital transformation.

What makes S/4HANA a great tool for your employees?

Data

Collecting data isn’t sufficient, it’s how you use it to your advantage what makes the difference. The possession of data from both internal and external sources in real-time has a huge impact on decision making. It enables decision makers to address issues as they arise, rather than waiting to hear about them month-end, as well as achieving faster planning and forecasting cycles. Baumann Koelliker AG, the Swiss leading provider of energy installation projects, has given their employees greater control with the S/4HANA implementation. Project managers are provided real-time data, progress, cost and revenue reporting for their projects and service technicians can record and access project data directly when in the field, allowing them to meet costumers’ needs.

Productivity

With the use of machine learning, S/4HANA understands the needs, preferences and regular activities performed by users and is able to produce anticipated information and take care of tasks that are usually time consuming. Snow Peak, the Japanese retailer, can now access real time information with S/4HANA, avoiding out-of-stock situations through the use of optimized inventories and support their mission of building customer loyalty by enabling employees to share information and insight with peers from other stores.

Ease of use

SAP S/4HANA is innovative, intuitive, responsive and simple. Furthermore, if your company is already using SAP, there will be no need to learn terminology and processes as your stakeholders are already be familiar with SAP applications.

S/4HANA benefits to your clients

The end client is your most important stakeholder. If you can meet or exceed expectations, they will return again and again. Having insightful data from your ERP can have impacts across the organisation and transform you into a more agile enterprise. This includes product and service design, marketing and sales strategies and real time insights into eventual outcomes.

Mafatlal, the textile retailer from India, implemented S/4HANA to standardise policies and processes across departments and divisions, as well as to provide more visibility in regards to their customer’s preferences, helping the ambitious retailer to enhance the quality of their products with the introduction of more durable materials, new colours and more popular designs.

There is no doubt that S/4HANA is the technology of and for the future.

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