We are still dealing with products many years into an SAP project. We are using SAP products for internal purposes, and we have deployed SAP, IBP, SAP Analytical Cloud, and MDG. We are working on the demand to revenue module across IBP and SAP Analytical Cloud for forecast and sales planning. Sales and operations planning are still conducted in APO, but demand planning is done in IBP. Financial planning is executed in SAP Analytical Cloud, while the rest of the planning is carried out in APO.
Have faced deployment challenges while benefiting from integration with existing core processes
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
SAP tools are highly integrated, offering a great advantage for organizations. Although not necessarily the best on the market, SAP's ability to integrate pre-built modules is unmatched. SAP excels as an operative system for tasks such as sales, logistics, manufacturing, and quality management. SAP's integration capabilities with core ERP processes and satellite systems such as MDM and planning stands out as significant benefits.
SAP's biggest advantage is the integration. While IBP may not be the best planning tool, its integration with SAP systems provides short-term and long-term benefits to companies selecting it. This integrated approach means the companies do not have to develop integrations. The key advantage of SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain lies in its integration with SAP.
The holistic integration within SAP, which allows organizations to manage their sales, logistics, and manufacturing seamlessly, does compensate that individual modules such as IBP may not be the best in the industry. Companies often select SAP for the robust integration it offers, making the deployment process smoother.
What needs improvement?
SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain is not among the top planning tools worldwide when measured against competitors. However, full integration with SAP stands out as a key benefit. There are limitations on functionalities such as rough-cut capacity planning, which impacts further deployment. To improve, SAP should enhance recommendations and support during deployment. Aspects such as architecture, connectors, and model optimization require more guidance from SAP. More SAP direction is needed in the deployment process, as it currently demands self-learning.
Better technical support from SAP is needed for deployment recommendations and architectural guidance. Improved assistance during the deployment phase, rather than post-installation support, would be appreciated. SAP should provide stronger recommendations for deployment architecture, especially given the complexity of organizations such as Teva, which manage thousands of software components.
Another area for improvement is the cost of SAP. Despite being expensive, competitive reasons prompt big organizations to invest in its tools. Though relatively costly, its integration capability into existing systems makes it appealing for larger companies. However, there is an expectation for SAP to enhance deployment support and make their systems easier to implement effectively.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been dealing with the product myself for the last two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SAP tools are known to be stable post-implementation. The real concern lies within deployment stability where recommending the best architecture and connections is vital.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The deployment began recently, so the scalability is uncertain. Typically, SAP tools are selected for their roadmap, although some may face scalability constraints as new tools replace predecessors.
How are customer service and support?
The support expected from SAP concerns deployment phases, such as the recommendation of architectures and models fitting the client's setup, rather than post-go-live support, which is satisfactory.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We migrated from using Oracle ERP to SAP, and Oracle is now only in limited use. This transition highlights SAP's dominance and its stronghold in our system deployments.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of SAP can be complex due to its multitude of modules and integrated systems. Complexity is inherent with SAP models, necessitating substantial funds and a strategic approach during setup to leverage these systems effectively.
What about the implementation team?
To ensure success, the project requires skilled deployment as our management undertook to use SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain software for integration benefits.
What was our ROI?
SAP's integration capability compensates for its lack of top-tier individual features, potentially offering a solid ROI for organizations that capitalize on system integration.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
SAP is known for its high cost, and deployment expenses can be significant, up to 20 times more expensive than some alternatives. Despite these prices, large companies invest in SAP for its broad capabilities and integration benefits.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Historically, companies such as Teva evaluated other ERPs. There is a small ERP, Priority, which costs significantly less than SAP. The SAP decision was partly due to integration needs.
What other advice do I have?
In deploying new systems, we fully integrate SAP, enhancing end-to-end processes. We are moving from APO to IBP by necessity and taking this chance to improve processes incrementally. Functionality and practicality matter less than comprehensive integration and user adaptation.
When SAP replaces obsolete tools, it is essential to seize the opportunity for process enhancements and to adapt workflows incrementally, capitalizing on new deployment intricacies.
SAP is chosen by major companies because it fits large organizations through mergers. It is not a supreme tool but gains an edge by integrating into an existing system. Some tools such as IBP, SAP Analytical Cloud, and MDG are not industry leaders yet valuable for overarching system integration.
For robust deployment strategies, internal and external teams must collaborate effectively. Tools contribute to only a small portion of the success, while openness to change and a competent deployment team plays pivotal roles in the overall deployment success.
Understand the nature of the deployment while navigating the limitations and adjust expectations accordingly. A thorough grasp of SAP's capabilities beyond initial appearances is necessary. SAP implementation demands not just large financial resources, but wisely planned deployment strategies as well.
I rate this solution 7 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
