PwC's 2017 Global HR Technology Survey found that 73% of organisations have at least one HR process operating in the cloud – a 5% increase in the past two years. They also found that one-third of those still using on-premise HCM applications are actively planning their migration to the cloud in the next 12-18 months. Just as client-server replaced the mainframe, cloud apps are replacing on-premise software, but there is a significant difference…. We’ve moved into an era of niche solutions: an ERP system for the core HR activities a separate Talent Management solution an expenses system that works on mobiles building access systems linked to HR payroll time-recording and a plethora of other systems. Gone are the days of lengthy systems implementations.  Today’s cloud based [...]

Integrating Salesforce with SAP® solutions using an IPaaS - 5 Steps to Success To maximise business benefit from your investment in Salesforce, integration to your core ERP should be planned and carried out at an early stage in the project. The avoidance of duplicate data and processes from an early stage will reap huge business benefits. The fundamental value of a well-architected, scalable integration infrastructure is the ability to synchronise information and processes between several systems – reducing the need for redundant data updates & duplicate but disparate data – all at the right cost from an upfront investment basis and on-going maintenance and support. The need for system integration has accelerated significantly in recent years, and with the growing availability and adoption of best of [...]

SAP® solutions integration with other systems - 5 benefits of cloud integration Traditional IT departments are often struggling to keep up with new and evolving technology and solutions. Old on premise based systems simply don’t stand up to the demands of today’s more agile businesses who increasingly demand new technology to meet growing business requirements. With cloud adoption set to increase over the next few years, many organisations are still somewhat uncertain about how new, disruptive technologies, such as the growing family of as-a-service-platforms, can help them sharpen their competitive edge and meet business demands. This is understandable in light of the break-neck speeds at which IT has evolved over the last decade, but it doesn’t make the urgency to re-think old systems, processes and technologies any [...]

SAP® software integration with other systems - 7 ways to reduce the cost Adoption of cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) integration is growing. Over the next three years it is forecast that between 21% and 30% of applications will be SaaS-based, and 62% of CRM systems will be cloud based by 2018 (Forbes).  Companies running on-premise solutions such as SAP® software are preparing themselves for changes to their integration infrastructure, and Gartner Inc. predicts that 35% of large and midsized enterprises will be using some type of IPaaS offering within the next couple of years. Using a cloud-based integration platform can bring a wealth of business benefits to your organisation, including making significant cost savings in a number of areas. A survey of IT professionals [...]

Very few enterprise organisations will completely migrate to Cloud Applications and will instead operate with a mix of cloud-based applications and traditional on-premises applications with a focus on integration and migration between different deployment models. (Gartner) Therefore there is a need to adopt a strategic approach to Integration, which gives organisations the ability to become more agile and have greater flexibility, no matter what the deployment model. Currently SAP has two solutions: 1. SAP® solutions PO SAP Process Orchestration (SAP PO, previously called Process Integration), which is a single tenant solution and a proven platform for complex integration scenarios. SAP PO is one of the key solutions in the areas of on-premise application integration. It is deployed by many organisations, but comes with a price in [...]

If you supply software that supplements or complements SAP® software functionality, then you’ll already know that no matter how good your software is, somebody is going to ask about your SAP integration capability. Questions you may be asked include: Do you have integration to SAP? Is it proprietary or do you make use of SAP’s own integration tools? Do you have SAP certification? Will it integrate with all versions of SAP (both on premise and cloud versions)? Is it future-proofed on both sides of the integration? How much will it cost? Can someone do bespoke integration work? Who will support all the above?  ….and more! All these questions are asked because the SAP® software customer KNOWS they need specialist software solutions to satisfy the user need [...]

Many businesses are realising the benefits that cloud computing offers. According to a survey conducted by Inc. for IBM, close to 6 in 10 mid-size businesses are already opting for cloud solutions for some uses, 23% have migrated most or all of their IT functions to the cloud and 34% are moving some of their IT functions to the cloud. There are many reasons why cloud platforms far outperform traditional IT infrastructure, and in this article, we’ll go through some of the most common ones. Easier to manage, greater mobility Cloud platforms and models are often easier to manage than on premise solutions. Mobility is also a huge benefit moving forward for a lot of businesses, since ubiquitous access to information assets has become standard business practice these days. Users can [...]

With several choices of integration method and many different SAP integration specialists, how do you go about choosing the right partner to help with your SAP® solutions integration projects? Before you start speaking to anyone, it’s a good idea to draw up the following documents: A scope of work Your business case for the integration work An outline of the project milestones and desired go live date Armed with that information, here’s a list of 20 questions you might find useful when deciding which SAP® solutions System Integrators would best meet your needs: Do they have a deep technical knowledge of SAP® solutions – data mapping, integration points, optional integration methods? Can they help me build a business case for the integration work? What experience do [...]

T-Systems and MATRIX have agreed a partnership to support SAP® solutions customers as they transition from on premise to the cloud. That support starts with assistance on business case and strategy and continues through support and maintenance for life. Together we have discussed the prospect of moving SAP® solutions from on premise to the cloud with many companies, each of whom has their own issues and concerns to be addressed. We gathered our findings and co-authored an eBook based on the top 8 barriers to moving SAP to the cloud. We believe that MATRIX and T-Systems delivers a complete solution for those considering moving their SAP® applications to the cloud. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to when and how to migrate [...]