SAP S/4 Finance. Accounts Payable processing in a new SAP technology world.

1. Migra&on: Going from A to B
The move to S/4 HANA from SAP ERP is not simply like advancing to GO in the game of Monopoly. There
are several technical requirements that must be met before making the actual move to S/4 HANA. SAP
has aIempted to ease this move but has done so with almost monthly if not weekly updates to the
soKware. This has also led to challenges. There are some fundamental steps that we would recommend
customers take as they migrate.
SAP S/4 Simple Finance and
Purchase-to-Pay processing
Table of Contents
Preparing For The New SAP Era
Migra&on: Going from A to B
Keep your users in focus
Check your partner applica&ons
xSuite Solu&ons for S/4 Simple Finance
Conclusion
Preparing For The New SAP Era
Many SAP customers are currently looking to move to SAP S/4 Simple Finance as it is game-changing. The
technology based on HANA has tremendously evolved since SAP ERP’s original release back in 2004.
Many compare this shiK to the transi&on from R/2 to R/3 even further back.
Once implemented, S/4 HANA Simple Finance has many promising features. SAP has taken the cluIer
from its data model and the new data model is running on the SAP HANA in-memory database, query-
speeds occurring in near real-&me. Aside from changes taking place under the hood of the SAP back-end,
the user experience will also benefit from the new SAP UI strategy. S/4 Simple Finance follows SAP’s new
pathway simplifying the user interface and experience. Moreover, all user-interac&on will furthermore be
web-based and run on various devices. In today’s business world users don’t rely solely on classic desktop
pcs but leverage a whole host of plaYorms from laptops to tablets to smartphones., Thanks to the SAP
Fiori approach, the web-sites are all responsive, meaning the screens will automa&cally scale to the size of
the device. Users will in the future work from one central dashboard called SAP Fiori Launchpad.
Dedicated apps that look like &les on your dashboard are available. What SAP ERP used to refer to as a
transac&on will in the future be known as an app within the Fiori Launchpad.
Many customers have either custom workflow solu&ons running on SAP Business Workflow within the
ERP or rely on partners providing solu&ons to improve the purchase to pay or order to cash process. As
these processes are &ghtly bound to the financial processes, it is key to understanding if these are s&ll
supported when running on S/4 Simple Finance or Simple Procurement.
As you consider moving to S/4 Simple Finance in your organiza&on, there are a few things to take into
account. The next sec&ons will highlight these cri&cal aspects of migra&on.
• Start by running SAP ERP with the enhancement package 7.
• The ease with which this will occur is dependent on the EHP you are on, so it is essen&al that you
understand the requirements specifica&on and understand if you are using any custom development
in your current implementa&on.
o Simple Finance data model will replace total tables and index tables with HANA views so there
is a need to check any custom ABAP code to avoid surprises.
o There are a few good ar&cles on the technical aspects out there, some provided by SAP.
Going to S/4 Simple Finance is not an update but a true migra&on and needs to be planned for
accordingly
http://scn.sap.com/community/it-management/blog/2015/04/23/9-must-knows-before-implementing-sap-simple-finance-sfin
Keep your users in focus
One of the core benefits, aside from improved performance, is the user experience. Much of the cluIer
from the classical SAP GUI was replaced with an intui&ve way to navigate the applica&ons. The en&re user
interface was na&vely converted to the web and was revamped. Now, especially occasional SAP users will
find the new UI based on SAP Fiori more intui&ve. Again, this also means that exis&ng users have to
undergo major changes when it comes to the UI. For some users, especially when not typical web-users
either, Fiori Apps may feel different from a classical fat-client. Make sure that you are bringing your users
along as you start to implement the new SAP UI strategy. Keep your users updated and inform them about
this upcoming change. Make sure user training is scheduled and short manuals are provided. It’s not only
about replacing one technology with another. Furthermore, it also requires taking your users through this
change process. Keep this is in mind when shiKing from SAP ERP to S/4 Simple Finance and the transi&on
will go smoothly and with ease.
Check your partner applica&ons
The SAP ERP suite provides rich func&onality and at the same &me offers an impressive ecosystem and
partner landscape. Through years of working with our SAP customers we know that most customers use
addi&onal soKware that access SAP data via RFC or web service or even reside directly inside SAP. These
can be applica&ons like CRM, &me tracking soKware, workflow solu&ons, contract systems, electronic
folder management solu&ons e.g. vendor file, personnel file or even other SAP add-on products. When
ensuring that all requirements are met to migrate to S/4 Simple Finance, you should also consider
checking on soKware provided by SAP partners, SAP applica&on development partners or ISV’s as to their
S/4 Simple Finance readiness.
Making sure your partner is up to date with their development is key for the success of your
implementa&on. Realizing at the last minute that your partner solu&on doesn’t offer &ght SAP Fiori
Launchpad integra&on can have a serious impact on your company plaYorm strategy and the overall user
experience. No user will appreciate working from different applica&ons if it all can be done easily from one
central dashboard. Partner solu&on should therefore provide this level of integra&on, but also follow the
SAP UI guidelines for a streamlined look and feel.
Fig. 1 xSuite Integra&on into SAP Fiori Launchpad
xSuite Solu&ons for S/4 Simple Finance
Running on S/4 Simple Finance is one side of the equa&on. When making this shiK, you can add
tremendous value by using the opportunity to improve your paper-based processes. Think about how
much tedious &me is spent on manually coding invoices, sending invoices from A to B or by manually filing
these invoices in binders. When making this bold move to S/4 Simple Finance, you should do it right. In
case you haven’t improved your financials processes yet, this is the best &me. In case you are already
running on a workflow solu&on, make sure these also support the move to S/4 Simple Finance. We have a
proven track record of more than 900 customers, many of them running installa&on in the US. Our
solu&ons seamlessly integrate into the Fiori Launchpad. We dedicated experts in:
• Invoice automa&on, automa&cally capture and process all vendor invoices
• Procurement op&miza&on, making sure your processes are fully compliant and transparent
• Order automa&on, get your customer orders captured and handled via workflow.
• Vendor file, instead of manually filing and retrieving your financial documents, find them all in one
single point of access
• Customer file, need to find contracts, sales orders or other important documents, find it right here in
our customer file.
All our solu&ons are seamlessly integrated into SAP and S/4 Simple Finance or Procurement. Plus, we are
a trusted SAP Partner and all our product are fully SAP cer&fied.
Conclusion
Following the S/4 Simple Finance strategy will certainly have an impact on your organiza&on and your
users. Ensure all technical requirements are met prior to the migra&on, involve your current and poten&al
SAP users and remember to check on partner solu&on with the SAP ecosystem as this may require
updates, some&mes even upgrades to follow your S/4 Simple Finance strategy. Following this
recommenda&on will surely help you on your journey to a streamlined user experience.
THANK YOU.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
xSuite Solu&ons Inc.
485 MassachuseIs Avenue Suite 300
Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Tel +1 (781) 577 65 48
www.xsuite-solu&ons.com