In good tradition we will extend the FAQ series for SAP S/4HANA, thanks again to many feedback received. Let´s dive right into the Q1/2016 update.
What is new regarding release management and naming for SAP S/4HANA?
Let’s distinguish on premise from cloud shipments. For on premise customers, SAP has shipped a “Feature Pack Stack (FPS)”, SAP S/4HANA on premise FPS01 on February 3rd 2016. The release notes and other document like the “Feature scope description” for the solution can be found here. SAP will ship such a FPS every quarter.
For cloud customers, SAP is shipping a new release on a quarterly basis. The next cloud release of our SaaS ERP, SAP S/4HANA cloud enterprise edition, has been released in March: SAP S/4HANA cloud enterprise edition 1603. At the same time, SAP will release SAP S/4HANA cloud professional services edition 1603 and SAP S/4HANA cloud marketing edition 1603 (hybris solution).
For what additional industries has SAP S/4HANA FPS1 been releases?
With SAP S/4HANA on premise edition 1511 FPS1, SAP is supporting two new industry solutions: “Higher Education and Research” and “Defense and Security”. This is adding to an already long list of 19 supported industries like Chemicals, High-Tech, Industrial Machinery & Component, Insurance, Life Sciences and more. The latest industries have been release in November with SAP S/4HANA on premise 1511 with a full coverage, i.e. without any industry specific restriction. Generic Line of Business restrictions may apply though. More details you can find via the Note 2214213.
Important to state again: even if you are part of an industry not on this list, you can start. And many customers are doing this, take S/4HANA Finance for example or if you do not need industry specific functionality.
What is new regarding User Experience and SAP Fiori Apps?
SAP has shipped new or enhanced Fiori applications to complete the current scope of SAP S/4HANA on premise. Let me mention a few of them here, my favorites, of SAP Fiori apps that were shipped with SAP S/4HANA FPS1 for the “Shipping Specialist”
- Outbound Deliveries
- Pick Outbound Delivery
- Create Outbound Deliveries
Picture 1: new SAP Fiori App for Outbound delivery
Here a few new cross application SAP Fiori Apps shipped with FPS1:
- Application Jobs
- Implementation Cockpit
- Output Management Email Queue
More information on the available SAP Fiori apps per role, industry or line of business is available in the SAP FIORI Library here.
What new pre-configured content from SAP Activate is now available for on premise? What is planned for the cloud?
SAP Best Practices for SAP S/4HANA contain complete and consistent configuration settings and assets to use as enablement and accelerators in your implementation projects. The accelerators are integrated with implementation methodologies and tools for SAP S/4HANA.
SAP Activate is providing “scope items” that enable to run the application and speed up the implementation. The content from SAP Activate (the so called “best practices”) are following the end to end processes described in the SAP S/4HANA product map available in the Solution Explorer (check for an LoB Solution to see the product map).
For FPS1, SAP Activate is bringing additional content. Here are some examples for the on premise shipment with more than 50 new best practices for: Revenue Planning, Customer Returns, Internal Order Planning, Profitability and Cost Analysis, Credit Memo Processing, Repetitive Manufacturing. For the cloud solution, SAP will release a substantial number of best practices too, for example in procurement, manufacturing, finance. SAP will provide as well content for data integration to Ariba Nettwork and SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, and finally data migration from SAP to S/4HANA.
This chart is showing a best practice for “Repetitive Manufacturing” that is available for on premise and cloud. For more details about the SAP Activate pre-configured content check this link.
Picture 2: ProcessDiagram for the best practice “Repetitive Manufacturing”
Any update on the SAP CRM 7.0 integration to SAPS/4HANA?
SAP is providing different options to connect SAP S/4HANA on premise and SAP CRM 7.0. Most important to know is the release limitation notes that shows what is in the works and will be supported in the future. Everything else on this integration topic is handled as with the integration to SAP ERP. Keep looking for updates here as SAP is going to remove all limitations over time: 2231667
What add-ons have been release for SAP S/4HANA on premise 1511 FPS1?
SAP has released the following add-on with the FPS1, more to follow…
- CPM FOR S/4HANA 1601
- SAP ADD-ON ASSEMBLY KIT 5.0
- SAP FIN. CLOSING COCKPIT 2.0
- SAP FIORI FOR SAP EHSM 1.0
- SAP FIORI FOR SAP SCM 1.0
- SAP MII 15.1
- SAP PAYMENT ENGINE 8.0
- SAP TAX CLASS REPORT 1.0
- UI FOR EHP3 FOR SAP SRM 7.0
- UI FOR EHP7 FOR SAP ERP 6.0
- UI FOR SAP PORTF PROJ MGMT 6.0
Information about the compatible S/4HANA add-ons can be found in the note 2214409
Can you share some early experience from customers?
Hundreds of projects running, as a big thank you I would like to share our first live customer with on SAP S/4HANA on premise with a logistics scope. Learn more details on the customer and on the project itself in the video here. Implemented in weeks by a partner, run on AWS infrastructure as a Service, resulting in an integrated platform for engineering to order and a platform for future growth.
Do you have a check list of “must reads” before a project starts?
Here is a good first start for a “readiness check”:
- Always check the release notes: start with SAP Note 2189824
- Check for relevant add-on: SAP Note 2214409
- Check what add-on and industry solutions are released: 2214213
- Register for download information for pre checks 2242576
What are the most important checks from a change management perspective?
Here is my list to help you assess your project efforts:
- Data model changes: go thru the Simplification List
- Regarding UX changes: make sure the apps you need
- Decide on new implementation or conversion with the note 2182725
- Check your custom code with the custom code check tool
- Project accelerators: leverage the method and content from SAP Activate
One last expert question: should customers use account based CO-PA or cost based CO-PA with SAP S/4HANA?
I’d like to close this blog with a recommendation on the topic CO-PA, profitability analysis in the new solution. Both account-based and cost-based CO-PA are available in SAP S/4HANA on premise. However account-based CO-PA has been extended and now provides more flexibility, for example with the ability to split variance(respective COGS) postings to multiple accounts. In conjunction, with the ability to add your own characteristics (“dimensions”), it is worthwhile re-evaluating the use of cost-based PA. Cost-based PA is still needed to include calculated amounts like freights.
Keep the feedback and your questions coming, we will prioritize accordingly and update our FAQ for you. Keep the feedback coming.
Also check frequently sap.com/s4hana.
Lets stay connected @SDenecken
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