SAP and Business Objects updated family of EPM solutions

SAP and Business Objects released large-scale update of family of joint products in the field of business performance management (enterprise performance management, EPM). Key feature of a new solution, according to the statement of the developer, is the close integration between solutions in the field of strategic management, the business analysis and risk management (governance, risk and compliance, GRC) based on use of a technology platform of SAP NetWeaver. Still, consider in the company, these directions developed within independent applications whereas their sharing and close interrelation are capable to lift strategic management by business to qualitatively new level thanks to deeper and complex understanding of the risks and factors affecting efficiency of the current operating activities and stability of a financial status.

The updated packet of EPM solutions consists of new SAP application of Spend Analytics (Cost analysis) and also new versions of already existing SAP Strategy Management systems (Strategic management), BusinessObjects Profitability and Cost Management (Management of pricing and profit), BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation (Consolidation of financial data) and SAP Business Planning and Consolidation (Planning and consolidation of business).

The provided new SAP application of Spend Analytics is based on the technology which got to SAP from the Analytics company purchased by it recently. A system is designed to provide a feedback between the analysis of financial information and the course of current transactions, including the organization of purchasing activity and building of work with suppliers. The solution automatically accumulates, processes and analyzes data on purchases from different management systems to reveal potentialities for cost reduction, to optimize model of purchasing activity taking into account general strategy of the company and also to control observance of agreements with suppliers.

The SAP Strategy Management system, according to the description of the developer, allows the company to define the strategic objectives and to spread out them to smaller, tactical tasks for the separate directions of business and for divisions within the organization, thereby informing of these purposes and tasks each specific user. The new version of a system is more closely integrated with SAP application of GRC for risk management that allows to consider different positive and negative factors when developing strategy. For example, by preparation for release on the market of new goods the company will be able to analyze whether these goods will interfere with sales of already existing products and whether suppliers will be able to cope with the increased supply rates. Besides, the new version of a system is integrated with the technology SAP NetWeaver tools.

The BusinessObjects Profitability and Cost Management application is intended for the analysis of financial information, identification of the most "expensive" transactions and their influence on the general profit of the enterprise. The new version, according to the statement of the developer, allows to process large volumes of information and to develop models on the basis of booking data, nomenclature positions (SKU), data on current transactions. These opportunities, according to the developer, can be demanded among the companies working with the wide range of goods (for example, for financial companies whose services are characterized by a large number of the most various parameters and values). Besides, the new version is integrated with the BusinessObjects XI 3.0 BI platform.

The BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation system allows to collect financial information in the different directions of business, divisions and regions. The new version also contains means for integration with BusinessObjects XI 3.0 that it is designed to provide ampler opportunities for the business analysis, fast creation of necessary financial statements and its distribution among shareholders.

The SAP solution Business Planning and Consolidation allows to bring together planning processes, budgetings and formations of financial statements. The new version includes tools for flexible configuring I and settings of interrelation with SAP NetWeaver. Besides, the version of a system is new it is optimized for use with the Microsoft SQL platform. According to the developer, now a system is adapted as for independent use within financial service of the enterprise, and for embedding in standard IT infrastructure for the centralized administration.

In general, according to the developer, the company accurately follows those drawn-up development plans for the software products which were announced soon after consolidation of SAP and Business Objects.

As  Ilya Solovyov, the director of business solutions, SAP CIS reported TAdviser,  solutions of the class EPM surely gain popularity and in Russia, especially those that are connected with an exit to the IPO, risk management, profitability and strategy in general. These solutions are usually necessary to the business management, but are anyway necessary owing to the international and/or Russian regulatory requirements. Demand for means for obtaining the dynamic analytical reporting  grows too as the companies were tired of  drawing up a large number  of static reports and need  to agree  with  IT department  about creation  of the next report (as well as IT services were tired of  similar requests).

Inherently, Mr. Solovyov considers,  EPM solutions are not specific to any industry as solve  rather general problems.  However in some cases  to execute their localization and completion under the Russian specifics of business content. In this sense  different control panels (dashboards) which  really have industrial specifics, as well as specifics on functional tasks  in the companies can be considered as the most indicative example (as, for example, HR Scorecards is the specialized reporting for heads and the staff of divisions under work with personnel; and also different panels  for heads of holding structures and so forth). The majority of solutions, Mr. Solovyov claims,  it is already localized and integrated with  business applications of SAP using the NetWeaver platform.