SAP Community - SAP BTP, serverless runtime

How to Extend SAP S/4HANA Business Address Services (or any other SAP S/4HANA application) with Serverless Functions on Kyma Part-II

2021-09-23T09:07:03+02:00

In this blog post you will learn…

Overview:

We will learn about how we will create serverless function in Kyma Runtime and how they are deployed (i.e. how URLs are created to get which can be used to run serverless functions) .

We will also learn about how to use Google APIs to get Geocodes of any inputted address .

To Know what is serverless function and need of serverless function refer to previous blog post of this blog series

Prerequisites/Skills:

Access to SAP BTP Cockpit
You need access to a productive account of SAP BTP Cockpit
Note:
This service is available in Trial version of SAP BTP Cockpit

Node.js/JavaScript
Functions are written in JavaScript for Node.js runtime.
As such, some knowledge is helpful, however, most of the tutorials can be followed without any knowledge.

ABAP.

Kyma Environment Setup explained in Part-I of this Blog Series

Implementation Steps:

After successfully setting up the Kyma Runtime Environment as described in the steps above, we now must define the Kyma Namespace. This is where all our functions will be defined. The steps below are to set up your Kyma Namespace and get started with the Kyma environment.

1. Open Your Subaccount in SAP BTP Cockpit.

2. Click on Instances and Subscription.

3. Click on Environments.

4. Click on the Actions button in your Kyma environment and navigate to ‘Go to Dashboard’.

5. On the Dashboard click on ‘Select Namespace’ and choose your namespace.

Creating Serverless Function

Click on ‘Functions’ on left hand pane and then click on ‘Create Function’ to create a new function.

Enter name of your choice and press Enter. You will see the screen shown below.

There are two sections under code tab:
- First section will contain our source code to call the Google API.
- Second section will contain dependencies (if any).

We are now going to add code in Source section

const https = require('https');



const key = {Enter Your Key Here}



const generateGeoCode = (address) => {



let data = '';



return new Promise((resolve,reject) => {



https.get(`https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?address=${address}&key=${key}`,



(response)=>{



response.on('data',(chunks)=>{



data+=chunks;



})



response.on('end',()=>



{



// console.log('check123',data);



// response = data;



// return data;



resolve(data);



})



response.on('error',(error)=>{



console.log(error)



reject(error);})



});



//  console.log("google",response);



})



}









module.exports = {



main: async function (event, context) {



console.log('event',event.extensions.request.query.address);



address = event.extensions.request.query.address;



const output = await generateGeoCode(address);



let {results} = JSON.parse(output);



console.log('add',results[0].geometry.location.lat);



let final = '';



final +=`${results[0].geometry.location.lat}, ${results[0].geometry.location.lng}`



return final;



//console.log('f',f);



}}

In the above Picture you can see that there is a variable key that has been purposely left blank. Here you need to get your credentials from Google Cloud Platform before entering them. you can get them from Here

Here we can see that our code is dependent on HTTP module to run so we are going to put that in our dependency:

{



"name": "geocode-api",



"version": "1.0.0",



"description": "geocode api to get latitude and longitude",



"dependencies": {



"https": "^1.0.0"



},



"license": "ISC"



}

This Completes first part of our function. Now it’s time to create the URL to send request to API.

Creation of URL for Function to place request to API:

Click on Configuration tab next to Code tab and click on ‘Expose Function’.

Enter API Rule Name and Host Name and press Enter. This will generate the URL.

You can run the URL above in your browser and see the output.

Summary:

In this blog post we saw about

How to create serverless function in Kyma.

How to use Google APIs to find Geocodes using address send by user.

And How to deploy the serverless function and generate API URL which can be used to send get request to server.

Next Steps:

We will be seeing how to Integrate the Kyma serverless function in any SAP S/4HANA applications

For any queries and doubts please comment in comment section I will be more then happy to help you, also you can follow my profile to get updated of upcoming blog posts.

How to Extend SAP S/4HANA Business Address Services (or any other SAP S/4HANA application) with Serverless Functions on Kyma Part-III

2021-09-27T10:31:38+02:00

Introduction

This blog post explains how a Serverless Function developed in Kyma Runtime can be consumed in the SAP S/4HANA system for the extensibility of SAP S/4HANA applications. Specifically, this blog post covers the extensibility of Business Address Services and is in continuation of Blog Series of the same title(mentioned under Prerequisites).

Prerequisites/Skills

ABAP

Kyma Environment Setup explained in Part-I of this Blog Series

Kyma Serverless Function Implementation explained in Part-II of this Blog Series

In our example, we will be implementing the geocode functionality with the Business Partner (BP) transaction. Once our serverless function returns the geocodes, we will be updating a Custom Z table.

Since it is a customer modification, we can make use of the BADIs available. ADDRESS_UPDATE is the BADI that is used to trigger updates on Address Changes. We have implemented this BADI in SE18 as ZADDRESS_UPD_SRV_POC. The implementing class name is given as ZCL_IM_ADDRESS_UPD_SRV_POC

Based on the type of address created i.e. Organization, Person, or Workplace, add the logic in methods ADDRESS1_SAVED, ADDRESS2_SAVED, and ADDRESS3_SAVED respectively. Next, we must compile the complete URL which will be a combination of:
- URL generated by Kyma runtime
- Search parameters from BP transaction which will be components of address based on which Geocode will be found. For our PoC, we have considered House Number, Street, City, Region, Postal Code, and Country

 DATA(url) = 'https://get-geocodes.fdc4fe9.kyma.shoot.live.k8s-hana.ondemand.com/?address='.

    LOOP AT im_t_xadrc ASSIGNING FIELD-SYMBOL(<fs_xadrc>).



      IF <fs_xadrc>-house_num1 IS NOT INITIAL.

        full_address = <fs_xadrc>-house_num1.

      ENDIF.

      IF <fs_xadrc>-street IS NOT INITIAL.

        CONCATENATE full_address <fs_xadrc>-street INTO full_address SEPARATED BY space.

      ENDIF.

      IF <fs_xadrc>-city1 IS NOT INITIAL.

        CONCATENATE full_address <fs_xadrc>-city1 INTO full_address SEPARATED BY space.

      ENDIF.

      IF <fs_xadrc>-region IS NOT INITIAL.

        CONCATENATE full_address <fs_xadrc>-region INTO full_address SEPARATED BY space.

      ENDIF.

      IF <fs_xadrc>-post_code1 IS NOT INITIAL.

        CONCATENATE full_address <fs_xadrc>-post_code1 INTO full_address SEPARATED BY space.

      ENDIF.

      IF <fs_xadrc>-country IS NOT INITIAL.

        CONCATENATE full_address <fs_xadrc>-country INTO full_address SEPARATED BY space.

      ENDIF.

      REPLACE '#' WITH space INTO full_address.

      SHIFT full_address LEFT DELETING LEADING space.

      CONDENSE full_address.

      CONCATENATE url full_address INTO DATA(final_url).

    ENDLOOP.

Next, an HTTP client for the generated URL must be created. This is done by calling the method CREATE_FROM_URL of class CL_HTTP_CLIENT. This HTTP client is used to send the request to Kyma Serverless Runtime and receive in response the Geocodes of the provided search parameters.

"create HTTP client by url

    CALL METHOD cl_http_client=>create_by_url

      EXPORTING

        url                = final_url

      IMPORTING

        client             = lo_http_client

      EXCEPTIONS

        argument_not_found = 1

        plugin_not_active  = 2

        internal_error     = 3

        OTHERS             = 4.



    IF sy-subrc <> 0.

      "error handling

    ENDIF.



*** Send the request

    lo_http_client->send(

      EXCEPTIONS

        http_communication_failure = 1

        http_invalid_state         = 2 ).



*** Receive the respose

    lo_http_client->receive(

       EXCEPTIONS

         http_communication_failure = 1

         http_invalid_state         = 2

         http_processing_failed     = 3 ).

Finally, we read the result from the HTTP response and update our custom table with the Geocode.

*** Read the result

      lv_result = lo_http_client->response->get_cdata( ).

      IF lv_result NP 'Internal Server Error'.

        ls_geocode-mandt = sy-mandt.

        ls_geocode-addrnumber = im_address_number.

        SPLIT lv_result AT ',' INTO ls_geocode-latitude ls_geocode-longitude.



        MODIFY zaddress_geocode FROM ls_geocode.

      ENDIF.

The Custom table structure is as below:

Next, in BP transaction we must create an Organization BP with the values below for address fields which in turn will be considered for the final URL generation:

The address number of the BP above is:

On Save of the Business Partner, the custom table ZADDRESS_GEOCODE is updated:

Note: We did not enhance the BP transaction to display these coordinates, but such enhancements can be taken up if required for the project.

Summary

In this blog post, we have seen how a Serverless Function developed in Kyma Runtime can be consumed in the SAP S/4HANA system for the extensibility of Business Address Services or any other SAP S/4HANA applications.

SAP BTP, Serverless Runtime to be discontinued and replaced by SAP BTP, Kyma Runtime and SAP Integration Suite

2021-10-18T15:27:56+02:00

Serverless computing is a truly cloud-native paradigm. Servers and other computing resources are completely hidden away from the developer and the end user. There are servers in serverless, but these are operated by the cloud provider, which means you can almost forget about most tedious maintenance and operations activities. Nicer still is the fact that your cloud provider automatically scales the load for you. You don’t need to worry about peak loads on your side as this is taken care of.

Function-as-a-Service

Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) refers to an event-driven atomic piece of code that runs in stateless ephemeral containers created and maintained by a third party – typically a cloud provider. From a technology standpoint, FaaS is a combination of code, configuration, and dependencies executed on a compute service in an isolated container. Resource allocation is done in a serverless environment. The resources required to run code are dynamically allocated by the cloud provider.

As a result, developers are responsible for neither capacity planning nor the optimal allocation of resources. In practical terms, Function-as-a-Service allows adding event-driven, serverless functionalities that are completely decoupled from existing application landscapes.

SAP BTP's Function-as-a-Service Offerings until now

SAP’s Business Technology Platform until now has offered two Function-as-a-Service options with slightly different scope and feature sets.

SAP BTP, Serverless Runtime has been one of SAP’s Function-as-a-Service offerings to enable rapid development in serverless, event-driven environments specifically targeted at extensions in SAP landscapes. SAP BTP, Serverless Runtime is a fully managed cloud service for building, running, and managing stateless application functions.

SAP BTP, Kyma Runtime has been SAP’s second FaaS offering, allowing customers to build extensions by using both microservices and serverless functions. SAP BTP, Kyma runtime is a fully managed Kubernetes runtime based on the open-source project "Kyma". This cloud-native solution allows developers to extend SAP solutions with serverless functions and combine them with containerized microservices. The offered functionality ensures smooth consumption of SAP and non-SAP applications , running workloads in a highly scalable environment, and building event- and API-base extensions.

In short, SAP BTP, Kyma Runtime offers several technical capabilities and benefits:

Mesh Serverless Functions, Microservices or custom docker images in one runtime

Upskill your developers quickly due to open standards

Get a fully managed Kubernetes Runtime

Leverage the built-in capabilities of Kyma:
- API Microgateway
- Event bus
- Service mesh

These technical capabilities optimize development and give you tangible business benefits:

Reduction of both the TCO and time-to-market

Managed runtime that fits the needs and skillset of your work force for cloud-native solutions

Aligned with SAP operational and release processes and standards

Best services/tooling from hyper-scalers, combined with open standards + SAP specific value add on top

Customers so far have had the choice between these two great environments to develop their functions-as-a-service. Over time though, it has shown that SAP BTP, Kyma Runtime has proven the more beneficial and more well-rounded runtime for customers, offering more options and benefitting from the traction of its open-source community.

OData Provisioning

OData Provisioning exposes business data and business logic as OData services on SAP Business Technology Platform, thereby enabling customers to run user-centric applications on SAP Cloud. In the Multi-Cloud/Cloud Foundry environment context, OData Provisioning has been available as a part of the SAP BTP, Serverless Runtime.

SAP’s Business Technology Platform until now has offered OData provisioning with slightly different scope and feature sets:

SAP BTP, OData Provisioning (On the NEO environment only) to expose business data and business logic developed on the SAP Business Suite as OData services on the SAP BTP without any additional development effort.

SAP BTP, Serverless Runtime (On the multi-cloud /CF environment only) included OData Provisioning to expose business data and business logic developed on the SAP Business Suite as OData services on the SAP BTP without any additional development effort.

SAP Integration Suite is the enterprise-grade integration platform as a service offered by SAP. The Integration Suite is an open IPaaS and consists of a modular set of integration services that work together to support a comprehensive variety of end-to-end integration scenarios.

In particular, SAP Integration Suite supports:

The integration of SAP and non-SAP applications in the cloud and on premise (A2A)

Integration with business partners (B2B) and government agencies (B2G).

The design and runtime governance of APIs, including API-based integration.

Exposing business data and business logic as OData services on SAP Business Technology Platform

Extensions of business processes with workflows, including human interaction steps and business rules; as well as the integration of IoT devices and equipment.

Customers so far have had the choice between the different services for provisioning of OData services. With SAP Integration Suite enabling and end-to-end API based integrations, customers will have the added value of not just provisioning of OData services but to also manage the lifecycle of the service.

SAP BTP, Serverless Runtime to be replaced by SAP BTP, Kyma Runtime and SAP Integration Suite

It is due to this that SAP has decided to discontinue SAP BTP, Serverless Runtime and to instead increase the focus on and efforts for SAP BTP, Kyma runtime and SAP Integration suite for the respective capabilities.

Please note this however does not have any impact on the OData Provisioning service on the NEO environment.

The way forward

For all existing customers who already use the SAP BTP, Serverless Runtime, we are looking forward to engaging with you to help make the transition as smooth and non-disruptive as possible.

HP Enterprise - Interactive Digital Assistant powered by SAP Conversational AI

2021-12-15T16:29:22+01:00

Artificial Intelligence is the new Electricity!

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere! Just as electricity revolutionized lives 100 years ago, today AI is completely changing our lives. Companies are investing millions in intelligent systems for situation assessment, prediction analysis, learning-based recognition, conversational interfaces, and recommendation engines. Among these intelligent systems, conversational interfaces have become essential in allowing businesses to communicate with customers 24/7. For example, having a Chatbot in place, business becomes far more interactive, natural, and convenient for consumers which, in turn, can improve customer satisfaction.

In order to empower the Intelligent Enterprise, SAP Conversational AI provides all the tools necessary to create chatbots and conversational applications by providing an end-to-end Bot Building Platform covering different stages of development such as Training | Build | Connect | Monitor.

Customer Background

Hewett Packard Enterprise's vision is to leverage SAP Intelligent Technologies and leverage the SAP Industry Cloud application capabilities for the Hi-Tech industry to improve their customer experience, gain efficiency, and deliver next-generation business outcomes by following three principles:

Sustainable Foundation for Business Execution – SAP Business Technology Platform. Best-in-class implementation of business processes on a stable, resilient, and scalable platform by keeping the core clean.

Insight- to-Action driven applications – SAP Conversational AI. Create Chatbots for context awareness, real-time detection, and predictive insights to make informed and quick decisions.

Process optimization through Intelligent Technologies – SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation + Machine Learning + SAP Process Automation. Digital assistance, artificial intelligence, and robotic process automation eliminate more than half of manual tasks.

The goal of the project is to empower HPE’s Partners/Resellers by retrieving time-critical order details from their transactional systems. The chatbot was designed, developed, and deployed within 4 weeks. The SAP Conversational AI's initiative started with a few immediate value-driven discussions to :

Capture time critical order information based on the events from SAP S/4HANA

Providing real-time order status

Quickly display packing list for orders

Serial number of the ordered item

Shipment & delivery information

Export order information

The chatbot links complex skills, advanced memory management, and tactically utilizes the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) to provide focused conversations and helps:

Retrieving search results through fuzzy search capabilities

Subscribing and unsubscribing to receive alerts for status changes to an order

Emailing detailed reports for both search results and a single order

Providing cross-platform support – Browser or Mobile devices

Highlights

The core of the chatbot is equipped with built-In intelligence and embedded machine learning. Resiliency is born from the fact that it is driven by intents and entities, which result in more natural and interactive conversations leading to a greater user experience. The outcome: greater customer satisfaction to drive a greater adoption rate.

Agile Collaboration

Adopted design thinking to blueprint one-bot to many-channels

Remote collaboration to build a holistic solution

Crowdsource expressions to derive meaningful interactions with robust intents

Discovery of necessary entities to enrich the conversation

Sample dialogues of human-to-human interactions to inform conversation workflows

BTP Extensions:

The chatbot is personalized with Built-In Intelligence and Advanced Memory Management through Handlebars concepts

Custom scripting to display the necessary information predicted by the information the chatbot retrieves

Economize screen real estate especially when interacting with SAP Conversational AI through mobile devices

SAP MaxAttention Engagement:

SAP MaxAttention is the trusted partner by HPE in their continuous innovation journey

The team from SAP MaxAttention and HPE used fact-based Industry exploration methodology with SAP MaxAttention services to enable and empower the customer

Understood the key requirements for HPE’s use cases with the industry best practices and supported the build of the pilot for production roll-out.

A successful pilot was delivered in under 4 weeks and supported scaling and industrializing of the industry-specific use-case and driving Innovation in their business processes.

Business Value:

The conversational chatbot illustrates the following values of the SAP Conversational AI platform with one bot that is successfully deployed to multiple channels. Please check out the customer’s video testimonial below.

Lower operating and maintenance cost

Faster ROI as a single bot that is flexible to work with different channels like MS Teams

Advanced skills and extensions to handle complex conversation scenarios lead to intelligent interactions.

Flexible bot constructed to minimize development overhead, maximize the SAP CAI platform, and strategically leverage SAP Business Technology Platform to make it the best-in-breed for chatbots.

Key Team Members

HPE Representative: Arun Navaneethan (Sr. Director, Global IT)

SAP Contacts: kiran.kola, rohit_dwivedi Balaji Gaddam, Thomas Walther

SAP Communications: Maria Jenkinson, Mirna Chaanine

Customer Video Testimonial: sap.com

MTA deployment, a starter

2021-12-26T20:51:01+01:00

INTRODUCTION

This blog post is aimed for developers who are very new to SAP BTP which requires a deployment descriptor (MTA or Manifest) to deploy applications.

It is always challenging to deploy an MTA or manifest based application be it NodeJS, GO or Java. Additionally we face a lot of challenges and jargons which slows our development.

Though creating MTA might feel overwhelming at first, it has a lot of advantages to offer. The deployment is one touch most of the time and creates an ecosystem where different components from a single application can collaborate together. Helps us create more resources without writing manual commands or collective shell scripts for every resource we consume. So the entire file is reusable

INSTALLATION OF CLOUD MTA BUILD TOOL

We can install the cloud MTA build tool using any of the methods below in the link

You have to consider the following limits for the MTA artifacts, which can be handled by the Cloud Foundry deploy service:

Maximum size of the MTA archive: 4 GB

Maximum size of MTA module content: 1 GB

Maximum size of MTA resource content: 1 GB

Maximum size of MTA descriptors (mtad.yaml and MANIFEST.MF😞 1 MB

MTA DEPLOYMENT TERMINOLOGIES

The different terminologies used in MTA deployments are

Multitarget application (MTA)

An application comprised of multiple software modules, which are created with different technologies and deployed to different runtimes.

Development descriptor -

A YAML file named mta.yaml that contains a list of all entities, such as modules, resources, and properties that belong to an application or are used by it at runtime, and the dependencies between them. It is automatically generated when an MTA project is created or modified, or when a module is added or removed. The developer needs to edit the descriptor manually to define resources, properties, and dependencies, as well as fill in missing information.

Deployment descriptor

A YAML file named mtad.yaml that contains a list of all entities which is created from the WEB IDE or from Multitarget Application Archive Builder tool or manually. This file is similar to Development Descriptor but is used from the MTA Deployer.

Module

A self-contained application of a certain type, which is developed, packaged, and deployed.

Module Type

A type that defines the structure and the development technology of a module. You can see a list of the module types at Modules.

Resource

Any resource, such as an external service that is required by a module at runtime but not provided by the module itself.

Property

A property (key-value pair) of an application, module, or resource, that is used during deployment or at runtime.

Parameter

A reserved variable belonging to a module or resource, whose value is used during deployment or at runtime.

Dependency

A relationship between a module and another module, resource, or property, such as provides and requires.

provides: indicates the properties or parameters that are provided by a module or resource to other modules.

requires: indicates other modules or resources that are required by a module in order to run.

MTA archive (MTAR)

Archive containing a deployment descriptor, the module and resource binaries, and configuration files. The archive follows the JAR file specification.

Example

Consider a nodeJS app having dependency to a hdi-container in a subaccount. This can be modelled like this

_schema-version: "3.1.0"

ID: simple-mta

version: 1.0.0



modules:

- name: anatz

  type: javascript.nodejs

  requires:

    - name: hdi-service



resources:

- name: hdi-service

  type: org.cloudfoundry.managed-service

  parameters:

    service: hana

    service-plan: hdi-shared

The sample file contains a nodejs module named anatz which ready to be deployed. You can also specify the path of the module by specifying the path property. Also few modules such as the launchpad do not contain the path property, as it takes the already created modules and configures them to deploy.

A requires property is specified which allows the module to be deployed only if the required dependencies are satisfied. The required dependencies can come from other modules or from the resources that will be created as services in SAP BTP. like databases or event meshes

Additionally we can also provide parameters such as memory and route to the module. This enables us to control all the modules in one place before deployment

_schema-version: 3.1.0

ID: anatz-keep-existing

version: 4.0.0



modules:

- name: anatz

  type: staticfile

  path: hello-world.zip

  parameters:

    memory: 64M

    route: new-custom-route-${space}

    keep-existing:

      env: true

      service-bindings: true

      routes: true

Sometime we would like to generate our files before starting the build. This can be done by running a shell script or individual commands like mvn clean install or npm install. All these can be speified under Build parameters.

build-parameters:

before-all:

- builder: custom

commands:

- npm install --production

Commands can also be run specific to modules.

Resources can also contain parameters which takes care of special hardcoded values such as url's or references such to files.

So before we plan an MTA deployment

It is advisable to look into the manifest.yaml file (If you have already) make note of modules and dependencies before starting to create one here.

Once you have the module files in place start creating the modules, if needed add a provide property to the module if it requires to be addressed by the upcoming modules by that name

CONCLUSION

Finally do an MTA build using the command mbt build on the module. resolve any errors shown. The final MTAR file will be generated in mta_archive as an .mtar file

You can deploy the mtar file to cloud foundry by using the command cf deploy filename.mtar

If deployment is successful you will receive no process failed message at the end of deployment.

For more information on MTA's checkout the help portal

SAP BTP Serverless Runtime to SAP BTP Kyma Runtime Migration Examples

2022-08-17T20:14:14+02:00

SAP BTP, serverless runtime has been discontinued and replaced by SAP BTP, Kyma runtime. Read more about this in the blog post by karsten.strothmann.

Because of the sunset of the previous SAP BTP, serverless runtime offering, SAP BTP users will look into SAP BTP, Kyma runtime as an alternative to host their functions.

Hi, my name is Krzysztof and I' am working on the Kyma project. In this blog post, I want to help you get started with SAP BTP, Kyma runtime and point you to some useful code samples that will help you migrate common FaaS scenarios from SAP BTP, serverless runtime into SAP BTP, Kyma runtime.

SAP BTP, Kyma runtime - more than meets the eye

SAP BTP, Kyma runtime offers fully managed Kubernetes where you can mix the BTP, serverless runtime functions, microservices, or custom docker images in one runtime. Additionally, it offers built-in capabilities to get you up to speed with your cloud-native application development, such as API gateway, event bus, or service mesh.

Get Started

The best way to get started with SAP BTP, Kyma runtime functions is to create one.

First, you need to create a Kyma instance (if you don't have one already), and then simply follow our tutorial to create a function. Visit the Kyma project website for more tutorials.

Migration Examples

To help you with the transition from SAP BTP, serverless runtime to SAP BTP, Kyma runtime, we have prepared a few examples to demonstrate how to migrate the most common scenarios.

You can learn how to expose Kyma function via HTTPS to the outside world using API Gateway, how to subscribe your function to events from SAP BTP Event Mesh, or how to use Kubernetes Secrets and ConfigMaps to inject environment variables to your function.

Those scenarios are based on a selection of the original SAP BTP, serverless runtime code samples

Conclusion

The migration examples show how to use SAP BTP, Kyma runtime features (serverless, API gateway, and eventing) to model the same scenarios that were possible with the discontinued SAP BTP, serverless runtime.

I hope they will help you get started with the SAP BTP, Kyma runtime. Please share your feedback in the comments section. You can also get in touch with our team via Slack.

SAP Inside Track 2023 # Bengaluru–My experience as a Speaker

2023-04-05T02:20:19+02:00

Greetings, Community friends!

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

I’m very excited to share that I have taken part in SAP Inside Track Bengaluru on 4th March 2023, at SAP Labs, as a Speaker on “SAP Integration Suite implementation from Customer Perspective” topic. It was an excellent experience. It was like a mini-SAP TechEd. More than 1000 professionals and enthusiasts from different organizations participated in the largest SIT to date.

This blog will describe my experience at SIT Bangalore 2023. It has registration, keynote, Key take aways from my session and recognitions.

Registration:

Registration was well organized by the volunteering team. They guided us to the sessions and hospitality that would interest us throughout the day. I would like to extend my special thanks to all the sponsors.

Keynote:

The event kickstarted with a keynote session by Sindhu Gangadharan, MD and SVP of SAP Labs India, The interaction with her is always fascinating, and this time she highlighted the importance of community and future SIT events. Thanks for always supporting to community events.

Key take aways from my session:

SAP Integration Suite – Customer Perspective Introduction

SAP Integration Suite is a cloud-based platform that enables customers to integrate their various systems, applications, and data sources. It provides integration services that help businesses connect and manage data and processes across different systems, both within and outside the enterprise. I have explained about customer challenges, business automation via Integration suite and top10 reasons to choose integration suite.

Use cases discussion and demos.

First Demo: SF integration with Cloud to on premise – In this demo I have created SIT-BLR as an employee and replicated it to SAP S/4 on premise. I have explained the end-to-end scenario including the configuration. Specifically, I have explained on standard integration which helped us in seem less integration in replicating the data. In addition to standard interfaces, I have taken a walkthrough of custom interfaces like FBP to SAP. In this interface we have used almost all key functions in I flow. Almost 9 groove scripts have been used to fulfil the requirement.

Second demo: DCS integration with cloud to on premise –SAP Digital Compliance is a cloud-based solution that helps businesses manage the tax compliance obligations. SAP S/4HANA On-Premises system configured with SAP Digital Compliance via Cloud connector and client certificates. The configuration steps are explained in the end-to-end demo.

Please find the following link to my presentation and demos.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1r8m2ZQdnNANErsFYV6p4nZ2-MSykdzrs

Please find the link below to view the presentations from the other tracks sessions.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14ol_h2q3LanEpWZr3FUJy49VcWJ6tkR5

Recognition: Certificates were distributed at the end of the event, and I carry with me wonderful memories.

My sincere thanks to Abhishek Chatterjee , Mahesh Palavalli , syambabu.allu and #sapcommunity for great opportunity given to me on sharing my possible best knowledge on Integration Suite spend on the #sitblr stage, it encourages me to participate in many more events and gain knowledge.

In closing, I would like to express my gratitude to the organizers and volunteers.

Mohammed AK Rao, Peeyush Chaurasia, Pavan Kumar PVN, Pushpendra Yadav, Priti Dhingra, Gopal Anand ,Ahsan Farooqui, , Kavya Krishnan, , Anjitha K A, Megha Panjwani, Swati Maste, Chinmayi Shetty, Srinivasa Raghavan S

Best Regards,

Azmath.

SME – SAP & Non-SAP Integrations, Certified Integration Blackbelt.

References about SIT:, SIT 2023, About SIT.

Benefits of Keeping the Core Clean with SAP BTP

2023-07-03T17:12:28+02:00

Introduction:

In the world of enterprise software, maintaining a clean and optimized core system is vital for organizations to adapt and thrive in an ever-evolving business landscape. SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) offers a powerful solution by enabling businesses to keep their core clean while leveraging cloud-based services and innovation capabilities. In this blog post, we will explore what "keeping the core clean" means in the context of SAP BTP and why it is essential for unlocking agility and innovation.

What Does "Keeping the Core Clean" Mean?

Keeping the core clean refers to the practice of minimizing customization and modifications to the core ERP system, such as SAP S/4HANA, and leveraging cloud-based services provided by SAP BTP for additional functionalities, extensions, and innovation. It involves adopting a modular and decoupled approach where the core system focuses on essential business processes and data integrity, while non-core functions are handled through integration with SAP BTP services.

Benefits of Keeping the Core Clean with SAP BTP:

Enhanced Agility: By minimizing modifications to the core system, organizations can upgrade their ERP system more easily and frequently, benefiting from the latest innovations and bug fixes offered by SAP. This results in faster time-to-market for new features and capabilities.

Reduced Complexity: Keeping the core system clean helps to reduce the complexity of managing and maintaining customizations. It allows businesses to leverage pre-built integration scenarios, extensions, and applications available on SAP BTP, eliminating the need for extensive custom development within the core system.

Scalable and Future-Proof Architecture: SAP BTP provides a scalable cloud platform with a wide range of services, such as SAP Cloud Platform Integration, API Management, and Workflow, which can be seamlessly integrated with the core system. This enables organizations to meet evolving business needs without compromising system performance or stability.

Innovation Enablement: By utilizing SAP BTP, businesses can tap into a rich ecosystem of ready-to-use applications, industry-specific solutions, and partner offerings. They can leverage these innovations to extend the functionality of their core system and drive digital transformation initiatives without impacting the stability of their core processes.

Examples of Keeping the Core Clean with SAP BTP:

Customer Experience: Organizations can use SAP BTP services, such as SAP Commerce Cloud or SAP Marketing Cloud, to enhance customer engagement and deliver personalized experiences without heavily customizing the core ERP system.

Integration and Connectivity: SAP BTP offers robust integration capabilities, allowing organizations to connect their core system with external systems, suppliers, and customers. This enables seamless data exchange and process automation while keeping the core system lightweight and efficient.

Advanced Analytics: Leveraging SAP Analytics Cloud or SAP Data Warehouse Cloud on SAP BTP, organizations can perform advanced analytics and reporting on data from multiple sources, providing valuable insights without burdening the core ERP system.

Conclusion:

Keeping the core clean with SAP BTP is a strategic approach that empowers organizations to maintain a stable, scalable, and future-proof core system while leveraging cloud-based services for agility and innovation. By adopting this approach, businesses can reduce complexity, accelerate innovation, and drive digital transformation without compromising the integrity of their core processes. Embrace SAP BTP as your strategic technology platform and unlock the full potential of a clean core for enhanced business agility and continuous innovation.

Unleashing limitless Innovation with SAP Blue - The Internal Gig Platform

2023-07-18T21:13:30+02:00

Crowdsourcing platforms have gained popularity as an effective means for organizations to tap into a global community of problem solvers. From simple tasks to complex scientific challenges, these platforms cater to diverse needs and audiences. However, what happens when a gig platform is brought within an organization? In the era of digital transformation, it is necessary for organizations to adapt to new ways of working and innovating. SAP Blue2.0, a revolutionary internal gig work platform, went live on June 14th, 2023, serving as a catalyst for innovation at SAP Labs India.

Platform Features and Benefits:

Built on the renowned SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform) and leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as React, SAP Blue is a digital marketplace that empowers employees to discover, apply for, and work on a wide range of projects across different departments and business units. While the earlier version of SAP Blue saw initial success, it had lost momentum over time due to a lack of knowledge among the employees and outdated user experience. The revamped platform offers an intuitive user interface and introduces new features like feedback and testimonials to enhance the overall user experience.

SAP Blue is not limited to developers or product development teams. It encompasses various areas, including strategy, marketing, communications, UX/UI, and more. By tapping into SAP Blue, employees have the opportunity to work on short-term projects, fostering collaboration, agility, and professional development. The platform encourages individuals to expand their horizons by engaging in projects that requires technologies like UI5, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. It serves as a powerful tool for both experts and enthusiastic learners, promoting a sense of ownership and driving professional growth while adapting to changing business needs.

Additionally, SAP Blue provides a platform for Lines of Business (LoBs) to obtain cost-effective solutions for their problem statements. Rather than seeking external hires, leaders can present these challenges as stretch assignments within the platform, maximizing efficiency and effectiveness.

Testimonials and the journey:

The journey of SAP Blue began in November 2022, with contributions from both new and seasoned team members.

“We knew we have to upgrade the user experience for the people. Ideation started November 2022. After multiple check points, design thinking sessions and scope finalization, within in 6 months, we revamped the whole platform. We soft launched it in dkom earlier this year and we had over 600+ unique enagements.14th of June we went live. And we already have 1.2K users & 23 + live projects, including some from the SAP Labs India management.” – Akshay Sureshchand, Program Head - SAP BLUE

“With the world venturing into unexplored territory filled with limitless opportunities that can be unleashed by technology, there exists tremendous untapped potential in harnessing bottom-up innovation. SAP Blue exemplifies the extensive engineering elasticity in product development that an organization can achieve by integrating diverse talents from within. It allows us to access the collective wisdom and ingenuity of a diverse group, presenting a distinct and effective approach to fostering innovation.” - Mohammed Anzy S, Chief Operating Officer, SAP Labs India

“We’d like to refer SAP Blue as our in-house gig platform where colleagues can take up projects and interests beyond their daily scope of work to expand their horizons, discover new skills, get inspired by new possibilities, challenge their boundaries, network with like-minded people, and get a deeper understanding of SAP strategy through varied perspectives.”- Sindhu Gangadharan, SVP & MD, SAP Labs India and Head, SAP User Enablement

By embracing SAP Blue, organizations can foster innovation, agility, and employee engagement, unlocking their true potential. This internal gig work platform offers a gateway to endless possibilities, enabling individuals to drive their professional growth and contribute to changing business needs. With SAP Blue, SAP Labs India is embarking on a journey of collaboration and unleash a future with limitless innovation.

Start from Basics, Zero to Hero with SAP BTP CAP Node JS Part 1

2024-06-18T17:06:12.971000+02:00

Welcome to the First Blog: SAP CAPM Full Stack UI5 Application with CRUD Operations. Till now most of us would already have the theoretical knowledge of the CAPM or Cloud Application Programming Model. As there are a lot of blog post already available on CAP Model in the Community. So, we are cutting it short and skipping to the actual stuff.

Click Here

You already have an SAP Account created with your Email ID.
You already have an SAP BTP Trial Account.

Step 1: Log in to your Trial Account via the below link:

Hana OnDemand Trail Account link

You must see the below screen after logging in using your credentials.

Step 2: Open SAP BAS

Click on SAP Bussiness Application Studio Links under Quick Tool Access. You will see the below screen with Privacy Statement regarding the usage rules & regulations of using BAS Trial Version.

You can skip & click OK to continue, which will land you on the below page.

Step 3: Create your Dev Space

Click on Create Dev Space

You will see the below screen with a lot of Dev Space Options.

Choose Full Stack Cloud Application Dev Space & give it a name. We are naming it DEV_BTP. Now click on Create Dev Space button to create your Space.

You will see the below screen, your space will be in Starting Status.

Don't worry it may take some time to start depending on the load on the trial server. Finally, you will get something like below, your Dev Space will be in Running Status & your setup is complete.

Feel free to drop your comments in the comment section.

Further reading - https://cap.cloud.sap/docs/guides/

Next Blog

Step-by-Step Guide to Integrate SAP BTP Cloud Foundry with IBM Instana

2024-09-12T13:26:41.886000+02:00

How about adding additional monitoring and performance visibility to SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) Cloud Foundry applications?
Whether you're working with SAP Ui5/Fiori, Node.js, or Java Spring Boot applications, this guide provides you with interactive steps to easily install the IBM® Instana agent and start monitoring your apps in real time.

Steps:

You need to get a SaaS license offering of IBM Instana for SAP Business Technology Platform.

Plug & Play for SAP Ui5/Fiori Applications

Insert the Instana Script:

Open the index.html of your SAP Ui5 application. It will be inside the webapp directory.

Add the following script to enable Instana monitoring:

<script>
  (function(s,t,a,n){s[t]||(s[t]=a,n=s[a]=function(){n.q.push(arguments)},
  n.q=[],n.v=2,n.l=1*new Date)})(window,"InstanaEumObject","ineum");
  ineum('reportingUrl', ''); // Add your reporting URL here
  ineum('key', ''); // Add your Instana key here
  ineum('trackSessions');
</script>
<script defer crossorigin="anonymous" src="https://eum.instana.io/1.6.6/eum.min.js" integrity=""></script>

You're All Set:

Deploy your application, and the Instana agent will begin monitoring immediately.

Plug & Play for Node.js Applications

Install the Instana Package:

If using npm, run:

npm install --save @instana/serverless-collector

If using yarn, run:

yarn add @instana/serverless-collector

Configure the Manifest File:
- Update your manifest.yaml with the necessary Instana configurations. The manifest location will be at the root directory of the application:

applications:
- name: node-demo-api
  host: node-demo-api
  domain: cfapps.ap21.hana.ondemand.com
  buildpacks:
    - nodejs_buildpack # optional
  env:
    NODE_OPTIONS: '--require ./node_modules/@instana/serverless-collector'
    INSTANA_AGENT_KEY: '' # Add your agent key
    INSTANA_ENDPOINT_URL: '' # Add the endpoint URL
    INSTANA_LOG_LEVEL: '' # Set the log level

Plug & Play for Java Spring Boot Applications

Download the Instana Collector:
- Obtain the latest standalone JVM collector from the Instana repository: Instana Collector Download
Update the Manifest File:
- Add the following configurations to your manifest.yml. The manifest location will be at the root directory of the application:

applications:
- name: rest-demo-app
  path: ./target/rest-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar
  host: rest-demo-app
  domain: cfapps.ap21.hana.ondemand.com
  env:
    JBP_CONFIG_JAVA_OPTS: 'java_opts: "-javaagent:BOOT-INF/lib/standalone-collector-jvm-[version].jar"'
    INSTANA_AGENT_KEY: '' # Add your agent key
    INSTANA_ENDPOINT_URL: '' # Add the endpoint URL
    INSTANA_LOG_LEVEL: 'TRACE' # Set the log level

Final Steps

Deploy Your Applications: - Push your applications to SAP BTP Cloud Foundry with the Instana agent configurations enabled. For SAP UI5/Fiori apps,i.e., multi target applications:

   mbt build

and then Deploy mta archives.

For other cloud native applications, do a

cf push

Monitor in Real-Time: - Use the Instana dashboard to monitor your applications in real-time, providing you with insights and actionable data to optimize performance and troubleshoot issues. For reference, we are leveraging the REST calls failures here:

By following these interactive steps, you can effortlessly integrate Instana with your SAP Cloud Foundry applications, providing additional monitoring and performance visibility .

Happy coding and monitoring!

SAP BTP Partner Hands-on Excellence Program (HEP) Workshop Catalog

2024-10-04T09:00:00.028000+02:00

Introducing the SAP BTP Partner Hands-On Excellence Program (HEP) Catalog 2024 / 2025 featuring the following topics. To bring you top content and key insights, we cover the hottest core topics of SAP Business Technology Platform in 2 or 3 day workshops. Our workshops are available on-site and in-person across several different locations.

We have dates available for the following topics:

Our workshops are expanding! We are excited to cover even more topics in the coming months. Stay tuned for our workshop dates featuring:

SAP Fiori E2E
SAP Mobile Experience
SAP Build Code

What is in it for you?

On-site events for full focus and participation
Direct access to topic experts. Get your questions answered and grow your network
Elevate your skills as you learn and explore the benefits of SAP Discovery Center as an enablement platform from upskilling to go-live.
Make your voice heard by sharing your feedback on the workshop and products
Receive your digital badge after successfully completing the workshop

SAP Business Technology Platform: “Change Agent” or “Scale Agent” Part 3 – Is there value?

2025-01-03T15:56:05.859000+01:00

To derive business value from using SAP BTP, it is crucial to align its usage with specific business requirements or problems. Here are some ways in which BTP can contribute to cost, resource, and time savings, resulting in improved overall efficiency:

· Cost savings will give better margins and increased revenue.

· Resource savings will give organization the opportunity to use the workforce for higher-value activities, such as innovation, strategic initiatives, or upskilling employees for more critical roles.

· Time savings can result in faster delivery of solutions to customers or consumers, enhancing their satisfaction and loyalty.

Key factors for value realization

Leadership and organization challenges can indeed hinder the realization of value from Business Technology Partnership (BTP). Here are some typical obstacles related to these factors as illustrated in figure 1.

· Lack of BTP Strategy Definition

· Absence of Governance Model

· Inability to Equate Technology to Business Outcomes

· Lack of Well-Defined Processes and Tools

· Skill Gaps

Figure 1 – Factors affecting BTP value realization

Addressing these obstacles requires strong leadership commitment, a focus on developing digital capabilities, and the establishment of effective governance structures and processes. By overcoming these challenges, organizations can unlock the full potential of BTP and realize value from their technology investments.

Second set of challenges points to unstructured approach which can lead to suboptimal utilization of resources. This can have several negative consequences, including missed business opportunities and an inability to meet the expectations of employees and customers.

3-Step Process

Integrating the different applications and systems involved in the end-to-end process is crucial for achieving a seamless workflow. This integration allows for a comprehensive view of the entire process and the associated data.

The integration process involves stitching together the various process steps that span multiple applications and landscapes, such as cloud, on-premises, or hybrid environments. These applications may be developed using different programming languages, runtimes, and databases. The integration approach may vary depending on the openness or closedness of the applications at different levels, including application-level, process-level, and data-level integration.

Figure 2 illustrates the importance of the 3-step process, integration is the first step towards achieving a seamless end-to-end process. Without integration, it is not possible to move on to the next step, which is analysis. Integration provides a holistic view of the process and its associated data, enabling effective analysis of the overall workflow.

Figure 2 – Three-Step process

After integrating application and data from different sources, you can analyze it to gain insights. These insights can help you identify process gaps or areas for improvement in your business. Once you have identified these areas, you can use technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation to automate and streamline the process.

Artificial Intelligence can be used to automate repetitive tasks, make predictions, and provide intelligent recommendations. Automation technologies can help in automating manual processes, reducing errors, and improving efficiency. By leveraging these technologies, you can rectify process gaps and optimize your business processes.

BTP value drivers

Utilizing SAP BTP for their SAP environment can be advantageous by optimizing data usage, ensuring higher quality and timely features, and incorporating automation and AI across their business operations.

Integrate

Point-to-point integration can indeed add complexity and be expensive to build and maintain. Each integration between two applications requires custom code and configuration, which can become cumbersome as the number of integrations increases. Additionally, the modality to integrate can vary significantly between applications, requiring different connectors or adapters to establish the connection. In cases where existing connectors are not sufficient, building new connectors becomes necessary, further adding to the complexity and time required for integration. Building integration content, such as templates and configurations, can also be a time-consuming task.

The pre-built content offered by the integration service provided by BTP is indeed an asset that can significantly reduce the time required for development and implementation.

As shown in Figure 3, the integration suite enables comprehensive, end-to-end integration. Its packaged content facilitates efficiency, while its multi-faceted and open nature allows integration with third-party systems. Moreover, it is designed to leverage existing skills.

Figure 3 – Features of Integration suite

Below are some value drivers associated with INTEGRATE:

· Accelerated Time to Value - the platform offers pre-built content that can be readily used to deploy solutions, templates, and applications.

· Reduced Development Costs - By leveraging pre-built content, which are already tested and proven, organizations can save on development costs.

· Improved Quality and Reliability - Pre-built content in SAP BTP is typically developed by experts and follows best practices that are reliable, scalable, and secure.

· Enhanced Flexibility and Customization - While pre-built content provides ready-to-use solutions, it also allows for customization to meet specific needs.

· Seamless Integration - SAP BTP offers a wide range of pre-built content that is designed to integrate seamlessly with other SAP solutions and third-party systems.

· Continuous Innovation and Updates - SAP and its partners regularly update and enhance the pre-built content in SAP BTP.

Analyze

In ANALYZE, the value drivers can be divided into two parts. First one is Data Management and second one is Analytics. It involves collecting, storing, organizing, and ensuring the quality and integrity of data. The unified view of organization data aligned to end-to-end business processes is essential for effective analysis and decision-making.

Data management is a crucial aspect of deriving value from data. With the increasing volume and variety of data sources, organizations face challenges in integrating and managing their data effectively. The emergence of Industry 4.0 and the proliferation of sensors and machines further complicate data management.

Data Management

Datasphere and SAP Analytics Cloud together offer an integrated modern data platform. This platform allows organizations to effectively manage and utilize their data assets to drive business value.

Datasphere is a data integration and management platform that enables organizations to collect, store, and process data from diverse sources. It provides capabilities for data ingestion, data transformation, and data governance, ensuring that data is accurate, reliable, and accessible.

Here are some value drivers of modern data platform:

· Connect or Collect – The flexibility to either replicate the data or connect directly to the source application without replicating ensures there is no time lag.

· Automated Data Acquisition - Streamlined operations from automation with SAP BTP to acquire data gives faster access to data.

· Singular view of data - By combining the external data with SAP data, the data management team can provide Singular view and richer reporting.

· Data Accuracy - with SAP BTP modern data platform fewer reports with poor data quality

· Reduction in Data storage complexity – Faster access to data in real-time reduces multiple copies of data and latency.

Analytics

SAP Analytics Cloud, on the other hand, is a cloud-based analytics solution that allows organizations to analyze and visualize data from various sources. It provides advanced analytics capabilities, including data exploration, predictive analytics, and machine learning, enabling users to uncover insights and make data-driven decisions.

The key capabilities of SAP analytics cloud are given in Figure 4 below.

Figure 4 – SAP Analytics Cloud

Below are the value drivers of bleeding-edge Analytics platform:

· Time to delivery new reports – As business needs change, the response time to provide the data in the format the business users want becomes critical.

· Reduced business disruptions – decisions can be made with the analytics platform without moving data from your SAP applications using live analytics.

· Decision making accuracy – Combined with data management layer, that provides the data accuracy, Analytics layer can provide clear insights for decision making.

· Reduced System administration – Cloud based analytics solution provides significant time savings in system administration with features like single sign-on.

· Self-service Analytics – Allows business users to build their own dashboards with their business data by defining metrics, dimensions & hierarchies.

· AI-driven simulations – Users also can now run simulation scenarios and visualize the impact of decisions to make better business decisions.

By combining Datasphere and SAP Analytics Cloud, organizations can create a comprehensive and scalable modern data platform. This platform facilitates the seamless flow of data from different sources to the analytics layer, enabling users to gain a holistic view of their data and derive meaningful insights. It also supports collaboration and sharing of insights across the organization, fostering a data-driven culture and driving innovation.

Automate

After the first two steps integrate and analyze, we can infuse artificial intelligence (AI) and automation into business processes which can greatly enhance efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making capabilities. AI Powered Scenarios cut across all Core Functions as illustrated in the figure 5.

Figure 5 – SAP Business AI

Below are the value drivers for Automation:

· Reduce Deviations

· Remove Process Blockers

· Error rate reduction

· Improve Cycle Time

· Optimize Resource Utilization

· Cost reduction

· Improve handling time

Value drivers for AI and Generative AI:

· Automation and Efficiency

· Enhanced Decision Making

· Personalization and Customization

· Innovation and Creativity

· Improved Customer Service

· Risk Mitigation

· Scalability and Speed

It's important to note that the value drivers can vary depending on the specific use case and industry. Organizations need to identify the specific areas where AI and Generative AI can provide the most significant value and tailor their strategies accordingly.

Conclusion

Choosing SAP BTP can yield significant value in many ways and areas. It is crucial to align the SAP BTP usage strategy with leadership and implement organizational changes to fully realize its value.

It provides both organizations and their IT teams with a purpose, using the latest technologies to enhance business processes. This impacts not only financially but also boosts customer satisfaction and the morale of their own employees.

Stay tuned for upcoming topics on BTP COE! If you are interested in setting up a BTP COE team in your organization, please reach out to either your account team OR write to cbcoe@sap.com.

SAP Business Technology Platform: “Change Agent” or “Scale Agent” Part 4 – Benefits

2025-01-08T10:06:32.859000+01:00

Functional consultants, who perform activities such as business process analysis, system configuration, documentation, testing, and training, primarily within the realm of business processes and applications, are now able to utilize a range of cutting-edge cloud technologies from SAP BTP to optimize these processes.

BTP as the Enabler

SAP BTP plays an important role as it provides the latest cloud technologies with pre-built content for SAP applications. This is beneficial for technical consultants as it allows them to future-proof their skills towards cloud while utilizing their existing knowledge and expertise in specific business areas.

SAP BTP equips functional consultants with an extensive platform to access, integrate, extend, and adapt SAP applications. It promotes collaboration, agility, and automation by leveraging intelligent technologies like Artificial Intelligence, ultimately empowering functional consultants to provide enhanced solutions and value to their clients.

In Figure 1, we have categorized the three broad categories or archetypes of SAP BTP usage and sub-archetypes which expands into use cases in respective areas.

Figure 1 - Archetypes and sub-archetypes

BTP for Technical Consultants

Technical consultant's roles can be broadly categorized into the following four areas:

1. Developing custom applications

2. Custom reporting

3. Integration

4. SAP system lifecycle management

And technical consultants have developed their skills around various SAP On-premises solutions and tools such as:

· ABAP

· NetWeaver

· Solution Manager

· SAP Fiori

· SAP Data Services

· SAP HANA Studio

· SAP BusinessObjects

· SAP Process Integration

· SAP Landscape Transformation

This list is not exhaustive and there may be additional tools and solutions that are not mentioned here but are representative of the skills developed by technical consultants.

Many of these on-premises and tools solutions have either undergone significant changes, transitioning from a monolithic architecture to a cloud-native architecture, or have been entirely built using cloud-native architecture.

Below in figure 2 the change from old skills to new skills in cloud on SAP BTP is illustrated using the three archetypes:

Figure 2 - From old to new skills

Technical consultants should enhance their cloud skills, specifically in SAP BTP. Below, a list of potential BTP skills maps to their on-premises skills. The table provides several suggestions or recommendations; however, this list is not exhaustive. Moreover, these suggestions are not constricted or conclusive.

BTP for Functional Consultants

Although a functional consultant's role revolves around implementing, customizing, and supporting SAP software solutions based on a customer's or business unit's requirements, few have mastered both technology and functionality.

Figure 3 below illustrates how, in the past, technology and functionality were distinctly different, with very few technologies available for functional consultants to grasp. Learning these technologies in an on-premises setting typically required a substantial investment of time.

Figure 3 - Technology and Functional

But in the cloud world, several services in SAP BTP require minimal understanding of technology. For instance, SAP Build Apps require no coding skill at all; a functional consultant can develop an application with zero coding. Similarly, SAP Build Automation automates manual and repetitive processes. This also does not require technical skills; with user-friendly interfaces, they can define the flow.

SAP Analytics Cloud is another service that is business user-friendly. The latest in the technology space is AI and Generative AI, notably Generative AI enables access to information using natural language. Consequently, business users can interact and ask questions in simple, natural language and receive responses. One such example is the "Just Ask" feature in SAP Analytics Cloud powered by Generative AI. By utilizing this, one can query the SAP Analytics Cloud in regular, natural language and receive the anticipated result.

Functional consultants can offer a much more efficient service to clients using SAP BTP; below is a list of things they can tackle using technology.

1. Easily access integrated, consistent data: SAP BTP offers a unified platform for accessing and integrating data from diverse sources, such as on-premises systems, cloud applications, and external data sources. This allows functional consultants to obtain a comprehensive view of the data, facilitating informed decisions.

BTP service offerings relevant include the SAP Integration suite, SAP Datasphere, and SAP Analytics Cloud.

2. Enhanced Collaboration and Agility: SAP BTP facilitates collaboration and agile development methodologies, enabling functional consultants to work seamlessly with developers, business users, and stakeholders. This encourages quicker development cycles and assures that the solutions align efficiently with the business requirements.

BTP service offerings relevant include the SAP Integration suite, SAP Build Process Automation and SAP Build Apps.

3. Extension of SAP applications: Functional consultants can utilize SAP BTP to expand and tailor existing SAP applications to meet specific business needs. They can construct custom applications, connect with third-party systems, and develop dashboards and analytics to offer additional value to clients.

BTP service offerings relevant include the Cloud Foundry Runtime, Business Application Studio, Mobile Services, ABAP Environment, SAP Build Work Zone, SAP Build Apps and SAP Analytics cloud.

4. Intelligent Technologies and Automation: SAP BTP incorporates intelligent technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine-learning, and robotic process automation. Functional consultants can utilize these technologies to automate repetitive tasks, enhance efficiency, and offer intelligent insights to business users.

BTP service offerings relevant include the SAP AI Core, Document Information Extraction, Data attribute recommendation and SAP Build Automation.

5. Integration with other SAP solutions: SAP BTP integrates seamlessly with other SAP solutions, including SAP S/4HANA, SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Ariba, and so on. Functional consultants can utilize this integration to optimize end-to-end processes, deliver a consistent user experience, and maintain data integrity across various SAP applications.

BTP service offerings relevant include the SAP Integration suite, Advanced Event Mesh and Connectivity Service.

Emerging of a new breed “BizTech”

With SAP BTP, development cycles are accelerating, giving rise to a new class of practitioners dubbed “BizTech Consultants”. These experts merge business and technology, offering unique value to customers by introducing the necessary technologies at the perfect time during the project cycle.

These practitioners used to be called "techno-functional," but in the past, they were few and far between. All this is changing with BTP and the identification of use-cases using new discovery methods like Design Thinking, Agile development techniques, and quick prototyping and pilot.

Conclusion

There is a reason why SAP Business Technology is named as such; SAP BTP offers services that are business-oriented, including services like SAP Build which require no coding to build an application. In terms of data and analytics, SAP Datasphere provides a semantic layer typically used by non-technical users to build their data models. Also, SAP Analytics Cloud is a business-friendly tool for crafting dashboards, reports, etc.

SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) offers diverse benefits for both technical and functional consultants. For technical consultants, it future proofs their skills with the latest cloud technologies, while utilizing their expertise in specific business sectors.

Concurrently, functional consultants can employ SAP BTP to streamline and improve SAP software solutions according to their client’s requirements. With smart technologies like AI and automation, they can provide more efficient services, automating monotonous tasks and refining processes.

Stay tuned for forthcoming topics on BTP COE! If you're interested in forming a BTP COE team in your organization, feel free to contact your account team OR email cbcoe@sap.com.

SAP Business Technology Platform: “Change Agent” or “Scale Agent” Part 5 – BTP for Finance

2025-01-10T14:25:24.598000+01:00

Introduction

It's been a while, and I hoped to expand the SAP BTP Topics to various functional areas. I am delighted to return to this blog series, SAP Business Technology Platform: "Change Agent" or "Scale Agent," with edition 5 focusing on SAP BTP in Finance.

Having explained how BTP can aid technical and functional consultants in my previous blog, I want to delve deeper into the finance process and elucidate how SAP Business Technology Platform can enhance these processes.

Why SAP BTP is important for Functional Consultants

Before we delve further into the subject, it's crucial to address the significance of functional consultants understanding the capabilities of SAP BTP. In the past, when traditional ERP was in use, there were limited options to extend capabilities in case of a process gap, such as creating a Z or Y ABAP program. Additional data required the creation of extra fields or tables. However, in today's cloud world, SAP BTP offers a multitude of possibilities. For instance, users can opt for Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, or even Automation. Given the rapid introduction of new features in SAP BTP, it's essential for functional consultants to grasp the platform's basic capabilities.

Figure 1 illustrates the path that a functional person can follow to learn and utilize SAP BTP solutions when process gaps need to be filled. The journey begins on the left with the Functional domain, moving left to elaborate processes before identifying use-cases and then learning path leading to certifications and the other hand they can build solutions for their specific use cases with BTP Services, which can then be used to develop BTP Apps.

As I've mentioned in one of my previous blogs, it's important to familiarize both functional and technical consultants with each other's areas of expertise. Thus, this blog will also help technical consultants understand the functional aspect.

Figure 1 – Showcasing how a functional person can learn BTP topics

How Technology can help improve Finance

Modern finance and risk teams are adopting technology more swiftly than before, due to advancements such as artificial intelligence, automation, and extensive use of Data & Analytics, which help them meet their objectives and improve collaboration with counterparts across the business value chain.

The finance function's influence on corporate technology decisions has grown over recent years, with an increasing number of CFOs reporting greater involvement in technology choices.

SAP offers a reliable path to autonomous finance. SAP's Vision is to deliver AI-generated insights, problem-solving, decision-making, and predictive modelling with AI tools, enabling CFOs and finance teams to concentrate on high-value tasks that necessitate human intelligence, judgment, and creativity.

Automation and AI can bring significant strategic benefits to finance and risk teams, as well as the entire organization. Many companies begin by implementing basic transactional solutions like workflow automation. For more intricate processes, such as reconciling open items, automation can result in substantial time savings and reduced errors compared to manual methods. These enhancements can positively affect key corporate performance indicators (KPIs), such as lowering days sales outstanding (DSO) through automated receivables processes or expediting the financial close.

By automating routine tasks, teams can focus on resolving genuine exceptions and engaging in more strategic endeavours. For sophisticated applications, including predictive and AI-driven scenarios like planning, cash and liquidity management, and fraud detection, these systems should augment decision-making rather than supplanting human input.

Finance Process overview

Let us first examine the Finance process overview. In Figure-2, the six key areas of the Finance process are depicted, namely:

1) Financial Planning

2) Record to Report

3) Accounts Payable

4) Accounts Receivable

5) Treasury

6) Real Estate

Figure 2 – Finance process and its key process steps

Planning in Finance Process Steps

In Figure-3 below, we delve deeper into Financial Planning and outline the various steps involved as follows:

1) Define objectives

2) Data collection

3) Develop financial models

4) Analyse variances

5) Execute and monitor plans

6) Conduct budgeting and forecasting

7) Refine plans

😎 Evaluate financial performance

Figure 3 – Detailed process steps in Plan to optimize financials

The need for a consolidated & centralized platform

In order to conduct proper planning, the Finance LOB team requires a Cloud-based analytics tool that also offers planning capabilities. This tool can align financial goals through integrated planning and predictive forecasting features. It should provide advanced modelling to create detailed financial projections based on historical data and predictive algorithms. Figure 4 below shows a representation of such a platform with key capabilities.

Figure 4 – Integrated & Centralized Analytics & Planning Platform

This solution should also support collaborative budgeting, facilitating real-time adjustments and scenario planning. The cloud-based analytics should provide real-time dashboards and reports to track financial performance and monitor deviations from the plan. It should enable deep-dives into variances using visualizations and offer collaborative features for sharing updates.

Adaptive planning capabilities permit quick adjustments in response to new information or changing conditions. The cloud-based tool should also include interactive and customizable reporting tools for detailed financial reporting, as well as capabilities to automate report generation. Users can utilize it to assess financial performance against objectives and benchmarks, and leverage insights from past analyses to continuously enhance planning and analysis processes.

You also require an efficient centralized data repository that facilitates the integration and management of collected data from various sources. This ensures data consistency and accuracy, which is crucial in defining objectives and scope.

The cloud-based analytics and planning engine guarantees data consistency and accuracy, allowing for deep-dive analysis using visualizations and drill-down capabilities. The tool can also employ artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify relevant patterns and insights.

Benefits of using BTP in Financial Planning

1. Strategic Decision-Making and Real-Time Data Access: Organizations are increasingly adopting digital infrastructure to gain instant access to data, enabling precise data capture, cost analysis, and informed decision-making. This shift enhances accuracy and efficiency in strategic choices and simplifies regulatory compliance management. Leveraging Analytics & Planning platforms can streamline financial forecasting, optimize resource allocation, and drive effective planning.

2. Transformative Business Models: Businesses are evolving from traditional product-centric sales models to offering comprehensive solutions, backed by robust solution order management. These innovative business models provide customers with enhanced operational efficiency, deeper insights, reduced complexity, and integrated processes.

3. Standardized and Consolidated IT Landscape: Businesses are transitioning to cloud-based solutions to replace outdated, on-premise ERP systems. By modernizing the IT landscape, organizations can achieve reduced complexity, a unified IT environment, standardized processes, and cost savings. The modular cloud approach allows for the consolidation of disparate tools and streamlines tasks such as cash and receivables management, as well as regulatory reporting.

4. Advanced Data Analysis and Predictive Modelling: Utilizing platforms with predictive analytics capabilities allows customers to engage in sophisticated predictive planning and reporting. This predictive analytics potential can streamline and accelerate financial forecasting, enhance decision-making, boost visibility, and increase efficiency in planning processes.

5. Accessible Data for Decision Makers: Establishing a robust data foundation that consolidates various enterprise data sources into the analytics platform makes data easily accessible for decision-makers. This enhances productivity, supports data-driven decision-making, and streamlines processes. Rapidly consuming and acting on information through precise data analysis and insight generation is pivotal for strategic and tactical decision-making, particularly in financial planning. This method also ensures that intelligence is available anytime, anywhere, and on any device.

6. Integrated Systems for Process Efficiency: Implementing integrated end-to-end business processes (e.g., Order to Cash) can be achieved by seamlessly integrating SAP and non-SAP systems, enhancing operational efficiency and optimizing solutions to provide a comprehensive view. This integration fosters maximum transparency, making planning processes and cycles more efficient, and facilitates better decision-making. It enables the optimization of single-year planning within months and empowers the direct analysis and planning of the profit and loss statement.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the usage of SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) into finance processes presents a transformative opportunity that functional and technical consultants alike should embrace. By leveraging BTP's capabilities—from AI and automation to advanced analytics—finance teams can significantly enhance their strategic decision-making, operational efficiency, and collaborative efforts. The platform allows for real-time data access, transformative business models, and predictive modeling, enabling organizations to stay agile and adaptive in a rapidly evolving business landscape.

As modern finance functions increasingly influence corporate technology decisions, understanding and utilizing SAP BTP becomes not just an advantage but a necessity. By consolidating and centralizing data and analytics, SAP BTP empowers finance teams to focus on high-value tasks, ultimately driving better outcomes and sustaining competitive edges.

SAP Business Technology Platform: “Change Agent” or “Scale Agent” Part 6 – How to select SAP BTP

2025-01-14T11:08:18.256000+01:00

How to decide when to use what services in SAP BTP

Below are the main SAP BTP archetypes:

Application Modernization
Data Modernization (Data with value)
AI & Gen AI

First, identify whether the application is transactional or analytical. Transactional applications fall under App Modernization, while analytical ones belong to Data Modernization. This is the initial step in building an application using SAP BTP. Further enhancements can be made through AI or Generative AI, introducing the AI & Generative AI archetype. Refer to Figure-1 for a broad classification of applications.

Figure 1 – Determining application as Transactional or Analytical

Once the correct use-case type is identified, we can begin defining its architecture. This helps in determining the essential SAP BTP services required for the use case..

Application Modernization archetype

Exploring the Application Modernization Archetype, the key services involved include:

Integration service
Application runtime
Business Process Automation
Mobile services
Workzone
Identity services

Figure-2 outlines the decision flow, highlighting questions that classify the application type and identify the services forming the solution architecture.

Figure 2 – Application Modernization archetype decision matrix

Step 1 – Low-code or No-code Tool

First, determine if the application is simple which does not require extensive programming knowledge. Here are some examples of such applications:

Application Type	Finance	Sales, Service & Marketing	Procurement & Expense Management	Supply Chain	Human Resources	Operations	IT
Data collection Apps	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Performance Evaluation					X
Dashboard & reporting tools	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Customer relationship		X
Employee On-boarding					X		X
Approval Workflows	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Project Monitoring						X
Project Task Assignment						X
Project Progress Tracking						X
Inventory Ordering				X
Inventory Tracking				X
Event Management - Registrations		X
Employee Training					X
Compliance Applications	X					X

SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform) Build offers a suite of tools and services that allows developers and business users to create applications with little to no coding. Here are several types of applications that can be built using SAP BTP Build's no-code capabilities:

**Business Process Applications**: Automate and optimize various business processes such as approvals, order processing, and incident management. These applications often involve data entry forms, workflow automation, and integration with backend systems.

**Data Collection and Reporting Tools**: Create applications for collecting data from various sources and generating reports. These applications can be used for surveys, audits, and other forms of data gathering.

**Dashboards and Analytics**: Develop interactive dashboards to visualize data from different business units. These applications typically integrate with data sources to provide real-time analytics and insights.

**Customer and Employee Self-Service Portals**: Build portals that allow customers or employees to access information, perform tasks like submitting requests, or manage their profiles without needing to directly contact support or HR.

**Task Management Systems**: Create systems to help teams manage tasks, track progress, and collaborate effectively. These can include features like task assignment, priority setting, and deadlines.

**Mobile Applications**: Design mobile-friendly applications for various business needs, which can be used by employees in the field or by customers.

**Form-based Applications**: Develop applications to replace paper forms with digital versions, simplifying data entry and processing workflows.

**Integration Interfaces**: Set up simple integrations between different applications and services, allowing data to be shared across platforms without complex development work.

**Productivity Tools**: Develop tools to enhance productivity, such as custom calculators, converters, or document generators.

SAP BTP Build's no-code environment is particularly beneficial for enabling non-technical users to participate in application development, fostering innovation and agility within organizations.

These examples highlight the versatility of SAP Build in developing tailored applications to meet various business needs, enhancing operational efficiency, and simplifying routine tasks like workflow or approval applications. Utilize SAP Build, a no-code tool that allows fast application development without coding for such scenarios.

Step 2 - Automation

Next, assess if it's a repetitive task that can be automated, where the requirement is to streamline and automate business processes. It can combine process management, process automation, decision management, and workflow management. Here are some types of applications and processes that can be built and automated using SAP Build Process Automation:

Application Type	Finance	Sales, Service & Marketing	Procurement & Expense Management	Supply Chain	Human Resources	Operations	IT
Sales Order processing - intake & validation	X	X		X		X
Purchase Order processing - intake & validation	X		X			X
Invoice Processing - Capture, validation & Payment	X		X
Employee On-boarding - Document Collection, access Provisioning, Training Assignments, new employee profile					X
Customer Service – Enquiries, Generating Tickets, Request routing, Generating responses	X	X	X		X		X
Expense Management - Report Submission, approvals, reimbursements			X
Supplychain - Order fulfilment				X
Supplychain - Supplier coordination				X
Compliance checks	X					X	X
Audit Trails	X	X	X		X		X
Human Resources - Leave Request , Performance Evaluations, off-boarding procedures					X
Sales - Campaign tracking, Lead Management		X
Financial Reporting & Reconciliation	X

SAP BTP Build Process Automation is a powerful tool that enables businesses to automate and optimize their processes. Here are some types of applications and solutions that can be built using this platform:

**Invoice Processing Automation**: Streamline accounts payable by automating the extraction, validation, and approval of invoices. This reduces manual errors and speeds up processing times.

**Employee Onboarding**: Automate the employee onboarding process by integrating HR systems to handle document submissions, identity verification, and access provisioning.

**Sales Order Processing**: Optimize the sales order workflow by automating order entry, approval, and fulfillment, ensuring quicker response times and improving customer satisfaction.

**Expense Management**: Automate the submission, approval, and reimbursement of employee expenses to enhance efficiency and reduce the administrative burden.

**Customer Support**: Implement automated customer support bots that can handle common queries, escalate issues to human agents, and integrate seamlessly with CRM systems.

**Procurement and Supplier Management**: Automate procurement workflows, including request-for-quote processes, supplier approvals, and order tracking to enhance procurement efficiency.

**Compliance and Audit Management**: Build applications that automate compliance checks and audit processes to ensure regulatory compliance and minimize risk.

**Data Migration and Integration**: Automate data migration tasks across SAP and non-SAP systems, ensuring seamless integration and synchronization of data.

**Inventory Management**: Implement automated inventory management solutions to track stock levels, manage reorder points, and optimize supply chain operations.

**Facility Management**: Automate maintenance requests, scheduling, and resource allocation for facility management operations.

These applications leverage the capabilities of SAP BTP Build Process Automation to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and speed across various business functions.

These applications and processes can significantly enhance operational efficiency, reduce manual errors, and provide real-time insights into business operations. SAP Build Process Automation comes with a variety of pre-built content and templates that can be customized to fit specific organizational needs, making it a flexible solution for businesses aiming to optimize their workflows.

Step 3 – Workzone or Portal Service

Analyze the user base—whether internal or external. For internal users, employ SAP Workzone; for external users, use the portal service.

SAP Work Zone and SAP Portal Service are components of the SAP Business Technology Platform that facilitate the creation of engaging, intuitive digital workplace and portal experiences. Here are some types of applications and use cases that can be built using these services:

Application Type	Finance	Sales, Service & Marketing	Procurement & Expense Management	Supply Chain	Human Resources	Operations	IT
Employee Self Service Portals	X		X		X		X
Customer Portals		X
Supplier Portals			X	X
Project Collaboration workspaces	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Knowledge Management systems	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
On-boarding and training portals					X
Corporate Intranets						X	X
Service Request and Ticketing Systems		X
Integrated Business Dashboards	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Training and Development Applications	X	X			X		X

SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) Work Zone and Portal services are designed to help organizations build and deploy various types of applications and digital experiences that enhance user productivity and engagement. Here are some types of applications you can build using these services:

**Employee Portals:** Centralized platforms where employees can access corporate information, documents, applications, and services in one place. These portals facilitate communication and collaboration within the organization.

**Supplier Portals:** Platforms that enable efficient collaboration and communication with suppliers, providing them access to relevant data, documents, and processes needed for effective supply chain management.

**Customer Portals:** Allowing customers to access personalized information, services, and support. These portals can enhance customer experience by providing self-service options and personalized content.

**Self-Service Applications:** Applications that allow users to manage their profiles, submit requests, and access self-help information. This can range from HR-related services to IT support and beyond.

**Dashboard and Analytics Applications:** Integrate with various data sources to provide users with visual insights and reporting capabilities. These applications help in making informed decisions by presenting data in an easily interpretable manner.

**Mobile Apps:** Utilizing responsive design capabilities to create mobile-friendly applications that can be accessed on various devices, enhancing mobility and access to important business processes and information on the go.

**Collaboration Platforms:** Applications that facilitate collaboration and social interaction among users, integrating features like chat, file sharing, forums, and community spaces.

**Custom Business Applications:** Tailored applications that meet specific business requirements, leveraging SAP BTP's capabilities to integrate with other SAP and third-party systems to streamline business processes.

**Training and Development Platforms:** Systems that provide learning management capabilities, allowing employees to access training materials, webinars, and courses for skill development and certification.

These applications leverage the tools and functionalities provided by SAP BTP Work Zone and Portal services to create comprehensive, user-friendly, and efficient digital experiences.

By leveraging these services, organizations can improve user engagement, streamline operations, and enhance productivity by providing tailored experiences to employees, customers, and partners.

Step 4 – Mobile Services

Check if the application needs remote or mobile access. If needed, develop mobile applications using Mobile Services.

SAP Mobile Services provides a versatile platform for developing a variety of mobile applications. Here are some types of applications that can be built using SAP Mobile Services:

Application Type	Finance	Sales, Service & Marketing	Procurement & Expense Management	Supply Chain	Human Resources	Operations	IT
Customer Relationship - Interactions, campaigns, service requests		X
Field Service Apps - job details, work status, service reports				X		X
Supply chain - Warehouse management, inventory, logistics				X
Human Resources - Employee Self-Service, leave requests, time tracking, benefits & performance evaluation					X
Business Intelligence Apps	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
e-Commerce and Retail apps		X		X
Workflow & Approval Apps	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Collaboration & Communication Apps	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
IOT enabled Applications						X

SAP BTP Mobile Services provide a comprehensive range of tools and services that facilitate the development, deployment, and management of mobile applications. Here are some types of applications that can be built using SAP BTP Mobile Services:

**Enterprise Mobility Applications**:

- Applications that allow employees to access enterprise data and perform tasks on the go. Examples include HR apps, analytics dashboards, and CRM tools.

**S/4HANA Mobile Applications**:

- Extensions or interfaces for SAP S/4HANA that provide mobile access to critical business processes and data.

**Field Service Management Apps**:

- Applications designed for field technicians to receive work orders, capture job details, and update service status directly from their mobile devices.

**Supply Chain and Logistics Apps**:

- Solutions for inventory management, tracking shipments, warehouse management, and logistics to enhance supply chain operations.

**Retail and E-commerce Apps**:

- Mobile applications for enhancing customer engagement through features like product catalogs, personalized recommendations, and mobile payment options.

**Mobile Asset Management**:

- Applications that allow for real-time tracking and management of assets, maintenance scheduling, and condition monitoring.

**Employee Self-Service Apps**:

- Applications that allow employees to manage their profiles, request leaves, view pay slips, and perform other HR-related tasks from their mobile devices.

**Customer Engagement and Experience Apps**:

- Apps designed to enhance customer interaction and service, such as loyalty programs, feedback collection, and personalized marketing.

**IoT-Enabled Applications**:

- Integrations with Internet of Things devices to provide mobile interfaces for monitoring and controlling IoT-connected equipment and sensors.

**Healthcare and Wellness Apps**:

- Solutions for patient management, appointment scheduling, telemedicine, and health monitoring.

SAP Mobile Services supports a wide range of devices and operating systems, and it integrates seamlessly with SAP’s backend systems, ensuring secure and efficient data handling and syncing. The platform also includes tools for mobile app lifecycle management, from development and deployment to monitoring and analysis, providing a comprehensive solution for enterprise mobile app development.

Step 5 – ABAP on Cloud

Determine if the application demands tight integration with extensive ERP data processing. In this case, use ABAP Cloud or on-stack solutions.

The decision to develop ABAP on the on-premise stack versus ABAP in the cloud depends on several factors, including your organization's infrastructure, strategic goals, and specific project requirements. Here are some considerations to help you decide:

Tight Integration & Heavy Processing: Industries with very specialized processes often rely on on-premise ABAP applications for highly customized solutions that integrate tightly with ERP and other legacy systems and equipment.

Data Sensitivity: If your industry has strict data residency or compliance requirements, keeping sensitive data within an on-premise system may be preferable.

Legacy Systems: Organizations with legacy SAP ECC systems are more likely to continue using on-premise ABAP until they complete a migration to SAP S/4HANA.

Limited Internet Access: Situations where reliable internet connectivity cannot be guaranteed may favour local, on-premise solutions.

Ultimately, the choice depends on your organization's strategic direction, technical landscape, and specific project needs. In most cases, Outside of the above scenarios ABAP on-cloud is the choice.

Step 6 – Multiple BTP Services for Complex Requirements

If requirements don't fit in any of the above criteria, then it might require a mix of SAP BTP services as the requirement may be complex.

Conclusion

Based on question responses, each use-case above is evaluated to select appropriate SAP BTP services. This method offers structured guidance on likely required services for a specific use-case.

Primarily designed for functional teams, it also supports technical teams new to SAP BTP Services by introducing architectural patterns. Previously, custom applications mainly relied on options like ABAP and ‘Z’ tables. However, the cloud environment provides numerous services with faster updates than on-premise solutions, making basic knowledge of SAP BTP Services essential for consultants.

This article aims to facilitate quick identification of suitable SAP BTP services for a given requirement through qualifying questions. Feedback is encouraged in the comments. Thank you, and look forward to the next blog in the series discussing how to select SAP BTP services in Data Modernization Archetype.

Your feedback welcome, please write to cbcoe@sap.com.

Expired Tablets? Not on our Watch!Linking and Tracing value KPI to process PPI to DQ/Analytic/AI KPI

2025-01-22T16:51:05.399000+01:00

Background

In the consumer healthcare world, trust is paramount. Consumers rely on us for products that deliver on their promises, and safety is non-negotiable. But behind every bottle of cough syrup or pack of pain relievers lies a complex web of processes that must work flawlessly.

Behind every bottle of pills lies a data-driven secret to winning market share. In this blog, Let us discover how optimizing batch and shelf-life processes, guided by the right KPIs, can unlock greater efficiency and consumer trust.

Why this process is critical to the consumer health care?

Effective batch management and shelf-life tracking are essential for consumer healthcare companies, leading to:

Increased Product Availability: Ensures products are consistently in stock, both in stores and online, leading to higher purchase frequency and household penetration.
Enhanced Consumer Trust: Demonstrates a commitment to quality and safety, building brand loyalty and encouraging consumers to explore more product categories as there are less product recalls.
Optimized Distribution: Minimizes waste by prioritizing the distribution of products with shorter shelf lives, ensuring fresher products reach consumers.
Improved Consumer Experience: Reduces the risk of consumers receiving expired or ineffective products, leading to higher satisfaction, repeat purchases, and increased household penetration.
Stronger E-commerce Performance: Ensures that products sold online have valid shelf lives and arrive in optimal condition, boosting consumer trust and driving online sales.
Enhanced Brand Reputation & Compliance: Strengthens the brand's reputation for safety and reliability by meeting regulatory standards, attracting and retaining customers.

What Business Value and Process and Analytic KPI's need to be set up for driving process efficiencies?

Ditch the spreadsheets and gut feelings! To build a truly efficient consumer healthcare supply chain, you need KPIs that pack a punch.Tired of expired products eating into your profits? The cure is clear: KPIs that connect the dots between business value, process optimization, and data-driven insights. Get ready to transform your batch management and shelf-life tracking from cost center to competitive edge.

Business Value KPI:

Product Market Volume or Share can be used to measure the business value KPI i.e increase in number of products sold and revenue share.

Process Efficiency KPI(s):

To measure the process effectiveness of batch management and shelf life tracking, you can use the following five KPIs (Key Performance Indicators):

Batch Accuracy Measures the percentage of batches that are correctly recorded and matched with the correct product, production date, and shelf life information. This helps ensure compliance and reduces errors.
Shelf Life Compliance Rate Tracks the percentage of products that are used or shipped before their expiration date. It indicates how well the organization is managing product rotations and preventing the use of expired stock.
Batch Traceability Rate Measures the percentage of batches that can be fully traced back to raw materials, production processes, and final products. High traceability is critical for quality control, recalls, and regulatory compliance.
Inventory Turnover by Batch Indicates how often inventory (organized by batch) is sold or used in a given time period. A high turnover rate suggests efficient batch management, preventing stock from aging or becoming obsolete.
Expired/Out-of-Spec Product Percentage Tracks the percentage of products that are expired, approaching expiration, or outside of defined quality standards. A low percentage indicates effective shelf life tracking and proactive batch management.

Analytic KPI's

You're tracking batch numbers and expiry dates, but are you truly analyzing your shelf-life performance? To move beyond the basics, here are 3 KPIs that reveal hidden insights, optimize inventory, and protect your bottom line.

Shelf-Life Consumption Rate by Channel: This KPI goes beyond the average consumption rate and breaks it down by distribution channel (e.g., online, pharmacy, supermarket). This helps identify channels where products are moving slower and might be at higher risk of expiry, allowing for targeted inventory adjustments.
Days to Expiry at Time of Sale: This measures how close products are to their expiration date when they are sold. Tracking this metric over time and by product/batch can reveal potential issues in your supply chain or distribution network. For example, consistently high numbers might indicate a need to improve stock rotation practices or adjust delivery routes.
Write-Off Cost per Batch: This KPI directly links shelf-life management to financial performance. By analyzing the cost of writing off expired products on a per-batch basis, you can pinpoint problematic products, batches, or even production runs that consistently result in higher losses. This data can then be used to investigate root causes, optimize production processes, or adjust forecasting models.

Data Quality KPI's:

Data holds the key to eliminating expired products from your supply chain. By tracking these 3 DQ KPIs, consumer healthcare companies can make smarter decisions, reduce waste, and boost profitability.

Data Completeness Rate: This KPI tracks the percentage of batch records that contain all required fields (e.g., batch number, production date, expiration date, storage conditions).

Formula: (Number of Complete Batch Records / Total Batch Records) * 100
Goal: A higher completeness rate ensures that accurate, full data is available for decision-making and reduces errors related to missing information that could lead to expired products being shipped.

Data Accuracy Rate :Measures the accuracy of data entered into the system (e.g., correct batch number, correct expiration date, accurate shelf life data). Ensuring data is error-free is key for reliable batch management and expiration tracking.

Formula: (Correctly Entered Data / Total Data Entries) * 100

Goal: A high accuracy rate minimizes costly errors in inventory management and ensures shelf life data is reliable for decision-making.

Real-time Data Availability (Latency) : Tracks how quickly batch data (including shelf life and expiration dates) is updated and available for use across systems in real time.

Formula: Average Time for Data Update from Entry to Availability
Goal: Minimize latency to ensure real-time decisions are made, especially for perishable goods, ensuring that expired products are flagged before distribution.

Batch Analytics Utilization Rate : The percentage of batch-related decisions that rely on advanced analytics, such as predictive analytics for expiration forecasts or automated shelf life recommendations.

Formula: (Number of Analytics-driven Decisions / Total Decisions) * 100
Goal: Increase the use of data analytics for batch forecasting, enabling better stock management, reduced waste, and more efficient shelf life tracking.

AI KPI's

AI isn't magic, it's measurable. Track these KPIs to ensure your AI investments are delivering tangible results.

Shelf-Life Prediction Error: Measures the difference between the AI's predicted shelf life and the actual shelf life of a batch. A lower error rate indicates a more accurate and reliable AI model.
Demand Forecast Accuracy: Tracks how well the AI predicts future demand for products, considering factors like seasonality, promotions, and external trends. Higher accuracy leads to better production planning and reduced waste.
Automated Decision Rate: Measures the percentage of batch-related decisions (e.g., stock allocation, replenishment orders) made automatically by the AI system. A higher rate indicates increased efficiency and reduced manual effort.
False Positive Rate (for Expiry Alerts): Tracks how often the AI incorrectly flags products as nearing expiry. A low false-positive rate is crucial to avoid unnecessary interventions and maintain trust in the system.

How we can achieve the process efficiency?

To achieve the efficiency in batch management and shelf life tracking within an SAP environment, several SAP data objects need to be cleansed and maintained properly. Clean data ensures accurate reporting, effective analytics, and improved decision-making. Below are the key SAP data objects that require cleansing:

1. Material Master (MM)

Key Fields to Cleanse: Material Number: Ensure no duplicate or incorrect material numbers are present.
Basic Data: Verify the accuracy of material descriptions, units of measure, and classification.
Batch Management Indicator: This flag determines whether batch management is activated for a material. Shelf Life Data: Ensure expiration dates, shelf life period, and "Best Before" information are consistent and up to date.
Why it's Important: The material master drives many processes in batch management, including the correct tracking of shelf life and batch-specific information.

2. Batch Master (BM) / Batch Management Data

Key Fields to Cleanse: Batch Number: Ensure that batch numbers are unique, and the proper batch number ranges are defined.
Batch Status: Check that the status of the batch is accurate (e.g., whether it’s blocked, released, or expired).
Batch-Specific Attributes: Data fields related to production date, shelf life, and expiration dates need to be consistently maintained.
Why it's Important: Batch data is directly tied to shelf life management, product traceability, and ensuring that expired products are flagged in the system.

3. Vendor Master (VM)

Key Fields to Cleanse: Vendor Data: Cleanse and verify that supplier details are correctly entered, including lead times and supply conditions.
Contract Data: Ensure consistency in contracts related to batch management, particularly with suppliers offering products with specific shelf life requirements.
Why it's Important: Proper vendor data ensures that the raw materials and products you receive have the expected shelf life, leading to better batch and expiration tracking.

4. Inventory Management Data (IM)

Key Fields to Cleanse: Stock Levels: Verify that stock quantities are accurate and up-to-date.
Batch Assignment: Ensure that inventory is correctly linked to the right batch and that batch information (production date, expiry) is accurate.
Why it's Important: Accurate stock and batch-level data are crucial for ensuring that inventory management processes do not allow expired batches to be used or sold.

5. Quality Management (QM) Data

Key Fields to Cleanse: Inspection Lots: Make sure that all inspection lots are correctly assigned to batches and include expiration or shelf life information.
Test Results: Ensure that any quality tests performed on batches reflect true shelf life conditions and are properly recorded.
Defect Codes and Alerts: Cleanse the defect categories to ensure accurate reporting on product quality, particularly when related to expiration issues.
Why it's Important: Ensures the quality of batches is properly tracked and that expired or defective goods are identified before shipment.

6. Production Planning and Control (PP)

Key Fields to Cleanse: Production Order Data: Ensure that production orders contain accurate batch numbers, manufacturing dates, and expected shelf lives.
Routing and Bill of Materials (BOM): Clean and maintain up-to-date data on materials used in batch production, along with their shelf life parameters.
Why it's Important: Production orders must align with batch management and shelf life tracking to ensure product quality and timely usage.

7. Sales and Distribution (SD)

Key Fields to Cleanse: Sales Order Data: Ensure sales orders are correctly linked to the right batches and product shelf life. Shipping Data: Verify that shipping information includes accurate shelf life and batch data to prevent the shipment of expired products.
Why it's Important: Ensures that products are shipped in compliance with their expiration and shelf life constraints.

8. Warehouse Management (WM)

Key Fields to Cleanse: Storage Location Data: Ensure proper categorization of products in different storage locations based on batch and shelf life. Movement Types and Data: Cleanse movement data related to batch transfers and adjustments.
Why it's Important: Warehouse data ensures that products are stored in compliance with their required shelf life conditions, and that batches are rotated correctly.

9. Change Management Data (in SAP GRC)

Key Fields to Cleanse: Change Logs: Ensure accurate tracking of changes made to material and batch master data, particularly when shelf life or batch attributes are adjusted.
Why it's Important: Enables traceability and compliance with audit requirements, especially when shelf life or batch details are modified.

By cleansing these key SAP data objects, you'll ensure accurate tracking of batches, shelf life, and expiration dates, which are critical for improving inventory management, reducing waste, and ensuring compliance.

Data without impact is just noise. How are YOU turning data initiatives into tangible business value? Let's compare notes!

SAP Developer News March 20th, 2025.

2025-03-20T21:10:00.050000+01:00

DESCRIPTION

Podcast: https://podcast.opensap.info/sap-developers/2025/03/20/sap-developer-news-march-20th-2025/

Joule for Developers

The "Joule for Developers" announcement post: https://community.sap.com/t5/technology-blogs-by-sap/unlock-new-levels-of-productivity-with-ai-in-sap-build/ba-p/14034784
Joule for developers webcast on April 10 https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&eventid=4900012&sessionid=1&key=0A4956D70F7E2F8BBB5B4FD79DA6A7E9&groupId=6031930&sourcepage=register
SAP Community contest - https://community.sap.com/t5/application-development-and-automation-blog-posts/joule-for-developers-word-search-challenge/ba-p/14045228

Abap2UI5-local is now available with syntax compatibility down to ABAP v702

Link to GitHub Repo: https://github.com/abap2UI5/abap2UI5-local?tab=readme-ov-file

Release Candidate for Terraform Exporter for SAP BTP is available

Release notes https://github.com/SAP/terraform-exporter-btp/releases/tag/v1.0.0-rc1
Webinar (recording) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9adgJQwItdY

CHAPTER TITLES

0:00 Intro

0:10 Joule for Developers.

1:34 Abap2UI5-local is now available with syntax compatibility down to ABAP v702.

2:18 Release Candidate for Terraform Exporter for SAP BTP is available.

4:07 SAP Insider Las Vegas.

TRANSCRIPTION

[Intro] This is the SAP Developer News for March 20th, 2025.

[Tom] Hey, we're here at SAP Insider in Las Vegas. We had the keynote the other day from Jan Gilg, and he reiterated the announcement of Joule for Developers. Joule for Developers is the culmination of delivering Joule Code Assistant and other developer capabilities throughout our developer tool suite. So it's the delivery of Joule capabilities, in SAP build code, SAP build apps, SAP Build Crosses Automation, and of course the ABAP capabilities. And it's been so cool to be able to deliver hands-on sessions here on those very topics. In fact, we were in one the other day where we were doing ABAP Joule capabilities, and we were able to do stuff goes way beyond code generation. We asked it to explain some code to us, and then I asked it to explain it to me as though I'm a two-year-old, and it actually did a really good job of summarizing it in a very simple way. But then I asked it, explain the code to me as though I'm a SAP 46C developer. And it actually analyzed the deltas and the important new capabilities that the code showed. So, Joule goes way beyond just generating little snippets of code, and I can't wait for everybody at home to be able to try it out. Hey, ABAP developers.

[Shilpa] I have an exciting news if you're still working with the older ABAP releases. ABAP2UI5 is now available with ABAP version 702 and it is syntax compatible. Now you can run the entire ABAP2UI5 framework within a single HTTP handler. All the ABAP2UI5 artifacts are combined into a single HTTP handler implementation as local class. Now with this approach, your app will be completely independent of the rest of the system, as well as well as as if you have any Abap to app on installation. Now, this down put wouldn't be much seamless and effortless without the use of Abap Lint tool. So if you want to give it a try, the link to the GitHub repo is in the description. Check it out.

[DJ] Hola, I've just arrived here in Madrid and I'm in a really funky work pod here in the SAP Madrid offices. Anyway, I'm running an SAP code jam on CAP here tomorrow. along with my lovely colleague Antonio and then attending SAP Insightrack Madrid on Friday, where I'm giving a talk on the CDS REPL. Anyway, I've just got time to tell you about some news about the Terraform provider for SAP BTP. Specifically, the release candidate for the Terraform exporter for SAP BTP is out now. Now, the exporter is this special tool that help us move our existing. existing resources on BTP under the command and control of Terraform, because not everybody has the opportunity to start from a greenfield landscape. Anyway, the release notes for this first release candidate are out and available on GitHub, of course. They contain details about new features, bug fixes, breaking changes and more. So check them out. Related is a webinar. Let's taking place tomorrow as I record this i.e. on Thursday the 20th of March that's when it's taking place so by the time you see this it'll probably be over but there'll be a recording of the webinar all about surviving brownfield terraform projects with the btp exporter so I'll put a link in the description to this news item so you can go watch the recording of that webinar anyway I've got to sign off now get on with the final prep for the CodeJam tomorrow. Happy terraforming.

[Josh & Rich] Hey everybody. Josh Bentley. Rich Heilman. And we're live from SAP Insider. We love the partner network at SAP. We're here for the second year in a row at the Bellagio. And we're here for the SAP Insider event. We're doing lots of great hands-on sessions. I've got one yesterday. I'll tell you about a second. But Rich, what are you doing? Well, yesterday we did two hour hands-on sessions and first one was about the three-tier extensibility, which went really well, really great. And then your second one in the afternoon, we talked about how Joule can help ABAP developers be more efficient, more productive. All that's you. What are you doing tomorrow? So, yeah, we're going to actually take that Joule theme and we're going to extend it using a great workshop that shows you how to use build code with Joule. So we're going to have people diving in and doing hands-on and actually going in and building, as we know. And they're going to build some apps and actually connect to Joule and be able to do some real iterative things and make changes to the applications because they're building, and it's pretty quick. It's only a two-hour workshop, so we try to get just a little bit of an interest built for this, and then later they can dive deeper on it. Yep. All right. Ready for another great day? Yeah, let's get started. All right. We'll see you later. Hi.

Quickly Deploy a Streamlit Python App to BTP

2025-06-10T20:12:24.528000+02:00

Streamlit is an open-source Python framework that is useful for quickly building and deploying data-centric web apps with dynamic frontends (link to documentation). A key benefit of using Streamlit is that AI scientists/engineers can create UI-based apps using just Python (a language they tend to be highly familiar with), rather than having to resort to JavaScript, HTML/CSS, etc. Streamlit use cases may include analytics dashboards that leverage Pandas data frames, visualization of geographical maps, and interactive ML services (see many more examples in the Streamlit app gallery here).

In this blog post, we will look at how to quickly deploy a Streamlit app on BTP, which can be especially useful for productizing company-internal data products. Fortunately, this SAP tutorial already describes how to deploy a "Hello World" Python app on BTP using Cloud Foundry, and we will use that tutorial as a basis for rest of this blog post. While that tutorial uses the Flask framework, we only need to make a few small modifications to the code to make it work for Streamlit. As such, in the following, we will assume that you are able to deploy the "Hello World" Flask app from that tutorial without any issues.

In order to modify the tutorial code to work with Streamlit, perform the following changes:

In server.py, replace all of the code with:

import streamlit as st

st.write("Hello world")

In requirements.txt, add the following requirement:

streamlit

In manifest.yml, change the line describing the command to:

command: streamlit run server.py --server.port 8080

Notice that the Streamlit app is exposed on port 8080.

And that's essentially it 😊

Now redeploy the app with cf push.

The app should load at the appropriate app url (e.g., https://<some_url_prefix>.cfapps.eu12.hana.ondemand.com/).

Elevate from OData Provisioning Neo/Serverless Runtime(CF) to Integration Suite OData Provisioning

2025-12-23T04:34:52.359000+01:00

OData Provisioning exposes business data and business logic as OData services on SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), thereby enabling customers to run user-centric applications on SAP Cloud.

In the Neo environment, OData Provisioning is available as a service of SAP BTP, which combines SAP Gateway capabilities in a Cloud context.

OData Provisioning, on Neo as a service, will no longer be accessible post December 31, 2028.
For more information, see SAP Note 3351844

OData Provisioning, a new capability in Integration Suite

OData Provisioning functionality is now being provided as a capability on SAP Integration Suite. This facilitates exposing business data and logic from SAP Business Suite systems as OData services on SAP BTP. This in turn, allows customers to create and run user-centric applications seamlessly on SAP Cloud.

Refer this blog to know more about OData Provisioning Capability in SAP Integration Suite.

Supported plans for OData Provisioning in Integration Suite

OData Provisioning is available as a capability of SAP Integration Suite in all its plans. For details on SAP Integration Suite plans that support OData Provisioning, please refer SAP Note 2903776

How to migrate to OData Provisioning on Integration Suite?

Transitioning OData Provisioning Service on Neo to OData Provisioning Capability in SAP Integration Suite
Refer to this document for more detailed description on migration process.
Note: You must re-register the services which were already registered to ensure business continuity.
Transitioning OData Provisioning from SAP BTP Serverless Runtime to SAP Integration Suite
Follow this document for transition from using OData Provisioning functionality on SAP BTP, serverless runtime to SAP Integration Suite.
Note: If the SAP Integration Suite subscription is in the same subaccount as the Serverless Runtime, the services which were already registered will appear in the Integration Suite application, and the runtime will work seamlessly.
However, if the SAP Integration Suite subscription is in a different subaccount, then the services must be registered again for business continuity.

Common concerns raised by customers during migration

Scenarios:

Your UI5/HTML5 application is developed using SAP Business Application Studio (BAS) with SAP managed approuter and consumes the OData Provisioning services, then the CSRF token handling for ‘modify’ operations are done at the application approuter level.
In this case, to avoid any CSRF token validation failures from OData Provisioning, you would need to do the following steps:
- In the xs-app.json file of your application remove parameter "csrfProtection"
- Define prefix "/sap/opu" in backend destination of ui5.yaml
You are using Principal Propagation scenario in the OData Provisioning Neo environment
- By using AppToAppSSO authentication type between your application and OData Provisioning end point, then while migrating to CF environment, this type of destination should be changed to use authentication type as OAuth2JWTBearer or OAuth2UserTokenExchange
- For more information on the destination authentication types on Neo and CF environment, refer this document.