Advantages of AI-supported End-to-end Process Automation in the SAP Environment

Today, companies of all sizes and from almost all industries are faced with the task of advancing their digital transformation in order to become more resilient and react quickly and flexibly to new market requirements. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. A full 52% of companies that use SAP applications have not yet made much progress on their digital transformation journey, according to the DSAG Investment Report 2023. 

Intelligent SAP process automation with AI

Intelligent, AI-supported end-to-end process automation can provide a remedy here, across all systems. It works across all applications and data sources, i.e. from central SAP applications to non-SAP systems, self-developed databases and individual Excel solutions through to email programs or external documents. 

Certain steps and activities of a business process in applications such as SAP S/4HANA or SAP ERP are already automated using special programs or scripts. However, the vast majority of transactions and internally developed Z programs and reports still have to be executed manually using transaction codes or short commands. 

The use of intelligent, AI-supported automation, in which software robots automate previously manual routine tasks and process steps in SAP transactions across systems and thus end-to-end, offers enormous potential for optimization and benefits. If these robots can also be seamlessly integrated into the existing IT system landscape (SAP and non-SAP) without having to change the underlying infrastructure, this is another invaluable advantage. 

Process automation in the SAP environment - three examples 

In order to decisively advance digitalization and the use of data-driven business models and position itself for the future, a company should automate as many processes as possible. In the SAP environment, there is a wide range of possible applications for this, for example creating, checking and saving SAP documents, SAP testing (regression tests), integrating external data and documents into SAP and non-SAP solutions or in relation to Intelligent Document Processing (IDP). 

1. document processing and mass upload

Where SAP documents (order confirmation, goods receipt, delivery bill, invoice) are not created, checked and saved manually, but automatically by a software robot that works with AI technologies, the error rate is reduced to a minimum. At the same time, it saves time that employees can use for other, value-adding activities. An automated (mass) upload of several thousand documents per month from non-SAP software to an ERP solution from SAP, including checking, is also much simpler, faster and more efficient than manual execution with a mouse click. For example, a leading provider of precision engineering solutions for the semiconductor, flat panel display and photovoltaic industries has been reliably and quickly automating the mass transfer and processing of more than 5,000 orders per month since implementing automation software.

2. SAP test scenarios with bots and AI

The situation is similar with regard to SAP regression tests: if a software robot takes over the time-consuming and repetitive tasks of human system testers, the test team is noticeably relieved and can concentrate on functional tests for changed processes, for example. AI support also allows test cases and data to be generated automatically. However, the automation of regression tests also offers numerous other advantages. 

A global logistics service provider was able to speed up its testing activities enormously in this way, so that the feedback for each test is now available much faster than before. The company wants to use test automation above all to guarantee the security and stability of its complex logistics processes in the SAP environment in the long term and reduce its operating costs. The scope of testing can now also be expanded to cover a considerably larger number of business requirements than before.

And a Swiss railroad company benefits greatly from automated software testing in a central data management and governance system based on SAP Master Data Governance (MDG). With its help, the testing processes have been simplified and accelerated many times over, and the quality of the data and software implementation has also improved considerably. In addition, the automation project represents an important step for the company in achieving two key strategic goals: establishing a data-driven corporate culture and transforming into a data-driven organization.

3. intelligent document processing (IDP) and Co.

Intelligent process automation with AI/ML models can also play to its strengths in scenarios such as the extraction, interpretation and processing of data and information from documents of all kinds (PDF, scan, manuscript) and reduce manual effort to almost zero. The same applies to the analysis and classification of images and language/text from emails, documents, websites, portals and social media platforms. 

Automation of SAP S/4HANA migration and upgrade 

However, the potential offered by automation in the SAP environment is far from exhausted. In particular, the advantages of migrating from SAP ERP to SAP S/4HANA, whether using the brownfield, greenfield or colorfield approach, or when upgrading older SAP S/4HANA versions (1809, 1909) to a current release, whether on premises or cloud edition (private/public), should not be underestimated. A migration or upgrade using robot-controlled automation can not only be carried out considerably faster and therefore more cost-effectively, but is also much more secure thanks to an error rate that is reduced to a minimum - a clear added value.

For example, the world's largest supplier of commercial explosives and ignition systems for mining and infrastructure automated the changeover from SAP S/4HANA 1809 to version 2022 with the help of a test suite and thus carried it out quickly and securely. At the same time, the Group also identified and verified over 4,000 process steps and 120 business scenarios that could be automated as part of this project. The plan is to automate 50 percent of both the process steps and the business scenarios. The strategic goal of intelligently automating as many SAP processes as possible is to accelerate the digital transformation in order to strengthen the company's leading position in the market, continue to grow and increase its enterprise value.

Switching to SAP S/4HANA - from process mining to cut-over 

The switch from SAP ECC 6.0 to SAP S/4HANA can also be optimized: the starting point for this is an analysis and quantitative evaluation of the use of business processes. IT tools for process mining such as SAP Signavio or for (AI-supported) task and communications mining, as offered by UiPath, are suitable for this. These tools enable a data-based and objective "X-ray view" of the actual workflows in SAP processes and provide important information on which workflows or sub-processes should primarily be automated. This is an important prerequisite for leveraging not only the potential for automation, but also the potential for optimization and standardization in operational processes. 

The next step in the changeover, the preparation phase, can also be significantly streamlined by automating recurring tasks, for example with immediately deployable accelerator packages with predefined workflows. These tasks include, above all, the identification and deactivation/deletion of unused in-house developments and individual extensions (custom code) that are no longer required or no longer executable under S/4HANA in order to obtain a lean S/4HANA core system that has been purged of legacy burdens. At the same time, risks are reduced.

Last but not least, software robots also simplify and accelerate the complex cut-over process consisting of numerous repetitive individual steps during the migration and roll-out of the new S/4HANA solution and make it more secure. Ideally, bots that coordinate themselves and resolve recurring problems independently perform the associated tasks in a highly networked and workflow-supported manner. This significantly increases the quality of the cut-over, while the elimination of manual tasks relieves the internal IT team, which can then concentrate on monitoring the cut-over and solving more complex problems.

Criteria for selecting the right automation platform

All of this demonstrates the concrete benefits and added value that a company can gain from robot-controlled end-to-end process automation in the SAP environment. However, the selection of an automation platform needs to be carefully considered, as it is an individual and strategically far-reaching decision.

1. SAP-to-SAP process automation

If the company's focus is on process automation in a pure SAP environment (SAP to SAP), the low-code platform SAP Build Process Automation can be the tool of choice. 

2. cross-system End-to-end automation

Although ERP software from SAP (SAP S/4HANA, SAP ERP) has established itself as a quasi-standard in many sectors - just think of the automotive (supply) industry - experience shows that very few companies use SAP software exclusively. True to the best-of-breed approach, the core ERP system from SAP is supplemented in most cases by non-SAP solutions, for example a CRM for customer management, a manufacturing execution system (MES) for controlling store floor processes or an HR application for personnel management. 

In order to increase the level of automation in an IT landscape consisting of SAP and non-SAP applications across systems, a platform is needed that can be seamlessly integrated into both SAP and non-SAP software and applications. From a technical perspective, an end-to-end automation platform such as that from UiPath, which works with AI and ML technologies and supports common SAP UI technologies (WinGUI, WebGUI, SAP Fiori, Business Client) and is also compatible with on-premises and cloud software from SAP as well as with SAP interfaces (BAPI, RFC, OData), is suitable for this. 

A comprehensive library of API connectors for the integration of a large number of non-SAP solutions (Salesforce, Workday, Microsoft, ServiceNow, Jira, Zendesk), which is constantly being expanded, is also essential for the realization of cross-system end-to-end automation. It is also desirable for the platform to provide out-of-the-box packages and AI models for robotic automation, as well as ML models integrated directly into SAP for predictive analytics and natural language processing (NLP) chatbots.

On top of this, the automation platform must meet all legal and compliance requirements. In addition to SAP's premium certification as an "SAP Endorsed App" and a Veracode certification, it should also be ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 27001 and SOC 2 compliant (type 2) and offer seamless encryption, role-based access control and an uptime guarantee of 99.9 percent.

No automation without change management 

But be careful: In order to derive the maximum benefit from process automation in the SAP and non-SAP environment, you should be aware from the outset that this undertaking is not just an IT project, but first and foremost a strategic business project that requires smart change management. After all, robotic process automation fundamentally changes the way work processes and tasks are handled and completed. This can only be achieved with good change management and the unconditional support of the management/executive board. 

uipath.com/en