Next generation ERP

The cloud-based next-generation ERP suite leverages a new architecture for in-memory technology and offers contextual analytics, a digital assistant, machine learning and the Fiori user interface.

Customers will be able to adapt business processes and models on the fly and make decisions based on real-time information. This was announced at the SAP Capital Markets Day at the New York Stock Exchange, where SAP executives presented the company's strategy and innovations.

S/4 Hana Cloud contains quickly activatable functions for digital business processes in various industries and business areas. These benefit from rapid implementation and value creation as well as lower start-up costs.

The market research institute IDC forecasts that the market for cloud business applications will grow by 17 percent annually and that the market volume of this segment will increase from $47.4 billion to $103.9 billion between 2015 and 2020.

"More than forty years ago, SAP invented first-generation ERP."

Says Darren Roos, president of S/4 Hana Cloud.

"As a market leader, we later developed the first ERP cloud solution together with other new cloud providers. While many cloud providers have technically stopped there, SAP has invested in the next generation cloud ERP.

S/4 Hana Cloud leverages the new architecture and technical innovations. Together with our process know-how, it paves the way for a whole new generation of intelligent ERP systems in the cloud."

Intelligence, real-time, integration

The Hana platform is designed to give companies an overview of all processes in real time. S/4 Hana Cloud forms the digital core and can be integrated into the entire SAP portfolio.

Examples include SAP SuccessFactors solutions for human resources management, SAP Ariba solutions for procurement, Hybris solutions for customer engagement and commerce, Concur solutions for travel and expense management, and SAP Fieldglass solutions for procuring services and managing external employees.

The new release of S/4 Hana Cloud allows customers to accelerate their digital transformation and make business processes more efficient through greater transparency, automation and quality.

The ERP suite for the cloud consists of, among other things:

• S/4 Hana Professional Services Cloud: enables a consistent project
  management
• S/4 Hana Finance Cloud: An easy-to-use, modern financial solution with procurement and order management capabilities to support large enterprises and subsidiaries
• S/4 Hana Enterprise Management Cloud: combines functions for services and finance for comprehensive mapping of business processes in real time.

Roadmap for innovations

SAP also published an overview of the roadmap for future ERP innovations in the cloud.

SAP's planned quarterly updates consist of setup wizards that are getting smarter through machine learning and artificial intelligence, predefined settings that are easy to customize, and additional cloud-to-cloud integration and external programming interfaces for integration with other applications and legacy systems.

In addition, SAP has unveiled detailed plans for blockchain capabilities to implement digital ledgers and Internet of Things capabilities to support global digital business models.

Plans have also been announced for partners to develop localization and industry extensions.

"S/4 Hana Cloud paves the way for a new generation of intelligent ERP systems in the cloud"

Says Darren Roos, president of S/4 Hana Cloud.