SAP AG has unveiled its portfolio of SAP xApps composite applications. Built on the SAP NetWeaver platform, SAP xApps tap reusable functions, or 'services', from existing IT systems, enabling and automating innovative processes that improve collaboration among business units and with... |
SAP AG has unveiled its portfolio of SAP xApps composite applications. Built on the SAP NetWeaver platform, SAP xApps tap reusable functions, or 'services', from existing IT systems, enabling and automating innovative processes that improve collaboration among business units and with business partners, the company is said to have quoted.
According to the company, available in ramp-up for first customers in March 2007, the SAP xApp Sales and Operations Planning (SAP xSOP) composite application will help companies align business units on the best-suited, lowest-risk plan for financial success. The application will enable finance, sales, purchasing and production departments to collect, analyse and track all sales and operations planning (S&OP) data in a central location, reducing the time information workers spend hunting down data and enhancing information visibility for decision makers.
"Companies often grapple to obtain a consolidated view of all the planning-related data that streams through the spreadsheets and applications used by various departments," said Andrew White, Research VP, Gartner. "This can result in a disconnect between financial goals, marketing efforts and inventory targets and cause a lot of unnecessary footwork and redundant manual data entry. When all parties in the sales and operations planning value chain—from shop-floor managers on up to the CEO—can base their decisions on a shared, consolidated pool of information, companies can ensure that a single, unified plan is driving the business."
Built-in Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will be available in general categories such as demand, supply, inventory, capacity and budget. Flexibly deployable and simple to use, the application also allows users to alter or add new KPIs, the company added.
"Through the ASUG influence council, SAP has listened to its customers' needs to fill in process gaps and transform S&OP into a strategic business driver," said Randy Isdahl, Supply Planning Manager at Brown-Forman Corporation and influence council member of the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG).
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