http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/How business and IT leaders innovate with SAP® and SAP BusinessObjects™6985http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6985In his latest column, Joshua Greenbaum explores the history that led to SAP’s decision to power SAP Business Suite with SAP HANA. He explores why the archrivalry between SAP and Oracle was so important in this development, and why SAP HANA will fuel innovation to give SAP a distinct advantage in the market.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -04002013-04-01T00:00:00-04:006995http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6995When Grupo Modelo took the step to become a more process-oriented organization, a key objective was to make sure the business processes and rules were consistent company-wide. Standardizing organizational processes would give the brewer more insight into operations, but would also create challenges specifically related to risk management.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -04002013-04-01T00:00:00-04:006990http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6990Users in the Americas division of pharmaceuticals firm Astellas were increasingly asking IT for more advanced analytics, but the company’s SAP infrastructure couldn’t support that level of analysis. Before IT could implement the analytics and other business-facing solutions the users wanted, the team had to perform a full technical upgrade, which included upgrading the database, servers, operating system, and core SAP system.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -04002013-04-01T00:00:00-04:006986http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6986In a recent survey of 220 risk-focused SAP customers, insiderRESEARCH found that even though executives and board members understand the importance of risk management, current approaches to address it are missing the mark. To drive a true enterprise risk management program, organizations need collaborative, analytic, and predictive capabilities functioning at all levels of the enterprise — and using the right technology to deliver these capabilities is essential.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -04002013-04-01T00:00:00-04:006993http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6993Multinational companies have historically struggled to manage their transfer prices so that they satisfy legal requirements and meet business objectives. But by following three simple steps and using the right technology solution for the job, companies can “operationalize” transfer pricing and achieve their goals.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -04002013-04-01T00:00:00-04:006998http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6998As the list of SAP partners expands, so do the options for SAP customers to find the right solutions for their specific business challenges. In this Q&A with Anja-Christina Bruehling, Vice President of SAP’s Active Global Support organization, learn how SAP ensures its partners have the tools and best practices they need to work together with SAP to help customers navigate today’s highly innovative business environment.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -04002013-04-01T00:00:00-04:006988http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6988SAP is now one of the largest proponents of co-innovation, and its partnerships are critical to the company’s overall business mission of innovating for customer benefit. One such partnership is with Intel. Both SAP and Intel have been working together for more than 25 years, and their most recent venture is the Petascale Cloud Lab.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -04002013-04-01T00:00:00-04:006991http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6991With a non-integrated mainframe system housing disparate financial data across its seven distribution centers, Eby-Brown Co. knew that integrating this data across the enterprise was a key first step to gaining better insight into financial dealings. However, the lack of an end-to-end solution made reporting and analytics a challenge. To solve this issue, the company implemented SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse 7.3 powered by SAP HANA.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -04002013-04-01T00:00:00-04:006984http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6984In this Q&A with Susan Bor, SAP’s Senior Vice President of Talent, Bor describes what SAP is doing to win leading talent in the always competitive realm of technology recruiting. She also describes how the practice of “employers selling the company as aggressively as prospective candidates sell themselves” is transforming the hiring process at SAP.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -04002013-04-01T00:00:00-04:007004http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=7004Many companies lack centralized B2B process visibility inside the ERP system, which can lead to an inability to answer seemingly simple supply chain questions, such as where a customer order is in the process or why an order has yet to ship. To help in this endeavor, SEEBURGER AG has developed a solution that expedites problem identification and resolution by providing centralized B2B process visibility.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -04002013-04-01T00:00:00-04:006997http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6997When startup WeissBeerger discovered that brewers were operating in virtual darkness when it came to consumption-related trends about their products, the company designed a cloud-based dashboard tool to deliver these insights. But the ability to measure beer and liquor consumption in real time and then analyze this information is a tall order. So to make this tool a reality, WeissBeerger turned to SAP HANA.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -04002013-04-01T00:00:00-04:006989http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6989Siemens Industry, Inc. relies on a hefty list of checks and balances to make sure its 8,000 SAP ERP users are generating accurate financial reports. In 2009, when a reorganization brought several disparate business units together, Siemens was tasked with changing internal processes to meet compliance requirements while also simultaneously improving end-user productivity.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -04002013-04-01T00:00:00-04:006885http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6885To produce its safety training and marketing collateral, the underground mining division of Joy Global Inc. had been using images of its mining equipment from 3D computer-aided design drawings, which were not meant for end users with a non-technical background. To help reach these target end users, the company chose to utilize the SAP Visual Enterprise portfolio.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006878http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6878In early 2012, PARI Respiratory, Inc., a respiratory products manufacturer, received 60% of its orders via fax, email, and telephone. But in an age where customers can order products online around-the-clock, this approach was losing its appeal. By teaming up with b2b2dot0 – a company that specializes in real-time integration between eCommerce platform Magneto and SAP systems – PARI created a new eCommerce site for its customers.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006882http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6882Dr. Jan Grasshoff, SAP Senior Vice President and Head of Talent, Leadership, and Organizational Design, believes that the most important asset to SAP is its people. In this Q&A, Dr. Grasshoff shares his perspective on human resources trends, the challenges HR teams face today, and how HR can produce happier, more-productive employees.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006874http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6874While SAP has an app store of sorts in the form of an iPhone app called SAP Mobile Apps, a lot more has to happen before SAP’s mobile aspirations can be considered a success. Many companies look to Apple as the ideal model to emulate, but in fact, looking at Apple as the anti-model for SAP mobility may be the answer.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006881http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6881When tackling a large-scale implementation, such as rolling out SAP ERP Human Capital Management (SAP ERP HCM), it is important to consider potential challenges before you approach the beginning phases of the project. Learn one key challenge that is present in every human resources project, and why “data construction” can solve this issue.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006888http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6888To ensure employees are properly trained, businesses must provide education through materials, in-person instruction, or online training, as well as make sure employees are up to date on certifications. For General Mills — a business that employs 39,000 people worldwide — this is a tall order. To standardize employee training in the supply chain area, the company implemented SAP Enterprise Learning and RegLearn from hyperCision.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006876http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6876To become Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliant by the end of its fiscal year, the IT department at North American pipe and tubing manufacturer JMC Steel had to standardize the company’s IT SAP security. Learn how JMC Steel changed its GRC processes and implemented a solution on top of SAP ERP to identify segregation of duties violations to become SOX-compliant.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006875http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6875Maintaining communication and visibility into supplier operations all over the world can get complicated quickly for global businesses that deal with hundreds of suppliers and contract manufacturers. Health and beauty products manufacturer and distributor Conair faced such difficulties, and found the solution to this challenge with SAP Supply Network Collaboration.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006879http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6879Many enterprises today have a tangle of EDI and business-to-business (B2B) point solutions that are expensive to maintain and lead to difficulties managing partner communications and supporting process improvement efforts, for example. Luckily, advanced B2B integration platforms can help companies overcome these problems, and can improve B2B efficiency and functionality in eight critical ways.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006877http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6877Since its founding more than 125 years ago, American Water has grown regionally and through acquisition. As a result, the company’s business processes and IT landscape became very localized. To change from a decentralized group of independent regional businesses to a more centralized organization, American Water embarked on a multi-phase transformation project.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006884http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6884McKesson Corp. collects and manages vast amounts of data every day. One business unit, McKesson Revenue Management Solutions (RMS), found a way to turn this data into actionable business intelligence (BI) for customers by using SAP BusinessObjects solutions to create a self-service BI solution that lets customers analyze their specific data.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006891http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6891BlackLine is featured in the insiderPROFILES case study of Zurich in North America. To download a PDF copy of the Zurich in North America case study, compliments of BlackLine, click the button below.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006887http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6887One of the goals of Sysco’s business transformation was to put in place the business processes and systems that would allow the company to reduce costs, increase revenue, and make it easier for its customers to do business with the organization. To do this, Sysco developed a customer-facing self-service order-management portal.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006886http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6886Throughout 2012, SAP staked its claim in the areas of cloud, collaboration, and customer relationship management in a number of ways. Rebecca Wettemann, Vice President of Nucleus Research, discusses if last year’s emerging trends will continue in 2013, and explains the research company’s top 10 IT predictions for 2013.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006883http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6883For software developers, once a client provides a list of requirements, development teams must visualize the design and deliver a prototype as quickly as possible for testing and review – and ideally, this prototype should be interactive. To speed this process, Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) turned to SAP Application Visualization by iRise.Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -05002013-01-01T00:00:00-05:006742http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6742The new Windows 8 platform represents a potentially paradigm-busting moment for SAP, assuming that both Microsoft and SAP can see the benefits of collaborating with one another. So what exactly are these benefits, and why should SAP customers care about Windows 8? Learn the answers to these questions and more in Joshua Greenbaum’s latest column.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006755http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6755For oil and gas, utilities, food and beverage, and other manufacturing industries, an effective maintenance program is essential to ensure reliable equipment operation. But without complete and accurate master data, the ability to plan and execute preventative and emergency maintenance activities can be difficult. To help companies with this potential problem, BackOffice Associates offers cMass for EAM.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006741http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6741When energy provider Enovos was faced with new regulations, the company was forced to separate its business operations into two distinct SAP environments. Since Enovos didn’t want to build a new data center from scratch, the company decided to migrate its SAP systems onto a more stable virtual environment. The virtualization project saved time and money and provided Enovos with more flexibility and faster response times.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006746http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6746Globalization has changed the way companies conduct their business and as technology advances, more doors open for these global companies. For example, collaboration and communication between businesses has increased, allowing stand-alone companies to expand into stronger business networks. Read this article to find out how Endress+Hauser united all of its 94 entities into one global business through a centralized CMS.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006738http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6738Today, consumers expect to get what they want almost immediately. This puts the pressure on online vendors, like Corporate Express Australia, to closely manage their inventory and adjust pricing as necessary. To better manage its operations, Corporate Express ran a large business transformation project, which involved an enterprise-wide SAP implementation and business intelligence initiative and resulted in significantly increased performance and response times.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006745http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6745Like many companies, Amcor Rigid Plastics has gone through enormous change in the last decade with technology advances, acquisitions, and sales revenues. Its ERP database was getting too big, so Amcor implemented an archiving strategy to reduce costs, stabilize database growth, and increase SAP ERP system performance and availability.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006749http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6749Power outages are one of the more inconvenient aspects of life now that most of our activities surround electricity. This is why system performance is extremely important to PSEG (Public Service Enterprise Group). To ensure the best level of service, PSEG implemented SAP Solution Manager and the Run SAP Like a Factory methodology so it would be able to predict system performance issues, receive alerts when system performance is out of range, and improve customer service.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006753http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6753For a biopharmaceutical company like Gallus BioPharmaceuticals, production processes, quality standards, and documentation of manufacturing operations have to be precise every time. When the company acquired a commercial facility in 2011, it was tasked with moving the acquired plant onto independent IT systems. To do this, Gallus decided to implement a new business solution from the ground up.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006739http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6739Like many companies, Graybar traditionally focused on customers that spent the most money. However, after seeing detailed data on buying power, customer loyalty, and cost-to-serve dimensions, the company decided to take action. Graybar developed a data-driven customer stratification model to increase profitability and more efficiently meet the needs of customers.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006750http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6750The Globe and Mail, one of Canada’s longest-running newspapers, was facing difficulties in marketing to prospective customers. The company did not have one central repository of information, making it very difficult to cross-reference current subscribers and prospects. To fix this problem, The Globe and Mail implemented SAP NetWeaver BW to build campaigns instead of exporting data to an outside source and was able to make faster, more accurate campaigns at a significantly reduced cost.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006737http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6737In the era of big data, companies need high-level computational science and expertise as well as the right technology to truly take advantage of the benefits big data can bring. But unfortunately, this is not always the case. To ensure its customers have access to the resources necessary for an effective predictive analytics program, SAP offers the services of its Performance and Insight Optimization (PIO) organization.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006744http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6744Organizations spend massive amounts of money to protect their networks from outside intruders, but ignore the more daunting threat of breaches by their own employees. Often times, these breaches can be traced to file sharing practices that feature few controls over who can send what to whom, and no audit trail to support compliance efforts. Luckily, SEEBURGER AG offers a solution to this growing challenge.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006754http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6754The inability to access banking services is one of many contributing factors to poverty in Africa. For people living in rural areas far from a physical bank branch, it can be difficult to apply for credit cards, manage savings, or pay bills. By offering a way for people to easily open bank accounts and access banking services with their mobile phones, Standard Bank may just be helping reduce poverty on the continent.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006740http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6740Mobile service provider Vodafone Group has grown tremendously since its creation 27 years ago. And in today’s booming mobile market, there is no foreseeable end in sight. But to continue to grow as a company, Vodafone needed to function more like a single entity, with common practices, centralized operations, and data sharing between operating companies.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006747http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6747Kellogg Company has over 50 manufacturing plants on 6 continents and produces products in 18 countries. To say that their supply chain processes are essential to the business is an understatement. In this Q&A with Diana Karklins, Vice President of Application Solutions at Kellogg, learn how the company improved system integration and information access by migrating business data to a standardized landscape.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-10-01T00:00:00-04:006630http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6630When companies implement new software solutions, they often find that the most difficult task centers on data. What data should be migrated from the legacy system to the new solution? What data should be retired? What data needs to be maintained to fulfill legal requirements? To help companies in this daunting endeavor, BackOffice Associates offers its Data Audit solution.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006637http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6637Though telecommunications firms are essential to today’s business operations, many of these companies are realizing that the products they provide are becoming a commodity. To differentiate themselves from one another, they need to customize their products and services based on the needs of their customers. And to do this, they must successfully comb through massive amounts of customer data — big data, to be exact.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006636http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6636SAP’s solution portfolio is complemented by more than 2,400 certified partner solutions as well as industry-specific add-ons. These add-ons can help companies in a number of ways, such as improving system transparency for accounts teams, and reducing manual tasks and activities for HR and sales. This article spotlights just a few of SEEBURGER’s add-ons and solutions that are helping companies tackle everyday business challenges.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006632http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6632For longtime SAP customer EGGER, business expansion has been a key goal. But expanding the business means more employees, and more employees means greater demands on IT. To meet this demand, EGGER decided to develop a new data center, as well as undertake an initiative designed to virtualize the application servers across its SAP landscape.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006628http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6628As many businesses operating in the consumer products industry know, it can be extremely difficult to predict consumer demand. This was the driving factor behind Hallmark Cards’ complete business transformation — to enable its supply chain to efficiently and effectively respond to consumer demand spikes. Most important in this project was a rollout of SAP software that would replace most of the company’s existing legacy systems.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006635http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6635Without consistent data across all business units and systems, global reporting can become a challenge rather than a competitive advantage. Colgate-Palmolive had been collecting data in regional ERP systems with different governance models, and business executives knew that the company needed a centralized governance process and enterprise information management solution before it could even think of leveraging global reporting and analytics.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006631http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6631“Software-as-a-service” and “cloud computing” are two terms many technology professionals have heard over and over again lately. In this Q&A, Cindy Jutras, independent enterprise software analyst and founder of Mint Jutras, discusses the ins and outs of SaaS and cloud computing. What’s the difference between the two, how have they impacted the ERP market, and how do both technologies best fit into the SAP ecosystem?Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006633http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6633With people and processes that span the globe, Vitra Group needed a way to better orchestrate its ad hoc process and projects that involve both internal and external partners. After implementing SAP StreamWork to enable the quick, controlled flow of information between the business and its partners, the company has experienced a host of benefits stemming from improved collaboration.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006626http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6626There’s no doubt about it: every company wants to be like Apple. At first glance, even SAP is emulating the Apple model with its release of Recalls Plus, an app that lets consumers track product recalls and share details within social networks. But in reality, it’s Apple that should be striving to be more like SAP. Columnist Joshua Greenbaum explains why.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006638http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6638With over 100,000 employees, Tyson Foods faces certain challenges when managing HR data. To make sure employee data flows smoothly to managers, HR directors, and others who need it, the company’s HR Compensation/HRIS Group has taken a unique approach by implementing the organization management functionality in SAP ERP Human Capital Management.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006629http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6629Surgutneftegas’ IT department, which is always seeking out innovative new technologies, underwent a proof of concept for a pilot implementation of SAP HANA — and the benefits were a welcome surprise. CIO Rinat Gimranov shares how even though the functionality is not yet in production for commercial operation, the advantages stemming from real-time analytics and reporting are already apparent.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006627http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6627When New Balance found out that support for its financial consolidation solution was ending, a vital question surfaced: What system would replace the existing solution? The answer lay in SAP Business Planning and Consolidation, an application which helped the company ultimately cut its average financial close time in half.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006634http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6634Bart & Associates specializes in large-scale modernization and custom-development efforts across the federal government. So when the business decided its systems needed an upgrade, it had the advantage of being well versed in available products and technology. In this Q&A, Vice President of Service Delivery Jonathan Evans details the company’s decision to go with SAP Business-All-in-One, hosted in a private cloud.Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-07-01T00:00:00-04:006445http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6445Saikat Maiti, Security Manager at Varian Medical Systems, shares the process of the company’s upgrade to SAP BusinessObjects GRC 10.0, including business benefits and concrete advice to SAP customers looking to migrate to the latest release. Learn how the new functionality changed the way the business prepared for audits. And hear what users are saying about the new version.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006435http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6435Many companies expect a few technical glitches to occur during database migration efforts. But for CSR Limited, sporadic outages were not an option. With 2,000 SAP users, CSR’s IT department needed to ensure the continued operation of its SAP system on the new database platform. It met its goal by using a robust, flexible automated monitoring solution.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006429http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6429Since SAP has acquired more than 30 companies — most notably Business Objects and Sybase — what does this mean for SAP customers, investors, and partners? Analyst Josh Greenbaum reviews SAP’s acquisition history and delves into the most recent acquisition of SuccessFactors, revealing what exactly SuccessFactors brings to the table.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006440http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6440One important goal of Home Trust’s recent SAP implementation was to quickly provide customers with information about their mortgage applications. With SAP for Banking, Home Trust has achieved this goal, and can now provide both the front-end, customer-facing functionality and back-end financial capabilities it requires.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006446http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6446In this Q&A, Michael Rieder, Global Head of SAP Enterprise Support and Senior Vice President of SAP Active Global Support for EMEA, answers questions regarding his specific responsibilities in his dual role at SAP, challenges customers struggle with today, and why SAP Enterprise Support is much more than just a problem-fixer.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006432http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6432The success of an employee intranet environment greatly depends on user acceptance. If the user interface of the intranet’s content management system (CMS) is unwelcoming or difficult to maneuver, the company’s editors may abandon it and employees may lose interest in the site. Because of this, many companies are turning to e-Spirit’s FirstSpirit CMS.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006444http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6444When SAP customer Bayer Corporation decided to upgrade its SAP ERP software, it was faced with the obstacles of archiving legacy data and decommissioning old systems. The business used SAP NetWeaver Information Lifecycle Management for these purposes, and began a process of meeting with each individual business unit to determine data needed down the road.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006441http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6441A top priority for companies that have recently performed a data migration is to ensure the quality of both the migrated data and newly entered data. This is the objective of data governance — to avoid costly, frustrating post-migration issues. This article makes the case for application-managed data governance.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006434http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6434Many financials professionals continue to turn to one application to perform their various duties: Microsoft Excel. But there is a way to leverage both the familiarity of Microsoft Excel with the power of SAP ERP Financials with a product called GLSU. Read what some financials users see as the advantages of this solution.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006433http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6433LEGO building blocks have become so popular that the company decided to expand its product line to capitalize on increased growth. To make sure its legacy product development system did not hold them back, LEGO has embarked on an implementation of SAP Product Lifecycle Management, with the transition to the application broken up into four distinct phases.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006438http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6438Kevin Benedict, Founder of Netcentric Strategies, and Davin Wilfrid, Senior Analyst at insiderRESEARCH, teamed up to conduct a survey that studied the impact of the mobility revolution on the SAP customer base. This article outlines their findings, including the reasons why SAP customers are going mobile, and how many have already shaped an enterprise-wide mobility strategy.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006437http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6437We are entering an era comprised of a multi-generational workforce of employees who are increasingly ready and willing to switch companies. In this era, talent and succession management is increasingly difficult. Companies need new approaches to management. What’s your game plan for building a winning team and managing talent?Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006443http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6443Due to the widespread popularity of smart phones and tablet devices, many businesses are considering the value of the bring your own device (BYOD) model. Though it saves companies money by allowing employees to use personal devices for work purposes, the BYOD model brings with it important obstacles, such as how to mitigate information security risks and development costs.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006430http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6430Kraft Foods was in the midst of an enterprise-wide SAP implementation and the business realized that the best way to expand the benefits of the company’s SAP rollout was to deploy user-friendly BI applications. See how the business created a four-point plan that has served as their secret recipe for success.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006439http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6439Coty Inc. has more than 12,000 employees across the globe that its center of excellence (COE) must service. By implementing SAP Extended Diagnostics by CA Wily, the company can now utilize intuitive dashboards to monitor IT operations and user activity. Already, the business benefits include proactive monitoring and accelerated problem resolution.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006431http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6431For chipmaker NVIDIA, accurately forecasting customer demand is essential for business. Knowing consumer trends in the electronics industry allows the company to position its inventory levels accurately. If demand dips, NVIDIA could lose millions of dollars from excess inventory. To help, the company turned to SAP Advanced Planning & Optimization, SAP BusinessObjects solutions, and SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006442http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6442Due to a rapidly growing database, the IT team at McCormick & Co., Inc. became concerned about the time required to back up the company’s database — in some cases, it took as long as 24 hours. The team identified data compression as the solution to its problem, and used a tool provided to them by SAP to complete the project.Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006436http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6436The integration of electronic data interchange (EDI) technology with ERP platforms like SAP ERP results in a host of business benefits, such as reduced administrative costs and the elimination of manual errors. But many of today’s companies are held back by their legacy EDI landscapes. What should businesses do to successfully update this environment?Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -04002012-04-01T00:00:00-04:006272http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6272For any company, delayed deliveries can result in lost profits. But for a company like AmerisourceBergen, which processes 80,000 orders for pharmaceuticals per day, delayed deliveries can have deadly consequences. To continue to ensure that pharmacies and hospitals receive the inventory patients need, AmerisourceBergen embarked on a business transformation initiative to replace its legacy system with a scalable ERP platform.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006268http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6268Operating in today’s business environment requires companies to comply with industry standards and protect critical applications -- and they must be able to prove they are doing so. This article dives into the findings of an insiderRESEARCH project in which surveyed security-focused professionals describe the challenges surrounding managing access risk with manual controls.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006269http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6269Ross Wainwright, COO of North America and former EVP of North America Services, recommends three best practices to help business users simplify future SAP projects and promote growth and innovation: think big, start small, and move fast; pull more levers with fewer hands; and embrace the art of governance. Read the article for details about these best practices.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006265http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6265Which is more advantageous: designing and selling both hardware and software, or just focusing on software? Analyst Josh Greenbaum fleshes out this question by discussing the real secret behind Apple’s success — a company that designs and distributes its own hardware and software — as well as the history and future of the database market.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006273http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6273In this Q&A, Davis Bennett -- Vice President of the Solution Delivery Center at SAP Consulting North America -- discusses the potential benefits of SAP Rapid Deployment solutions. For example, instead of tackling massive projects, customers can utilize packaged services that require less customization and less costs, but are still fully integrated and scalable to meet any future needs.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006271http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6271Businesses today have security, scalability, visibility, and compliance concerns -- traditional file transfer protocol (FTP) software is no longer enough to satisfy these demands. Companies are now turning to managed file transfer solutions for secure and reliable data exchange. This article outlines the drawbacks of FTP and the benefits of utilizing a managed file transfer platform.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006275http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6275Senior IT Consultant Janice Reissig describes DuPont’s business process management (BPM) initiative in this Q&A. The BPM initiative is designed to standardize business processes in DuPont’s supply chain and help reduce reliance on legacy systems. Though DuPont is still only partly through its journey, the end goal for the initiative is standardization on a single SAP instance.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006270http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6270For over 10 years, the nuclear energy industry changed very little, and Westinghouse Electric Company continued to operate successfully using SAP software that was implemented back in 1999. But in recent years, the nuclear industry has expanded quickly, and to meet new demands, Westinghouse Electric launched a transformation program that included a complete reimplementation of its SAP environment.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006277http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6277Nu Skin, a developer and distributor of health and beauty products, has employees in 28 different countries around the world. Previously, no centralized HR system existed to collect employee data or provide standardized HR reporting. Now, Nu Skin utilizes SAP ERP Human Capital Management -- and its journey to go-live is one that is truly unique.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006267http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6267When Hasbro’s “big-bang” implementation approach in the 1990s created differing business processes across the company’s 27 different markets, management quickly realized a more centralized, shared-services business model would be necessary to continue to expand into new regions of the world. Thus, the business-driven, IT-supported Way to Work initiative was created, which included a major SAP upgrade.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006274http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6274Deloitte’s Solutions Network (SNET) group is responsible for helping Deloitte Consulting sell and deliver projects and packaged applications. The SNET group’s approach is unique -- potential clients tour a virtual showroom of preconfigured SAP solutions tailored to their specific industry needs. This experience is only available because of the SNET group’s dedication to virtualization, as the business's 300 virtual SAP instances can attest to.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006266http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6266Is your business considering implementing a cloud-based application by SAP? Greg Tomb, President of SAP Cloud Applications, explores the types of cloud-based applications SAP offers, the challenges they address, and the differences between SAP cloud applications and SAP enterprise applications. In addition, get an in-depth look at his predictions for cloud adoption among customers.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006276http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6276Though financial professionals who use Microsoft Excel often rely on IT to create uploading templates, queries, and reports from their SAP systems, there is a way to eliminate this dependence. Learn the benefits of utilizing Z Option’s GLSU and the GL Wand solution from Excel4apps, which are both SAP certified for smooth integration with SAP ERP Financials.Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -05002012-01-02T00:00:00-05:006121http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6121Federal-Mogul has 112 manufacturing locations and 21 aftermarket distribution facilities in 35 countries. How does a company of this size monitor all of its IT systems? SAP Solution Manager was Federal-Mogul’s first step in providing a vehicle that would allow the Basis team to perform “active monitoring” consistently across the company’s entire SAP landscape. Discover how Federal-Mogul went beyond the basics of Solution Manager to truly leverage the solution's power and productivity.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006113http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6113If your approach for implementing an application that will be accessed primarily by business function users is the same one you’d take to deploy a back-end IT system, you might want to rethink your implementation strategy. In this article, Bluefin Solutions shares five indispensable tips learned from its own implementation of SAP BusinessObjects EPM 10.0 solutions, including how to effectively engage end users in more than just the requirements gathering phase.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006115http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6115Among the ranks of your company’s leadership may well be an executive with the title of Chief Strategy Officer. This new role has seen rampant adoption in the past few years. So, what makes this position so compelling to organizations? See what Chakib Bouhdary has to say about this innovative position and his responsibilities as CSO at SAP.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006128http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6128Output Management is often the last thing on a company's list of priorities during an ERP implementation. However, not seriously thinking about how printing output can affect your company could lead to a significant loss of revenue. SAP recognizes this challenge but also realizes it cannot create every piece of software its customers will need. This article showcases two case studies where companies benefited from partnering with an SAP-certified output management provider.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006112http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6112When President Barack Obama visited an Allison Transmission plant recently, he told the company that its work to design more fuel efficient vehicles was "really important” to the US economy. One of Allison Transmission's keys to success is its effective use of SAP Product Lifecycle Management (SAP PLM), which has streamlined the product development process and allowed Allison to increase the number of new products it releases each year.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006122http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6122The one overarching topic that looms over SAP, its customers, and its competitors centers around the never-ending debate over the total cost of ownership (TCO) of enterprise software. Read this article to discover how knowing your company's IT-IQ (information technology intelligence quotient) and calculating its buying power can help make sense of TCO.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006125http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6125Reliable document printing and output management solutions play an important, but often overlooked, role in an SAP customer's optimization and cost-cutting efforts. In this article, learn how you can increase the value from your SAP investments by supporting scalable, rapidly deployable output management solutions.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006116http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6116The benefits of moving off a legacy system to a more robust SAP ERP are clear for most companies. But hosting a new ERP system internally means training an IT team, managing upgrades, and possibly hiring new personnel with SAP expertise. Outsourcing provides another option. This story follows Cobra Electronics Corporation's journey in finding the right outsourcing partner for its SAP instance.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006124http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6124To produce its cutting-edge semiconductors and microprocessors, high-tech giant Intel needs the very latest manufacturing equipment — and those tools don’t come cheap. In this article, read how Intel used SAP technology to pay suppliers sooner and dramatically improve its discount capture rate for capital purchases from ~50% to over 95%, exceeding the corporate goal, and resulting in millions of dollars in cost savings each year.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006126http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6126“Customer satisfaction” takes on a much more urgent meaning when physicians use your organization’s products to treat patients with chronic diseases. At medical technology company Medtronic, no customer complaint is ever taken lightly. Throughout its production of medical technologies that help millions of people live better and longer, Medtronic strives to record and track every byte of customer feedback it encounters. Find out how being an early adopter of SAP HANA has helped Medtronic manage this ever-growing database of customer information.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006114http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6114Business analytics is becoming ever more important now that companies have increasing access to data. Electronics manufacturing services provider Celestica saw the opportunity to turn supply chain data into a competitive advantage. Get an inside look at how Celestica leverages business analytics to create a competitive edge for the organization and its customers in this Q&A with Dr. Tianbing Qian, Senior Director of Information Solutions.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006111http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6111When SAP customers evaluate third-party solutions, a crucial piece to consider is how the new solution will integrate into the business’s existing technology landscape. To ensure an easy integration, SAP has been focused on co-innovation with its partners. This article details how American Express collaborated with SAP to develop a more easily integrated payment solution for SAP customers.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006120http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6120Accurately tracking and managing overall spend is quite a task for most companies, especially those with large supplier rosters. Is your company experiencing very high procurement transaction volumes and increased maverick spending within its homegrown purchasing solutions? If so, read this article to learn how SAP customer The Ericsson Group has met this challenge by implementing an e-procurement platform with the help of Capgemini Procurement Services.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006118http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6118More than half of the world’s population survives on less than $2 a day. In fact, the vast majority of humans on this planet struggle to secure access to the basic necessities of food, water, shelter, and medical care. Direct Relief International is a nonprofit organization with a single purpose — to provide humanitarian assistance and medical resources to people who can’t pay for them. Learn how Direct Relief used SAP technology created an online community network that can support people in need by making medicines and supplies more easily accessible.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006123http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6123SAP customers often need to look outside of their own company to gain advice on the best ways to leverage their software. However, looking for specific advice on an individual topic across the Internet can be time consuming and frustrating. The most innovative customers are now looking to online resources that capture the collective intelligence of the IT community on all things related to SAP software. This Q & A details the role tools like the Insider Learning Network can play in educating SAP users.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006127http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6127Mobility just might be this year's most pressing priority for IT organizations. However, jumping on the mobility bandwagon before a company's IT back-end systems are ready could be potentially disastrous. Mark Howell, CIO at building materials distributor PrimeSource Building Products, discusses PrimeSource's strategy to provide the business with both stability and mobility through a two-phased IT transformation project.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:006119http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=6119With almost two million industrial, commercial, and residential customers, Enbridge Gas Distribution maintains a vast pool of customer data, which grows by 10 to 12 gigabytes per business day. Hugh MacMillan, Manager of IT Technical Services at Enbridge, saw that the company was reaching a point where it would be almost impossible to perform a system refresh. Discover how Enbridge dissected the problem and found a solution that would speed up this process.Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-10-01T00:00:00-04:005905http://insiderprofiles.wispubs.com/article.aspx?iArticleId=5905Could gaming and business marry and live happily ever after? As online games like Angry Birds and FarmVille infiltrate the business culture, money is being invested in making business more game-like. This article takes a critical look at the concept of bringing gaming technology to the enterprise and how SAP can use games to incentivize collective, collaborative action.Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -04002011-07-01T00:00:00-04:00