Community Short Facts - May 2023

SAP honors Tricentis with two partner awards

Tricentis, a provider of enterprise continuous testing, has received two awards from SAP: an EMEA South Partner Excellence Award 2023 for SAP Solution Extensions - Growth and a Partner of the Year award from SAP Germany's Diamond Initiative. The Diamond Initiative recognizes partners who have made a special contribution to building and expanding collaboration with SAP in Germany. The EMEA South Partner Excellence Awards are presented to the top-performing partners in Europe, the Middle East and Africa who have made a special contribution to the digital transformation of companies using SAP solutions. Together, the award winners help customers innovate, deliver results quickly, grow sustainably, and work more easily.

NTT DATA Business Solutions receives award for 2023

NTT DATA Business Solutions has been named S/4 Hana Cloud Partner of the Year 2023 in Germany in this year's Diamond Initiative for SAP Partners. As part of the Diamond Initiative, SAP Germany recognizes strong partners who excel in specific categories. Along with the award, NTT DATA Business Solutions will also become a focus partner in Germany in four relevant sales areas: Process and Life Sciences Industries, Discrete Manufacturing and Automotive, Digital Supply Chain, and Intelligent Spend and Business Network. Norbert Rotter, CEO of NTT DATA Business Solutions:

“I am proud that our German
business unit was able to convince not only with strong sales, but also with expertise and innovative strength.e.“

Norbert Rotter,
Chairman of the Board,
NTT DATA Business Solutions

"We are delighted to have received this award from SAP Germany. It underlines how established we are in the national cloud business. I am proud that our German business unit was able to convince not only with strong sales, but also with expertise and innovative strength. We will continue to invest in this promising area to enable our customers to successfully transform to the cloud." 

SAP recertification for Itesys

Itesys, an SAP Basis service provider, has once again received SAP's certification for outsourcing partners in the categories of cloud and infrastructure operation, hosting operation, and operation of Hana with the top score of "Excellent". SAP offers a certification program to partners who manage customer environments in the cloud or on-premises. These certifications help customers find the best service providers to meet their needs in terms of quality, scope and geography, while certified partners can increase their market presence and generate new revenue. In the case of Itesys, several factors were decisive for the Excellent rating: the high level of maturity of the support processes, the very high number of certified administrators, the clear focus on SAP Basis support, and the twin-core data center concept with proven availability, security, data recovery, or even zero outage. Itesys also holds the ISO 27001 certificate, which confirms the highest standards regarding information security, as well as the ISO 9001 certificate, which stands for a proven quality management system. 

Targeted data protection with IRI Voracity

IRI Voracity, a comprehensive U.S. Big Data platform, provides solutions to accelerate SAP Sybase and ASE. Sybase IQ or ASE DBA can be used to evaluate various performance and protection issues, such as unloading and loading large Sybase tables, slow auxiliary operations (e.g. reorgs) or queries, unprotected personally identifiable information (PII), troublesome database migration or replication, generation of or access to test data sets, also specific performance diagnostics and tuning take time and may affect other users. Additionally, stored SQL procedures can also be programmed inefficiently, need to be optimized, and then still take too long. As a solution, IRI offers Voracity Fact (Fast Extract) to output transaction tables in parallel with flat files.

For speed transformations, querying and loading data, the company offers SortCL in the Cosort or Voracity platform to filter, sort, join and aggregate extracts in parallel. To speed up reorgs, they can be run offline, that is, using file systems such as the Offline DB Reorganization Wizard, instead of loading the database. To move data into and out of Sybase and other data sources, there's NextForm DB Edition or the Voracity platform. Static data masking jobs for Sybase, Hana and other JDBC and ODBC connected sources can be created using the standalone FieldShield package or the Voracity platform. To quickly populate Sybase with secure test data, the high-volume test data generator RowGen is available.

FIS launches SAP plant for Rafi Group in Hungary

FIS Informationssysteme und Consulting, a service provider for SAP solutions, has created its own SAP plant at the Hungary site for the Rafi Group, a contact in the areas of E2MS and all HMI topics. The headquarters in Berg and the site in Mezőtúr in Hungary previously had only one SAP plant, i.e. only one operating site within the company code, since the plant in Hungary is not mapped as a legally self-accounting unit. Prior to implementation, goods movements between the Hungarian and German sites were mapped using a construct that did not permit stock transfer movements and made it difficult to plan goods movements over time. This was a legally and technically challenging task that required an intelligent distribution of goods.

The site in Hungary is now managed as an independent plant in the German company code. This allows separate inventory controlling, higher transparency in material flows and inventories as well as in production and also minimizes the tax burden abroad or the tax risk. The goods for all locations are purchased via Germany - the FIS logic decides on the basis of the current demand and inventory situation at which location they are required. This enables a time, quantity as well as demand-oriented decision to be made. In addition, physical movement in the warehouse in Germany is minimized - goods for Hungary are temporarily stored in appropriate staging racks to reduce manual effort for warehouse staff. Processes in the group have been standardized and the granularity and quality of planning have been improved. Rafi now has optimum inventory and demand transparency thanks to separate logistics processing.

Syntax receives Appreciation Award 2023

SAP has honored Syntax, a global IT services and managed cloud provider, with the Diamond Award Digital Supply Chain - Appreciation Award 2023. With this award, SAP recognizes Syntax's strong performance around the digital supply chain. In total, Diamond Awards were presented to partners in 20 areas, in addition to Special Awards in three categories. For the award, partners are evaluated on five different dimensions using a Diamond benchmarking model, in four of which - Innovation, Expertise, Supported Revenue and Demand Generation - Syntax performed above average. In addition, the company achieved exceptional results in the Discrete Manufacturing, Consumer Industries, Midmarket and Partner Sales sectors. In addition, Syntax has been nominated as a focus partner for the Digital Supply Chain and Discrete Manufacturing and Automotive sectors.

Grow brings benefits to medium-sized customers 

SAP has announced Grow. The new offering is designed to enable midmarket customers to adopt cloud-based ERP to gain benefits such as high speed, predictable costs and continuous innovation. Grow customers can leverage the same best practices as global leaders while benefiting from rapid deployment and smooth updates. Grow combines S/4 Hana Cloud, Public Edition, with accelerated adoption services, a global community of experts, and free learning resources so customers can go live in as little as four weeks.

“Grow with SAP offers the flexibility and innovation that midsize companies need to succeed not only today, but in the years to come.n.“

Christian Klein,
CEO, SAP

Grow also includes BTP (Business Technology Platform), which enables customers to define their own processes cloudnatively with SAP Build. Build solutions enable business users to build enterprise applications, automate processes and design business pages without writing code - a key advantage for those who are close to the business in terms of content and can build the solutions they need. IDC research shows that many midsize companies are growing rapidly and their technology needs to grow with their business as they face the same issues related to global complexity as larger enterprises.

Zalaris again awarded as SAP focus partner

Zalaris, a service provider of HR and payroll solutions for the sustainable simplification of human resources work and an SAP Gold Partner, is delighted to have been recognized once again as an SAP Focus Partner. Last year, the company was recognized in the Human Experience Management category. With the current nomination, Zalaris receives recognition as a focus partner in the areas of Human Experience Management and Energy.

With the Diamond Initiative, SAP Germany recognizes exceptional expertise and performance with the aim of focusing on selected implementation and solution partners. The categories evaluated are supported sales, demand generation, expertise (successful projects, certifications), the implementation of projects with innovation products, and the provision of solutions.

NTT DATA as "Best in Class" for sustainable provider

NTT DATA, a digital business and IT services company, announced that market analysis and consulting firm Pierre Audoin Consultants (PAC) has named the company "Best in Class" in eight different categories in an analysis of sustainability and CSR among IT providers in Europe. The company was rated "Best in Class" for sustainable IT consulting and services in Germany and Europe as a whole. NTT DATA has made targeted investments in sustainability services, integrating new technologies such as AI, IoT and blockchain to drive innovation in its sustainability solutions.

“At NTT DATA, we strongly believe that companies have a responsibility to improve their carbon footprint and protect the environment.n.“

Kaz Nishihata,
Senior Executive Vice President and Representative Director, NTT DATA

The company has developed a comprehensive offering that includes CO₂ emissions tracking, climate risk monitoring, natural capital management, smart city and smart mobility solutions, and a sustainable healthcare solution. PAC evaluated the top 26 IT service providers in Europe for delivering sustainability-related IT services as part of a broader IT services portfolio. A variety of parameters were included in the analysis, including the service provider's specific sustainability-related consulting and services.

In addition, the classic IT service elements such as application modernization, green coding or cloud migration were considered from a sustainability perspective. PAC awarded points based on interviews on resources, sales, delivery, portfolio, contracting and pricing, customer structure, customer references, investments, partnerships and certifications as well as analyses of existing PAC databases and other secondary research.

Bayernoil successfully migrates to S/4 Hana with Gisa

A step into the future: Gisa, an IT services company, has converted Bayernoil Raffineriegesellschaft's ERP system to S/4 Hana. In particular, the technical conversion ensures increased performance of the database structure, improved reporting and optimized processes. The highlight of the project is the go-live, which took place a year earlier than planned. In line with its digitization strategy, the company decided early on to switch to S/4 Hana.

The version offered new features that Bayernoil wanted to secure for its processes. In the project via brownfield approach, Gisa transferred the company's existing IT one-to-one to the new world and accompanied the migration of all applications and data. In the process, more than 4,000 code adaptations and around 2,000 test cases were carried out in the sandbox system.

London Museum receives management system from SER

SER, a provider of intelligent content automation solutions, is pleased to welcome London's Natural History Museum as a new customer, providing them with a state-of-the-art natural history collections management system (CMS). SER's Doxis intelligent content automation platform will be instrumental in helping the museum achieve its vision of transforming the study of natural history by appealing to and engaging the widest possible audience, thus securing the future of the museum's collections.

The Natural History Museum in London, visited by millions of people each year, is a scientific research center where over 300 scientists care for more than 80 million objects spanning a period of several billion years. The current inventory of over 20 million records relating to the more than 7 million objects is growing steadily and rapidly, so the museum is in need of a scalable and future-proof solution. Other requirements included digitizing and optimizing mission-critical processes such as loan management, expanding scalability capabilities, and automatically generating efficiency metrics.

The Natural History Museum London initiated the Recode (Rethinking Collections Data Ecosystems) program to find a suitable provider for a scalable, sustainable and future-proof solution to manage and use natural science collections and data more easily and efficiently. This solution is designed to accelerate the transformation of natural science collections management worldwide and to advance the contribution of research to the sustainable development of the world. Recode's vision is to provide data to improve science, build and expand knowledge sharing, and thus contribute to answering some of the most important questions facing humanity.

Answers to these questions can be found in the data associated with natural history collections: Identifying signals as responses to climate change, slowing extinction rates, reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases, minimizing the depletion of natural capital, or meeting the challenge of feeding the world. After a four-stage public RFP process with 13 vendors, the Recode team selected SER's Doxis intelligent content automation platform.

Valantic is distinguished in the Diamond Initiative

This year, SAP Germany once again honored the achievements and solution and industry expertise of SAP PartnerEdge Gold partner Valantic. The digital consulting, solutions and software company received multiple awards for the third year in a row as part of the Diamond Initiative for partners. SAP named Valantic Partner of the Year 2023 in both the Discrete Manufacturing and Automotive industry and the Line of Business Digital Supply Chain.

The consultancy was also honored with the Business Technology Platform - Appreciation Award 2023. In addition, there were nominations for six focus partnerships in the sales areas of Retail and Consumer Products, Discrete Manufacturing and Automotive, Customer Experience, Digital Supply Chain, Human Experience Management and Intelligent Spend and Business Network. With the Diamond Initiative, the Walldorf-based software group honors the achievements and competencies of partners who have contributed in a special way to the business success of SAP Germany. In doing so, the company measures the performance of partner companies in the past year with benchmarking in five dimensions.

The five evaluation criteria are expertise, supported revenue, demand generation, solutions and innovation. Valantic stood out as Partner of the Year in 2022 for the third year in a row in the Discrete Manufacturing and Automotive and Digital Supply Chain industries and business areas, and also demonstrated commitment to the forward-looking Business Technology Platform (BTP) area.

Changes to the SAP Executive Board

The SAP Supervisory Board has decided to extend the Executive Board contracts of Julia White, Chief Marketing and Solutions Officer, and Scott Russell, Chief Customer Success Officer, each for three years until 2024. In addition, Sabine Bendiek, Chief People and Operating Officer and Labor Director, will not extend her Management Board contract at her own request. Sabine Bendiek has been responsible for the People and Operations Board department since 2021, bringing together HR and operations across all Board departments for this purpose. Sabine Bendiek's contract runs until December 31, 2023, and she will continue to perform her duties to the full extent of her commitment until the end of her contract. The search for a successor is running in parallel. "The SAP Supervisory Board deeply regrets the decision. At the same time, we respect this step and thank Sabine Bendiek for her outstanding work and full commitment to the transformation of SAP," said Hasso Plattner, Chairman of the SAP Supervisory Board.

Federal government gives go-ahead for European cloud project

The German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology has announced the start of funding for a first sub-project of the EU's IPCEI-CIS program, which aims to strengthen cloud and edge computing capacities in the EU. Achim Berg, President of the German Information and Telecommunications Industry Association (Bitkom), explains: "Cloud and edge computing are the basis for future technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence. Today's launch of funding for the joint European IPCEI-CIS project is an important impetus for industrial policy and marks the transition from discussion to concrete action.

Now, however, all the other subprojects must be implemented quickly. It is crucial that we succeed in better networking the decentralized and regionally distributed providers of cloud and edge solutions in Europe and in advancing open and inclusive standards. Decentralized data processing is advantageous or indispensable for many applications, such as autonomous driving, data analysis in production or the decentralization of the energy system. The major international cloud providers have long since identified the edge computing required for this as an important future field and have developed corresponding offerings.

A joint response from all EU member states across national and corporate borders is therefore also a decisive contribution to stronger European digital sovereignty. The German and European economy, and industry in particular, need high-performance, secure and trustworthy technologies and offerings in the areas of cloud, edge and data. IPCEI-CIS, but also Gaia-X and related projects, make a strategically important contribution here."

xSuite Group achieved 2022 strategic goals 

The software manufacturer xSuite continued to grow in the 2022 financial year and achieved total global sales of over 43 million euros. A particular contribution to this was made by revenues from the SaaS business, which increased by 250 percent compared to the previous year. This means that xSuite has made great progress on its strategic path towards becoming a cloud company in 2022. In order to continue this development in 2023, a new offering model has been developed in which all solutions will be available in the subscription model in the future. Overall, new customer business at xSuite 2022 increased by 48 percent compared to the previous year.

“Our main focus last year was on bringing cloud first even further to the fore as the operating model of the future.“

Matthias Lemenkühler,
CEO, xSuite

The cloud strategy was a complete success: 80 percent of customers opted for cloud solutions or a subscription model instead of the classic license purchase. At the same time, xSuite does not lose sight of its existing on-premises customers: Thanks to the end-to-end SAP certifications of its solutions, the manufacturer allows its customers to choose which deployment model they prefer and offers software for SAP's various deployment models - even for customers who are still working with the on-premises operating model.

The manufacturer is starting the 2023 financial year with a new software release and a product portfolio of basic and premium packages that simplify licensing for customers. The workflows of the new version 5.2.9 of xSuite Business Solutions can now be executed completely in Fiori, and at the same time the release has been certified for S/4 Hana 2022.