SAP Global Trade Services for SAP Hana Edition
For many GTS (Global Trade Services) user companies, the planning of a switch to GTS Edition for SAP Hana (e4H) is in full swing. Many long-standing cbs customers are also facing the challenges of modernizing their system landscapes in the most target-oriented way possible. The changeover to the new technology varies greatly depending on the company and circumstances: good preparation and planning by experienced experts are crucial here. In practice, this means prioritizing the added value for the business over all other considerations of a technical nature. The best and most advanced database technology with the most sophisticated technical background processes is of no use if existing customers do not derive any visible and tangible benefits from it.
With the introduction of GTS e4H, Fiori technology is used. This makes the innovations in the product particularly visible. Innovations that are of particular relevance to the business must be brought to bear through the new user interface. To ensure that this succeeds well and that subsequent maintenance remains as uncomplicated as possible, good preparation and planning are essential.
Until now, the GTS area menu within the GUI interface was the familiar starting point for all activities within a GTS system. After the changeover to GTS e4H, companies must expect that GTS users will have to learn how to operate the GTS tool quite anew. If the new user interfaces are not planned and designed thoroughly enough, there is a risk of a difficult initial phase with users who are sometimes overwhelmed and sometimes demotivated. This is exactly what companies avoid by investing enough time in planning an authorization and user interface concept.
At the latest since the introduction of Fiori technology, authorization administration has taken on a very special significance in terms of user-friendliness. If customers have a well-structured, modular authorization concept that can be easily adapted and expanded, the new user interfaces are much easier to design.
Authorization concept
At cbs, the design of specialist GTS authorization concepts already has a long tradition. High-quality authorization management is an integral part of the project methodology. The experts in the field of SAP authorization management have many years of experience in designing, building, testing, going live and maintaining Fiori authorization concepts. From the preliminary studies to the go-live, it is important to flexibly accompany SAP existing customers during the introduction of GTS Fiori user interfaces. The basis for this can be an existing GTS11 authorization concept, which is evaluated, adapted and extended to include new applications in the course of implementation in GTS e4H.
From the technical setup of the Fiori Launchpad to the activation of the first services and catalogs to the creation of the first authorization roles, it is important for companies to have a team of experts from Corporate IT on hand to provide support. The consultants' experience with Fiori apps ensures that the role concept is tailored to the needs of the GTS processes.
In the case of GTS authorization concepts, particular emphasis must be placed on sustainability and flexibility: Both aspects are closely linked and must be considered in conjunction with each other. Good authorization concepts mean an initial investment that only makes sense if the company benefits from it sustainably and over many years. At the same time, a certain degree of flexibility is essential for an authorization concept to stand the test of time. Especially in the initial phases of a GTS-e4H transformation project, a compromise between experimentation, goal-oriented process design and optimized user interfaces must be achieved, which cannot be done without some adjustments and re-sharpening. A methodology for building GTS role concepts provides the necessary flexibility, but at the same time avoids uncontrolled growth and non-transparent configurations. The aspect of sustainability also includes involving the company's own administrators in all steps of the concept construction: This serves to protect investments and prevent risks at the same time.
