Gain a Better Understanding of How SAP HANA Works

SAP high-performance analytic appliance (HANA) is a popular database management system used in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The system stores data in memory, rather than on a traditional storage device. This makes it much faster than other database management systems.

SAP HANA is column-oriented, rather than organizing data by row, which can speed up certain queries—such as when you want to look through parts of many database objects at once. These queries are more common in business intelligence, so this design works well in the context of ERP.

Data sources can include documents and spreadsheets, public websites, mobile device data, sensor data from the Internet of Things (IoT), and essentially any other information. Whatever your use case, Approyo can help you get the most value out of SAP HANA.

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What is SAP HANA?

Put simply, SAP HANA is an innovative technology to aid enterprises in extracting value from their data. Organizations use the system for all aspects of business intelligence, from forecasting and reporting to artificial intelligence and machine learning. It’s essentially a data management tool that boosts productivity throughout the company.

What Can the System Do For You?

SAP HANA shines when it comes to storing and retrieving data efficiently. Thus, the system helps you use your organization’s data quickly for on-the-fly decision-making and operations.

However, SAP HANA also offers other functionalities, such as maintaining a single source of truth—protecting you against inconsistent data. Some other ancillary benefits include:

• Comprehensive tools: The system comes with web application development capabilities and sophisticated analytics. Graphical data modeling encourages teamwork to solve difficult problems.
• Adaptability: While many of the features are geared towards analytical processing, you can also perform transactional processing on the same instance.
• Power: SAP HANA isn’t just fast; it’s also strong. The parallel processing engine enables you to work with big data sets in real time.
• Support for multiple users: Even if you have multiple employees using the database at various locations, the system will keep up with your needs. Continuous availability and monitoring protect you against risks.
• Usable anywhere: You can run SAP HANA on your own premises, in a private cloud, in a public cloud—or in any combination you want.
• Data consolidation: Instead of data silos and duplication, you’ll have a compact data repository. Easily combine data, whether on-premises or in the cloud.
• AI Smarts: SAP HANA includes artificial intelligence and machine learning, so you’ll have more useful analytics to enhance business processes. Automation simplifies even the most complex tasks.
• Security: A time-tested solution, the system includes extensive security features to protect your data and comply with regulations. For example, it supports identity and access management, encryption, and data anonymization.

SAP HANA Solutions

SAP HANA works as a database management system to support a wide variety of applications. These applications perform analyses or other functions, relying on SAP HANA as the core source of data. You can do real-time calculations to find what customers are buying or what stock levels you have, for example.

Given that SAP HANA can run in the cloud, many solutions take advantage of the cloud’s speed, size, security, agility, and cost. These include solutions made by SAP itself, such as SAP Analytics Cloud for real-time business intelligence, and SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud for controlling a production process.

Approyo is certified by SAP for SAP HANA operations. We can assist you in deploying new SAP solutions, or in the architecture and implementation of your own solution. Whether you want a cloud app or a mobile app, we’ll deliver a fast and powerful solution fit for your unique needs!

Planning to Make the Migration?

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Are you ready to move your organization’s data from a traditional database to the speed of SAP HANA’s in-memory column-oriented system? The good news is, making the leap is a relatively straightforward procedure.

To start, decide what you want to migrate from your old systems. This involves choosing which data, code, and applications you want to keep, and which are no longer useful.

Next, you’re ready to decide where you want to run SAP HANA. Given its adaptability, you can run it on your local hardware, in a public or private cloud, or in some combination. Consider the relative costs and benefits, such as the expense, speed, and security of each of these options.

Third, determine how much memory you’ll need. This depends on the size of your database. It’s also important to develop a sense of the other resources you’ll need—how much processing power, network connectivity, and any other IT infrastructure.

You can make a rough estimate by counting the number of users, or you can find more precise numbers by using throughput measurements. An experienced SAP HANA firm like Approyo can help you assemble an appropriate sizing.

Now you’re ready for the migration! SAP offers the “Database Migration Factory” as a tool to simplify upgrades from earlier SAP products or any other databases. Again, working with a trusted partner like Approyo can ensure a successful migration.

After migration, you’re ready to test the deployment and go live. This completes the process, and leaves you with a faster and more secure database management system.

Upgrade Securely to SAP HANA with Approyo

SAP HANA is a column-oriented, in-memory database management system that improves productivity. Capable of running in the cloud, on-premises, or as a hybrid this system offers a range of benefits, from speed and power to security and adaptability.

There are many ready-to-use solutions for SAP HANA—and you can also develop your own! But the migration process, while straightforward, is always easier with some help. An experienced, reliable partner can also assist you with upgrades and any other services related to the database.

Approyo is a global leader when it comes to SAP HANA, with decades of experience and over a thousand environments managed. If you’re ready to make the jump, we’re ready to work with you to customize a solution that streamlines your business processes. When it’s time for you to level up your data management systems, contact Approyo!

4 Invaluable Benefits You Get with Approyo’s SAP Consulting Services

As useful as enterprise software is on its own, it becomes far more powerful when used with expert SAP consulting services. Approyo offers time-tested solutions that simplify installation, configuration, operation, and maintenance.

The sheer complexity of SAP software can make it intimidating for most organizations to run. Additionally, with all the variables, you’ll be hard-pressed to keep the deployment clean and secure. Fortunately, a consultant can apply their years of knowledge—in Approyo’s case, more than 25 years—to keep your system running smoothly.

Managing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is a demanding task. It involves many interrelated and continually evolving factors on the business and technical sides. The technology itself is quite complicated, and using it optimally demands time and money.

With SAP consulting services, you accelerate all elements of the system and increase its reliability. It’s simply more efficient—and thus a smart business decision—to work with the professionals. The greater agility soon repays the investment.

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The Benefits of Hiring an SAP Consultant

A professional consulting group offers numerous advantages. The experts can identify security weaknesses and produce solutions; they’ll also be there to assist with data migration. And the insights you gain from the partnership will reveal new ways to maximize the value of your SAP installation.

SAP consulting services speed up your business processes—the consultants have already gone through multiple processes and found the fastest way to perform tasks. The techniques they’ve learned can also save you hours on everyday activities.

Furthermore, consulting companies bring highly specialized knowledge to your team at reasonable rates. It’s just more efficient to hire a devoted SAP consultant than to attempt the same work without one. This approach also frees up your own staff to focus on their fortes.

Let’s take a closer look at four invaluable skills an SAP consultant can offer you.

Identifying and Assessing Possible Vulnerabilities—and Developing Solutions

Any software, no matter how well made, contains potential security threats. Even more serious risks emerge when one considers the many possible configurations of the software—especially as it’s not always done to the same specifications as the original programming.

The more elaborate a piece of software, the greater the business value it holds—and the greater its vulnerabilities. SAP software is extremely complex and used for large enterprise resources. As such, it ranks among the most important pieces of software to secure properly.

That said, most organizations using SAP software are ill-equipped to secure it adequately. Their focus is on their business (and rightly so), not on databases and applications. This is why it’s hugely beneficial to work with a specialist in the world of SAP consulting services, like Approyo.

The best SAP service provider carefully examines your entire configuration, including the underlying network and the data and applications. Moreover, they’ll regularly test for security problems and apply the relevant fixes.

Optimizing Migration Processes Through Trusted Frameworks

An SAP consultant expedites data migration using the most suitable tools and frameworks. Having conducted many migration processes for other clients, they’ll already have developed a reliable procedure. It’s much safer to migrate mission-critical data with proven experts than to risk going it alone.

Pre-made templates help to standardize the migration process, and by using the appropriate tools, the SAP experts move data in a fast and safe manner. As this is quite a labor-intensive process, there’s a substantial saving in time and effort—and that’s on top of improvements to the migration’s risk profile.

Providing Insights on How You Can Increase Your ROI

The main purpose of using SAP software is to streamline operations and increase earnings, which should more than cover the cost of deploying this new technology. The experienced eye of a professional consultant can give you a window into how precisely to maximize return on investment (ROI).

Experts understand just how the software can boost employee productivity. They’ve seen which aspects of enterprise resource planning contribute most to efficiency. Instead of searching fruitlessly for performance boosts or letting expensive software go to waste, take advantage of ready-made insights from a veteran SAP consultant such as Approyo.

Providing Guidance to Help Improve Overall Efficiency

An SAP consultant needs to have knowledge that extends throughout all aspects of the technology and its use. By working with such a partner, you’ll get the inside scoop on how best to incorporate this software into business processes and how to improve these over time.

The right consultant can train your staff to obtain maximum value from SAP’s capable yet complex software. This technology encompasses a range of features—some of which your organization may not even have heard of. However, when used intelligently, these innovative features can bolster business productivity.

Experience Excellence with Approyo’s SAP Consulting Services

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The best way to understand the effects of these benefits is to experience them for yourself. With Approyo’s full SAP consulting services you’ll have access to cloud hosting, upgrades, and migrations. In addition, their managed services cover any SAP-supported core functionality.

Excellence comes from experience. Approyo has over a thousand active SAP environments under management globally and has overseen more than a hundred migrations. Consulting services aid businesses with their production deployments for SAP products—including the latest S/4HANA enterprise resource planning system.

With Approyo’s SAP consulting services, areas of excellence include initial discovery and assessment. And once you take these steps, you’ll see the most advantageous ways to leverage SAP products for your specific needs. By analyzing your software situation, an SAP consultant will be able to reveal fresh opportunities and pave the way for data migration.

IT transformation along with cloud transformation can lead any organization to the forefront of digital technology. For instance, making updates to older systems results in fast problem solving for your clients. And with modern infrastructure, you’ll also decrease downtime. This is another area where Approyo can help you deliver on your organization’s mission.

Engage SAP Consulting Services With Approyo

Working with the leading provider of SAP consulting services comes with numerous advantages. Their experts will assess security pitfalls and produce solutions. They’ll also optimize migration and give you the key techniques needed to improve efficiency and increase ROI.

As an SAP certified consultant, Approyo already delivers these benefits to many top businesses and government agencies, and can use this same skillset to help your enterprise achieve unprecedented results. Their deep understanding of the technology—and how it meets organizational needs—creates next-generation outcomes.

Planning to migrate your data to the cloud? Looking for a partner who knows what’s best for your business? Call Approyo and get a free consultation regarding data migration matters now.

I am officially a Ninja:

 I am officially a Ninja:

https://youtu.be/exkjPJmnRac

The Need for an Intelligent ERP System in the Utilities Industry

A radical change in the utility industry is occurring at a rapid pace. Changes in technologies, business models, standards, and the makeup of utility companies themselves require constant adaptation. Utilities must be able to respond to rapidly changing conditions, yet still comply with all standards. How does a digital core with a true single source of truth help?

Agility
A digital core is an IT architecture that offers stability and long-term reliability for core enterprise processes, yet also provides the flexibility to adapt quickly to new opportunities, challenges, and regulations. This solid foundation gives you a single source of truth, which in turn enables flexibility for innovation to accommodate things like new business models, new regulations, and business events, such as mergers or acquisitions.

Managing Big Data
Every utility company needs the computing capability to carry out complex algorithms with large data sets to support timely, real-time analysis. Everyone in the company must have access to data they need, whenever and wherever they need it. This is also true for the rest of the utility ecosystem so that suppliers can stay up to date with a company’s orders; customer service
agents can see customer history for billing, service, and consumption information; and maintenance teams can accurately monitor asset performance.

Innovation
Utilities must transform to grow profits and reduce costs by simplifying their operations. The value of the digital economy is based on how the consumer or “prosumer” (producer and consumer of energy) is served. Value creation often comes from edge solutions that are based on and coordinated by digital core solutions. It is the framework for innovation and business process optimization, connecting the workforce, suppliers, customers, assets, and the supply network.

Analysis
It is crucial to get the right information at the right time on the right device. Plant processes are supported or controlled by predictive and self-learning systems that interact with machines and business processes. Predictive analytics and machine learning (ML) accelerate the delegation of business processes and decisions from people to machines. People who need the knowledge have digital access on demand and in real time, regardless of whether they are part of the core or the extended workforce.

Stand apart in a world that never stands still – with SAP S/4HANA powered by Approyo
Your business isn't generic. Your ERP shouldn't be either. SAP S/4HANA powered by Approyo provides utility companies with industry best practices built from decades of experience – and allows them to bring cutting-edge innovation in the cloud to their core processes, be it customer engagement, predictive maintenance, or usage-based billing. So they can attain the operational excellence they need to deliver the ultimate customer experience.

• Industry Insight - A world of rapid technological change – distributed energy resources, microgeneration, batteries, microgrids, and electrical mobility – and social media adoption is forcing providers of electricity to rethink how they work, the services they provide, and their business models. The most successful companies will flexibly manage demand, enabled by insights garnered from smart technologies.
• Customer Success - SAP S/4HANA provides re-engineered and simplified business activities transforming the execution from multistep, batch-driven processes with latency in terms of key performance indicators to real-time processes with actionable insights to accelerate invoice processing, increase cash flow, and protect revenue assurance.
• Productivity Improvement - SAP S/4HANA empowers call-center agents and field workers with an end-user centric, consumer-grade experience because, for utilities, it's the call-center agents that add value to customer engagements and field workers who deliver operational excellence.
• Cost Savings - SAP S/4HANA powered by Approyo allows for real-time monitoring of asset health and can predict failure before it happens. Maintenance orders are triggered just in time, avoiding unnecessary inspections and decreasing the cost and risk of unplanned failure.

Start your path to the Intelligent Enterprise with Approyo
Bringing SAP S/4HANA and SAP Leonardo technologies together as a digital core results in a more flexible and intelligent enterprise. Approyo provides full SAP service technology with extensive capabilities in consulting, solutions architecture, hosting and managed services, in order to develop the right solution for our customers. Get started today...

Employee Spotlight: Alexandra Goudy

This is the first of many #ApproyoLife employee spotlights. Each month we will highlight a member of our team and introduce them. We want you all to be able to meet the people here at Approyo, who we are and what we do. The people behind Approyo are the foundation of this company, so we’d like to give you an eye into our world. I thought I’d go first since you know... I’ll be making the videos from here on out. So let my introduce myself!

Hello everyone! My name is Alexandra Goudy and I am one of the newest hires here at Approyo. A little bit about me, I am 23 years old, from Franklin, WI. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh back in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Advertising. While I was there, I was a part of: Art Club, Advertising Club and Photo Club. Throughout highschool I was a part of the Whitnall softball and volleyball teams and have always enjoyed being a part of a team environment. I enjoy art, photography, movies, traveling, trying new restaurants and hanging out with friends. My friends would probably describe me as laidback and funny (not to brag or anything).

I never knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. When I was in 1st grade, I wanted to be a veterinarian. In 5th grade, I wanted to be a marine biologist. And In high school I thought I would become a nurse. So why did I think that college would be any different? I had NO idea what I was doing.

At UWO is where I found my passion. The funny thing is that I went into college having absolutely no clue what I wanted to do with my life. Eventually, I decided to major in Radiologic science....which clearly didn’t work out. I had forgotten what I was actually good at, which I can tell you were NOT science and math. I’ve always enjoyed writing and art, but I went into something that I thought would be good pay vs what I’m actually good at.

My second semester of junior year, I decided to jump blindly into the Journalism major. Even then, I wasn’t sure which emphasis I wanted to take under the major. It wasn’t until my last year when I took and advertising campaigns class and participated in the National Student Advertising Competition that I realized the field of Marketing and Advertising is definitely where I wanted to be.

During my last semester, I worked with a team for hundreds of hours to complete an advertising campaign to present at the competition in Minneapolis. I ended up taking on a large leadership role and held the responsibility of putting together and editing the plans book and presentation. We ended up taking 2nd place in our district, which was a huge accomplishment after all of the work we put into it. This experience led me to realize that I truly wanted to work in this field. It’s crazy how one class can solidify your future for you, especially after years of feeling lost.

After graduation, I moved back home, where I served as a waitress every day. For five months I was desperately looking for a job when the opportunity at Approyo arose.  The CEO, Christopher Carter had seen my post about NSAC on LinkedIn and asked me to come in for an interview. He gave me a tour of the office, introduced me to everyone and offered me the position. Not only do I get to use my degree by marketing the company, but I also get to learn more about SAP and technology as I go.

I’ve only been here for a short while, but I’m already learning so much. Although I work with the VP of Marketing, Kyle Ackerman as well as Alison Maloni who specializes in Public Relations, I am the only one who holds a marketing position within our headquarters at the Brookfield office. It’s great to be able to work with other creatives, while being independent with my own responsibilities and tasks.

My daily work includes: video, photos, audio, graphics, PR and all types of social media content and platforms. So most of the content that you see involving any pictures or videos will have most likely come from me! The office has plenty of perks, one of them being that I have my own studio! I am so grateful to be a part of an amazing team in such a relaxed yet driven atmosphere at work and I can’t wait to see where Approyo takes me!

With all of that being said, we are still looking to expand our team! We are hiring! Check out the career page on our Website for more information and make sure to  tune in next month for our next #ApproyoLife employee spotlight! #ApproyoLife

The Industry 4.0 Revolution powered by the SAP Intelligent Enterprise

Today customers are connected, informed and always on. They demand high-quality individualized products and delivery within shorter timeframes. To meet these market requirements, customers need to synchronize their demand chain with their supply chain.

Companies need to recognize that a great customer experience hinges on a delightful product experience. The traditional boundaries between R&D, Manufacturing,  Logistics and Operations are dissolving within the enterprise and across the supply chain.

With Industry 4.0, companies look to break silos in their processes, gain visibility, and drive customer centricity to achieve much higher levels of efficiency, optimization, and ultimately deliver on new business models. As a result. many organizations are on a journey to digitally transform their manufacturing processes.

Developing smart connected factories with advanced automation and integration of shop floor processes that optimize performance  and ensure compliance. Operational excellence in manufacturing and the supply chain becomes a key differentiator for companies, allowing them to address complexity, risk, and cost challenges across the extended supply chain.

SAP is uniquely positioned to provide operational excellence by eliminating the black box, siloed nature of shop floor solutions. Manufacturing has become a integral part of the extended supply chain with real-time insight into work in process status, financials, supply chain, logistics, and change impact analysis.

The rise of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology, blockchain, and machine learning infused in business applications builds on much higher computing and processing power; it also precipitates the rise of a fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0).

Digital Supply Chain Design to Operate
The Digital Supply Chain that is integrated from design to operate acts more like a network.  Visibility, communication, planning, analysis, and execution are all orchestrated across critical operational phases based on real-time inputs and requirements.

Connecting Digitally is enabled through leveraging Innovative Technologies

• Blockchain, IOT, Big Data, Machine Learning, Blockchain, AI, Analytics (all SAP Leonardo), sentiment analysis and 3D printing
• IOT and unstructured data such as sentiment analysis are generating previously unimaginable levels of Supply Chain Big Data.  
• This Big Data is leveraged to drive smart assets and products with Machine Learning, and AI, and improve the end user experience and ability with Predictive Analytics.
• Blockchain can increase data security and trust with increased transparency, auditability, and regulatory compliance
• 3D printing has great potential across digital supply chain from rapid prototyping of designs, through additive manufacturing and in the rethinking of after sales services spare parts inventory through reduce inventory costs, increased flexibility and responsiveness and printing on demand services

Perfecting Reality - Requires the operational visibility and customer intelligence to manage your entire supply chain digitally and execute flawlessly today, while transforming your business for the future.

Leveraging technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, and predictive maintenance embedded into your end to end business processes from:

• The Design of new smart products and assets
• To the handover to Manufacturing (MAKE)  
• Through the delivery via multi-model and omni-channel logistics processes.
• And including the after sales maintenance and service (OPERATE) of the operational assets in the field
• At all times, having integrated business planning processes (PLAN) across the end-to-end supply chain 

The SAP Digital Supply Chain helps companies fully deliver on their Industry 4.0 aspirations. Spanning design, manufacturing, logistics and asset management, SAP’s Digital Supply Chain plays a critical role in ensuring positive customer experiences. But to get there, leading organizations are integrating across traditionally siloed business areas that include R&D, manufacturing, supply chain planning, logistics, and after sales service and maintenance.

The goal is to connect everything digitally to perfect operational reality as much possible.

Design with the customer in mind
In the design phase, organizations need this level of connection to monitor trends and innovate in the direction customers want. Increasingly, organizations want to design smarter, Industry 4.0-enabled products and assets that have built-in sensors to capture real-time data once they are in use in a live environment. It’s also important to think in terms of compliant product lifecycle management – which requires product development to be integrated into the supply chain from the beginning.

Plan with visibility across silos
To be more responsive and reduce the time of planning cycles, organizations need to connect across departmental silos for a unified view of real-time supply and demand that helps balance inventory and service levels. To speed planning cycles and react faster to change, planners want synchronized planning processes that break down silos and tools to quickly run simulations for better decision-making.

Manufacture with flexibility, speed, and efficiency
When it comes to manufacturing, sophisticated digital supply chain capabilities and greater connectedness can help organizations increase shop floor visibility, identify process bottlenecks, and manage operations with greater agility. This, in turn, facilitates smart factory capabilities where rigid production lines are transformed into flexible manufacturing cells – making it possible to shift from mass production to mass customization.

Deliver on time
The delivery phase is a critical aspect of the supply chain that can make or break the customer experience. With Industry 4.0 capabilities, organizations can streamline logistics and ensure better delivery experiences. Connected vehicles, for example, can optimize delivery routes based on real-time weather and traffic conditions, support real-time tracking, and monitor conditions such as the temperature in freezer compartments. Next-generation warehouse technology, meanwhile, can leverage robots and augmented reality to assist staff, increase productivity, and get the goods to customers faster.

Operate with new business models
Finally, many organizations are transforming the operating phase with IoT-connected assets that plug directly into the digital supply chain. This helps drive new business models where the manufacturer owns the asset and charges the customer for usage, uptime, or some other metric. With such a model, the onus is on the manufacturer to provide the most-cost efficient maintenance – which is now possible with advanced analytics that help companies monitor asset health, predict issues, and respond proactively.

The Digital Supply Chain that is integrated from design to operate acts more like a network.  Visibility, communication, planning, analysis, and execution are all orchestrated across critical operational phases based on real-time inputs and requirements. Work and data flows span functional silos – leading to greater flexibility and consistency. Benefits include reduced financial and operational risk through early detection and greater customer satisfaction through quicker resolution of issues.

Read the full blog post on www.approyo.com

Approyo Announces Expansion of Company’s Staffing Numbers and Global Reach Strategy

Approyo is excited to announce two new hires to our growing team. The first is Alexandra Goudy as the firm’s new Marketing and Advertising Coordinator. Her responsibilities will range over video, audio, graphics and events. Alexandra holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Advertising from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and will be deeply involved in the strategy of selecting platforms and creating Approyo’s advertising campaign.

On the sales and technology side, Approyo is onboarding  Lance Kucifer as the new SAP Sales manager for the western region. Lance brings 10 years of sales experience to Approyo and will be working with companies to assist them in their journey on implementing and using SAP to further their business processes and growth.

“As Approyo expands we will be adding human resources across the globe in order to provide a ‘follow the sun’ system of support which is the natural evolution of growth in the support vertical. I am excited about what the future holds and we continue to see that the team members that we are bringing into the fold are outstanding and second to none. We will continue to strive to expand our reach,” said Christopher Carter CEO of Approyo. “We are currently at 27 staff members and look forward to adding more talent depth as we grow the firm.”

Carter further stated, “Finding rising stars is key in our strategy to have the best and brightest employed at Approyo, and we are proud to also announce a job fair which will be held at our corporate headquarters in Brookfield, Wisconsin in the next few months. We are excited to be inviting several of the major universities in and around the area so we can find those star players right in our own backyard.”our own backyard.”