Start Small, Think Big, Act Now with SAP Mobility and BI
By Sam Sliman, President, Optimal Solutions Integration
Well over one-third of the one hundred plus sessions during last week’s ASUG SAP BusinessObjects User Conference (SBOUC) in Orlando focused on mobility and/or BI dashboarding.
SBOUC is a user-driven, education-based event, and the strong interest in mobility and dashboarding attests to the pressing need among SAP customers to learn what they can and should be doing right now on these fronts to realize immediate and long-term business value.
Mobility and BI present boundless opportunity for SAP customers. At times, the pace of innovation and endless possibilities can be overwhelming. Optimal was on hand at SBOUC, leading sessions and workshops on mobility and dashboarding and providing guidance on how to formulate enterprise mobility and BI strategies that enable SAP customers to start small, think big and act now.
Understanding the opportunity continuum
The combined forces of business need, opportunity and affordability make it all but certain that your enterprise mobility and BI strategies will be app- and project-driven.
But this does not mean you must forgo laying a scalable and adaptable foundation that satisfies performance and security requirements, accommodates future needs, and fuels innovation.
The first step in formulating a viable strategic plan for realizing value now and in the future from mobility and BI is to understand the opportunity continuum these two solution segments present -- a continuum that spans from simple-app mobility quick wins to controlled-scope BI dashboard projects to complex performance management and analytic systems.
The next step is a thorough and accurate assessment of where your business needs map out relative to the opportunity continuum.
These two steps, combined with a proven, multi-faceted methodology covering readiness, implementation and performance tuning, help ensure that your strategic plan for mobility and BI includes a detailed roadmap, the best solution selection and appropriate architectural sizing.
Mobility quick wins
Mobility applications typically fall into the categories of reporting, knowledge, workflow, and transaction enhancers, among others.
Applications within each of these categories run the gamut of simple applets to new, complex mobility-centric business processes.
Development time for mobile applications ranges from under 30 days for simple applets to 4 - 6 months for mobilizing more complex and/or newly created processes.
Leveraging the Sybase Unwired Platform, Afaria and an array of existing mobility tools and solutions, Optimal helps SAP customers plan, develop, implement and manage a wealth of enterprise mobility application that cost-efficiently address their immediate needs while providing a platform for future mobility initiatives.
Here’s a selection of quick-win mobile apps for each category:
- Directory search (reporting)
- Unified communication (knowledge)
- Work order approval, purchase order approval, travel approval (workflow)
- Photo capture, QR code scan, deadline notification and response, signature capture (transaction)
For additional information on SAP Enterprise Mobility, download the Optimal SAP Enterprise Mobility Report, read Winning the SAP Enterprise Mobility Race and Consultants Answer the SAP Mobility Question; and review the Optimal SAP Enterprise Mobility Presentation.
Dashboarding quick wins
BI dashboards serve an array of functions and end users -- from strategic dashboards for executive management to operational dashboards for operational management to tactical dashboards for frontline workers.
Controlled-scope, industry-specific dashboard projects provide a fast and affordable way for SAP customers to drive their BI program forward in a way that yields immediate value with low risk -- while providing a solid foundation for a future, more comprehensive and integrated BI program.
Leveraging SAP Business All-in-One preconfigured templates and implementation accelerators fine-tuned over years of experience, predefined, industry-specific dashboard views based on established best practices, and deep expertise across the entire SAP BOBJ BI and SAP Business Suite stacks, Optimal works with SAP customers to affordably build and implement leading-edge dashboards that can be rolled out in just a few weeks.
For additional information on SAP BI and BI dashboarding, read the Optimal SAP Analytics & BI Report, review the Optimal Real-Life Dashboards & SAP Business All-in-One Solutions Presentation, and check out Optimal webinars: Transforming Your Utilities Business with SAP BI Dashboards, Transforming Your Precious Metals & Mining Business with SAP BI Dashboards and Transforming Your Business with SAP BOBJ 4.0.
Pressed for time? Check out Optimal 15-minute dashboard videos: Optimal SAP LodeOne Dashboard in Action and Optimal SAP UtilitiesOne Dashboard in Action.
