How C-Level Leaders Drive Business Value by Unlocking SAP Data

It wasn’t that long ago that projects with the word integration were issues only for the IT department. Flash forward to today, where c-suites and boardrooms everywhere are discussing the importance of ERP integration and the resulting business outcomes.

ERPs have evolved with modules to address many other centralized data needs–everything from IT asset management, to BOM creation, to account-specific pricing. Each of these add-ons makes the ERP more critical to the business and the real single source of truth across the enterprise.

Simultaneously, front-end systems have exploded in import and popularity to handle things ERPs don’t do well, or don’t do in a user-friendly way. Those front-end systems, however, need to access the information locked inside the SAP ERP or, shudder, try to replicate and maintain data in multiple systems.

Improve Margins. Increase Shareholder Value.

IT departments, even those equipped with skilled SAP talent or access to talented contractors, are stretched to the limit. So in the next executive meeting, it’s not surprising that when the VP of Sales talks about needing a new quoting solution that handles configurable products, or the COO points out that an unbuildable order was submitted in the eCommerce portal, that unlocking SAP data is the common need. But identifying the key that unlocks SAP data (SAP integration) can pose a challenge, especially when securing executive buy-in. 

Additional investment in front-end systems adds a layer of complexity as the CFO seeks out a solid integration business case that extends beyond inconvenience.It’s imperative to present a solution that not only addresses operational challenges, but also enhances margins. The question then becomes: how can technology transformation increase shareholder value?

For years, discounted cash flow (DCF) has been the gold standard for company valuations. To understand more about measuring the impact of real-time integration using DCF, check out this article on SAP Insider.

Real-Time Data is Trusted Data

Unifying front-end and back-end systems has typically been done with a range of API and middleware technologies that fundamentally have data replication and batch/load time delays built in. This lack of real-time, completely synchronized data, set these systems up for frustration from the beginning.

The result is swivel-chair integrations where employees hop between systems to get the information they need. BI dashboards that are never quite in sync because they’re dependent on when the reports that feed them were last run. And conversations within the c-suite surround whose data and version of the truth is correct–instead of focusing on propelling the business forward.

Real-time ERP integration unlocks the trusted SAP data that enables 100% accurate-to-SAP eCommerce. It enables 100% accurate-to-inventory purchase orders for new assets. It protects margins from errors and empowers your organization to keep your promises to your customers. It offers cost controls and visibility for better inventory management and production planning. These are all c-suite level motivators that translate into driving value across the organization.

Stanley Black & Decker Saves $10M by Unlocking SAP Data

Stanley Black & Decker is a household name–for over 150 years manufacturing industrial tools, household hardware, and security products. Despite its commitment to breakthrough innovation, the challenge of integrating legacy SAP ERP solutions to modern business front-ends is a common struggle for even the most innovative companies.

The absence of real-time data integration between SAP and Salesforce resulted in lost sales opportunities for SBD. With SAP data locked away, internal teams had to navigate through manual processes that lacked real-time customer specific pricing, introducing multiple opportunities for errors during quoting or order submission.

To address these issues, SBD turned to enosix as the key to unlocking real-time SAP data. The deployment of enosix included implementing data virtualization to streamline processes and eliminate the need to switch between solutions. This not only prevented costly mistakes that were eating away at margins, but also resulted in significant time savings. 

The results were substantial, with SBD reporting $10 million in margin savings and a 25% time-saving for customer-facing representatives. While the project’s return on investment was noteworthy, the realized enterprise value of unlocking SAP data exceeded expectations.

The integration (or lack) of SAP data into core business processes and modern front-end systems impacts everyone from customer-facing employees to the c-suite. The right integration experts will leverage data virtualization and prebuilt integration processes (PIPs) to deliver real-time SAP data into mission-critical systems. Ready to talk about your integration challenges and, more importantly, solutions??