The state of SAP SRM
SAP SRM release 6.0 has been pushed back twice and is now branded as SAP SRM 2007. The new version will require users to be up to speed on MDM, Enterprise Portal and other NetWeaver components. SearchSAP.com checked in with veteran SRM (supplier relationship management) site expert and author Sachin Sethi on what's going on with SAP SRM, what the technology requirements will be, and whether SAP can keep up with the niche vendors.
Download this podcast here
Supply chain management forecast and trends
Supply chain management (SCM) is at the core of many businesses and the technology is developing at a rapid pace. According to Cambridge, Mass.-based AMR Research, the market for supply chain applications grew 7% in 2006 and is expected to reach $7.9 billion by 2011. SearchSAP.com caught up with AMR vice president of research John Fontanella to get an overview of what’s going on in SCM, where SAP fits in, what to expect next from RFID, and other supply chain management topics.
Download this podcast here
Keys to SAP project success: It's the people
Amidst the technology, cost and scheduling issues that arise in SAP implementation projects, the human element can often get lost in the shuffle. But Abiomed, a midsized medical devices manufacturer, found that staffing, communication, motivating project resources, and finding the right mix of consultants and employees are all important factors in a successful SAP project.
Download this podcast here
Going Global: Localizing products, content and systems for an international market
Localization of products, support materials and back-end systems is critical for SAP customers doing business in international markets. In this podcast, the Globalization and Localization Association gives some tips for success.
Download this podcast here
ASUG's new chief discuses Duet, SAP ERP upgrades and his role
SearchSAP.com spoke with Steve Strout, ASUG’s incoming executive vice president. Strout will take over as president of ASUG later this year. In his day job, Strout is the CIO of Morris Communications, a privately held media company, based in Augusta, Ga., which counts 27 newspapers, 33 radio stations and many other publishers in its portfolio.
Morris has been running SAP for about four years and is at the tail end of an SAP ERP 2005 upgrade. Based on his hands-on experience, Strout offers his thoughts and advice on making upgrades as smooth as possible. He also discusses Duet, including the Duet appliance, and A1S. Finally, he looks at what went well and what could be improved from ASUG’s annual conference and looks at what’s coming up in the next few months.
Download this podcast here
Keys to SAP business process success
SAP has been pushing its business process initiative for some time, and the new BPX community is beginning to gain some traction. But what exactly is a business process expert, and how do those skills translate into an actual job role? We sat down with Helen Sunderland, platinum consultant at SAP Canada, and Marilyn Pratt, BPX community evangelist, to talk about what SAP is trying to accomplish and how SAP professionals can benefit.
Download this podcast here
SAP master data management demo and trends
Master data management (MDM) is becoming an important technology for many SAP customers. This podcast gives a demonstration of SAP's MDM offering from Sunil Gupta, director of solutions marketing for SAP Labs, looks at some of the latest SAP MDM news from Sapphire, and previews what's coming next.
Download this podcast here
Governance, risk and compliance trends
Governance, risk and compliance (GRC) has been on the radar of SAP users for some time. The topic is constantly evolving, with new regulations seeming to pop up daily and companies looking for ways to leverage GRC solutions to add value to their business. In this podcast from Sapphire 2007, SearchSAP.com spoke with Amit Chatterjee, senior vice president for SAP's GRC business unit, to get the latest news and trends, look at SAP's announcements from Sapphire, and see what's coming next.
Download this podcast here
Business intelligence, analytics and performance management trends
Business intelligence (BI), analytics and corporate performance management (CPM) are three topics that spark interest and cause some confusion among SAP customers. In this podcast from Sapphire 2007, SearchSAP.com spoke with Nenshad Bardoliwalla, SAP's senior director for CPM solution management, to get the latest news and trends, clear up acronym confusion, and see what's coming next for SAP in the market.
Download this podcast here
Sapphire and ASUG Annual Conference preview
Sapphire takes place April 23-25 in Atlanta. As SAP's main end user event, there is always a wealth of news and networking opportunities. For the past couple of years, the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG) Annual Conference has been co-located with Sapphire, further enhancing the educational opportunities for SAP users. This podcast with ASUG president Rod Masney previews the events and takes the pulse of what is on SAP users' minds.
Download this podcast here
MySAP ERP upgrade advice with ASUG's Matt Rickard
According to SAP, Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG) and others, this year will see an increase in the number of customers upgrading to mySAP ERP. In this podcast, Matt Rickard, ASUG's director of groups and chapters and a member of its board, discusses some common upgrade questions. Rickard talks about technical versus functional upgrades, common problems, and resources users can turn to, among other things.
Download this podcast here
SAP xMII manufacturing xAPP: What's next
According to SAP, xApps brought in more than $200 million in license revenue in 2006. SearchSAP.com interviewed Scott Campbell, SAP Practice Manager with Austin, Tex.-based MomentumSI, a consulting organization specializing in SOA, and Mo Ghanam, manager of partners and field enablement services at SAP Labs, about one of the more popular xApps: xMII. This stands for Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence and is utilized by manufacturing organizations. In this interview, Campbell and Ghanam discuss xMII basics, customer use cases, career opportunities and partner solutions.
Download this podcast here
RFID and SAP trends
RFID technology continues to gain popularity, according to Josh Slobin, director of marketing for AeroScout. Based in San Mateo, Calif. AeroScout produces active, Wi-Fi-based RFID products. In this podcast, he gives some background on the topic, explains the differences between active and passive RFID technology, looks at some real-world cases, and gives advice for SAP users.
Download this podcast here
