SAP HANA is an in-memory database produced and developed by SAP and available on multiple SAP platforms including SAP Business One. Without getting technical – HANA for SAP Business One is a high performance in-memory database. In memory databases allow faster processing – especially relevant if you are crunching through large data volumes. The HANA platform super charges your ability to analyse large data volumes in milliseconds. The good news for SAP Business One customers is that SAP has made this technology available for SME’s.

The benefits are substantial – quicker and better insight onto your data for faster, better decision making.

SAP Business One HANA Cockpit:What is Hana1

Due to the in memory nature of SAP HANA for SAP Business One the user can now slice and dice large volumes of data at record speed. But HANA is not only about fast computing – think of the real business benefits and options that this in-memory HANA application opens up for SAP Business One.

Big data – no problem – compare one month or ten year’s data with ease and speed.

Self-service business intelligence and analytics. SAP HANA allows technology like pervasive analytics, interactive analysis and SAP Lumira to create quick reporting without the need for IT or consulting to get involved. A user can create their own drag and drop style reporting.

An enabler for better and quicker decision making – quicker, better and more accessible reporting can help your team make better decisions.

Get real time insight – the in-memory technology behind SAP Business One HANA allows for analytical options previously thought impossible. Let’s demonstrate this with an example – the Cash Flow Forecast reporting which is offered as a standard SAP HANA offering (SAP B1) provides a real time analysis of cash flow – across tens of thousands of transactions. Now, a finance manager can add in additional transactions, re-configure the cash flow criteria and change the timelines to instantly get a visual picture of cash flow for this week, this month or the next six months. All of this in real time from a single report.

Reduce your reliance on IT and consulting – the interactive nature of the reporting tools in SAP Business One HANA allows users to create their own reports.

Additional SAP Business One HANA Features: SAP Business One on HANA has additional functionality only available in the HANA version of SAP Business One. These functions include:

  • Enterprise search – the power of SAP HANA allows you to search the entire SAP Business One database for customers, suppliers, inventory items, documents and more. A wild card search across the entire database and potentially year’s of history.
  • Analytics – pivot table type reporting pre-built into SAP Business One on HANA. Quick, ad hoc reporting in MS Excel with predefined, easy to use, drag and drop analytics. This feature makes it easy for customers to build their own reports.
  • Pervasive Analytics – Pre-defined or “design your own” KPI’s and dashboards. Several standard KPI’s and dashboards are available. Alternatively, design your own reports using the KPI and dashboard designer. Once again SAP has made KPI and dashboard reporting easy by pre-defining datasets for the user. To create your KPI or dashboard, simply drag and drop your reporting measures you want into your report.
  • Interactive Cash Flow Forecast, Delivery Schedule Management and Available to Promise Check. Super charge your decision making ability with pre-built SAP Business One HANA reporting. Cash Flow Forecasting allows the user to dynamically forecast cash flow with multiple criteria and timelines. Improve customer service with a quick and easy Available to Promise check by giving your customers immediate answers to that commonly asked question “when can I get delivery of the goods”. Achieve better on time in full delivery by re-scheduling and re-prioritising your deliveries using the Delivery Schedule Manager.
  • Fiori style cockpit – a cockpit based on HTML5 with a great look and feel and options for:

Widgets – KPI based widgets (purchasing, sales, finance). For example receivables overdue.

Count widgets – for example “my open AP invoices” with drill down to source transaction.

Workbench – workflow made easy with user tailored workflow and drill down to related transactions.

KPI’s – standard KPI’s or build your own with pervasive analytics for HANA.

Dashboards – standard dashboards or build your own with pervasive analytics for HANA.

A quick demonstration of SAP Business One HANA:

Thanks to SAP – another great technology enhancement that can help our customers run a better business.