Research released today by the UK & Ireland SAP User Group has shown that 42% of SAP users are looking to implement SAP Simple Finance for their organisation. Over half of respondents (53%) stated they understood the benefits of using SAP Simple Finance, citing streamlined financial processes (53%) and real-time insights to enable better decision making (30%) as the biggest benefits.
58% of respondents said they currently weren’t currently planning to implement SAP Simple Finance. The biggest reasons cited for not implementing SAP Simple Finance were a difficulty in justifying cost over benefits (38%), it would require updates to their existing landscape (19%) and a desire to see more real-life customer usage cases (14%).
“Considering that SAP Simple Finance has only been available since the start of the year, it is interesting to see that many organisations are already looking to implement it. It appears that SAP’s simplification mantra is starting to resonate with customers,” said Philip Adams, chairman of the UK & Ireland SAP User Group. “However at the same time, the research has shown that users are still facing challenges in justifying the business case and ensuring their existing SAP landscape is compatible. This highlights there is still work to be done to help customers overcome these obstacles and take advantage of the latest product innovation from SAP.”
Overall, nearly three-quarters of respondents (72%) stated that technology had helped them drive efficiencies within their organisation’s finance function. The majority of respondents (86%) believed that automation would make their invoicing function more efficient; indeed, 72% said that they had already automated their invoicing function.
When asked if they were using SAP Fiori or Screen Personas as part of their finance function, the majority (86%) said they weren’t. Currently, 8% said they were using SAP Fiori and a further 6% said they were using both SAP Fiori and Screen Personas.
“Technology is playing an increasingly important role in automating business processes and driving efficiencies. With technology landscapes continually evolving, it is vital that organisations keep on the front foot and maximise business value from their investments. Our upcoming Business Value Through Technology symposium will give users the opportunity to hear first-hand from SAP and their industry peers about the latest SAP innovations including S/4HANA and Fiori. In addition, they will be able to discuss business case creation at the event.This will hopefully provide users with the insights they need to help them on their technology journey,” added Philip Adams.
“Every customer, in every business is being digitally disrupted today and it is critical that organisations have the right technology place to help them survive and thrive in this new world,” said Cormac Watters, Managing Director, SAP UK & Ireland. “We are committed to working closely with the User Group to help our customers and prospects understand the potential of new technologies such as Simple Finance, and to help them make an effective business case for investment. This is particularly challenging in industries such as Financial Services that have significant legacy systems in place. We urge User Group members to work with our Line of Business experts in this area to support their digital transformation.”
The survey questioned 72 SAP user organisations in the UK & Ireland. The Business Value Through Technology symposium takes place in Dublin on 22 September 2015, with the
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