SAP S/4HANA and BPC 11 on Google Cloud Platform: the integrated and “in Cloud” management of core corporate administrative processes

Challenge

The Client is an expanding reality belonging to the Utility sector operating in various markets characterized by high regulatory complexity and increasing competitive pressure. To increase the efficiency of its processes, the Client has launched an investment strategy in the implementation of a new integrated management information system and in the adoption of an “as-a-service” Cloud technology platform in order to:

• automate operations;
• reduce data processing times;
• increase the consistency of information to support decision-making processes.

Solution

Following a structured selection process, the Client has chosen to assign responsibility for the innovation initiative to the Qintesi Network, positively evaluating the value of the proposal formulated both in terms of content and approach.

The overall and integrated proposition of the Qintesi Network has satisfied all the requirements formulated by the Customer through:

• the supply of licenses for the use of SAP S/4HANA, SAP FIORI and SAP BPC 11 as ERP and Planning & Performance Management solutions suitable for pursuing the indicated objectives;
• the supply of the GOOGLE CLOUD PLATFORM platform in IAAS (Infrastructure-As-A-Service) mode and the complete configuration of the architecture;
• the design and implementation of solutions with an agile approach based on the SAP Activate methodology and on Qintesi project accelerators;

In order to make the commitment necessary to complete the activities effective and sustainable, Qintesi immediately proposed and articulated a planning of activities in two consecutive streams:

SAP S/4HANA stream

All the activities necessary for the design and implementation of the “core” components of the new SAP S/4HANA application suite to cover the following macro-processes were part of this stream:

• FINANCE: general and sectional accounting, asset management, tax compliance, closures and reporting;
• CONTROLLING: analytical accounting for cost centers, orders and projects;
• PROCUREMENT: purchase request, purchase orders, goods receipts / performance returns and integrated accounting of supplier invoices;
• CASH MANAGEMENT: bank accounting, electronic acquisition of account statements, reconciliations and liquidity forecasts;

As required by the methodological framework used, SAP Activate, in parallel with the activities of defining the functionalities supporting the Business processes, the Qintesi Team worked on the implementation of all the more technical / technological aspects that were essential for the success of the project, namely:

• the infrastructure for the SAP landscape on GOOGLE CLOUD PLATFORM;
• the integration with the customer’s management systems;
• the digitization of the user experience through the activation of SAP FIORI.

SAP BPC stream 11

All the activities necessary for the design and implementation of the “performance management” components of SAP BPC 11 were part of this stream in order to cover the following macro-processes :

• planning of needs and purchases of goods and services;
• multi-year strategic patrimonial, economic and financial planning;
• management of the Budget and Forecast process;
• integrated management of the Consolidation process