Day: December 18, 2017

The Internet of Things (IoT) offers endless opportunities for enterprises to make their manufacturing, logistics, and services processes smart. So where exactly will they see the benefits of embracing new technologies?

We look at some compelling examples from the SAP environment, where IoT is already an everyday reality in many lines of business and where the latest technology trends are helping companies optimize their packing process, their warehousing, their flow of materials, and much more.

1. Streamlining the material flow in manufacturing and logistics

When we think of Industry 4.0, we think of sensors. Their many uses include helping manufacturers track work pieces in real time and automating the flow of materials from the warehouse. Work pieces are fitted with RFID tags that allow sensors to transmit each component’s position to the relevant SAP software in real time. This allows human operators to refer directly to the SAP system to find out where and when orders are ready for processing ‒ thus making optimal use of time lags in the production process.

2. Enabling autonomous machines

Real-time interaction between machines and backend systems allows efficient make-to-order production. Manufacturers can set up interfaces in an SAP system to enable communication between external systems and almost any machine. Thus, a machine can independently download and execute a “recipe” for mixing individual components or ingredients. While the machine is running, it generates data, which it transmits back into the system. This information provides the foundation for further automation and simplification.

3. Optimizing high-rack warehouses

Operators of high-rack warehouses can create a digital twin to optimize their collaboration with manufacturers and service partners. The digital twin of the warehouse is mapped in the SAP system and shows the condition and position of the assets within it. This makes it possible, for example, to check and monitor the condition of the high-rack aisles. Manufacturers, service providers, and plant operators can all access the relevant digital files via the SAP Asset Intelligence Network portal and optionally store items such as operating manuals and certificates there. When they receive a service request, high-rack storage system operators and service technicians can open a ticket in the system, communicate with one another, and access all the data they need on the go.

4. Establishing new maintenance processes

Service technicians are often responsible for a large number of machines distributed across a wide area. For them, augmented reality smart glasses such as Microsoft’s ”HoloLens” can take service and maintenance processes to a completely new level. Teamed with SAP S/4HANA, SAP Cloud Platform , and a 3D engine, smart glasses can optimize maintenance tasks by ensuring that service technicians have all the information they need ‒ quite literally ‒ right in front of their eyes. They are also empowered to examine the inside of the machine before physically touching it. And, if they have questions, they can communicate with their colleagues in the back office via the HoloLens.

5. Identifying potential hazards early

The cloud-based IoT network SAP Asset Intelligence Network links up manufacturers, operators, and service partners. If a sensor reports an unusually high concentration of dust in a machine room, the machine manufacturer can decide from hundreds of miles away whether or not it needs to send a field technician to the site. Sensors are also the key to predictive maintenance because they transmit information that is stored in the cloud as a basis for detecting possible issues before they cause trouble.

Whether in manufacturing, logistics, or service, IoT-based solutions offer a wealth of opportunities for optimizing processes and making them more efficient. http://bit.ly/2Bu0AhQ #SAP #SAPCloud #AI

It was a big announcement at SAP TechEd Las Vegas: ABAP will be available in SAP Cloud Platform within the next years.

Looking forward to the SAP Cloud Platform, ABAP will meet there all the cool new kids on the block – Blockchain, Internet of Things, Machine Learning and Big Data. But in my opinion more significantly  it will join a highly agile development environment. Git support and one-click deployments are already standard when developing in Cloud Platform.

A Git-Support for ABAP is already there – if you do not know it already check out the openSource tool abapGit, initialized by Lars Hvam.

And there is more in the ABAP world – especially in the last years SAP introduced beside new technologies like Channels or Drafts a lot of tools and features to increase quality, robustness and efficiency of the ABAP custom code development. But it is still seems to be open which of this innovations are supported with the currently most used product – the Business Suite.

Within the huge amount of new ABAP features which were developed in the last years and presented at the TechEds, I want to point out one, which is the best test frameworks I have seen till now – well its some time ago since I switched from the Java world to the ABAP world and I may not be up-to-date, but anyway. Let me present you …

The OSQL test double framework.

There are already test double framworks available since Version 7.40, like the ABAP Test Double Framework. But this new one – the Open SQL test double framework comes with a very powerful attitude: With only four lines of code any DDIC table or view and also CDS View can be mocked. In other languages like JAVA or Javascript this has to be done usually with extra persistence frameworks and a lot of extra effort. DATA sales_order type table of sepm_i_salesOrder. “* DATA(environment) = cl_osql_test_environment=>create(i_dependency_list = VALUE #( ( ‘sepm_i_salesorder’) ). sales_order = VALUE #( ( customeruuid = ‘10000404’ SalesOrderBillingStatus = ‘P’ CreationDateTime = ‘20161010’ … environment->insert_test_data( sales_order ). ”* the first line was not shown on the presentation slides – so please do not judge me for any bugs here.

Presentation slide and sample code extracted from SAP TechEd Barcelona session S4H232 – Automated testing within the ABAP programming model for SAP S/4HANA by Thomas Ritter

A really cool feature – and with the perfectly applied “chain saw” approach its something that can fastly increase the code robustness and contribute to a smooth conversion from Business Suite to S/4HANA … if it would be available also for a lower release than 7.52.

Innovation needs two sides

A lot of cool new features of the last two years are currently only available for S/4HANA. Certainly for some of them the enablement for the Business Suite will be nearly impossible, especially when they depend highly on the S/4HANA data model. For others an inventive solution could be the best way, like the Central Check System approach for ATC. And for others its in my opinion worth going the extra mile and making the feature backward compatible.

Sure, first of all, developers have to adopt the “new” features, for example Unit testing or ATC checks which are there since the early 7 versions. But done that a lot of developers will have to stay on the Business Suite and there seem to be currently no definitiv decision which features of the last two years releases 7.51 and 7.52 will be availaible also in the Business Suite.

I think it is crucial that as many of the brand new tools or enhanced features are downported to the  Business Suite stack. Otherwise the majority of the ABAP developers will not be able to use this cool new ABAP tires for years due to the fact that a lot of customers are not able to start immediately with transfering all stones from the Business Suite cart to the brand new S/4HANA cart.

 

  http://bit.ly/2Bw3L8Z #SAP #SAPCloud #AI