Introduction

One of our customer came to us with a business requirement mentioning that they want to automate the complete process of Business Partner Management, and provide end user with a user interface which facilitate users to create request for creating a new Business partner in their S4 system. They wanted us to build a POC to explore and demonstrate the capabilities of SAP BPA to automate the Business Partner Management process.

In this blog we will explore SAP BPA service, its use cases, capabilities and features. So, let’s get started.

Challenge

Based on the requirement received, the complete Business Partner approval process should be able to fulfil below mentioned functionalities:

• Users should be able to submit new Business Partners request via a form based interface
• Submitted Business Partner request should go through a Business Partner Approval process. So, an email notification should be sent to the manager of user, who submitted the request.
• Manager (approver) should be able to approve or reject.
• Once submitted request is approved or rejected a notification should be sent back to the user
• BP request once approved by the manager should be sent to S4 system and BP should be created in S4

Below are the list of challenges that we need to address to fulfil above requirements and automate Business Partner Management process:

1. In the instances mentioned above, it is imperative that several stakeholders and systems are engaged, and they should also receive notifications when a task is awaiting their action and approval.
2. In addition to the participation of various entities, the data is traversing across several systems. The applications and systems encompassed in this context may include, SAP BPA, SAP BTP, SAP CI and S4.
3. Further, due to the presence of many systems and reliance on human input, decision-making may be required in various areas that align with an organization’s established business processes.
4. Ultimately, it would be interesting to see and explore the capabilities and features of SAP BPA to automate the Business Process approval process end to end. And see how we can integrate all systems and humans involved using SAP BPA and its features.

Solution

The SAP Business Process Automation solution has the ability to automate the aforementioned process, as well as encompassing all necessary features, capabilities, and pre-built integration with both SAP and Non-SAP applications. In addition to its seamless connection capabilities with both SAP and Non-SAP applications and systems, SAP BPA offers a range of functionalities such as Task Automation (RPA/Bots), Forms & Multi-Step Approvals, Unified Launchpad, Business Rules & Decisions, along with a variety of pre-built content and dashboards designed to enhance Process Visibility. The SAP Business Process Automation (BPA) service is an integral component of the SAP

Business Technology Platform (BTP), encompassing the following notable features:

• Processes & Workflows
• Forms Builder
• Task Automation (RPA/Bots)
• Unified Launchpad and Task Center
• Business Rules and Decisions
• Process Visibility
• Pre-Built Content

In the segment titled “Automating Business Partner Management with SAP BPA,” we will observe the process of constructing, implementing, and incorporating various systems utilizing SAP BPA through a series of sequential visual representations.

Automating Business Partner Management with SAP BPA

• User Manual: Step by step activities

1. Enter and submit new business partner request
   
2. BP Request > approver determination (CSV file > remote machine)
   *Note: a BOT (Automation) is used to read the CSV on a remote machine.
3. Approver determined > Partner approval request (My Inbox app >Approver)
4. Approver > comment > approve/reject
   
5. Approve/reject > message (Cloud Integration interface)
   
6. New BP > ABC LTD (S4/HANA system)
   

PAINS AND GAINS

Pains:

1. The automation of a business process that requires the involvement of several systems and human engagement might prove to be a highly complex and time-consuming endeavor.
2. Manual data entry and repetitive tasks are frequently necessary in complicated business processes, resulting in lengthy, complex, and inefficient procedures. The encouragement of human errors in data entry and decision-making can result in significant financial implications due to the occurrence of costly mistakes and consequent rework.
3. The application of manual processes may hinder the efficiency of activities.
4. The adoption of manual, complex and lengthy procedures frequently results in mediocre customer satisfaction, alongside presenting challenges regarding the effective management of inventory, transportation, and supplier connections.
5. The difficulties linked to reporting and analytics. The knowledge of business processes within an organization frequently resides with individuals known as Business Process Experts. Yet, this dependence on human expertise can result in the absence of accurate and timely reporting, in addition to a lack of comprehensive understanding into the processes.

Gains:

1. Making use of SAP BPA enables improvements and automation of sophisticated business processes, resulting in a decrease of manual intervention and the streamlining of workflows, which causes improved productivity.
2. Task Automation, namely Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Bots, enables the automation of repetitive and time-consuming tasks. This automation facilitates the allocation of personnel and resources towards more valuable activities, hence enhancing productivity and efficiency.
3. Taking advantage of SAP BPA enables the avoidance of errors and mistakes through the incorporation of functionalities such as Data Validation and Rules and Validation checks. The integration of business rules and validation tests within automated processes serves as an effective measure to mitigate the occurrence of common errors.
4. The SAP Business Process Automation (BPA) solution possesses the capability to seamlessly interact with both cloud-based and on-premises systems and databases. This integration facilitates the dismantling of data silos within the business, thus promoting data consistency and accessibility throughout the enterprise.
5. SAP BPA offers extensive automation of operations from start to finish, thereby diminishing the need for manual intervention and enhancing operational effectiveness.

CONCLUSION IN NUMBERS

1. It takes just a few simple steps to provision and configure the SAP Business Process Automation (BPA) service within the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP).
2. On average, the implementation, deployment, and automation of business processes can be accomplished within a timeframe of 1-2 days, even without the requirement of any coding expertise.
3. No further add-ons or third-party apps are necessary for the integration of SAP or Non-SAP applications and databases.
4. There are over 350 pre-packaged content options available for automating regularly utilized business procedures within an organization.
5. A reduction in labour expenses, a decrease in errors, and an enhancement in resource allocation contribute to a cost savings ranging from 30% to 40%.
6. The implementation of faster processing capabilities, resulting in a 40-50% increase in efficiency, leads to reduced turnaround times for various business operations such as Vendor Management, invoice processing, and order fulfilment.