Olaf Dölz - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Solution Engineer at Winshuttle
Real User
Provides many interfaces, which allows you to build satellites around it with other SAP or third-party solutions
Pros and Cons
  • "There are many interfaces, so you really can build satellites around it like with other SAP stuff or even third-party stuff."
  • "If big companies are going for SAP and they would like to install it, they should know that it still needs time. Implementation will cost a lot of money."

What is our primary use case?

In the past, it was a pure on-premise solution. As the market has gone on, SAP is all also delivering hybrid or public and private clouds. Because you can configure SAP for huge automotive factories — like Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz, for example — they do have some development inside of these kinds of software. Therefore, it's really difficult to bring everything into the cloud. 

So, although SAP is making a lot of business with the hybrid or private and public cloud solutions, I think there are still others who would like to use solutions other than pure cloud solutions. This is my impression.

What is most valuable?

I'm an old-fashioned guy, so I feel better when I have GUI. So, not a web browser. This makes me feel better because of security issues.

What needs improvement?

If big companies are going for SAP and they would like to install it, they should know that it still needs time. Implementation will cost a lot of money. I would really appreciate it if the software tools had something like template solutions where you didn't have to spend too much time and effort to configure. Instead, the process would run in the software with just a click. So, I'd like to see better provision of templates.

For how long have I used the solution?

I started as a consultant. I have 25 years of end-user experience and experience as an implementation consultant.

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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Right now, because of all these different deployment methods like cloud, the scalability is very good. There are plenty of options you can select. It's not a pure public cloud solution. You still have the possibility to go for on-premise or to go for hybrid and use these super large services like Amazon Web Services or go with a small private IT provider. Scalability is very high in my opinion.

How are customer service and support?

Their technical support is available 24/7. They provide good support. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 4.

How was the initial setup?

Initial setup is complex. I would rate the setup a 4 out of 5.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution 8 out of 10.

There are many interfaces, so you really can build satellites around it like with other SAP stuff or even third-party stuff. The entity relationship is the basis for the whole business in the world. For example, the relationships between the customer, vendor, materials, orders, invoices, and so on. For me, this system is very logical. It's complex, but once you understand it, it's perfect.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
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Consultant at RDM Tech Solutions
Real User
Top 20
Big business speciality, with excellent stability, and seasoned functionality
Pros and Cons
  • "Everyone who uses SAP ERP has benefited from the functionality."
  • "I would like to see the customization of the reports become easier to work with instead of having technical support have to assist us."

How has it helped my organization?

Everyone who uses SAP ERP has benefited from the functionality.

What is most valuable?

I think the most valuable feature is that we get live real-time reporting.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see the customization of the reports become easier to work with instead of having technical support have to assist us. I would also like to see them continue adding new features.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have worked with SAP ERP for the past eighteen years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The flexibility is excellent on a scale of one to ten I would rate it a nine.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would say that the scalability is around a seven on a scale of one to ten.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup has some complexity to it.

What about the implementation team?

The depolyment can take anywhere from six to eight months. We have a team of around forty five people that help us with the implementation.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

When we talk about pricing it is expensive. On a scale of one to ten, it would rank a two. There are no additional fees but the user licenses are high.

What other advice do I have?

SAP ERP is mainly for big businesses, so just try to see that if your business is big enough to handle such an expensive ERP system because, for mid businesses we have NetSuite, but for large businesses we have SAP. I would rate SAP ERP a ten on a scale of one to ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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April 2024
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David Kunc - PeerSpot reviewer
Account Manager at Cadmium
Real User
Top 10
The solution helps plan resources and execute deals
Pros and Cons
  • "I like the solution's ability to close plans and resource requirements in deals."
  • "SAP ERP was not very user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

We use SAP ERP mainly for CRM.

What is most valuable?

I like the solution's ability to close plans and resource requirements in deals.

When I entered or itemized closing plans step by step on how to close deals, the solution helped me to materialize how I wanted to close the deal. It forced me to think about how to do it. If you have a vague idea of how to do it, different ways appear when you put it on paper or type it on a keyboard. The solution also monitors if I'm executing all the steps that I define necessary to closing a deal.

What needs improvement?

SAP ERP was not very user-friendly. Some features and functions are quite obsolete. For example, we had some scoring where the total had to be 100%. I could only enter figures from 100 to 150 or just only 90. There was a lot of manual work.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have worked with SAP ERP for nine years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Companies in certain segments find the solution scalable. For companies that require SAP, where employees are required to have high flexibility in changing processes, SAP ERP is not the right software. However, the solution is very scalable for large companies with 1,000 employees and more.

When I was using SAP, there were 80,000 users.

How are customer service and support?

The first line of support has low-skilled people who just resolve some problems. They hand the problem over to the second level if it is more sophisticated. Unfortunately, as a customer, you often have to describe your issue or problem again to those on the second level.

Likewise, if support is 24/7, there could be different support centers, and you might have to describe your problems to different support centers across the globe again and again.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

From the user's point of view, the solution is easy to set up. You don't need to modify anything while setting up the solution. I rate the initial setup a nine out of ten.

The time taken to deploy the solution depends upon many factors, such as the number of modifications, change requests, and the complexity of data migration. It also matters if it is for one or a few small countries. Setting up SAP ERP can take half a year or several years.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I rate SAP ERP's pricing a six or seven out of ten.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend SAP ERP, but it depends on where you are. I'm from the Czech Republic, and SAP dominates the local market. But that's not because of the product but because of the number of available consultants and their experience. By comparison, Oracle has a great solution, but no one has experience with implementation. We didn't know about all the functions and features. Likewise, if you don't have a critical mass of customers, you cannot get experience from implementation.

There are about 700 certified consultants in the Czech Republic for SAP ERP.

I rate SAP ERP an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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PrateekBansal - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager at Mitsubishi Electric in India
Real User
Top 20
It is a scalable solution and adapts to different business requirements
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a stable solution."
  • "The solution's UI could be better."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution to manage our organization's financial supply chain and customer interactions.

What is most valuable?

The solution provides a lot of essential features to meet our business goals. 

What needs improvement?

The solution's UI could be better. Also, they should improve the initial setup process.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the solution for eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution; our organization has around 250 solution users.

How are customer service and support?

The solution's technical support is good.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The solution's initial setup process is complicated.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is less expensive than its competitors. But it is costly for ERP services.

What other advice do I have?

The solution caters to different business requirements. If you have a good user base and many business processes to manage, you should opt for SAP ERP.

I rate the solution as an eight.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Development Director at Lottomatica SpA
Real User
Overall good functionality, beneficial financial modules, and highly stable
Pros and Cons
  • "I have found all the modules related to finance valuable, such as account management and HR. The entire suite is very useful."
  • "When evaluating the current version I am using now, the SAP GUI is old-style and needs to be replaced with something more modern and easy to use. However, the SAP GUI is very optimized for connection networks and is extremely good. Many people would like to have a WebGUI or something else to have access in a different way. Additionally, there could be some drag and drop functionality added because these features are normally in any website that this solution does not have."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution primarily to manage financial business processes.

What is most valuable?

I have found all the modules related to finance valuable, such as account management and HR. The entire suite is very useful.

What needs improvement?

When evaluating the current version I am using now, the SAP GUI is old-style and needs to be replaced with something more modern and easy to use. However, the SAP GUI is very optimized for connection networks and is extremely good. Many people would like to have a WebGUI or something else to have access in a different way. Additionally, there could be some drag and drop functionality added because these features are normally in any website that this solution does not have.

We are not using the newest version of the solution, it is difficult to say what needs to improve when the improvements could have already been made in the newer version. I did however see a demo version of the newest version and they have made improvements in the overall ability to manage with the solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for approximately 15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution stability and performance are very good we are extremely happy. We have not had any problem and when we moved from the old database to SAP HANA it provided improved performance. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In the company where I worked before, we had a large installation of SAP with approximately 10,000 licensed users. The solution was able to handle it without a problem and we were using the classic version of the Oracle database. 

In the company I work for currently, we do smaller installations of approximately 350 users. We have not had any problem or any issue regarding performance, it is highly scalable. However, working with S/4 HANA, where all the database is working in the RAM memory could pose some difficulties if you want to scale because you would have to have a computer system with a large number of gigabytes of RAM.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have only used support a few times for some minor issues, such as the production system blockage, and our experience was good. The support agent was very helpful and quick to answer our problems. I felt we were receiving the maximum level of support.

What about the implementation team?

I have an internal team working on SAP ERP and we are using a very large system integrator from Italy that is assisting us with the implementation, technical support, and safety. We are working together with this system integrator for any big project that we cannot manage internally. This is not for any competencies issues, we only want to increase the number of people working with us to speed up the process.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

When you have a solution that is stable, reliable, and has a high performance as this solution, the price is going to be expensive. However, when you evaluate the service you are paying for the cost is quite reasonable for this solution.

What other advice do I have?

I rate SAP ERP a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Senior Application Delivery Specialist at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Fully-integrated, very stable, and works well
Pros and Cons
  • "It is an integrated application, and it has been working really well. Earlier, there were different companies for different applications for manufacturing, finance controlling, logistics, and quality. It probably was the first fully integrated application. Whenever somebody is entering any data, for example, invoice data or ordering data, everyone with a right to see this data can see it in the system."
  • "We will not make any major changes, and we are not expecting any enhancements or new features from SAP because they already have a new solution. No development is happening on SAP ERP because SAP has come up with a new version called SAP S/4HANA, which is memory-based technology. We are planning to upgrade to SAP S/4HANA, but we don't know when it will happen. We are in the preparation phase."

What is our primary use case?

We are using SAP ERP for business support, business administration, and financial aid. We are also using it for quality manufacturing and logistics.

We have many applications from the SAP side. We are also using SAP BW, SAP SRM, and SAP APO.

How has it helped my organization?

We are using it for our daily operations. It is being used for handling different orders for the company. It is also used for logistics, delivery of our products, collecting cash, and controlling the business volume and business activities. It is an integrated application, and we use it quite well.

What is most valuable?

It is an integrated application, and it has been working really well. Earlier, there were different companies for different applications for manufacturing, finance controlling, logistics, and quality. It probably was the first fully integrated application. Whenever somebody is entering any data, for example, invoice data or ordering data, everyone with a right to see this data can see it in the system.

What needs improvement?

We will not make any major changes, and we are not expecting any enhancements or new features from SAP because they already have a new solution. No development is happening on SAP ERP because SAP has come up with a new version called SAP S/4HANA, which is memory-based technology. We are planning to upgrade to SAP S/4HANA, but we don't know when it will happen. We are in the preparation phase.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for 24 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We are using it on a daily basis 24/7. Currently, there is no plan to add additional users. However, if we upgrade to S/4HANA, we will get new functionality and features. Most likely, we will also have more users.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support comes partially from SAP. There are also certain partner companies who are providing support, so the support is quite good.

How was the initial setup?

Its initial setup is quite a complex task because many business people are involved from different areas. It is not a simple solution that is being used by five or ten people. In our company, it is being used by thousands of people. Its implementation requires many consultations and discussions with different business communities. It also requires customization, configuration, and testing before you start using it.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others to go for S/4HANA. I would rate SAP ERP an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Manager, Robotics & Automation Systems at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Top 20
Though a tool considered to have the ability to offer an entire package, it needs to be made more simpler
Pros and Cons
  • "From a long-term perspective, I can say that the solution can offer a return on investment, but it may take around three to four years for our company to experience it."
  • "SAP ERP needs to consider simplifying a few areas within the tool. Compared to SAP ERP, other solutions in the market are much more easily configurable and understandable. SAP has a lot of complex features."

What is our primary use case?

I use SAP ERP in my company for its entire package that provides masking and condition techniques, along with the details of all the employees and everything, starting from manufacturing, procurement, maintenance of facilities, onboarding, and warehousing.

What is most valuable?

A person gets to use the valuable features of the solution depending on how you have implemented the tool. If the tool doesn't have a required process, its user has to put that particular process into it, which is tedious.

What needs improvement?

SAP ERP needs to be made simpler. The tool is generally not very complicated to use and is easy to use.

SAP ERP needs to consider simplifying a few areas within the tool. Compared to SAP ERP, other solutions in the market are much more easily configurable and understandable. SAP has a lot of complex features. In the future, if SAP ERP offers small, medium, and large versions of the product separately, then the implementation process can be made easier.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SAP ERP for four years. I use SAP ERP with SAP S/4HANA 1809, but my company plans to move to SAP S/4HANA 1909 soon. I am a user of the solution.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a three out of ten.

The standard options of the tool don't work well, and for each and everything, there are new options. When SAP adds new options, the integration of the other modules is not taken care of, and then the fix-around needs a lot of time.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Around 400 people in my company use the tool.

The tool is used daily in my company.

How are customer service and support?

SAP ERP's technical support takes a lot of time when it comes to handling errors and debugging errors. The coordination of technical support with different users takes a lot of time. I rate the technical support a four out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, my company used a product from Oracle. My company shifted to SAP ERP from Oracle after our company's plans to move to a manufacturing setup.

How was the initial setup?

I rate SAP ERP's initial setup phase a four on a scale of one to ten, where one is a difficult setup, and ten is an easy setup.

SAP ERP's initial setup phase was quite difficult.

SAP ERP's initial setup phase was complex, as my company had to seek help from a third party while maintaining a lot of coordination and months of discussions with them to get the tool fully usable.

The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.

The solution can be deployed in twelve months.

SAP ERP has three modules or sections that help with the installation areas like the development, quality, and deployment of SAP. SAP takes or collects the data from each of the departments and the processes, and then it gets put into the area that deals with quality in SAP. The signoff of the UAT and any other agreements is done before proceeding with the final deployment.

What about the implementation team?

The product's deployment was carried out in my company with the help of a consultant from SAP and a third-party integrator.

What was our ROI?

From a long-term perspective, I can say that the solution can offer a return on investment, but it may take around three to four years for our company to experience it. Currently, I don't think the product offers my company any return on investment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I rate the product's price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap or affordable, and ten is really expensive. The solution is expensive.

What other advice do I have?

SAP ERP's maintenance can be described as an ongoing process. Ongoing maintenance is required in the product, owing to issues like bugs and the fact that the processes are not integrated well enough.

I rate the overall product a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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DGM HR at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Enables continuity in our company but needs to be more intuitive
Pros and Cons
  • "Continuing to use it enabled continuity of business."
  • "SAP needs to be more intuitive."

What is our primary use case?

When the company merged, we decided that we wanted to continue using SAP ERP because all the processes were much more mature, especially when it came to finance. The main value was the convenience for finance to run and manage the business.

The finance team was more comfortable using SAP, so that's why it was decided not to change the solution.

How has it helped my organization?

I wouldn't say it has improved the organization. The company was already using it before we merged.

Continuing to use it enabled continuity of business. It eliminated strife or angst for the employees in terms of experiences since they were already using SAP ERP.

What is most valuable?

We're using the main database. We're using the leave modules and transfers.

What needs improvement?

SAP needs to be more intuitive. It should be easy to use, mobile, and employee-friendly. You need to know the transaction codes. You need to study it to be able to use it. SAP needs to change that. They need to be more intuitive. Like how Facebook is so easy to use, or Uber. No one teaches you to use these apps, but they're intuitive and you're able to use them. So the HR applications need to be the same way.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using it since 2018. Before that, I implemented SAP ERP in my previous job and used it for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable.

There are currently 8,000 users who use SAP in my company. Our IT team maintains it.

We do not have plans to increase usage. SAP has said that they are dropping the ERP part. They advise moving on to SuccessFactors for HR. SAP themselves has said not to go forward with more usage, but to change the system.

How are customer service and support?

It has good support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used Oracle. When the company merged the new finance team preferred SAP, so HR also had to move along with the finance team. 

How was the initial setup?

The company was already using SAP ERP when we joined, so I didn't have to do any setup here. But in my previous job, we did set it up.

It wasn't straightforward. We had to first align the HR processes. IBM was the implementation partner. We had to speak with SAP and also IBM. They understood our processes and they proposed the best solution. Some parts we did not agree to, so there were workarounds, but it went through. Once the design architecture was finalized, the implementation was smooth.

The deployment took six months.

What about the implementation team?

IBM was the implementation partner.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale from one to 10, I rate SAP ERP a five. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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