Narasimhan Jayavel - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Consultant at Emerging Alliance
Consultant
Top 20
Reliable with good dashboards and helpful technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "It's user-friendly so long as you use it frequently."
  • "It's a complex initial setup."

What is most valuable?

The dashboard is great.

It's user-friendly so long as you use it frequently.

The product is stable.

You can scale the solution.

Technical support has been good.

What needs improvement?

Some production features are lacking. For example, we cannot see any dashboards in the production department. The generation of reports needs to be better. We have sales reports and yet no production reports.

It's a complex initial setup.

It can be an expensive solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very, very good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is very good. It's very capable.

How are customer service and support?

I've used technical support in the past. They are good.

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

I did not use a different solution. I use what my company uses in order to get reports.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is difficult and complex. It's very complex compared to SQL, for example.

The initial deployment took 15 days, however, nowadays, it takes one or two days. Mostly, I can complete it in one day.

What about the implementation team?

I'm a business consultant. I do implementations for various parts of my customers' organizations.

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

The licensing is typically chared yearly. It was rather expensive.

What other advice do I have?

We deploy the solution mostly on-premises and sometimes on the cloud. When we use the cloud, we usually use the AWS cloud. 

I'd warn new users that it might be difficult the initial time they use it if they are changing their ERP, however,t it'll be very helpful in the future if they're using it frequently.

I'd rate the entire product an eight out of ten. There are other well-known ERPs, such as Salesforce, and companies expect to have the same features. However, not everything may be on SAP, and that's something they need to work on.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Head-IT/SAP at Barista Coffee Company Ltd.
Real User
Customizable, user friendly, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "We have found the solution to be customizable and it is beneficial it comes as a bundled package. Additionally, it is user-friendly."
  • "SAP HANA is not perfect and they could improve by having more options and more integration."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use of SAP HANA is the use of modules, such as Material Management (MM), and Sales and Distribution (SD).

What is most valuable?

We have found the solution to be customizable and it is beneficial it comes as a bundled package. Additionally, it is user-friendly.

What needs improvement?

SAP HANA is not perfect and they could improve by having more options and more integration.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SAP HANA for approximately eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The performance of SAP HANA is very good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

We have a complete team size of approximately 12,000, including all the consulting and project managers.

We have approximately 36 end users, that directly impact the business. We might increase usage in the future but this depends on the business.

How are customer service and support?

I have contacted the technical support from SAP HANA and they are providing a complete solution to customers. I have been satisfied.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is straightforward and took approximately six months.

What about the implementation team?

We used an in-house team to do the implementation.

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

We pay annually for the license of the solution.

What other advice do I have?

I rate SAP HANA a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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SAP HANA
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about SAP HANA. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
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Senior Engineering Manager at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Stable, scalable, and easy to use
Pros and Cons
  • "It's easy to use, and the Hana Studio is pretty good."
  • "The JDBC connectors are very slow."

What is our primary use case?

We are solution providers. We are a supply chain organization and we deploy and supply chain solutions for our customers.

We have a host of solutions and for each of our customers based on their environments. We customize their platform and deploy it.

SAP HANA is one of our database endpoints.

What is most valuable?

It's easy to use, and the Hana Studio is pretty good.

What needs improvement?

The main issue that we are facing is with the connectors. The JDBC connectors are very slow. We have been trying to connect with our SAP HANA database to our customers.

It's a simple Java driver and there is no proper documentation available anywhere with clear steps. We have to rely on several documents which creates confusion.

The initial setup could be simplified.

Also, we don't have to option to pull up the data from the object structure in SAP HANA. We can only pull up certain objects. It doesn't provide you with a comprehensive list.

There are limitations in connection with SAP HANA. There has to be a better or easier way to connect the databases with other platforms, maybe using Java code or other types of code. It would be very good to have the documentation on how to connect.

I would like to have flexible connecting mechanisms for connection with Java or different types of solutions to SAP HANA on cloud or non-cloud solutions.

They could come up with something similar to the SAP HANA Studio type of modeling.

I would also like to see the capabilities to extend the API. If they had specific APIs, it would be easy for us to connect.

For how long have I used the solution?

My company has been using SAP HANA for ten years.

We are using the latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's a scalable solution. Because it's an on-premise infrastructure and SAP this is the best support for most of our customers, scalability is taken care of.

We are an SAP house. We have more than 1,000 people who use this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not interacted with the technical support. Other teams may have, but my involvement is more with the integration. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was a bit complex. We were told to download it from the marketplace, but when we tried, it didn't work. We may have been doing something wrong, but we did not have a clear understanding of how it should be done. We also had difficulties with the trial version, it was not working.

There are two options:

  1. Download SAP HANA then import it
  2. Go to the marketplace and download the connector

For testing purposes, if they could provide us with clear documentation, it would be very helpful.

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

Licensing is on a yearly basis.

We are using the paid version. We pay $200 on a monthly basis.

What other advice do I have?

I am not an expert in HANA. I build the enterprise bus that integrates with SAP HANA as well as other systems. We have built our own integrated platforms.

The recommendation of this solution would depend on the use case and the requirements, and the price will be considered.

I would rate SAP HANA an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Technical Department Manager at Direcbusiness Technologies, Inc.
Real User
Fast performance with good dashboards and analytics, but the documentation needs improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "What I like most are the dashboards and pervasive analytics."
  • "The documentation can be improved in the future."

What is our primary use case?

We have an ongoing cloud installation but mostly, we implement on-premises.

We use this solution for SAP Business One. 

It's used mainly for analytic purposes, reporting, and the processing of large data.

What is most valuable?

What I like most are the dashboards and pervasive analytics. Those are the most useful to us.

What needs improvement?

The documentation can be improved in the future.

In the next release, I would like to see integration with smart devices.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been implementing SAP Hana for six years.

We are using the latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

SAP HANA is scalable.

We are project-based. In each project, there are anywhere from 30 to 50 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have not really received any technical support from SAP HANA.

I think that's also one thing that maybe SAP would be most helpful, especially if we encounter several errors during installation. We don't get to have many references or we don't get to ask the technical guys of SAP HANA.

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

Previously we were using MySQL, but due to the fast performance of SAP HANA, we switched approximately three years ago.

How was the initial setup?

In the newer versions, the initial setup is mostly straightforward. However, the older version was more complex. We had several issues with installing.

The installation usually takes approximately four hours.

There are two admins at the most to maintain this solution.

What other advice do I have?

We definitely plan to keep implementing this product in the future and I can recommend it.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Implementer
PeerSpot user
Group General Manager-ICT at a consumer goods company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Unmatched performance, good security, and good traceability for audits
Pros and Cons
  • "The performance in terms of processing time is unmatched due to the in-memory processing capability."
  • "The product is very demanding on memory requirements."

What is our primary use case?

We use SAP HANA as our primary database for our enterprise business. The product is centrally hosted where all our business departments access the product through its sister product SAP ERP.

The product hosts data for the deployed modules namely, Finance and Control (FICO), Materials Management (MM), Plant Maintenance (PM), Production Planning (PP), Quality Management (QM), Human Capital Management (HCM), and Sales and Distribution (SD).

It also hosts the business warehouse (BW)/BI environment.

How has it helped my organization?

The performance in terms of processing time is unmatched due to the in-memory processing capability.

The administration of the many records that were previously distributed in different systems into a central location has been made easier. All that information has been availed central from multi-locations without the requirement for manipulation using worksheets, as was the case before.

The database is also running our business warehouse and business intelligence environment, where insightful reports are generated for business management.

What is most valuable?

Security and performance are the two most valuable features. Our processing time came down to less than two hours from more than ten hours in the legacy system. We use the product to process our small-scale grower payments at the end of the month and whose daily tea deliveries records are in hundreds of thousands.

The audit trails in the HANA product are so robust that one can trace back to the tiny details of what happened at a particular time, who did it, and the time it was done. This makes auditing of both the transactions and performance of the product possible. 

What needs improvement?

The product is very demanding on memory requirements. This is a result of it being an in-memory processing product. The choice of the hardware must be done carefully because when subject to other hardware, it gets slow and just crawls. Memory on the other hand is not cheap because you have to buy it from a third-party.  

The cost of the database is not cheap either, as you have to pay for the runtime for any licenses that you purchase, and that comes each year. Now that is punitive with increasing license requirement.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using SAP HANA for six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a very stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

SAP HANA is very scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

The customer service is excellent, whereas the technical support is not among the best but we managed.

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

We used another solution before this one and we switched due to data growth and the need for predictive management.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is complex.

What about the implementation team?

SAP itself assisted us with deployment.

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

Setup and licensing require planning and proper budgeting, as it is not cheap.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated products by Microsoft and Oracle.

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.
PeerSpot user
Soullution Architech at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Easy-to-integrate relational database management solution
Pros and Cons
  • "It is very flexible to integrate with SaaS components."
  • "It is challenging to integrate it with third-party tools."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution to store and migrate the data.

What is most valuable?

SAP HANA is very flexible and easy to integrate with SaaS components.

What needs improvement?

The solution could be more flexible. It is challenging to integrate it with third-party tools apart from SaaS components. Also, they should include a feature like local field in the next release.

What other advice do I have?

The solution's workflow system application and functionalities are compatible with SaaS components. I advise others to consider knowing the kind of data validation, performance tool, and use cases per their business requirement. They should look for other solutions if there are multiple data sources involved. 

I would rate it nine 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.
PeerSpot user
Assistant Vice President at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Provides great in-memory computing with very efficient response times
Pros and Cons
  • "The in-memory computing and the efficient response time are very good features."
  • "Uses a large amount of RAM and is costly."

What is our primary use case?

We are end users of SAP HANA and I'm assistant vice president of our company. 

What is most valuable?

The solution's in-memory computing and the efficient response time are very good features. It's a good solution. 

What needs improvement?

Because SAP HANA is completely in-memory, it requires the use of bigger systems which have a higher amount of RAM. If the system does go down then coming back up is difficult and can take 30 to 40 minutes. It's a big drawback of the solution and one they ought to solve because the multiple downtimes are a problem.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for six years. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable so if you want to increase your node capabilities, it's very easy to scale out. You just have to add the node and it gets started.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support people are very competent.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward and there were no problems with deployment. 

What other advice do I have?

I recommend this solution but running SAP HANA requires deep pockets - it's costly.

I rate this solution eight out of 10. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
CEO at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
New technology with good stability
Pros and Cons
  • "We like that the product is both vertically and horizontally scalable, allowing us to do around 86 percent compression of documentation from 50 to seven terabytes."
  • "It would be nice to know when SAP plans to stop its maintenance of a previous version of SAP ECC ERP because, at this point, anyone utilizing SAP will have no choice but to go on S/4HANA Database."

What is our primary use case?

We always make use of the latest version. 

We like that SAP HANA is a new technology. We also like that the product is both vertically and horizontally scalable, allowing us to do around 86 percent compression of documentation from 50 to seven terabytes.

In light of the hosting cost, we find this to be very interesting. We also like the warm and cold data in respect of the solution's technology. There is a real team involved. The customer can initially utilize SAP ECC on the HANA interface and then go on S/4HANA. From this point on, doing upgrades will be very easy and smooth and the risk management will be extremely light.

What needs improvement?

Since only some accommodation exists, there is a need to enquire of SAP about which environment would be good. While I know the HANA database on the Azure environment comprises a good solution, for example, it does not easily accommodate SAP. HANA is a new technology which only dates back to 2004 and we must give it adequate time before assessing its room for improvement. This is in contrast to DB2, which has been  around for 40 years or more years. Perhaps the flow will be improved. As of now, the technology is too new to properly comment on.   

The documentation is not an issue and, if anything, a surfeit of it is made available. This is actually one of SAP's stronger points.

Capabilities are also not at issue at present. When it comes to how EAP connects with SAP we are looking at a revolutionary paradigm. For now, we could not ask for there to be more features. This area is wonderful. We find the solution to be very helpful, safe, good and secure. Only with the passage of time will we be afforded a proper understanding of where the technology can be improved. 

This said, it would be nice to know when SAP plans to stop its maintenance of a previous version of SAP ECC ERP because, at this point, anyone utilizing SAP will have no choice but to go on S/4HANA Database. This will be contingent on when SAP will stop doing maintenance for the ECC version 6.0. 

We saw this with the 4.6 version ECC. Once SAP stopped its maintenance those with SAP were forced to go on the new version. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using SAP HANA for a couple of years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is secure and stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

As the solution allows for document compression, I would consider it scalable. 

How are customer service and technical support?

We have had occasion to make use of technical support, although its level varies according to the locale of SAP's global presence. 

What about the implementation team?

While I was not personally involved in the installation, my engineers were. 

My deployment and maintenance team comprises around seven people, although I could not tell you which percentage of this is made up of managers, administrators and engineers. 

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

A monthly or yearly license must be purchased, although its utility will be based on the cost-benefit analysis that is reached by the individual customer. 

What other advice do I have?

The solution is cloud based

I would recommend S/4HANA to other users. 

I rate SAP HANA as a nine out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free SAP HANA Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free SAP HANA Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.