Why process automation on SAP BTP is state-of-the-art

Process automation refers to the use of software and technologies to automate workflows in companies. This primarily concerns tasks that were previously carried out manually by people. They are automated through the use of ...

• Workflows for structured processes

• API integrations for system connections

• Robotic process automation (RPA) for rule-based tasks

• Artificial intelligence (AI) for complex decisions

Process automation plays a crucial role in a company’s success and in mastering the digital transformation by acting as an enabler for new business models, enabling faster process flows and strengthening the ability to innovate.

Avoid typical mistakes in process automation

Benefits of process automation

The automation of their processes gives companies various competitive advantages, including faster market adaptation, improved data availability, increased agility and enhanced service quality. In addition, process automation always results in an increase in efficiency, which leads to cost savings and minimizes the error rate due to the lower proportion of manual activities.

Typical processes for automation

Not every process is equally suitable for automation. Recurring, manual activities such as the selective transfer of data from an Excel spreadsheet or PDF document to an SAP system are particularly appropriate. Typical examples are orders for goods or invoices received by email. Another scenario is searching for a specific invoice number in various systems. Such manual activities are rather tedious and also harbor considerable potential for errors.

In addition, structured processes should be mapped using a workflow. Automation can also be used in the individual process steps.

• Processes in IT service management (ITSM):

  • Incident management with automatic ticket creation, categorization and escalation

  • Change management with standardized approval workflows

  • Service request management for the automated provision of IT resources

• Pattern recognition using AI for processes in the financial services sector:

  • Better fraud detection (detection of irregularities in real time)

  • Fraud prevention (proactive identification of anomalies)

  • Support for compliance and risk management

What does SAP BTP offer in terms of process automation?

SAP Build Process Automation (SBPA), a service on SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), is the central location for process automation in the SAP ecosystem. SAP BTP provides a wide range of tools and services that can be used to automate processes effectively. Simple processes are created with the low-code tool SBPA Process Builder. In the case of simple forms for applications or approvals, a visual no-code editor is suitable. More complex processes require the referencing of workflows from SAP Workflow Management. For more elaborate forms, the embedding of custom task UIs in My Inbox is recommended. This requires pro code development with SAP Business Application Studio (BAS).

Integration with existing systems takes place via APIs. Rest APIs for automated interactions with individual workflow steps or for querying decision tables play a key role here. Conversely, external system APIs can be addressed from the workflow via actions.

Automation at the level of individual workstations requires the installation of the client software SAP Desktop Agent. It is only fully available for Windows computers. The agent is controlled via a series of automation SDKs (Office SDK, PDF SDK, Document Information Extraction SDK) with RPA features that are integrated as dependencies in the automation project. Existing automations from SAP Intelligent Robotic Automation can also be referenced. Visibility scenarios are defined for monitoring the processes.

End-to-end automation on SAP BTP

Many tools and services on SAP BTP are specially designed to automate processes end-to-end and seamlessly connect both SAP and non-SAP systems. Customer-specific cloud-native applications with complex process logic can be developed and provided on SAP BTP.

SAP Integration Suite as an Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) also facilitates the connection of on-premise and cloud applications, data and processes. It offers hundreds of ready-made integrations and connectors. In addition, SAP BTP provides access to SAP AI services that can be integrated into automation scenarios – for example, for intelligent document processing (document information extraction) or for better decision-making.

Process automation and clean-core strategy

Process automation on SAP BTP contributes directly to a company’s clean-core strategy. Instead of implementing customer-specific process steps in the SAP S/4HANA core, such specific requirements can be mapped using process automation solutions on SAP BTP. SAP BTP provides the runtime environment for side-by-side extensions. The standard SAP S/4HANA system provides stable, documented and versioned APIs. These APIs are the basis for a robust and maintainable connection to external automation tools.

By moving process logic and automation to SAP BTP, companies are able to react more quickly to new requirements and introduce innovations without having to make complex and risky changes to the ERP core. Simple automation projects can often be implemented faster on SAP BTP, especially with low-code/no-code approaches such as SAP Build. A clean core significantly simplifies SAP S/4HANA upgrades, as less custom code needs to be adapted and tested. Automations that are connected via stable APIs tend to be less affected by upgrades to the core system.

Procedure for process automation

When it comes to process automation on SAP BTP, there are some important aspects to consider in order to achieve maximum benefit and avoid pitfalls. Companies should follow a structured approach.

• As-is analysis
  Before automation, companies must first understand their processes in detail. Tools such as SAP Signavio make a valuable contribution to visualizing and analyzing processes and uncovering weak points.

• Prioritization

  Which processes are best suited for automation and offer the greatest return on investment (ROI)? Automating an inefficient process only leads to a faster inefficient process. In such a case, the first priority is to optimize the process itself.

• End-to-end perspective
  To avoid isolated solutions, companies should always consider the entire process across system and departmental boundaries.

• Communication/acceptance
  To ensure that employees support the changes associated with process automation, it is helpful to explain the benefits to them and outline how automation will affect their work at an early stage. This makes employees aware that they will benefit from automation, for example by being relieved of time-consuming, repetitive tasks.

• Involving the business departments
  It is worth involving the business departments in the process at an early stage. The citizen developer approach with low-code editors is suitable for simple processes and automation.

• Training
  Training courses for new tools and adapted processes ensure that the users concerned are empowered in the best possible way.

• Building expertise
  At the same time, the training courses serve to build up the necessary expertise within the company. If necessary, external consultants should also be brought in for this purpose.

Conclusion: An important contribution to corporate success

Process automation on SAP Business Technology Platform is a key success factor for digital transformation. It enables companies to increase their efficiency, reduce error rates and react faster to market requirements – without unnecessarily burdening the SAP S/4HANA core. With its combination of low-code/no-code tools, AI-supported services and extensive integration options, SAP BTP offers a future-proof platform for realizing modern automation scenarios.