Enhance ERP

SAP as our ERP solution is still in progress and far from being completed. The ongoing digital transformation of existing business processes and even the consolidation of current implementations are still very important topics for the HERUG members. You are welcome to present and discuss the latest projects and concepts for optimising and expanding your installed SAP systems. This operative backbone of administrative IT comprises student lifecycle management, finance, supply chain and human capital managemenent, reporting, business warehousing and the modernisation of user interfaces.

Plans and experiences with S/4 HANA as SAP´s next generation ERP solution are of course very welcome for our user group as well.

Transform the Platform

SAP is changing. It adapts to new needs and uses new offerings such as software as a service and the cloud to better meet the needs of today's businesses. Hybrid landscapes promise new possibilities such as faster adaptation of new functions and services and lower maintenance costs. On the other hand, there are also new challenges to get an integrated solution that serves the entire institution. Data integration should not be overlooked and complexity could be a risky trap for postmodern ERP approaches. Third party integration and licensing issues also need to be addressed.

What can we learn from the introduction of SAP's new cloud-based portfolio (Success Factors, Concur, Ariba, Hybris, SAP Analytics Cloud and others) in HER? Are there good practices for managing heterogeneous landscapes with SAP´s Solution Manager 7.2 or others? How do we prepare and plan for the migration to S/4 HANA?

Digitise the Campus

Universities are communities and often comparable to small towns or districts. It is obvious that Smart City solutions and the "Internet of Things" should also be used on campus. It also shows that the networking of local and global groups in research and teaching is progressing dramatically and that physical and virtual infrastructures are merging. What significance do the technologies from the SAP Leonardo spectrum (AI/ML, Big Data and IoT…) have and are there already applications in the HER area? How can mobile apps support the communities of teaching, learning and research with personalised information and services? What importance do self-service business intelligence and end users have in designing and deploying their own reports and analyses? Can SAP play a new role in crossing the boundaries between administrative and academic computing?

Organise Change

In the past, SAP´s ASAP methodology and project management standards have been instrumental in minimising the risks of comprehensive system implementation. Business Process Management has improved efficiency and performance in our administration and management.

Today agile projects, open standards, IT architecture management and data governance can help in the development of digital platforms for the entire university or research institution. User-centric concepts such as design thinking and methods such as SAP ACTIVATE are supported by SAP as needed. To cope with digital transformation in general, organisational change management and new governance concepts for sustainable institutional growth must also be considered. Which experiences and best practices can be presented from the HERUG community? What cultural dimensions of digitalisation characterise different HER Systems?