We’ve all used a cloud service and had it change on us unexpectedly. Sometimes the changes are cosmetic, and sometimes key functionality disappears.
This cloud dynamic is an annoyance for consumers, but it is a much bigger deal for businesses. Specific functionality is often key for business workflows, and having things change can be a process nightmare. This is one reason that business software often evolves more slowly than consumer solutions.
So, how disruptive are SAP Cloud ERP upgrades? This is an important question because cloud ERP is more than just business software; it is a complete backend solution that affects all operational processes across a business. Non-disruptive ERP upgrades are critically important.
Before we look at the architecture that makes SAP Cloud ERP upgrades non-disruptive, let’s talk about why cloud ERP inherently is superior to legacy ERP when it comes to technology updates.
With on-premise ERP, upgrades are painful. Each business must analyze a given update and make sure it does not disrupt operations and key functionality. This update then must be rolled out successfully, and any custom modules and configurations must be tested and possibly updated when the new software breaks things.
Older ERP systems are partially “legacy” precisely because upgrade processes are so lengthy and fraught with danger that many businesses are slow to roll them out or skip them entirely. Don’t break what is not broken, in other words.
With the pace of technology today, however, this delayed and lengthy ERP upgrade process no longer makes sense. Technology is evolving fast, and businesses must stay agile and adjust on an ongoing basis. Having a brittle backend system that updates slowly is inconsistent with this need for agility and keeping pace technologically.
Cloud ERP solves this problem by handling upgrades for a business. ERP software in the cloud is always current, and without the need for IT time, hardware limitations or the potential of a failed upgrade.
But what about that cloud services problem, where things change without consent? And what about the customization that is often required to make a generic ERP solution meet the needs of a specific business?
The need for business continuity in the face of cloud update methodology is not lost on SAP. It knows that businesses don’t want changes forced on them, and there’s the issue of system customization in a cloud environment. So SAP Cloud ERP is built for embracing the advantages of the cloud without disrupting a company’s processes or functionality.
Like all cloud solutions, SAP Cloud ERP automatically updates technology on an ongoing basis so businesses can embrace the latest innovations and trends. But the first way it protects continuity is with predictable, quarterly releases so businesses know when changes are coming.
Knowing when the system will evolve is not enough, of course. So the next way that SAP Cloud ERP protects business continuity is by delivering these updates in offline mode. Cloud ERP upgrades are not forced on businesses; they arrive turned off by default. A business can then choose when it wants to update the system, so there are never any surprise changes that might impact operations. As part of this, SAP Cloud ERP comes with testing automation for trying out system upgrades before go-live.
These opt-in ERP upgrades are still automated and managed by the SAP Cloud, but your business decides when to take advantage of them.
The real key for a painless update process is the third plank in the SAP Cloud ERP approach; however, a clean core architecture that relies on modularity for most functionality.
Core processes and specific functionality are usually tied together in a software solution. So when there’s an update, the whole software solution changes. But this is not the case with SAP Cloud ERP.
SAP Cloud ERP is built around a small core, a kernel, that provides foundational functionality and connectivity for orchestrating the overall solution. But most of the functionality does not live in this core; it instead lives in applications and extensions on the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) that exist outside of the core and connect with it through a variety of hooks.
The advantage of this approach is that the core ERP can be updated without breaking everything else. The applications don’t update, and the custom modules stay the same. Only the core gets updated, and it respects the hooks and requirements that applications and custom modules on the BTP rely on for continued functionality.
Similarly, application or extension updates on the BTP impact only the software in question, not the whole system. There’s no more custom modification of the core system and the lengthy process for ensuring that these changes survive a given ERP update.
This clean core methodology ensures the least possible headaches when updating something as complex as an ERP solution, and it solves the issue of cloud software potentially harming business continuity. Businesses have spoken about the dangers of forced software upgrades, and SAP has listened.
SAP Cloud ERP strikes a balance between ongoing technology innovation and consistent business continuity thanks to its modular, cloud-based architecture. Learn more about this and the other advantages of SAP Cloud ERP by calling one of our experienced consultants at (801) 642-0123 or by writing us at info@nbs-us.com.