OUR SUCCESS STORIES
Our client asked us to help them simplify their daily invoicing process. The task had previously been performed manually with around 200 items per day, making it not only repetitive in nature but also time consuming, making it difficult to process. It needed the time one full employee.
For the solution, we used SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation (IRPA), which automates manual tasks performed by users, whether it’s full control of desktop or web applications, file management, sending e-mails, selecting items on screen or even managing workbooks and documents. The possibilities are almost endless.
The process automation built by AB Consulting Group enabled the client to automatically download electronic invoices received via e-mail to local storage, open the client’s SAP system, authenticate by entering the required data, and then record the relevant information according to the invoice and e-mail content and initiate the relevant SAP transaction without any user intervention. After the filing, the intelligent robot uploads the invoice and its attachments and then starts the standard SAP invoice approval process.
The robot performs these tasks almost unnoticed, with scheduled, automatic start-up on the company’s own server, ensuring efficient and fast processing and minimising the possibility of errors. This frees up the time of the employee who can then perform tasks with higher added value.
PIONEERING PRINTING TECHNOLOGY,
SAP WITH CUSTOM DEVELOPMENT
Our client decided to completely overhaul their current print subsystem as part of a print technology change project. This was not driven by business or IT needs, but by external factors, such as the cost of running the associated systems, expiring licences and the international roll-out of the solution used by the parent company.
Past and expected changes had to be constantly updated both in the SAP system and in the external system, which significantly increased operating costs. It became clear that without customised improvements SAP standard “Smartform” based printing functions like local printing, electronic printing, archiving and mass printing would be impossible to run.
The first step was to build the new architecture, then to define the business and communication processes and integrate them into the systems, finally implementing Smartform-based printing.
According to the implemented new functionality, SAP is also responsible for controlling the external printing system via XML data, monitoring the printing, as well as the digital press control process.
During development, we have modified all transactions that previously printed on a “Smartform” basis. The aim was to ensure that local and bulk branch printing would continue to be almost imperceptible to the administrator. In the background, SAP generates an XML containing all the data, which is sent to the external system via an online web service, depending on whether it is a local or bulk, online or background process. In response, the external system returns the rendered PDF image to SAP.
There was no solution with a similar architecture on the Hungarian SAP market before, therefore AB Consulting Group Zrt. ABAP consultancy and development team is a pioneer in this field.
UNIQUE AND SAFE
COMMUNICATION CHANNEL
Our client’s infrastructure is set up in such a way that servers on a certain network segment cannot initiate network connections to computers on another segment, but can only respond to an incoming request. The challenge was that the business requirement to be met was that the software components initiating the request were located in this particular network segment.
Our client specifically did not want a VPN connection between network segments, so we had to develop a custom solution.
The special communication channel developed by AB Consulting Group Zrt. establishes a continuously available connection between two networks with different security levels, so that it is actually initiated by the remote computer, through which the software components in the network segments would be able to send data.
To build a secure connection, we installed server and client-side software developed to keep the channel alive on a server in each of the two network segments. The custom tunnel software is cost-effective, uses existing network communication protocols for the solution and avoids weakening the strictness of firewall settings.
Data submitted at the public end of the channel using the RESTful API appears almost instantly on the other side of the channel, creating an instant synchronous connection between parts of the network with different security levels.
The custom-developed tunnel solution is suitable for running web applications (e.g. web stores) where the data is stored on a protected network segment, but the web application itself is on a publicly accessible network segment.
NEW LOGISTICS SYSTEM,
THAT WHISPERS IN YOUR EAR TO HELP YOU
We have been commissioned by a major player in the sector to integrate a new logistics software into their existing SAP system. The interesting thing about the application is that it “whispers” into the earpiece of the warehouse operators where exactly the books ordered are located in the warehouse, thus freeing up the hands of the operator for picking and collecting. This software has been ported to the SAP inventory and warehouse management system. Thanks to the interface, an end-to-end solution (from ordering to deliver and invoicing) has been launched, which also facilitates financial administration in the warehouse. We were also honoured to be involved in the optimisation of the warehouse processes. This has also helped the company to manage peaks in ordering (such as Christmas rush) more easily and to get books to readers faster thanks to simpler back-office processes.
CUSTOM RESERVATION SYSTEM
SAP HANA XS ADVANCED
We were commissioned to create a custom reservation system to be integrated with the existing SAP system of a university in Budapest. This solution made it possible for external parties to book the institution’s facilities (e.g. sports fields, classrooms) via the Internet, while being able to report and track the booking on the university’s website via dashboards. The custom solution was built on SAP HANA XS Advanced and delivered on time. Although this complex booking system is independent of other university applications, it feeds them via self-service interfaces based on UI5. It facilitates the booking service and the related billing and card payment functions, too.
EFFICIENCY, COST LEVEL OPTIMISATION,
WHICH CAN BE EXTENDED TO OTHER AREAS
Our client asked us to help them review their previously implemented SAP system and assess its effectiveness and its fit with their business processes. An important finding of our preliminary investigation was that the business areas were not able to exploit the potential of the SAP ERP system, because departments saw it as an internal administration tool only, due to a lack of integrated functionality. By reviewing the operational processes, we proposed the design of service levels that best fit the client’s work schedule, and the rethinking and consolidation of some unfinished implementation steps we identified for several modules. In the recent period, the implementation of the operational consolidation of the system has led to significant improvements in usability at lower operating costs than before, and as a result, our Client is considering extending the system to other areas.
