New Downstream solutions for SDM
SAP S/4HANA is making its mark in the downstream industry. As of December 12th, 2017, SAP’s new solutions for the oil and gas industry have been available with their full range of features. SAP’s integrated in-memory database technology and the new denormalization procedure accelerate data processing considerably, providing the basis for digital transformation. Although these new SAP solutions can only now be fully utilized, the Implico Group already has a globally unmatched wealth of expertise in this area. As a long-term development partner of SAP, the Hamburg-based consultancy company has developed the official SAP solutions for Secondary Distribution Management (SDM) as add-on and has already supported multiple pilot projects on several continents.
The complete solution is named SAP S/4HANA Oil & Gas for Secondary Distribution Management. It supports the entire order-to-cash process for downstream companies, and SAP has just launched the latest release. For operators of service station networks, there is also SAP S/4HANA Oil & Gas for Retail Fuel Network Operations which, in addition to the SAP solution for SDM, provides all specific functionality for service station operators in a standardized SAP application. As the solution architect and developer of these SAP products, Implico understands every last detail of these solutions. Many customers have taken advantage of this expertise and, with the help of the consulting company’s specialists, are realizing projects in Europe, North America and Africa.
“SAP S/4HANA represents a quantum leap for digital transformation in the downstream industry. “Data can now be processed almost 300 times faster than before. In particular, this creates entirely new management, transparency, loyalty management and business process automation opportunities for companies carrying out large volumes of transactions.” said Torsten Peter, Managing Partner responsible for the SAP business at Implico.
Entries in record time and real-time analysis
What makes SAP S/4HANA so special is its in-memory technology. All of the data that needs to be routinely accessed by the solutions is directly available in the RAM, facilitating lightning-fast analysis of large volumes of data and enabling innovative new process workflows. The new solutions also utilize an innovative data storage procedure called denormalization. Instead of initially assigning individual data by business activity as was previously the case, the data is now simply written to a table unsorted – and is only sorted when a query is submitted. This technology speeds up workflows considerably, for instance when entering extensive business processes. The new solutions also enable real-time business analysis for the first time.
“We are delighted that the SAP S/4HANA solutions for the downstream industry are now officially available,” added Torsten Peter. “We will soon start completing our first projects for customers looking to make the most of digitalization and the new opportunities it creates. The ways in which this new SAP S/4HANA technology will change the downstream business and make it faster and more transparent will become apparent in practice. New loyalty management possibilities and services mean that customers of downstream companies will also notice these changes,” he underlined.
Implico services and software solutions
The Implico Group optimizes logistics and business processes for oil and gas downstream companies. The international consulting and software company with its headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, has subsidiaries in Malaysia, Romania and the USA. Founded in 1983, the company today employs around 200 staff.
Implico provides consulting services, data services and software solutions for the entire supply chain – from forecasting, order entry, dispatching and tour optimization to data collation and invoicing. Leading oil and gas companies all over the world trust in Implico’s industry expertise and high-performance IT solutions including OpenTAS and iGOS. OpenTAS automates the storage and transportation of hydrocarbons for refineries, tank farms, and service station networks. iGOS (Implico Global Operation Services) offers innovative downstream solutions out of the Cloud.
Additionally, Implico offers unique consulting expertise surrounding the SAP Secondary Distribution Management for Oil & Gas (SAP SDM) and SAP Retail Fuel Network Operations (SAP RFNO) downstream solutions. SAP SDM steers and optimizes the complete order-to-cash process. SAP RFNO automates all payment and quantity flows of service station networks.
Implico is a Microsoft Gold Partner, a Software Development Partner of SAP and a member of the Oracle PartnerNetwork. The company has been recognized for its products and services on numerous occasions. It was named, for example, Oil & Gas Logistics Company of the Year in 2015 and Best Oil & Gas Software Specialists in 2017. In the field of Terminal Automation Systems, Implico is market leader in Europe, Middle East and Africa (ARC market study, July 2016).
