Intelligent ERP Update: Deep Dive for SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation content in SAP S/4HANA Cloud 1908.

[Hardeep_Tulsi]

This blog post provides an overview of the innovations which are released as part of our SAP S/4HANA Cloud 1908 shipment for Intelligent Robotic Process Automation, we’ve introduced several innovations as part of  "SAP Best Practices for SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation Integration with SAP S/4HANA" in last release, We’re releasing even more advanced SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation features and content in our new 1908 release that motivates enterprises to run independent ERP systems in cloud with SAP Intelligent RPA capabilities, we’re even rolling out more automation processes on top to better manage projects based services and component manufacturing projects.

SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation is a complete automation suite from SAP Leonardo where software robots’ mimic humans by replacing manual clicks, interpret text-heavy communications, or make process suggestions to end users for definable and repeatable business processes. Users can download our best practices for SAP RPA content from here - Software Center-IRPA S/4 Content

SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation (SAP Intelligent RPA) accelerates digital transformation of business processes by automatically replicating tedious actions that have no added value.    By combining the strength of SAP Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Conversational AI (CAI), SAP Intelligent  RPA can deliver the best out-of-the-box intelligent process automation for business, tightly integrated into the SAP Digital Core.

Four Components Build the Key Pillars of SAP’s Intelligent Robotic Process Automation.

 



Main components of SAP Intelligent RPA.



 

SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation improved product features in latest release provides end-to-end automation stack for self-driving enterprise with a strong focus on SAP S/4HANA.

Easier management of tasks in cloud factory such as Improved Hierarchy Management, Jobs Improvement, Package and Configuration Improvement.

Improved Hierarchy Management

• Hierarchy can be modified for Add/Edit Label/Delete node/Leaf


• Cut/Paste node leaf, Node can become a leaf and vice-verse


• Start from Scratch a Hierarchy, experience the ease.

Cloud Factory Monitoring Jobs

• Improved Job Page with Select All and Cancel Jobs for multiple selection features


• Cloud Factory Package & Configuration

Package and Configuration Improvements.

• Easy access to Detail Information for given Package with Package Upload Properties


• Project Information and Versions.

 

This blog post provides you an overview of SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation innovations for SAP S/4HANA Cloud in 1908 release.

Top 3 business driven innovations to automate your business processes using SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation capabilities.

1. Mass Change of Names for Commercial Project Attributes


2. Production Order Operation Confirmation.


3. Physical Inventory Count - Upload Count List.

Let’s take deeper look at the First business driven innovation with SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation content for Project based services with SAP S/4HANA Cloud  – “Mass Change of Names for Commercial Project Attributes”.

The solution provides increased efficiency and automation for a Project Manager to find and change relevant project attributes and maintain the project data up to date. Project updates happen due to personnel leaving the company, employees shifting departments, or staffers going on sick leave, in addition to missing attributes.

Key Business Benefits.

• Speeds up the time taken to update a Project Attributes


• System suggests name-substitutions based on machine intelligence (or configurable criteria)


• Faster processing time for transactions


• Increase efficiency for Project Manager


• Increase speed of transformation by utilizing Intelligent bots to change object attributes in projects and eliminate repetitive tasks


• Efficient method reduces input time with minimal user intervention.


• Automation framework can be extended to multiple business scenarios

SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation bot fetches all the relevant projects with the help of the input parameters entered by the end user in the input pop-up and update the name attributes of the commercial project with the replacements and notifies the recipient with the audit logs as an Excel. Customer Projects flagged as 'In Planning', 'Contract Preparation', 'In Execution' are considered and Customer Projects flagged as ‘Private’ are not included for update’s.

Key features include the below.

 

• Business user can have ability to execute the bots using the default variables values along with project selection parameters such as Project Manager/Controller/Accountant/Partner, Service Organization, Project Duration (Start and End Date), Customer, Profit Center, Cost Center etc.to update the project attributes.

 

• Bots will be executed using the cloud factory environment configuration variables values. Default System URL (target S/4HANA Cloud tenant URL) and credentials will be inherited every time the bot is used.

 

• Mass update of empty project attributes where user specifies name to be populated. Provide a mass change capability using bot automation to Project Manager in charge of multiple projects, in-cases where optional project attributes such as Project Controller/Planner/Accountant/Partner are not filled out upon project creation.

A brief glance on technical objects for Mass Change of Names for Commercial Project Attributes.

• Bot loops through customer projects, using API “Commercial Project – Read” (here), where criteria match user selection parameters.

 

• User created custom CDS view is published as an OData API projects to map the listed projects via read API and map to update the named project attribute fields via “Commercial Project - Create Update” API. (Check here how to publish CDS view as OData API).  Please refer to  how to create communication user and a communication arrangement using the documentation URL

 

• Updates are made to one or more of the following named project attribute fields via API “Commercial Project – Create, Update” (here).

More Information about this innovation can be found at -

Best Practices Explorer (SAP Best Practices for SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation Integration with SAP S/4HANA)

Scroll down to Professional Services => Mass Change of Names for Project Attributes (‏49B‏)

Specific scope-item links, including documentation.

Download the free content from best practices for SAP RPA content from here

- Software Center-IRPA S/4 Content

Let’s take deeper look at the second business driven innovation with SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation content for component manufacturing with SAP S/4HANA Cloud  - “Production Order Operation Confirmation“.

With this scope item, we deliver more advanced automation features, allowing a Production Operator to track the output of each operation in a spreadsheet and submit the confirmations for multiple orders in one request.  SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation content provides a efficient way to upload a list of production order operation confirmations.

• Solution have the ability to submit Production Order Operation confirmations for numerous orders and operations at one time.


• Useful for manufacturing processes that can have operation confirmations reported on at intervals (for example, end of shift).


• 3rd party manufacturing execution systems can produce an Excel output to generate the list of Production Order Confirmations for S/4 HANA Cloud.

Scope included address the Make to Order (MTO)  Production – Finished Goods Sales and Final Assembly (BJE), Make to Order (MTO)   Production – Semifinished Goods Planning and Assembly (1BM) , Make to Stock (MTS) Production – Discrete Manufacturing (BJ5) and Rework Processing – Stock Manufactured Material (BJN)/ Rework Processing – Work In Process (BJQ) .

A brief glance on technical objects for Production Order Operation Confirmation

• The bot reads data from the Excel template and then generates Production Order Operation Confirmation for each Production Order Operation in S/4HANA.


• Business User initiates the SAP Intelligent RPA Bot “Production Order Operation Confirmation Upload”


• Automation execute the API "Production Order Confirmation - Read, Create, Cancel" see for more details (here)


• API Process the information provided by business user in template and posts Production Order Operation Confirmation in S/4HANA.


• Audit information about Production Order confirmation numbers processed is published to Excel File and shared via audit folders.

Communication Scenario has to be set up in S/4HANA system for the Production Planning Integration (SAP_COM_0104). See for more detail documentation here and SAP help documentation URL

More Information about this innovation can be found at -

Best Practices Explorer (SAP Best Practices for SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation Integration with SAP S/4HANA)

Scroll down to Produce => Production Order Operation Confirmation (‏49T‏)

Specific scope-item links, including documentation.

Let’s take deeper look at the third business driven innovation with SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation content for component manufacturing with SAP S/4HANA Cloud  - “Physical Inventory Count - Upload Count “.

Physical Inventory is a process where a business physically counts its entire inventory. A physical inventory may be mandated by financial accounting rules or tax regulations to place an accurate value on the inventory.

Solution capabilities empower business users making better decisions for component manufacturing activities with a self-driving automation solution

SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation content provide efficient way to warehouse clerk and Warehouse manager  to post inventory updates after a physical inventory count is completed in production and evaluate the postings in SAP S/4HANA with  Zero Inventory count differences.

• Quicker turnaround on updates of inventory levels after physical inventory counting


• Excel upload allows volume data to be managed effectively


• Reduction in total overall time required to execute the physical inventory process, which would require less downtime for production


• Reduce human error while entering data

A brief glance on technical objects for Physical Inventory Count Adjustment

SAP Intelligent RPA Bot calls SAP API to generate the Excel template for Warehouse Clerk to fill in the information. Another Bot performs manual steps to update inventory counts with information for each physical inventory document.

SAP Intelligent RPA bot reads the quantity of items present in Physical Inventory (PI) list and uploads the same to the SAP S/4HANA system. A pre-filled Excel file(s) serves as an Input. This file contains list of all PI item details corresponding to the PI document and processes multiple PI documents at one go.

API “Process Physical Inventory Documents” will extract the required header & line item level fields. see here for more details.

Communication Scenario (SAP_COM_0107) has to be set up in S/4HANA system for the Physical Inventory Count.  See for more details documentation here and SAP help documentation URL

More Information about this innovation can be found at -

Best Practices Explorer (SAP Best Practices for SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation Integration with SAP S/4HANA)

Scroll down to Produce => Physical Inventory Count - Generate Count List (‏49R‏)

Scroll down to Produce => Physical Inventory Count - Physical Inventory Count - Upload Count List (‏4A8‏)

Specific scope-item links, including documentation.

Stay tuned for more updates in the next quarters!

 

For more information on SAP S/4HANA Cloud, check out the following links:

• SAP S/4HANA Cloud release info: http://www.sap.com/s4-cloudrelease


• Sven Denecken’s 1908 blog post on Intelligent ERP Update: SAP S/4HANA Cloud 1908 Release here


• Sven Denecken’s  blog post on SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation – Best Practice Content for S/4HANA CLOUD here


• Press Announcement on SAP News here


• Best practices for SAP S/4HANA Cloud here


• SAP S/4HANA Cloud User Community: register here


• Feature Scope Description here


• What’s New here


• Help Portal Product Pagehere


• Implementation Portal here

Follow us via @SAP and #S4HANA, or myself via @har1234 (Hardeep Tulsi)