Executive Summary
- This article is designed to gauge interest in new research into SAP C4HANA.
- We outline the research and questions that have yet to be answered around C4HANA.
Introduction
Before undertaking research, we are increasingly obtaining input for potential new research. This article will describe potential research into SAP C4HANA.
About C4HANA
SAP C4HANA is a solution that was announced in 2018 with great fanfare. C4HANA is an amalgam of SAP’s acquisitions that are related to, but not exactly CRM. The product was announced before the product existed. Few observers of the announcement expanded into SAP’s history in the CRM space. CRM has been a sore point for SAP, with one of the most common vendors bringing about an SAP indirect access claim being when customers implemented Salesforce.
The vendors that specialize in CRM often run into SAP C4HANA in prospects that run the SAP ERP system. When this happens, the vendor not only faces SAP’s marketing and sales machine but a series of SAP consulting firms that repeat what SAP says. This proposed research study would get to the reality of SAP’s C4HANA solution and would answer the following questions.
Item #1: What is the SAP C4HANA Design?
C4HANA has one of the most confusing application designs of any SAP application.
A primary reason for this is that none of the C4HANA supporting or amalgamated applications have any consistent development history. This study will expose the C4HANA design.
Item #2: How Broadly Implemented is SAP C4HANA?
SAP C4HANA has SAP and their financially connected partners pushing for it with their clients. However, what is underemphasized on SAP accounts is how broadly the solution is implemented.
We have developed a highly accurate approach for determining any SAP application’s usage. It is based upon multiple measurements, and therefore once integrated, is nearly impossible to contradict. We have also never seen an SAP customer apply this approach.
Item #3: What is SAP C4HANA’s History?
There are many clues about the SAP C4HANA solution in understanding this history of the application. This research would illuminate important historical changes to the product since its introduction.
Item #4: What is the SAP C4HANA Application?
- How does C4HANA look and function as an application (or combination of applications)? What is it good at, what is it not good at? This section of the analysis will cover the analysis of the application and to related topics such as its integration and how it works with other SAP applications, notably S/4HANA. SAP has made claims around its integration with S/4HANA that we will fact check in this study. We will add C4HANA screenshots and describe its overall design.
- What are the functionalty coverage areas and gaps with C4HANA?
Item #5: Potential Custom Additions
There may be questions you have that you would like added to the research. There is the option of adding custom questions.
The SAP Expertise of the Researcher
- A long term SAP consultant with decades of experience in SAP will write the research has written multiple books on SAP, and has a large SAP network and sources from all over the world that provides information to Brightwork. When the research is shared with individuals outside of the company, it will not be possible to assert that the author is not knowledgable in SAP.
- Naturally, pro-SAP resources will of course attempt to redirect the conversation back to SAP or SAP partner created material. The difference is that in most cases, there is no countervailing analysis provided, and SAP uses a multi-entity method of making it appear as if marketing information is the industry consensus.
Getting Accurate Information on SAP
Individuals or entities write nearly all material written on SAP with a pro-SAP financial bias. And we have demonstrated the high degree of inaccuracy in the information provided about SAP to the marketplace.
Brightwork gets to the truth of SAP.
The objective is not promotion or demotion, but accuracy.
Accuracy is both what competing vendors and SAP customers are sorely lacking. In most cases, the reality of SAP products is only learned after the purchase and many months into the implementation.
Our Previous Research
Here is an example of the research in our Brightwork Study in Oracle Database Usage.
(Please do not forward this research to link to anyone else. It is also licensed and is only being provided for you to observe an example. It has a redemption cap set.)
What You Can Expect from the Research in Terms of Management, Access, and the Licensing Arrangement
This is research that is not for public consumption and is only accessible by those that buy a license.
We cover details of the research articles related to how they are accessed, license restrictions, and other important details in the article Brightwork Licensed Research.
Conclusion
We are sharing this article to gauge interest for a study into C4HANA that would be password protected and shareable by our customers.