Johannesburg, 10 Sep 2010
SAP Education is introducing its SAP User Experience Manager by Knoa to the African market to help customers improve the effective use of their SAP ERP solutions.
"Research shows that more than 50% of all enterprise application performance issues are related to incorrect usage, not system failure or deficiencies," says Johann Pretorius, SAP education director at SAP SA. "The investment made in such systems are therefore eroded as companies are unable to gain the full benefit that SAP ERP offers."
He adds that the Knoa system enables organisations to monitor the performance of both the system and users across the SAP landscape, thereby providing direct feedback on whether it is being used to maximum effect. The feedback can be filtered per user, location or transaction so that problem areas can be properly identified and addressed.
Pretorius says this kind of feedback is invaluable in identifying skills gaps so that corrective action can be taken, with the added benefit that training can now be targeted at the processes or users that are operating at sub-optimal levels.
He relates the case of one Knoa user, a multinational FMCG brand, which found that five transactions were causing 90% of errors. By redesigning its training to address these transactions, the organisation reduced costs associated with these errors by almost $400 000.
"A case such as this demonstrates the underlying value in being able to identify exactly where the problem areas or personnel are, and then directing resources at those areas," says Pretorius. "It has also been shown that problems are resolved 40% quicker by being able to immediately identify under-performing transactions and activity."
He adds that from a governance risk and compliance perspective it provides value to all affected parties informed about the use of the monitoring system as a means to create further value and improve productivity and performance.
"Also, customers need not be concerned about their underlying ERP system being compromised or slowed by the implementation of SAP EUM as this happens at the user level on the desktop and in no way interferes with the operation of the system."
Pretorius says SAP Education will be rolling the system out across the whole continent as the vendor looks to improve efficiencies and user performance so that customers receive the full benefit of their SAP system.
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