February 2012

© 2012 Synactive, Inc.

Extending SAP® for Mobile Workers:Smart Phones, Tablets, and

Windows Handhelds White Paper > GuiXT Mobile Solutions

Executive Summary

Introduction

Mobility Options

GuiXT Mobile for Windows Mobile Devices

GuiXT Mobile for Windows Mobile Devices Screenshots

GuiXT Mobile for Smart Phones and Tablets

GuiXT Smart Phone and Tablet Pre-Built Templates

GuiXT Mobile Solutions Advantage

Total Cost of Ownership

Return on Investment

Conclusion

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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As smart phones, tablets and handhelds gain in popularity, these devices enable their users unprecedented mobility and flexibility when it comes to accessing their critical systems from anywhere at anytime. So, it’s logical that connecting to SAP should be an essential task for these devices and the integration between the two should be seamless and easy to use. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Using the technology currently available on the market, users can connect their mobile devices to SAP ERP using a browser or through Java / Xcode / C applications. The extensive development and technology stack required even for the lighter weight frameworks still require “Bloatware” which seems like overkill when a user simply needs a more streamlined business process on a mobile device; that they can readily perform on SAPGUI.

In addition, development for multiple devices requires native development with smart phone vendor-specific development methodologies. Since mobile technology is changing so fast, how can an organization ensure it keeps pace and adapts to changes? Today, users need rugged PCs in the field, but at the head office, they want to use desktop PC’s or kiosks. How can redundant development environments be minimized? How can organizations streamline their mobile development lifecycle to adapt to technology changes without having to re-write their mobile application?

GuiXT Mobile solutions lift all these limitations, and provides an agile solution that delivers superior business value. In this paper, we will discuss how organizations can use GuiXT’s direct connection to access customized SAP screens directly from smart phones, tablets, or Windows Mobile devices – without the need for Bloatware or a browser-based client. Direct access to SAP, process simplification, and easy customization are unique differentiators of the GuiXT Mobile solutions.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Mobility allows users to access SAP quickly and easily from anywhere, anytime. It makes business sense, no matter what the industry. A well-implemented mobile solution increases employee productivity, speeds response time, and boosts customer satisfaction. Mobility allows users to enter and retrieve information while they’re ‘on the move’, reducing paperwork and minimizing process cycle times on one hand, and freeing up valuable time for more productive and profitable activities on the other.

Mobile users can enter sales orders while they’re at the airport or talking to a customer on the phone. They can check inventory, track shipments, and provide real-time feedback to the client. Warehouse employees can confirm transfer orders or update physical inventory right from their mobile device, eliminating the need for numerous trips to the warehouse office. In brief, providing mobility opens up new opportunities, allowing employees to truly do business anywhere, making their job faster, easier, and more efficient.

INTRODUCTION

Now that the decision has been made to provide mobile access to staff, what can be done to ensure SAP accessibility from smart phones, tablets, or handhelds? Listed below are some available options.

Browser-based Solution• Notnativelyinstalled–everythingresidesontheserver• Sincecontentisstoredontheserver,downloadtimecanbelong• Littleornonativedevicecapabilitiesaspagesaretypicallymeantforthedesktop

Mobile Device Vendors• Developmentrequired(Java,C,etc)• J2EEapplicationserver,XCode/Objective-C• Nocodereuseorportabilitytoothermobiledevices• 3rdpartyapplicationserversandadditionalmiddlewarestackrequired• AccesstoSAPviaRFC/BAPIlimitsmanydynamicSAPfeaturessuchaspricingandconditions,or

variant configurations

SAP Mobility Platform• Developmentrequired• BAPIwrappergeneration• Datamodeldevelopment• Backendadapterconfiguration• Distributionmodeldevelopment• ESDMA(EntitySetDefinitionforMobileApplications)generationhelpsusertocompleteinitialsetupof

DataOrchestrationEngine(forproductionuse)• ESDMAdeployment• ClientUIdevelopmentwithEclipse/MSVisualStudio

SAPConsole• Usestelnettechnology• ABAP development required• TelnetserversitsbetweendeviceandSAP• Subjecttodisconnectioninlowsignalareas• StandardtransactionsarecurrentlylimitedtoSAP’sLogisticsModule(WarehouseManagementand

MaterialFlowControl)• Thin-clientarchitecture

MOBILITY OPTIONS

MOBILITY OPTIONS

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GuiXT Mobile solutions enable organizations to easily extend existing SAP transactions into a mobile environment. For example, GuiXT customers have reduced the amount of time it takes to enter a work order from 15 minutes down to 30 seconds. GuiXT Mobile solutions extends these time savings to mobile employees. A typical sales order entry takes less than a minute. A material can be looked up in a few seconds. GuiXT makes this possible by simplifying the screens so only required fields are displayed to the users, and transactions can be entered faster.

GuiXT Mobile solutions give SAP users fast connectivity to SAP ERP without additional ABAP or J2EE application servers, Data Orchestration Engine, OData Framework, or browser-based clients. The solution gives SAP customers the ability to simplify and automate all their transactions for their mobile workforce. Moreover, by customizing the SAPGUI screens to fit on the mobile displays, scrolling, navigation, and the excess time that the users spend trying to assimilate the transactions on a mobile device is reduced. This inevitably speeds up user productivity, increases data integrity, and delivers information from SAP ERP in real time.

The GuiXT approach provides a more direct move to customize SAP, providing results much faster. GuiXT makes it possible to start with certain enhancements, e.g. to simplify screen layout and user navigation, and to add further enhancements during a second phase. Other approaches require in depth professional programming skills, such as using Eclipse, Android SDK, Java, XML, or Apple’s version of C called Objective-C. In addition to base language differences, platform /device libraries make the task of development absolutely daunting. IOS have hundreds of modules, as does Android and SAP’s NetWeaver. Many GuiXT customers have expressly picked GuiXT because of this. Also, application submission to the Apple Store and approval process can take weeks. The GuiXT deployment approach to the iPhone and iPad avoids the Apple App Store and application approval process.

The GuiXT Developer Toolkit speeds up the development process with our recording technology, WYSIWYG design capabilities, and the use of open standard ECMA 262 JavaScript technology. Developers customize SAP transaction screens by starting from any standard transaction rendered in SAPGUI and redesign the layout and business process to match the customers needs. Multiple screens and tabs are combined, unwanted fields are eliminated to provide a fully customized user experience that is then extended to any smart phone or tablet, without changing the backend. The GuiXT WS Platform also extends beyond mobile and desktop usage to other applications such as Microsoft Excel, Adobe PDF, as well as a browser-based frontend to SAP. One platform, one codebase can provide many solutions. GuiXT is the only usability solution that enables SAP customers to maximize their investment by customizing and extending SAP ERP connectivity to anyone, anywhere, anytime, without any programming.

MOBILITY OPTIONS

The GuiXT Mobile Solutions are enabled through a centralized server that executes the scripts. This central deployment model provides greater flexibility for updates and eliminates the need for mobile users to download new versions or bug fixes directly to the device.

In summary, benefits realized include:

1. One developer toolkit provides the ability to record and aggregate user actions onto a single screen, generating the user interface, which is mapped to SAP transactions without ABAP, Java programming or Bloatware

2. Direct connection to SAP backend3. Central deployment provides flexibility and agility to update features, modules, etc without having to

recompile code4. No additional Mobile Device Management software is required and no need for a smart phone user to

download updates to the device5. No Browser-based client or ‘Explorer versionitis’6. ExtendSAPcapabilitiesandbusinesslogicwithoutneedingtorecodethem.AnySAPapplication(e.g.

SDapplicationslikevariantconfigurationandpricingcondition)withallthetransactionallogiccanbeextended without recoding or duplicating the same business logic somewhere else; lookups can be extended easily

7. Proven platform, unifying the SAP UI fragmentation, and supplier of one tool for SAP requirements

GUIXT MOBILE FOR WINDOWS MOBILE DEVICES

GuiXTMobileforIntermecandSymbolhandhelddevices(onWindowsMobile.NET)providesSAPGUIfunctionality on the device. GuiXT is centrally managed, therefore, lowering device management and operational costs. Additionally, GuiXT Mobile provides an extensive feature list specific to Mobile usage, such as out-of-signal capability which preserves any work not submitted when out of range, auto-submit so you don’t have to re-submit any info, support for barcodes, and RFID tags, as well as laser scan guns.

An automatic connection with SAP is maintained even when the mobile device moves out of the Wi-Fi range so that it will pick up from where it left off as soon as the device moves into range again. The ability to operateinadisconnected(offline)modeinareaswithlowornonetworkconnectivityisalsoavailable(seetheGuiXTOfflineWhitePapertitled“ExtendSAPforOfflineMobileWorkers”).

The highly simplified and optimized interface provides only the required fields, and since GuiXT Mobile implements very specific warehouse friendly UI such as ‘auto-tab’ and ‘auto-enter’, required keystrokes are minimal. Furthermore, modifying the screens is simple. If business requirements change, there is no need to start from scratch.

In summary, benefits realized with GuiXT Mobile for Windows Mobile Devices include:

• NativeUIforMobile• UsestheexactsameDynpros,whichprovidesaccesstoallofSAPERP• SmartattributeslikeAutoTab,AutoSubmitandPatternMatching• NoTelnetserverorSAPConsolerequired• Out-of-rangehandling,i.e.whenaMobiledevicegoesoutofrangetheGuiXTServerwillholdthe

connection to SAP ERP and the work can be resumed from the same point without loss of data• ‘Prefixing’–scananylabelin*any*order• OfflineOptionavailabletoenableproductivityinadisconnectedmode

Unlike other technologies currently on the market, the GuiXT Mobile for Windows Mobile offering allows SAPDynpros(SAPGUIscreens)tobedisplayeddirectlyonthemobiledevicesenablinguserstohaveabusiness process experience similar to that of accessing SAP from their desktop. GuiXT Mobile can also accommodate the significantly smaller screens by easily simplifying the SAP views. These simplified views reduce training requirements and eliminate usability issues completely.

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The screenshots below show SAP screens on handheld devices.

Figure 1: Create Sales Order Figure 2: Launch pad for warehouse management

GUIXT MOBILE FOR WINDOWS MOBILE DEVICES SCREENSHOTS

For smart phones and tablets, the thin-client architecture includes a generic client from the app stores, with no other data on the device, providing a low total cost of ownership and enabling easy access to GuiXT in a central location. This provides the flexibility to continually upgrade and add new processes into the field without needing to update each device. Imagine deploying GuiXT Mobile once, and then having the capability to continually add applications in the future, without once asking users to update their device? No additional Mobile Device Management software is required.

Universal smart phone integration: Native smart phone capabilities are available in one reusable script across iOS, Android and BlackBerry. Users can click on a phone number to make a call, click an email address to send a message, and locate business customers in a map.

GUIXT MOBILE FOR SMART PHONES AND TABLETS

In order to speed up deployment of SAP ERP access to smart devices even further, Synactive has developed a number of pre-built templates that can be used as a starting point. Templates speed up customizations and provide examples of what a GuiXT implementation on a smart phone or tablet might look like.

• Planning Supervisor: View and release Work Orders during commuter train rides, on-the-spot decision making facilitates downstream productivity.

• Executive Officer: Approve Purchase Requisitions at the airport during a business trip, speeds the pace of business.

• HR Director: Approve Expense Reports during lunch break in a restaurant, higher employee satisfaction.

• Sales Management: View real-time information about accounts, activities, sales leads and opportunities, which leads to better penetration of customer potentials, better cross-selling and upselling opportunities, and higher sales volumes. Create Sales Orders while on the road with variant configuration or add pricing and conditions on materials.

GUIXT SMART PHONE AND TABLET PRE-BUILT TEMPLATES

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TCO calculation can help assess the investment needed to provide SAP access to field staff. The following areas should be considered when doing a TCO analysis:

Capital Investment: With GuiXT Mobile Solutions, the required capital investment is minimal. There is no need to invest in expensive hardware, middleware, or application servers. Investment is limited to the cost of mobile devices.

Implementation Costs: All solutions available on the market today, except GuiXT, require coding to meet specific business requirements, or provide connectors that work for only a handful of transactions. Both options either limit the capability to access full-fledged SAP, or require expensive and time-consuming specialist programming skills. GuiXT eliminates all these limitations. With GuiXT Mobile solutions, there is no need to write a single line of ABAP, .Net or Java code, and any SAP transaction can be simplified for on the mobile device.

Management and Security: Since GuiXT has a direct connectiontoSAP,allGuiXTusers(eventhoseworkingremotely)arerepresentedontheSAPserver.Therefore,systemsecuritiessuchasdatabasetable locks and business logic programmed into the central SAP server will be extended to the GuiXT users without compromise. Doesn’t it make sense that if one person is making changes to a document on SAP that others should be prevented from also changing it at the same time? Imagine providing variant configurable products with conditional pricing on a remote device through the central cloud-based SAP server, all without having to reprogram and duplicate a bunch of business logic outside of SAP.

Maintenance: GuiXT acts like a proxy between SAP and the user, rendering GuiXT changes at the presentation layer only. Since the backend is not touched, the UI lives in its own lifecycle and can be modified, combined, and redesigned without going through the typical software development lifecycle. Mobile users don’t have to download mobile application updates to their device since it is all managed centrally. And if the mobile device is lost, there is no need to worry about compromising any secure data, and there is no need for additional Mobile Device Management software.

Changing Business Requirements: Mobile business applications must be easy to modify to accommodate changing business requirements. Bringing in programmers to make even the slightest adjustment can be very expensive. With GuiXT Mobile Solutions, changes to the interface can be made easily and seamlessly. Adding or changing fields, for example, can be done in a matter of hours, if not minutes.

TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP

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GuiXT Mobile solutions offer organizations the opportunity to provide employees with direct access to SAP applications even when they are ‘on the move’.

From the user perspective, GuiXT Mobile solutions offer the following benefits:

Meets growing demands needing connectivity, anytime, anywhere, 24x7 from smart phones, tablets, or Windows Mobile handheld devices. Speeds decision making on alerts, notifications, and approvals.

Simplifies SAP Business Suite applications. Simplified screens make them more intuitive. Consolidates and optimizes data entry which improves accuracy by removing confusing information and focusing the user on the most relevant information.

From the management perspective, GuiXT Mobile solutions offer the following benefits:

Any Transaction: Your business is not limited by which ‘connectors’ are available on the market. Using GuiXT Mobile solutions, all SAP transaction logic and screens can be customized and extended to the user’s smart phone, tablet, or Windows Mobile/Embedded Handheld device.

No Programming: No coding is needed to customize the SAP GUI screens for the device. Reserve your ABAP, Java or .Net resources for more useful tasks than having them create screens for mobile devices.

Short Implementation Time-frame: Using proven GuiXT technology, the UI can be created incrementally, simplifying the screen layout for the device, and adding further enhancements easily without touching the backend SAP system. Changes are made easily and quickly.

Any SAP Release: GuiXT Mobile solutions are a non-intrusive solution. With GuiXT Mobile solutions, no application changes or upgrades are required to the existing SAP implementation. GuiXT works with any SAP release 3.x or higher.

GUIXT MOBILE SOLUTIONS ADVANTAGE

GuiXT Mobile Solutions technology enables field staff access to SAP while ‘on the move’, allowing them to operate more efficiently and productively. Using GuiXT technology bundled with SAP, organizations can simplify and customize any SAP transaction so that it can be easily viewed via a smart phone or tablet – without the need for a browser-based client or smart phone vendor-specific development methodology. Organizations can utilize the power of SAP, and extend it out to more users. There are no additional layers of Bloatware, nor is any ABAP or Java programming required.

Contact Synactive today at 1.650.341.3310 or visit our website at www.guixt.com to learn more about the GuiXT Mobile solutions, and how to get started.

CONCLUSION

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GuiXT delivers a host of productivity benefits to businesses running the mobile solution. ROI analysis helps evaluate how quickly a solution will return value to the organization. Some benefits are easily quantifiable, while others are more difficult to assess. Listed below are some business benefits that can be anticipated from the use of GuiXT Mobile solutions, and should be considered in the ROI calculation.

Increased Employee Productivity: Employee productivity is a significant factor in GuiXT Offline ROI calculation. Assuming a $30 hourly rate of an employee working 2,000 hours per year, a 500 employee organization can realize $600,000 in savings from a mere 2 percent increase in employee productivity. With GuiXT usage, a productivity gain of 10-15 percent is extremely common. By implementing the GuiXT system, Steelscape saved 1,775 man-hours per day and 461,500 man-hours per year, resulting in more than $13 million in savings.

Lowered Training Costs: GuiXT can help reduce training requirements. Using GuiXT, Polk County Public Schools reduced costly user errors by 95 percent, eliminated Help Desk hours spent on training and support, and minimized computer skills required to create order. “Before GuiXT, our Help Desk staff spent countless hours on training and phone support with users trying to create stock transfer order using native SAP,” said Cyndi Wolf, Polk County Public Schools.

Improved Effectiveness: Mobile access significantly improves effectiveness of field personnel. Field staff can enter sales order, perform inventory checks, price checks, and track shipments from anywhere, anytime. Warehouse employees can avoid numerous trips to the warehouse office for paperwork, saving valuable time.

Improved Accuracy: Due to the clarity offered by a simplified interface and the ability to your corporate nomenclature and terminology, there is less confusion about what data needs to be entered in each field. For example, plant numbers can be displayed as a series of radio buttons of location names. As a result, data-entry accuracy increases dramatically. There is no longer any need to spend time and resources cleaning up ‘garbage’ data entered by employees.

Improved Customer Relationships: Imagine entering a meeting room at the client site and being asked toprovidestatusonaproblemthatwasreportedtwoweeksago,but(andunfortunately)thefiledoesnotcontain this particular information. Before GuiXT Mobile Solutions, a call would have to be made to someone at the office to get the status or to follow up after the meeting with the requested information. However, with this mobile solution that information is now immediately available, and now the answer can be provided to the client – in real-time.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

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www.guixt.com