tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31397650267778171572024-03-13T09:53:44.633-07:00SAP FICO FERC Consulting for Utilities on SAP - HPC AmericaHPC America's blog covers the latest developments in SAP for utilities best practices, particularly around finance, regulatory accounting and reporting, and SAP FERC optimization.HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-86672109559773339942020-01-21T07:40:00.001-08:002020-01-21T07:40:51.799-08:00Utegration completes acquisition of HPC AmericaJanuary 21, 2020: Houston, TX – Utegration, LLC announced today that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of HPC America (Heck & Partner Consulting). The acquisition supports Utegration’s focus on utility best practices in regulatory reporting, to help ensure their clients are able to address the everchanging regulatory landscape and increasing numbers of stakeholders and move successfully to the future.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/about/news/utegration-completes-hpc-acquisition/" target="_blank">Read the full press release here</a>.<br />
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HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-19491156650490562642019-10-18T11:08:00.000-07:002019-10-18T11:08:07.202-07:00FERC Reporting Options on SAP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R0ovD91dFLs/XanxFEtIV7I/AAAAAAAAAgY/aDnB67unxLoC23mcwpNVICcAS64voT6vwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/banner-ferc-options-1200-linkedin-v2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" height="207" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R0ovD91dFLs/XanxFEtIV7I/AAAAAAAAAgY/aDnB67unxLoC23mcwpNVICcAS64voT6vwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/banner-ferc-options-1200-linkedin-v2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Utilities on SAP, learn everything about FERC reporting options on SAP S/4HANA and SAP ECC at next week's <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/about/news/2019-sap-for-utilities-conference/" target="_blank">SAP for Utilities conference in San Diego</a>. HPC America will share its 25 years of experience in utility accounting and the SAP ERP.<br />
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On Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 1:10pm, HPC's customer <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/resources-for-utilities-on-sap/case-study-salt-river-project-simplifies-sap-ferc/" target="_blank">Salt River Project will present its case study about FERC optimization</a> and preparation for migration to SAP S/4HANA. SRP implemented <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-ufa/" target="_blank">HPC Utility Financials Accelerator (UFA)</a> in 2018 in order to eliminate reconciliation differences between GAAP and FERC, speed up the monthly trace, and improve other regulatory reporting processes and results. HPC UFA is a NetWeaver-based add-on software solution that eliminates the delivered FERC module's inherent limitations, and runs on both SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA. Read the <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/HPC-CaseStudy-SRP-FERC.pdf" target="_blank">full SRP case study</a> and <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-ufa/" target="_blank">learn more about HPC UFA</a>.<br />
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HPC's latest software innovation is <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-decipher/" target="_blank">HPC DECIPHER, an add-on regulatory financials solution</a> that is certified by SAP as integrated with SAP S/4HANA. HPC DECIPHER provides real-time reporting and takes full advantage of the line items in S/4HANA's Universal Journal (table ACDOCA). It translates transactions from natural to regulatory accounts as they are posted, eliminating period-end batch processes, and uses dedicated, parallel ledgers for full FERC details. HPC DECIPHER also includes comprehensive functionality for allocations, adjustments, and cost flow forensics directly in the ERP. <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-decipher/" target="_blank">Learn more about HPC DECIPHER</a> for real-time regulatory (FERC) reporting on SAP S/4HANA.<br />
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To schedule a meeting with HPC at the 2019 SAP for Utilities conference, please <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact us</a>.<br />
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<br />HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-67963207391800577722019-09-26T09:23:00.000-07:002019-09-26T10:10:54.304-07:00Case Study: Optimizing FERC Accounting for Utilities on SAP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In anticipation of its migration to SAP S/4HANA in 2023, Salt River Project engaged HPC America to evaluate its current SAP Financials processes and results, and to identify areas for improvement that would not only deliver immediate benefits, but also streamline the utility’s eventual transition to S/4HANA.</div>
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<a href="https://sapforutilitiesconf.com/event/salt-river-project-readies-ferc-accounting-for-sap-s-4hana-financials/" target="_blank"><i>Hear SRP speak about its FERC optimization project at the 2019 SAP for Utilities conference</i></a></blockquote>
One particular area for improvement the team identified was around SRP’s FERC data: it was hard to understand and tie back to participation billing, and did not fully support audit and pricing processes. The data required for external audiences did not reconcile to the operational data used to create internal financial statements, and, as experienced by many utilities running the standard FERC module, the differences were difficult, if not impossible, to explain.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/HPC-CaseStudy-SRP-FERC.pdf" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SJoB2SHz9tY/XM5PDe7Uj2I/AAAAAAAAAd4/D24llkdrMlIM0OEmCS6Pc9v7Xrpqeg7SQCPcBGAYYCw/s200/thumbnail-SRP-casestudy.png" width="149" /></a></div>
After the assessment, SRP engaged HPC to optimize its FERC model with <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-ufa/" target="_blank">HPC Utility Financials Accelerator (UFA) add-on software</a>. HPC UFA eliminates the FERC module’s limitations, and runs on both SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA. Five months later, SRP was ready to go live with its new FERC design. The project achieved all intended objectives and more: SRP’s balances by FERC account now match exactly—to the penny—its reports by order number, WBS element, cost element, and cost center, thereby making functionalized data far more intuitive for users to analyze.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/HPC-CaseStudy-SRP-FERC.pdf" target="_blank">Download the full SRP case study</a>, <a href="https://sapforutilitiesconf.com/event/salt-river-project-readies-ferc-accounting-for-sap-s-4hana-financials/" target="_blank">hear SRP speak at the 2019 SAP for Utilities conference</a>, and learn more about <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/" target="_blank">HPC America's accounting solutions for utilities on SAP</a>.HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-66024383817425432502019-09-20T09:46:00.000-07:002019-10-01T14:41:42.260-07:00Continuous Accounting for Utilities on SAP S/4HANA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For too long, utilities have been beholden to batch accounting processes that delay financial analysis, obscure timely visibility into job spend, and hinder proactive mitigation of variances. The “monthly close” is such a foundational element of the business that it’s hard to imagine not relying on it. </div>
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It doesn’t have to be this way, however, and HPC America’s vision for the future is decidedly different. When utilities move to SAP S/4HANA, they have a tremendous opportunity to get more timely, actionable financial information without waiting for period-end, by taking concrete steps towards “continuous accounting.”<br />
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<a href="http://hpc-america.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/HPC-White-Paper-Continuous-Accounting.pdf" target="_blank">Get the Continuous Accounting white paper (PDF)</a></blockquote>
<b>Why Continuous Accounting Matters</b><br />
At HPC, we think of “continuous accounting” as embedded, real-time, or otherwise automated processes that replace traditional period-end batch processes. Continuous accounting processes generate valuable financial data on a more regular and frequent basis than the monthly close alone. A utility with a continuous accounting model would enable its analysts and managers to evaluate and take action on operational performance, spend variances, and other business metrics without having to wait for a period-end report.<br />
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For example, collecting functionalized cost data in real time would allow analysts to identify and correct mischarged postings before month-end, thereby making the actual closing process less error-prone. Likewise, loading overheads more often than monthly would provide project managers with fully loaded cost views of their projects mid-month, which would in turn enable them to adjust resources proactively in the current period instead of reacting after the period has been closed.<br />
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<b>Six Ways to Continuous Accounting on SAP S/4HANA</b><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">(1) Functionalize costs at the point of data entry instead of in a batch process at month-end.</span><br />
Replace the derivation-based FERC solution that’s delivered with S/4HANA with a real time, line item design. There are a number of ways to do this, depending on how much flexibility and control your utility needs. One is to use HPC’s latest add-on software for <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-decipher/" target="_blank">utility financials on S/4HANA, HPC DECIPHER</a>, which is certified by SAP as integrated with SAP S/4HANA, and eliminates the FERC module that we created 25 years ago.<br />
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<b>(2) Minimize cost flow streams...</b><br />
by reducing (or eliminating) allocations and settlements that only serve to functionalize costs. Streamlining cost flows is an underappreciated but valuable effort, and every utility moving to S/4HANA should consider it carefully. <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-cost-flow-streamlining/" target="_blank">We have great experience and can help</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">(3) Activate Functional Areas...</span><br />
to leverage the Universal Journal’s power to record and report generation, transmission, and distribution costs right from the general ledger (not just from Controlling or the FERC module). <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/HPC-CaseStudy-WE.pdf" target="_blank">We first did this for We Energies in 2012</a>, then again for Cleco on S/4HANA in 2018, and we’ve just started a new Functional Area project for another utility</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">(4) Collect job costs daily, if not more frequently.</span><br />
As mobile devices become ubiquitous throughout the enterprise, labor entry should occur in real time when technicians complete their Plant Maintenance tasks, even before they leave a job site.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">(5) Run overheads after every pay period, or even more frequently.</span><br />
In conjunction with more timely direct labor entry, apply your indirect labor and overheads more often, perhaps even weekly. This will fully load costs for job managers, project managers, and program managers to gain insights into total spend much earlier than waiting for the month-end close.
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">(6) Modernize the availability and presentation of financial data.</span><b><br />
</b> Use Fiori apps to access a P&L statement at any time of the month, from any device, and use nested, real-time drill-down reports to show how job order costs roll up to the income statement. Get multi-dimensional data on the fly in S/4HANA without the need for ETL processes customary with separate OLAP servers like BW or BOBJ.
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<b>How to Get Started</b><br />
To learn more about how your utility can best get closer to continuous accounting—say, starting with a functionalized income statement mid-month—<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact HPC for a discussion</a>, or <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/about/news/2019-sap-for-utilities-conference/" target="_blank">meet us at the 2019 SAP for Utilities conference</a> in San Diego on October 21-23.<br />
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HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-26113257052290050482019-09-18T14:17:00.000-07:002019-09-18T14:56:54.701-07:002019 SAP for Utilities Conference - Meet HPC America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Meet HPC America at this October's SAP for Utilities conference to learn more about two key subjects for utility company IT, Customer Service, and Finance leaders:<br />
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<li>Lessons learned from managing the first-ever—and only in-production instance of—<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/CaseStudy-NTUA-C4HANA.pdf" target="_blank">SAP C/4HANA Service Cloud (aka, C4C) integrated with on-premises IS-U Billing</a>.</li>
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<li><a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/resources-for-utilities-on-sap/ferc-reporting-on-sap-s4hana/" target="_blank">FAQ about FERC reporting on SAP S/4HANA</a>. We've got detailed pros and cons of four different options for regulatory accounting on S/4: the delivered FERC module, an optimized FERC module, a basic line item (real-time) model, and an advanced line item model. </li>
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/resources-for-utilities-on-sap/case-study-salt-river-project-simplifies-sap-ferc/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="518" height="86" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcLMwLlMIQo/XM5N6EIKucI/AAAAAAAAAdo/zk_ELqkFxN498Tjsp8pXdByYBnCtNr1kwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/logo-SRP.png" width="200" /></a>In addition, HPC's customer <a href="https://sapforutilitiesconf.com/event/salt-river-project-readies-ferc-accounting-for-sap-s-4hana-financials/" target="_blank">Salt River Project (SRP) will present our recent optimization of FERC on SAP Suite on HANA</a> utilizing <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-ufa/" target="_blank">HPC Utility Financials Accelerator (UFA)</a> add-on software (check out <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/HPC-CaseStudy-SRP-FERC.pdf" target="_blank">SRP's full case study</a>, too). </div>
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We're also going to walk conference attendees through the benefits of our latest regulatory financials solution, <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-decipher/" target="_blank">HPC DECIPHER</a>, which is certified by SAP as integrated with SAP S/4HANA and helps utilities fully leverage the Universal Journal's capacity for continuous accounting.</div>
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-decipher/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="600" height="124" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yYfPmnRqW8k/W5AOrBbaVcI/AAAAAAAAAb8/t7Snwm2jHucWie86SrX0-YrSk_i_9R77wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/banner-decipher-cert-v1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/contact/" target="_blank">Contact HPC America</a> in advance to schedule an appointment with our utility industry experts and SAP solution architects. </div>
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HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-35912410669860332012019-07-16T14:32:00.001-07:002019-07-16T14:43:52.112-07:00Utilities on SAP: Four Best Practices for Asset Accounting on SAP S/4HANA<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">During the last 25 years of advising utilities, it was around 2013 that we started to hear customers vent about asset accounting. Some of them used quite strong language, while others were more politic. Over time, we realized that the utilities experiencing the greatest frustration were those that had moved key elements of their financial process outside of their ERP. For them, optimizing SAP Financials to meet today’s more stringent regulatory environment — for example, streamlining their cost flow to improve transparency — was much more challenging because it would entail unwinding complex integration between SAP and another solution.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">Looking ahead, we see at least four best practices around asset accounting that will help utilities get the most out of their investment in SAP S/4HANA by configuring it correctly from the start:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">(1) Focus PowerPlan on taxes and retirement unit calculations.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">These specialized functions warrant a dedicated tool, and the utilities we’ve worked with largely acknowledge that PowerPlan is a capable one.</span></div>
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<b style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">(2) Use SAP Controlling (CO) for allocations.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Retaining this function in SAP increases visibility into true costs for comparing job estimates to actuals. The CO module can apply overheads more efficiently than just once a month, even daily if desired. As utilities move towards continuous accounting in the coming years — enabled through mobile devices in the field that capture the cost of work performed — there will be less of need for fully loaded rates. Utilities we’ve worked with that move allocations and settlements outside the ERP often come to regret it because of the added complexity and latency between when direct costs were incurred and when overheads were applied. In contrast, in S/4HANA which brings OLAP and OLTP together, CO can provide more timely and granular data that makes Board reports more meaningful. Utilities will be able to see and correct spending variances earlier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">Utilities turn on interest charges when capital work is in progress, and then turn them off when work is technically complete. Using WBS elements integrated with SAP EAM enables you to see immediately when work status has changed, therefore resulting in a more timely and accurate posting of AFUDC. Calculating AFUDC outside the ERP can often lead to adjustments that would otherwise have been unnecessary, and complicates the process of getting the right charges into the rate base. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><b>(4) Get visibility into Plant Accounts in your Universal Journal.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">Instead of summarizing Plant Account costs to one account - 101, Plant in Service — utilities on SAP S/4HANA have a tremendous opportunity to post all of the rich, line item detail in the Universal Journal. On SAP ECC, this level of detail would be invisible to the FERC module. But on S/4HANA with </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-decipher/" target="_blank">HPC DECIPHER</a></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">, our latest add-on solution that is certified by SAP as integrated with S/4HANA, the entire contents of the fixed asset sub-ledger can be laid out as line items in the Universal Journal. DECIPHER will translate your 300-series plant accounts for each capital transaction as PIS to FERC account 101 in the same level of detail as in your fixed asset sub-ledger. DECIPHER can also split plant accounts based on predefined percentages, and then present the data in a separate FERC ledger. As a result, detailed capital costs will be in the same table (ACDOCA) as detailed plant transactions, and they can all be analyzed using the same tool, such as the SAP Analytics Cloud. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">When your utility is evaluating plans for asset accounting on SAP S/4HANA, <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact HPC America</a> to talk about strategy for SAP Financials and Work Management for utilities on SAP.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-3874964320263173172019-06-27T11:24:00.002-07:002019-06-27T11:24:33.200-07:00Innovation for Utilities on SAP Since 1994<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QC0-Tq_OS9k/XRUIfeLkRiI/AAAAAAAAAeg/xGTCpaMvlesN94yDGPcrpZg0NC7jt3WmACLcBGAs/s400/banner-LI-25years-v2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Big news: 2019 marks HPC America’s 25th anniversary. We first got our start in the United States in 1994, after a decade of success in Germany, when SAP's Hasso Plattner asked HPC AG’s founder, Josef Heck, to assist with the SAP ERP implementation at Pacific Gas & Electric. HPC America’s primary contribution was the creation of the first regulatory accounting solution for utilities on SAP — the “FERC module” that is still delivered with SAP S/4HANA to this very day (not that we’d recommend you continue to use it alone - but more on that later).<br />
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Since that time, HPC has demonstrated an unmatched track record of pragmatic <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/" target="_blank">consulting services</a> and innovative add-on <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/" target="_blank">software solutions</a> for utility companies on SAP. For utilities large and small, public and investor-owned, we’ve optimized accounting processes, streamlined cost models, made functionalized financial data more meaningful, and, ultimately, <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/resources-for-utilities-on-sap/" target="_blank">helped our amazing customers</a> get more out of their investments in SAP.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="1600" height="262" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t30T3WnK3Tg/XRUIsYCx2zI/AAAAAAAAAek/JvZu1E5UlbYYRFwdZP6m-_bJ9_0ewq4GwCLcBGAs/s400/HPC-History.png" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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Most recently, we led the <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/" target="_blank">first-ever integration of SAP C/4HANA Cloud for Customer</a> with on-prem IS-U billing, establishing a powerful, flexible CRM system for NTUA that leverages their existing SAP ECC without further taxing their lean IT department. And our latest add-on solution, <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-decipher/" target="_blank">HPC DECIPHER, is certified by SAP as integrated with SAP S/4HANA</a> and enables utilities to replace old FERC batch processes with a modern, line item model that generates better data, much faster.<br />
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Credit for HPC’s endurance over the last 25 years must go to our incredible team of people. Their functional and technical SAP skills are strong, and they continue to learn more as the technology has evolved. They bring years of utility industry knowledge, many having been former utility company employees, and that first-hand understanding of the business of a utility resonates deeply with our customers. Guys, your competency is tremendous, and we wouldn’t be here without you.<br />
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To see how HPC’s 25 years of dedication to utilities on SAP can benefit your company, meet us in two weeks at SAPPHIRE 2019 at Booth 346A. We can share insights on how SAP C/4HANA works in the real world, walk you through a demo of HPC DECIPHER, or talk about anything else on your mind about SAP Financials, Work Management, Billing, and CRM for utilities on SAP. <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/contact/" target="_blank">Contact us</a> to schedule an appointment in advance.HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-90105876684345581562019-05-04T19:50:00.000-07:002019-05-04T19:50:10.803-07:00Salt River Project Simplifies FERC on SAP ECC and Improves Readiness for SAP S/4HANA<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcLMwLlMIQo/XM5N6EIKucI/AAAAAAAAAdk/J7vyZHltA8kXWqVcq4uHyW1MnEw3AYRXACLcBGAs/s1600/logo-SRP.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="518" height="86" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcLMwLlMIQo/XM5N6EIKucI/AAAAAAAAAdk/J7vyZHltA8kXWqVcq4uHyW1MnEw3AYRXACLcBGAs/s200/logo-SRP.png" width="200" /></a>Salt River Project (SRP) is a community-based not-for-profit utility that provides reliable, affordable water and power to more than two million people in central Arizona. SRP has provided these essential resources for more than a century to meet the needs of customers and help the region grow. SRP has been on SAP since 2013, and currently runs SAP ECC 6.0 on Suite on HANA and BW on HANA.<br />
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In anticipation of its migration to SAP S/4HANA in 2023, Salt River Project engaged HPC America in to evaluate its current SAP Financials processes and results, and to identify areas for improvement that would not only deliver immediate benefits, but also streamline the utility’s eventual transition to S/4HANA.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-ufa/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="97" data-original-width="300" height="64" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apbWZCNWSLI/XM5OkCc3bFI/AAAAAAAAAds/GkGsqb5DXM4xKNUfC8u9eBIKY8XNidwZgCLcBGAs/s200/HPC_UFA-300w.jpg" width="200" /></a>After the assessment, SRP engaged HPC to optimize its FERC model with <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-ufa/" target="_blank">HPC Utility Financials Accelerator (UFA) add-on software</a>. HPC UFA eliminates the FERC module’s limitations, and runs on both SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/HPC-CaseStudy-SRP-FERC.pdf" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SJoB2SHz9tY/XM5PDe7Uj2I/AAAAAAAAAd0/1ZuEc86M48sMvigPMyzoFJurJF1lcSsvQCLcBGAs/s1600/thumbnail-SRP-casestudy.png" /></a></div>
Five months later, SRP was ready to go live with its new FERC design. The project achieved all intended objectives and more: SRP’s balances by FERC account now match exactly—to the penny—its reports by order number, WBS element, cost element, and cost center, thereby making functionalized data far more intuitive for users to analyze.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/HPC-CaseStudy-SRP-FERC.pdf" target="_blank">Download the full case study to read all the benefits SRP now enjoys</a>.
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<br />HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-85985326041009175372018-10-09T14:38:00.002-07:002018-10-09T14:38:13.025-07:00Case study: SAP C/4HANA Service Cloud Integration with IS-U BillingOne week from today, on October 16, 2018, at the <a href="https://sapforutilitiesconf.com/agenda/" target="_blank">SAP for Utilities conference</a> in San Antonio, TX, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and HPC America will <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sap-c4hana-service-cloud-case-study-2018-utilities-conference-brown/" target="_blank">present NTUA's case study on SAP C/4HANA Service Cloud integration with the IS-U billing module</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="541" height="216" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wn_uPj7pGZQ/W70dF1cbwfI/AAAAAAAAAcU/MR7_u0Dbtt0w929yILzx5dpOrK2rPGAEQCLcBGAs/s320/banner-C4HANAServiceCloud-small.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the first-ever such integration, and showcases how utilities running on-premises ECC 6.0 can take full advantage of SAP's latest HANA and Cloud technology prior to upgrading their core ERP to S/4HANA. NTUA's Deputy CFO, Gerard Curley, and HPC's CEO, Jerry Cavalieri, will lead the presentation and share their SAP C/4HANA project leadership experience. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sap-c4hana-service-cloud-case-study-2018-utilities-conference-brown/" target="_blank">Learn more about the C/4HANA case study</a> and about <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/" target="_blank">HPC's services for implementing C/4HANA</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://sapforutilitiesconf.com/agenda/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="600" height="124" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KD7raFyspFQ/W5AMnx4tToI/AAAAAAAAAbo/hFUwCAiZ0bUp2DuKt5c__An8beLdCB0WACPcBGAYYCw/s320/BP-for-Utilities-White-BG-600x233.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/contact/" target="_blank">Contact HPC America</a> with questions about C/4HANA integration with the IS-U, and to schedule a demonstration of SAP C/4HANA Service Cloud at the 2018 SAP for Utilities conference.<br />
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<br />HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-23931372198023941122018-09-05T10:17:00.001-07:002018-09-05T10:17:27.719-07:00HPC DECIPHER® 1.0 Achieves SAP-Certified Integration with SAP S/4HANA®We’re pleased to announce that our software solution <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-decipher/" target="_blank">HPC DECIPHER®</a> 1.0 has achieved SAP certification as integrated with SAP S/4HANA®. The integration helps utility companies to realize greater accounting transparency, speed up the monthly close and, ultimately, strengthen rate-case positions with the most defensible cost of service data.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-decipher/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="600" height="124" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yYfPmnRqW8k/W5AOrBbaVcI/AAAAAAAAAb4/_iUNeKy2nRoCvcNeG2f6KXPMyhoeYyH8gCLcBGAs/s320/banner-decipher-cert-v1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
HPC DECIPHER builds on HPC America’s nearly 25 years of experience advising utilities on SAP solutions. It leverages the Universal Journal in SAP S/4HANA for modern, line-item-based regulatory financials . HPC DECIPHER eliminates time consuming batch processes, and includes real-time translation, powerful allocations, insightful cost flow forensics, and other useful utility accounting functionality.<br />
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The SAP® Integration and Certification Center (SAP ICC) has certified that HPC DECIPHER version 1.0 integrates with SAP S/4HANA 1610 using standard integration technologies. SAP S/4HANA is the next-generation business suite, built for the SAP HANA® platform, with on-premise and cloud deployment options. It is designed to act as the digital core, helping customers drive digital transformation across their entire organizations, taking advantage of the award-winning, role-based user experience of SAP Fiori®.<br />
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“We are delighted that HPC DECIPHER has achieved certified integration with SAP S/4HANA,” said Jerry Cavalieri, CEO of HPC America. “The ability of DECIPHER to interoperate with SAP S/4HANA gives utility company controllers, rates, and IT professionals an even stronger business case to upgrade to SAP S/4HANA.”<br />
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Learn more about HPC DECIPHER at the <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/about/news/2018-sap-for-utilities-conference/" target="_blank">2018 SAP for Utilities conference</a> in San Antonio, Texas from October 15-17, 2018.<br />
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HPC DECIPHER is a registered trademark of HPC America.<br />
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SAP, SAP S/4HANA, SAP HANA, SAP Fiori and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. See http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-29483448506992076082018-09-05T10:07:00.000-07:002018-09-05T10:07:15.166-07:00SAP® C/4HANA Service Cloud Case Study at the 2018 SAP for Utilities ConferenceOn Tuesday, October 16 at the <a href="https://sapforutilitiesconf.com/agenda/" target="_blank">2018 SAP for Utilities conference</a>, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/about/news/2018-sap-for-utilities-conference/" target="_blank">HPC America</a> will present NTUA’s case study on the first-ever integration of SAP C/4HANA Service Cloud (formerly Hybris Cloud for Customer and SAP C4C) with a utility’s on-premises SAP ECC ERP and IS-U billing module. NTUA’s Deputy CFO, Gerard Curley, and HPC’s CEO, Jerry Cavalieri, will share the project’s strategy, results, and lessons learned.<br />
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<a href="https://sapforutilitiesconf.com/agenda/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="600" height="124" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KD7raFyspFQ/W5AMnx4tToI/AAAAAAAAAbk/zfvzbx77cowlRSXEFTsu0daVKNc7B3eDwCLcBGAs/s320/BP-for-Utilities-White-BG-600x233.png" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
NTUA had a mandate to implement a new call center to increase operational efficiency and improve customer satisfaction across its 27,000 square mile territory. In April 2017, NTUA made a cutting-edge choice: rather than implement an on-premises CRM that would further stretch its IT resources, the call center would use SAP C/4HANA Service Cloud connected to the utility’s on-prem ECC 6.0/IS-U system via SAP Cloud Platform middleware. Nine months after kickoff, NTUA became the first utility in the U.S. to put such a system into production.<br />
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This session at the SAP for Utilities conference will showcase…<br />
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<li>How utilities can benefit from SAP C/4HANA even before upgrading to S/4HANA</li>
<li>NTUA’s business case for selecting C/4HANA Service Cloud</li>
<li>Lessons learned from the implementation and subsequent 90-day upgrade cycles</li>
<li>Results since the January 2018 go-live, since which time NTUA’s customer service representatives have <b>logged more than 15,000 tickets</b> in C/4HANA Service Cloud</li>
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NTUA’s HANA-powered, cloud-based CRM now tracks customer interactions in detail, improves responsiveness to payment inquiries, reduces the chance of unnecessary shut-offs, and establishes a mobile-ready foundation for field technicians—all while leveraging NTUA’s existing SAP ERP. NTUA's customer service representatives are no longer dependent on the Customer Interaction Center (CIC0), which is not offered in S/4HANA. The SAP C/4HANA Service Cloud supports NTUA's new call center with a modern, feature-rich CRM to improve customer satisfaction; provides customer-facing team members with a great UX — anywhere, on any device; and, longer term, establishes an infrastructure for NTUA to standardize customer service practices across its headquarters and district locations.<br />
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To learn more about SAP C/4HANA Service Cloud integration with the IS-U, <a href="https://sapforutilitiesconf.com/pricing/" target="_blank">register for the 2018 SAP for Utilities conference</a> and attend this unique presentation on Tuesday, October 16 at 2:40pm. <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/contact/" target="_blank">Contact HPC America</a> if you'd like to discuss C/4HANA prior to the conference.<br />
<br />HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-37614795660083701242018-05-29T13:44:00.003-07:002018-05-29T13:52:04.183-07:00Meet HPC at the 2018 SAP SAPPHIRE NOW Conference<br />
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<b>HPC America</b> will be exhibiting in <b>Booth #1433A</b> at the 2018 SAPPHIRE NOW - ASUG ANNUAL conference in Orlando, FL from June 5-7, 2018.<br />
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We are a team of utility industry experts dedicated to everything touching financial solutions from SAP. Since developing the original IS-U financial solution for utilities 25 years ago, HPC has optimized accounting, billing, CRM, asset management, and regulatory financials for utilities on SAP. <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/resources-for-utilities-on-sap/" target="_blank">See our online resources for utilities on SAP</a>.<br />
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Most recently, HPC led the <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/" target="_blank">first-ever integration of SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (C4C) with on-premises IS-U via SAP Cloud Platform middleware</a>, including cloud-to-cloud integration of Paymentus.<br />
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HPC also has a long track record of developing add-on software for utilities on SAP, including <b>HPC DECIPHER</b>, a <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-decipher/" target="_blank">line-item financials solution for utility companies on SAP S/4HANA</a> that leverages the Universal Journal to provide total visibility into cost flows, automate mass reversals, and corrections, and strengthen rate case support. HPC offers customers unmatched expertise in utility accounting based on decades of experience as industry insiders.<br />
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At the 2018 Sapphire conference, stop by our <b>Booth #1433A</b> to see demonstrations of SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (SAP C4C), HPC DECIPHER, and our other NetWeaver-based solutions for utilities on SAP; and to discuss your utility's SAP ERP strategy and roadmap. <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/contact/" target="_blank">Contact us online to schedule a meeting at SAPPHIRE</a>.HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-46459864507198025662018-04-13T20:17:00.001-07:002019-04-22T10:19:27.728-07:00Private Demos of SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (C4C) at CS Week<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GmuZpVEqHkM/WtO0hzp3B9I/AAAAAAAAAac/9cdKQdQvkoQckk92kI5Y8u_v-AOGj4YSgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Conference_42_200x83.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="83" data-original-width="202" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GmuZpVEqHkM/WtO0hzp3B9I/AAAAAAAAAac/9cdKQdQvkoQckk92kI5Y8u_v-AOGj4YSgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Conference_42_200x83.gif" /></a>Utilities on SAP are anxious to learn how SAP C/4ANA (formerly Hybris) Cloud for Customer integrates with on-prem IS-U via SAP's cloud middleware. HPC America will demonstrate C4C in action at CS Week in May and at SAPPHIRE in June. We'll share our <br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XaCiPacxLh0/WYi21tSPZfI/AAAAAAAAAUo/-fp68G2hmHojuEBP6QhzmwsBi18y02vBQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/SAP_C4C_image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1150" height="148" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XaCiPacxLh0/WYi21tSPZfI/AAAAAAAAAUo/-fp68G2hmHojuEBP6QhzmwsBi18y02vBQCPcBGAYYCw/s200/SAP_C4C_image.png" width="200" /></a>lessons learned from the first-ever implementation of C4C with IS-U, and you'll gain valuable insights into making your utility's own SAP C/4HANA project even more successful.<br />
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Request Your C/4HANA Demo Here</h3>
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/">http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/</a></div>
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<br />HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-68878568069127796172018-04-11T22:47:00.000-07:002018-04-11T22:47:29.324-07:00HPC CEO Jerry Cavalieri to Judge 2018 Mobile Appathon at SF StateOn May 21, 2018, San Francisco State University will host its latest <a href="https://cob.sfsu.edu/appathon2018" target="_blank">Mobile Appathon contest</a> sponsored by Pacific Gas & Electric and the College of Business. Participants present their innovative app ideas and prototypes that address practical problems of personal, business, environmental, civic, or social significance. All SF State students are invited to join the challenge.<br />
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HPC America CEO, <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/about/team-bios/" target="_blank">Jerry Cavalieri</a>, will return as one of the event's judges. Mr. Cavalieri, an SAP for utilities expert and former PG&E accounting manager, is on the SAP Advisory Board for <a href="http://cob.sfsu.edu/is/erp" target="_blank">SFSU's SAP Recognition Award Program</a>, and a regular guest speaker at the College of Business.<br />
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HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-2783240613781144992018-03-15T18:27:00.001-07:002018-03-20T16:05:38.161-07:00CS Week 2018 - SAP C4C Demos and Lessons Learned<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Utilities can get at least three valuable things from HPC America at CS Week this May:<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Live demo</b> of SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (C4C) connected to both SAP ECC and a third-party payment solution</li>
<li>Technical <b>lessons learned</b> from the first-ever integration of C4C with on-prem IS-U via SAP's cloud middleware</li>
<li>Concrete <b>answers to your own questions</b> about SAP Hybris C4C project plans</li>
</ol>
HPC America has <a href="https://hpcamerica.blogspot.com/2018/02/asug-webinar-on-sap-c4c-is-u.html" target="_blank">more real-world experience in SAP Cloud for Customer</a> for utilities than anyone, and we welcome utility IT and Customer Service pros who want to pick our brains, learn how C4C can help their organizations, and improve the success of C4C implementations. Visit us at Booth #437.<br />
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<br />HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-21591977846827779742018-02-06T13:57:00.000-08:002018-02-06T13:57:36.990-08:00ASUG Webinar on SAP C4C - IS-U Integration a Success<a href="https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&referrer=&eventid=1587145&sessionid=1&key=3B19CDA758776F1034379C30C36765D4&regTag=227839&sourcepage=register" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="122" data-original-width="412" height="58" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HBXQJRNyFEQ/WmEco5sZDMI/AAAAAAAAAXs/cGIyA_2E5lIpmm6FZRag8yfRCVTR7c0wwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/logo-asug.png" width="200" /></a>At the end of last month, HPC America and Navajo Tribal Utility Authority presented a <a href="https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&referrer=&eventid=1587145&sessionid=1&key=3B19CDA758776F1034379C30C36765D4&regTag=227839&sourcepage=register" target="_blank">Webinar hosted by ASUG</a> about the first-ever integration of <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/" target="_blank">SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (C4C)</a> with on-premises SAP ECC/IS-U via SAP Cloud Platform Integration middleware. The audience's response was tremendous:<br />
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<i>"The webcast was awesome. You guys hit it out of the park!"</i><br />
<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1150" height="148" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XaCiPacxLh0/WYi21tSPZfI/AAAAAAAAAUo/-fp68G2hmHojuEBP6QhzmwsBi18y02vBQCPcBGAYYCw/s200/SAP_C4C_image.png" width="200" /></a><br />
<i>"Probably one of the best ASUG presentations."</i><br />
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<i>"It was great, and very informative!"</i><br />
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<i>"Thank you for the invitation! The information was useful and our architects will definitely leverage it to effectively plan for C4C."</i><br />
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You can <a href="https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&referrer=&eventid=1587145&sessionid=1&key=3B19CDA758776F1034379C30C36765D4&regTag=227839&sourcepage=register" target="_blank">watch a recording of the webinar online</a>, and <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact us with any follow-up questions</a> about SAP C4C for utilities running IS-U on-prem.<br />
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<br />HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-13383030025099195622018-01-18T14:11:00.003-08:002018-01-18T14:17:44.172-08:00ASUG Webinar for Utilities: SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (C4C) Integrated with On-Prem ECC/IS-U at NTUA<a href="https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&referrer=&eventid=1587145&sessionid=1&key=3B19CDA758776F1034379C30C36765D4®Tag=227839&sourcepage=register" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="122" data-original-width="412" height="58" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HBXQJRNyFEQ/WmEco5sZDMI/AAAAAAAAAXk/S0imqu3UIdU9YRBfRmWkwK8uZL7Ffx_UgCLcBGAs/s200/logo-asug.png" width="200" /></a>On <b>Wednesday, January 24</b>, ASUG will host a Webinar about NTUA's implementation of SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (C4C). <a href="https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&referrer=&eventid=1587145&sessionid=1&key=3B19CDA758776F1034379C30C36765D4&regTag=227839&sourcepage=register" target="_blank">Register for the SAP C4C Webinar</a> online so that you can hear NTUA's Deputy CFO, Gerard Curley, and HPC America's CEO, Jerry Cavalieri, discuss this exciting project, which we have <a href="http://hpcamerica.blogspot.com/search?q=sap+c4c&max-results=20&by-date=true" target="_blank">chronicled this year</a>.<br />
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The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) had a mandate to implement a new, centralized call <br />
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center to increase operational efficiency and improve customer satisfaction across its 27,000 square mile territory. As part of its Customer Experience Initiative (CEI), NTUA desired to have a modern HANA-powered, mobile-ready user interface to track customer interactions, while still leveraging its existing investment in its SAP ERP running on a relational database.<br />
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In early 2017, NTUA’s Deputy CFO, Gerard Curley, made a cutting-edge choice: rather than implementing an on-premises CRM solution that would further stretch the utility’s IT resources, the call center would use SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (C4C) running on the SAP Cloud Platform and connected to the utility’s on-prem ECC 6.0 system and IS-U via SAP Cloud Platform Integration middleware (formerly known as SAP HANA Cloud Integration).<br />
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NTUA is the first utility company in the U.S. to use SAP’s cloud middleware to connect C4C in the <br />
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front office with on-prem IS-U in the back office. The project showcases how utilities can connect HANA-powered cloud solutions like C4C to their core SAP ERP running on any database.<br />
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The Webinar will review NTUA’s business case for selecting SAP C4C, including functionality released in the project’s first phase; key lessons learned from integrating on-prem IS-U with C4C via SAP Cloud Platform Integration; and initial results from the January 2018 go-live. In addition, the presentation will discuss NTUA’s integration of third-party payment solution Paymentus with IS-U using SAP’s cloud middleware to support cloud-to-cloud integration. Register for <a href="https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&referrer=&eventid=1587145&sessionid=1&key=3B19CDA758776F1034379C30C36765D4&regTag=227839&sourcepage=register" target="_blank">ASUG's SAP C4C Webinar today</a>.HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-62032911453607252892017-12-07T10:14:00.001-08:002017-12-07T10:16:49.475-08:00SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (C4C) Nearing Go-Live<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1150" height="148" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5k1U5KltY_k/WYzKtdUnsaI/AAAAAAAAAVE/w9VP5u4caG4IZcMYxwRiuopSCCy0LjuPQCPcBGAYYCw/s200/SAP_C4C_image.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Following up on our <a href="http://hpcamerica.blogspot.com/search?q=c4c&max-results=20&by-date=true" target="_blank">prior posts about HPC America implementing SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (SAP C4C) at a utility company</a>, we’re in the final stages to go-live later this month. This is the first-ever — in the world! — integration of SAP C4C with on-premises ECC - IS-U via the <a href="https://cloudplatform.sap.com/capabilities/integration/cloud-integration.html" target="_blank">SAP Cloud Platform Integration</a> (formerly known as SAP HANA Cloud Integration or HCI).<br />
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After building a fully populated PoC with all customers connected to the sandbox ERP and performing exhaustive user acceptance testing, the utility company’s C4C production tenant has been requested and created. We’ll connect it to their on-prem SAP production ECC 6.0 system, move transports from QAS into PRD, install the cloud connector, install SOAP runtime, add the communication arrangements to the middleware, set up Webservices, and start replicating business partners. We’ll then validate that the data is correct.<br />
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One of many unique aspects to this project is that the utility company will NOT transition all users off of CIC when C4C goes live. Some will continue to use the legacy CIC0 functionality. HPC configured C4C and CIC to communicate back-and-forth, such that the contact log in CIC is automatically updated with data from C4C, and vice versa. The project team chose this approach to minimize risk and moderate costs. Once C4C is running in production and the call center team has real-world hands-on experience, we’ll roll it out the the rest of the organization.<br />
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For this first phase, the following Hybris Cloud for Customer functionality will be live:<br />
<ul>
<li>Utilities Financials</li>
<li>Utilities 360</li>
<li>Utilities Overview</li>
<li>Installment Plans</li>
<li>Ticketing</li>
</ul>
This feature set will enable the utility’s call center reps to search for customers, check balances due, check meter reads, create installment plans, make real-time payments, create tickets, and create service notifications. Next quarter, we’ll add even more functionality by going live with Move In/Move Out, Bill Reversal/Rebill, Service Orders, and Transfers.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/" target="_blank">Learn more about HPC America's expertise in SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (C4C)</a> for utility companies on SAP.HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-89668400588287384782017-08-30T10:21:00.000-07:002017-08-30T10:21:41.805-07:00Free Webinar: FERC Reporting Options for Utilities on SAP S/4HANA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/resources-for-utilities-on-sap/free-webinar-ferc-reporting-options-on-sap-s4hana/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6EwpxJkHw10/Wabzat5NlEI/AAAAAAAAAWc/Z5FZYKdaCp8KT56Pq37OIw55tyhsXX6ewCLcBGAs/s1600/banner-blog-v1.jpg" /></a></div>
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Utility companies running SAP have a number of different FERC reporting options on SAP<br />
S/4HANA. On September, 6, 2017 at 11:00am Pacific, HPC America’s free Webinar for utility company Finance, Accounting, Rates, and IT professionals will answer the following questions:<br />
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<b>What FERC reporting functionality is possible on S/4HANA…</b><br />
<ul>
<li>as delivered?</li>
<li>with configuration changes alone?</li>
<li>with a partner’s software solution such as HPC DECIPHER?</li>
</ul>
Utility companies attending the Webinar will gain a clear understanding of the <b>capabilities and limitations of these three approaches to regulatory accounting on S/4HANA</b>, and have an opportunity to learn from HPC America’s 20+ years of experience supporting utilities on SAP. <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/resources-for-utilities-on-sap/free-webinar-ferc-reporting-options-on-sap-s4hana/" target="_blank">Register for the event now</a>.<br />
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HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-20397854574632142372017-08-15T13:57:00.000-07:002017-08-15T13:57:36.142-07:00Utilities Contact Center in SAP C4C - Rich Feature Set for UtilitiesThe <b>Utilities Contact Center</b> (UCC) in SAP Hybris <b>Cloud for Customer</b> offers truly rich functionality for utility company Customer Service Representatives. In our current C4C implementation, we've activated the features outlined below. We'll also be demonstrating them at the <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/about/news/2017-sap-for-utilities-conference/" target="_blank">SAP for Utilities conference</a> in Huntington Beach next month, running C4C off an iPad to demonstrate its out-of-the-box mobility.<br />
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<b>Utility Financials:</b> displays the customer account balance, open items, invoices, payments, dunning notices, installment plans, meter reads, premise, bill reversals, and interactions on service tickets.<br />
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<b>Utilities 360:</b> displays a hierarchy of the Contract Account, Premise, Contract, Installation and Device for the customer in a parent/child relationship.<br />
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<b>Utilities Overview:</b> displays a list of the contract accounts for the customer including invoices, service orders, and meter reads.<br />
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<b>Move-In/Move-Out:</b> walks the CSR through move-in steps to a premise, and through move-out steps from a vacating premise.<br />
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<b>Installment Plans:</b> creates a payment arrangement in which the customer balance is spread out over a number of days, weeks, or months as permitted, and changes the amount due immediately after.<br />
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<b>Service Orders:</b> creates a new service order for field technician work. Service orders are immediately visible to planners for release and to dispatch field techs to premises. Mobile updates are provided as well.<br />
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<b>Bill Reversal/Re-Bill:</b> enables the CSR to reverse one or more billing documents, or the entire customer invoice. Also allows manual entry of meter reads, and re-billing of contract accounts.<br />
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<b>Transfers:</b> transfers an existing contract account to a new service address for an existing customer (business partner).<br />
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When a CSR uses these features, SAP C4C provides dynamic navigation links and user prompts based on the context of the particular task at hand. This reduces clutter on the screen and makes the interface even more intuitive. See it yourself at the <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/about/news/2017-sap-for-utilities-conference/" target="_blank">utilities conference</a>.HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-17629720200966213302017-08-10T13:58:00.001-07:002017-08-10T14:58:02.811-07:00Integration benefits from SAP Hybris Cloud for CustomerContinuing our series about SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (C4C), today we’re thinking about how critical it is for utilities to have a CRM system that’s well-integrated with their ERP. As we implement C4C and integrate it with the IS-U this summer, we’re discovering more and more that we like about SAP’s SasS offering.<br />
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Utilities committed to excellent customer service need a CRM solution that facilities on-boarding of new customers, transfers to another house or apartment in the service territory, and set-up of payment plans. A CRM solution that integrates with the back-end ERP — or in the case of utilities, the IS-U — will not only provide Customer Service Representatives with visibility into billing, but also into service tickets. Everything discussed with the customer can be captured in those service tickets, and that, in turn, gives the utility insight into each customer’s particular situation and needs no matter who at the utility is communicating with the customer.<br />
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That transparency into the customer is incredibly valuable. For example, when performing a customer move-in, the CSR requires a lot of details about the customer class, applicable rate tariff, and move-out of the prior customer. Coordinating this with a non-integrated CRM is difficult, but with C4C and the ERP integrated it’s much easier. Similarly, if a customer is about to be disconnected for non-payment, but the CSR using SAP C4C sees that payment was just made that day, the customer’s power won’t be interrupted. Such visibility is difficult to achieve with non-integrated CRM solutions that may only be updated once a day, or provide very little information from their updates.<br />
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C4C also delivers a means to interact with customers through multiple mediums. Referred to as omni-channel, C4C allows for traditional Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) as well as email, text (SMS), and social networks (e.g., Facebook and Twitter). For example, incoming emails can be read and classified by C4C, automatically creating service tickets and assigning them to the appropriate agent for follow-up. Agents, in turn, can get 360-degree views of their customers, assess account status, and provide pre-determined actions from scripted communication templates.<br />
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Moreover, if a service call is necessary, technicians in the field can use C4C to update their progress on service tickets. After troubleshooting service interruptions while on-site at customers’ premises, field techs can even use their mobile devices to charge their time to service orders created by CSRs. SAP C4C is delivered with an out-of-the-box Fiori UI for mobile workers, many features of which work both on- and off-line when cell coverage or WiFi is not available.<br />
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SAP also delivers embedded analytics in C4C that customer service managers will appreciate. Because C4C is built on the HANA in-memory database, both OLTP and OLAP capabilities are on the same application platform. This means that analyzing service ticket metrics and utility response times is already part of the C4C solution, complete with graphical displays for visualization of the data for management to analyze. With C4C, a utility won’t have to export its data to an external warehouse for analysis, losing valuable time moving data around just to prepare it for analysis. It’s all right there, ready to be considered carefully and acted upon promptly. And that can only help customer service initiatives.HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-49073680525470392012017-08-07T12:00:00.000-07:002017-08-07T12:00:06.226-07:00SAP transaction CIC0 nearing EOL, replaced by Utilities Contact Center (UCC)Utilities currently running SAP’s on-premise CRM solution, IS-U/CR&B (a.k.a. CCS), often rely on transaction CIC0 in the Customer Interaction Center (CIC). They won’t be able to use it for long, however, as <b>support for CIC0 will end</b> when support for ECC 6.0 ends in 2025, and CIC0 is deprecated in SAP S/4HANA. As such, CIC0 is nearing end-of-life and must be replaced with something else.<br />
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The replacement for CIC0 is the <b>Utilities Contact Center (UCC)</b> offered in SAP Cloud for Customer (C4C), which integrates with the IS-U. While C4C has its own ticketing system resident in Cloud for Service, utilities using that alone would miss all of the benefits of integration with the IS-U. And that integration is absolutely critical for utility company CSRs to on-board new customers, transfer customers to new locations within the service territory, and help customers pay their bills by setting up installment plans.<br />
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Given that, we see two future alternatives for utilities: run SAP’s on-premise CRM solution with S/4HANA, or run the new Hybris Cloud for Customer SaaS solution. If a utility doesn’t already have the on-prem CRM deployed, <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/" target="_blank">we’d recommend using C4C</a>. It provides rapid innovation cycles for easy access to new features; a bundled Fiori client for mobile users at low subscription prices; and offloads technical work so that IT can focus on other initiatives. In the coming weeks, we’ll discuss C4C’s benefits in greater detail.<br />
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HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-56109055813448969982017-08-03T14:07:00.002-07:002017-08-03T14:10:14.176-07:002017 SAP for Utilities Conference topics: FERC and C4C<br />
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At next month's 2017 SAP for Utilities conference, HPC America will discuss two topics of considerable interest to utility customers:<br />
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<b>Real-Time FERC on SAP S/4HANA</b>. Utilities have a <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/resources-for-utilities-on-sap/sap-s4hana-ferc-reporting-options/" target="_blank">number of options for regulatory accounting on S/4HANA</a>. The delivered solution still relies on the legacy FI-RRU (a.k.a., the "FERC module") which uses a <i>derivation-based</i> model to generate regulatory data in batches at period-end. In contrast, S/4HANA is ideally suited to a <i>transaction-based</i> ("real-time") FERC model with line-item granularity. It doesn't, however, deliver such a design out-of-the-box. (<a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/resources-for-utilities-on-sap/ferc-reporting-on-sap-s4hana/" target="_blank">Request our FAQ for more info</a>.) At the conference, you can learn from HPC America's 20+ years of subject matter expertise how your utility can realize transaction-based FERC on S/4 either through configuration and/or code block changes, or with our latest add-on solution, <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/solutions/hpc-decipher/" target="_blank">HPC DECIPHER</a>, which runs natively on S/4HANA and delivers the most comprehensive functionality for real-time translation, allocations, adjustments, cost flow forensics, and more. Before the conference, you can request our FAQ about FERC on S/4HANA.<br />
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<b>SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer</b>. We're currently leading the first <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/" target="_blank">Cloud for Service deployment</a> at a utility company in the United States, and will share our <a href="http://hpcamerica.blogspot.com/2017/07/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-utility.html" target="_blank">SAP C4C implementation and integration experience</a> with conference attendees. SAP C4C is incredibly important for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the replacement of transaction CIC0 Customer Interaction Center (CIC) in the legacy IS-U/CCS with the C4C Utilities Contact Center (UCC) connected to the IS-U in the ERP. See a live demo of our system at the conference, and learn from the technical challenges we've surmounted by working closely with SAP Support.<br />
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To schedule a meeting with HPC at the 2017 SAP for Utilities conference, please <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact us</a> directly.HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-50050756756757754572017-07-31T07:30:00.000-07:002017-07-31T07:30:19.988-07:00One SAP Roadmap for Utilities: Wrap SAP Cloud Around On-Prem SAP FinancialsRecently we were talking with one of our utility company clients about their SAP roadmap, and how utilities can leverage the latest SAP Cloud-based solutions while maintaining their robust and well-design SAP Financials core.<br />
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Our guidance for utilities considering such a direction is to initially wrap Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions around the SAP Financials they already have in place. Integrating third-party or SAP SaaS offerings with SAP Financials will be faster and less costly than a total overhaul, and SAP has great middleware in Hana Cloud Integration (HCI) that runs on the SAP Cloud Platform.<br />
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Under this kind of model, a SaaS billing solution, for example, would send APIs to the HCI to message SAP Financials for revenue transactions. The HCI would also be used to connect other SaaS offerings to SAP Financials, such as Fieldglass for contractors, Concur for employee expenses, and Success Factors for HR/payroll.<br />
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This strategy of integrating SaaS offerings with on-premise Financials has a number of benefits. First, it provides utilities with access to more modern, user-friendly applications that front-office staff and field operations will appreciate. Second, it safeguards regulatory accounting, overheads and allocations, and even the monthly close itself, which are too important to rip and replace without the utmost care. And third, it creates an opportunity in the future to move to a hybrid solution running SAP S/4HANA in the Cloud. Conversion will be more efficient when some front office and field tech functions have already been moved there, and the primary on-prem system remaining is Financials. Then, once S/4HANA is in place, utilities can build-out analytics on the SAP Business Objects Cloud (BOC) as their repository for all reporting from SAP and other non-SAP apps.<br />
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Learn more about HPC's implementation services for a terrific SAP SaaS offering, <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/" target="_blank">SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (SAP C4C)</a>.HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3139765026777817157.post-55143588793633559512017-07-21T14:20:00.006-07:002017-07-21T14:40:12.349-07:00SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer - utility company project updateHPC America's implementation of SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer at a utility company is progressing nicely (read prior posts <a href="http://hpcamerica.blogspot.com/2017/06/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c.html" target="_blank">1</a> and <a href="http://hpcamerica.blogspot.com/2017/06/sap-c4c-implementation-technical.html" target="_blank">2</a>). We now have the following functionality working in SAP C4C:<br />
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<b>Guided Move-In / Move-Out</b><br />
This is one of the most important aspects of utility company customer relationship management, and in SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer the functionality steps the end-user through the move-in/move-out process. Initially, there were challenges around meter read estimation and inputs, but we’ve resolved them. We also developed some BADis to streamline the process. For example, out of the box, C4C’s move-in function was creating multiple Service Orders, instead of a single one as the customer required. By modifying the BADi, we've enabled SAP C4C to generate a single Service Order.<br />
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<b>Payment History</b><br />
Customers’ payment histories were initially not replicated fully in SAP C4C, due to the select query working only on certain ECC payment entry configurations. Our utility customer’s ECC payment input is configured to allow multiple entries, so we worked closely with SAP Technical Support to update Cloud for Customer to meet this requirement.<br />
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<b>Editing/Creating Meter Reads</b><br />
Input of meter reads by contract is now operational in SAP C4C. This update is manual, but the system can also make estimates automatically. If a customer’s account has a smart meter, uploaded readings may be edited or overridden.<br />
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<b>Testing of Responsive U/I</b><br />
We’ve now tested SAP Cloud for Customer's Responsive U/I on various mobile devices, including Apple IOS phones and iPads and Android LG phones. The results are excellent, and the user interface makes for a very rewarding experience. The responsive interface in combination with critical functions, such as manual meter reads in territories without AMI, will provide tremendous benefits. In such a case, for example, field technicians will be able to input meter reads in real-time while at a service address without using any other software by SAP C4C.<br />
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<b>Tickets and Customer Interaction groupings</b><br />
In SAP C4C, the ticket is the main record of all customer interaction. We’ve now configured tickets and work tickets to align with our customer’s “Customer Interaction” groupings, which define categories such as Outage, Disconnects, Payments, Billing, and Service Request. All phone calls and emails between a CSR and a customer will be recorded and linked to the customer account in SAP Cloud for Customer.<br />
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To learn more about <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/services/sap-hybris-cloud-for-customer-sap-c4c-implementation/" target="_blank">SAP C4C's benefits for utility companies</a>, please <a href="http://www.hpc-america.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact HPC America</a>.<br />
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HPC Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570889993839352881noreply@blogger.com0