How do you exactly go from Outlooksoft 4.2 to Outlooksoft 5.0 to SAP BPC 5.1 to SAP BPC 7.0 to EPM 8.0 (Enterprise Performance Management) in the first half of 2010? When and why should you upgrade your current version? Here are some guidelines:
Product support:
We know that the current version of SAP BPC 7.0 is supported for at least the next 8 years (2016) on both the Microsoft SQL 2005 and Netweaver version. The 5.1 version is being maintained until 2010. Upgrading the 5.1 version to 7.0 can be done by a simple update and some minor migration checks. Upgrading from Outlooksoft 4.2 SP3 (minimum version) to SAP BPC is a major migration. Support for the 4.2 version will stop March 31, 2009!
Upgrade to SAP BPC 7.0 to receive product support till 2016!
Outlooksoft engine:
All current Outlooksoft / SAP BPC versions make use of the Outlooksoft engine. The current SAP BPC versions have a more updated and flexible version of the engine in which many issues of the 4.2 version have been resolved. The EPM 8.0 product suite will integrate certain parts of the Outlooksoft engine into its offering. The Outlooksoft part will be primarily used for Planning and Budgeting and less complex consolidation requirements. The Cartesis engine is going to replace the Outlooksoft engine for the more complex consolidation requirements.
Choose SAP BPC 7.0 if you are a fan of the Outlooksoft engine!
System integration:
The EPM 8.0 product is SAP's offering to increased integration with its ERP products. For clients using existing SAP products this will lower total cost of ownership. Responsibilities for the product will move more and more to the CIO and the SAP Competency Center.
SAP BPC 7.0 is a flexible stand alone product capable of running on multiple databases (Microsoft, Oracle, SAP). The ownership of this product is foremost with the CFO.
Upgrading to EPM 8.0 is more attractive when you are a heavy SAP client.
Product functionalities:
Attached to this blog is a detailed overview of the differences between the Outlooksoft 4.2 version and SAP BPC 5.1 and SAP BPC 7.0 versions on a Microsoft environment (Source: SAP Nederland B.V.). Here are some conclusions:
Upgrade from 4.2 to 5.1 or 7.0 to benefit from:
- New Business Process Flows concepts for orchestrating performance management processes
- New action panes that simplify adoption and rollout time
- Fully integrated comments with enhanced comment reporting capabilities
- Zero Footprint reporting and data entry capabilities
- Integration with Microsoft Word and Powerpoint
- Enhanced consolidation engine
- Enhanced user security module
- Enhanced EVDRE capabilities
- More flexible workstatus capabilities
- Enhanced audit capabilities
- More Webbased interfaces
- Predicitive analysis capabilities
Upgrade from 5.1 to 7.0 to benefit from:
- Enhanced system management (logs, performance, processes, users)
- Better seasonality capabilities
- Multireviewer capabilities in the BPF's and automatic e-mail notification
- Microsoft Vista and Office 2007 support
SAP BPC offers new functionalities and has proven itself to be a stable environment during 2008.
More about SAP BPC can be found in our service section. Please contact CPMview for more information about our extensive experience in migrating Outlooksoft CPM to SAP BPC and how we can help you.
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