Runbook Company: Building Powerful Finance Software Certified to Integrate with SAP HANA

Transcription

1 2015 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. Runbook Company: Building Powerful Finance Software Certified to Integrate with SAP HANA Since 2001, Runbook Company has been innovating software that helps global companies that run SAP solutions achieve the highest level of finance automation. Central to Runbook s success is gaining SAP certification for its add-on solutions that use the ABAP programming language such as SMART Close and TRUE Reconciliation through an SAP Integration and Certification Center (SAP ICC).

2 Partner Runbook Company Headquarters Ede, The Netherlands Industry High tech Products and Services Finance software that runs on the SAP HANA platform and other solutions Employees 60 Web Site BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION Objectives Accelerate customer adoption by obtaining SAP certifications for add-ons using the ABAP programming language Become the vendor of choice for finance add-on solutions Enable faster finance transformations Ported SMART Close and TRUE Reconciliation to the SAP HANA platform Obtained SAP integration certifications for both products, verifying 100% compatibility with the SAP Simple Benefits running on SAP HANA Benefits Provided customers piloting SAP Simple Finance with closing and reconciliation functionality in their SAP HANA software environment Elevated Runbook s value by enabling the company to help customers move to a central ledger in SAP Simple Finance Gave customers confidence that their software will perform as expected Reduced the need for implementation testing and verification Read more 3 products Certified by SAP Stronger Competitive edge through certification Faster Adoption of new software by customers Getting our add-on solutions certified by SAP to integrate with SAP Simple Finance on SAP HANA has accelerated customer adoption and positioned us as the vendor of choice. Joe Kuncharia, Vice President, Sales and Strategic Partnerships, Runbook Company 2 / 6

3 Building on the power of the SAP HANA platform for finance Based in The Netherlands, Runbook Company specializes in software add-ons that automate and streamline the financial close and reporting process for global corporations using the SAP ERP application. By delivering smarter software that tightly integrates with their enterprise resource planning (ERP) environment, Runbook adds a new dimension for finance to customers SAP software. For example, the company s Runbook ONE platform powers add-on solutions like SMART Close, which simplifies and automates the close-to-disclose cycle, and TRUE Reconciliation, which simplifies the account reconciliation process and automates it from preparation to reconciliation. A gold-level SAP software solution and technology partner and long-standing member of the SAP PartnerEdge program, Runbook makes it a priority to deliver solutions certified to integrate with SAP software. We find that SAP customers prefer solutions that have been tested and certified by SAP because it speeds up and simplifies testing and validation by their internal IT teams, explains Joe Kuncharia, vice president of sales and strategic partnerships at Runbook Company. When several of Runbook s customers began piloting the SAP Simple Finance solution on the SAP HANA platform, they expressed an interest in SAP-certified integration for SMART Close and TRUE Reconciliation solutions. We heard from our customers that our SMART Close and TRUE Reconciliation products would make perfect choices for their pilot because our products have a long track record of certified integration with SAP software, he adds. So we worked with the SAP ICC to establish an integration certification path. 3 / 6

4 Differentiating by obtaining SAP ICC certifications To meet the customer demand for SAP-certified integration of Runbook s add-ons, an SAP Integration and Certification Center (SAP ICC) and Runbook cooperated closely. Runbook first took advantage of an assessment service offered by SAP ICC designed to ensure that Runbook s software can fully exploit SAP HANA to deliver extraordinary processing speeds. SAP ICC deployed both SMART Close and TRUE Reconciliation in a system running SAP Business Suite powered by SAP HANA, complete with the most recent release and service pack. Static code checks that focused on the performance aspects of SAP HANA looked for problematic code lines and performed intensive Structured Query Language (SQL) analyses based on realistic test data. Armed with the insights gained from the assessment, Runbook made the necessary changes to its software. Runbook then went through the same testing process to gain SAP-certified integration with SAP Simple Finance on SAP HANA. For example, the add-ons had to conform to SAP standards and conventions for ABAP programming language packaging and deployment, and all custom ABAP objects, database tables, fields, and data elements had to exist within a registered namespace. Because the software was already certified to run on SAP HANA, minimal changes were needed to gain certification with SAP Simple Finance, notes Rob Leesberg, Runbook s founder and chief technology officer. This was a test-and-validate process and by the end, we earned the right to promote the certification for both products by using the Integration with Applications on SAP HANA certification logo. With SAP ICC certification, we can show customers that Runbook technology is built to run on SAP solutions. Certification gives customers confidence that deployments will be fast and efficient. Rob Leesberg, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Runbook Company 4 / 6

5 Becoming the vendor of choice by offering a broader vision Now SAP ICC has certified Runbook s SMART Close and TRUE Reconciliation products as 100% compatible with SAP HANA and SAP Simple Finance. This will help customers accelerate their pilots of SAP Simple Finance by eliminating the need for most testing and validation by IT. SAP certification also gives Runbook a strong competitive edge in the marketplace. It s a fact that customers moving to SAP Simple Finance or planning to prefer an already tested and certified solution, explains Leesberg. So our certification will help accelerate customer adoption. At the same time, certification further solidifies Runbook s position as an innovator that aligns itself with the strategy of SAP and its customers. Companies usually choose our software because they have a specific issue or goal for instance, they want to close their books faster. And Runbook addresses these needs better than any other company, Leesberg says. But now, when we see customers that have multiple SAP and non-sap financial systems, we can help them think more strategically by proposing that they move to a central ledger in SAP Simple Finance that brings together all of their financial data. We can help them leap ahead in their architecture, functionality, and way of working and realize a whole new level of benefit. And by offering this broader value proposition, we immediately position ourselves as the vendor of choice. 5 / 6

6 Runbook Creating a mutually beneficial partnership Runbook s first certification was for an ABAP add-on for SAP software integration in 2003, and the company has continuously worked with SAP ICC since then. We work with the largest SAP customers many of whom are early adopters of SAP software, remarks Leesberg. When SAP started offering ABAP add-on certifications, we were first in line, as our customers needed confidence in our solutions. Ever since, we ve been true partners and collaborators, helping customers drive finance transformation by simplifying implementations and reducing risk. Looking ahead, Runbook aims to be first to market with new finance add-ons certified by SAP. As we innovate new products, we re leveraging everything we ve learned from SAP ICC about SAP software standards, concludes Leesberg. We can design from the ground up to be fully compliant with SAP quality standards. The goal is to get it right the first time, gain SAP certifications, and deliver solutions that are good for customers, SAP, and Runbook. Studio SAP 36643enUS (15/04) 6 / 6

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