SAP releases update to ERP business software

German software giant SAP SE on Monday released the latest update to its enterprise resource planning (ERP) business suite.

The 1610 release to the S/4HANA ERP application uses a simplified data model and SAP's Fiori 2.0 user interface design to reduce complexity and improve productivity, the company said. SAP S/4HANA can free up a workforce to focus on high-value tasks with embedded analytics and real-time insights instead of exception management, thanks to pattern-recognition capabilities and machine learning, SAP says.

These enhancements can allow users to improve their supply chain performance by promoting lower lead times, better customer service, and higher profitability, SAP says. Those changes can allow retailers to manage the complex multichannel operations necessary to keep up with rising customer expectations, from the discovery and purchasing experience to the personalization and delivery of products and services.

Specific changes in the update include improvements to modules such as: advanced available to promise (aATP) supply allocation and order confirmation; inventory management and visibility; material requirement planning (MRP) with embedded production planning and detailed scheduling (PPDS); extended warehouse management (EWM) tools for automated mechanical handling equipment and labor optimization with mobile devices; and environment, health and safety (EHS) management.

"With this third major on-premise release of SAP S/4HANA, companies of all sizes can take advantage of innovations offered across lines of business and industries," Wieland Schreiner, executive vice president for SAP S/4HANA, said in a release. "Innovations in line of business and industry functionality allow companies to realize productivity gains and dramatically simplify their IT landscapes. SAP S/4HANA is the digital core that helps companies run live in today's digital world."

SAP has been investing in supply chain software capabilities in recent months, including a commitment this month to spend $2.2 billion over five years on the Internet of Things (IoT) and a deal with technology provider Descartes Systems Group to develop logistics messaging software for regulatory compliance and other content.