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Companies often do not realise how much impact moderate data management has

With Precisely Automate (formerly Winshuttle), employees can be responsible for the (master) data themselves.

‘Many companies are aware that their master data is not fully organised, but they cannot specify the impact of this. Identifying this impact is sometimes more difficult than expected,’ says Jamie Broeren, Solutions Sales at Ctac. She also believes that the impact is often underestimated.

Most organisations are aware that a good data management strategy is important. But they don’t know how to set it up properly, or where to start. Broeren: ‘I am sometimes amazed that even reputable companies don’t have this in order. An example is a supplier who is listed ten times in SAP, which is guaranteed to cause errors in the process. How can you be sure that an invoice is not sent to the wrong address? Often these kinds of issues are rectified afterwards by the employees, but ideally you want to prevent these situations from happening in the first place. When asked whether the (master) data in the end is 100 percent the first time right in SAP, the answer is usually a silent no.

If a company does not have a data management strategy, it is also unclear who is responsible for which part of the process. As a result, according to Broeren, people often point fingers and look at each other. ‘How has it usually been done up to now? Often an Excel sheet is circulated within the organisation, to which all departments have to contribute input. That sounds like a makeshift solution, and it is. It is also very error-prone and time-consuming and sometimes causes more question marks than correct input. What we also regularly see happen is that once all the data has been collected, the IT department finally enters the data into SAP. But of course it is impossible to explain to an auditor that John, in his role as IT employee, has entered BOM data or adjusted cost prices. It sounds very logical, an IT employee should not be responsible for this data creation. Each department must be responsible for its own data and be able to indicate what it has done and when it did it’, she explains.

Data management strategy

More and more organisations are recognising the value of accurate data, even if it requires some research. Broeren: ‘In addition to setting up a thorough data management strategy, we help organisations implement Precisely Automate. This is a low code/no code solution that puts the business back in its power. Departments and individuals can take responsibility for the data themselves. This includes data for the creation of new business partners, materials, BOMs and routings, but also the entry or modification of purchasing, sales and financial data. I sometimes joke that ‘Precisely Automate starts where SAP leaves off’. Of course, I’m joking, but there is some truth in it. With Precisely Automate, you can ensure that every department and employee knows exactly who needs to supply which data at what time. In addition, this process can be set up in such a flexible and foolproof way that it is impossible to make mistakes. The aim is to collect data not only quickly, but also the first time right in all departments, locations, countries and perhaps even outside the organisation.’

‘Precisely Automate is a solution that empowers employees’

Jamie Broeren, Solutions Sales at Ctac

Efficient SAP Data

Once the data has been collected, it is entered into SAP at the touch of a button, eliminating the need for manual retyping. The scripts and workflows in the solution are also easy to adjust. ‘After all, business processes are subject to transformations, and it is good to know that you have a solution that allows you to quickly adapt to the processes without having to call in external consultants. The solution is therefore suitable for all organisations that have to deal with the creation and maintenance of large amounts of data in their SAP ERP environment. This includes not only the so-called big 4 (Customer, Material, Vendor and Finance), but also all underlying data such as BOMs, pricing conditions, product versions, source lists, purchase info records and so on.

Precisely Automate is built for the end user and can be set up by a SAP key user. The IT department does not need to be called upon to build or modify a script or workflow. This reduces the workload on the IT department and allows SAP key users to switch gears quickly without having to rely on third parties. Precisely is therefore a low-code, no-code solution. ‘Although this sounds easy, it is very important to map out the processes in advance. That remains the basis of a thorough data management plan,’ Broeren concludes.