"Simple" is getting confusing!

[joao_sousa2]

"Simple" is the new buzzword at SAP, but I would like to know if I'm the only one getting confused with all this simplicity.

I was watching this blog , and I have to say right now I don't have a clear picture of what exactly is SAP's roadmap. The following confuses me:

• In that blog they say that this is supplement product, but then in the video of that same blog, the description of simplification is a technical one (less tables and code) but that the old UI will survive side by side with the new one. Is this ECC Financials with a new UI/"Data Model", or something else?
• They talk about SAP Simple Financials in the Cloud but SAP's strength was always it's tight integration with logistical modules. How does this integrate with SAP logistcs and HR? Interfaces? This doesn't seem "simple" to me;
• Will this replace SAP FI in the long run? Does this mean SAP FI is going to stand still in time with all investment going into "Simple Financials"?

If I was a SAP customer I would be a bit worried about my investments. SAP's roadmap has always been less then clear on the peripheral components, like BI, Mobile, but this is about the core, the ECC.

Finally I don't understand why SAP keeps using the word "Simple" since they keep having to explain that simple doesn't mean less functionality. A marketing buzzword that needs to be constantly explained ... doesn't really work.

What are your feelings on this? Is this clear, confusing?

[stephenjohannes · Accepted solution]

I agree that "simple" was the wrong marketing term for what SAP is trying to convey with the new product line.  It's more of a "lean" solution rather than simple.  In this case I'm using the word "lean" in terms of process engineering where you remove waste from inefficient processes.  That's really what SAP has achieved with the simple solutions.  It doesn't remove any complexity, as a process without wasteful steps can still be quite complex.

My best argument against the simple marketing used by SAP is the following statement:

"If business was simple, then SAP would not be needed".

Take care,

Stephen

[joao_sousa2 · Accepted solution]

 It's more of a "lean" solution rather than simple.

I agree, the word is much more appropriate, but I guess the marketing people wouldn't like it very much. "Leanefy it!"

[marilyn_pratt · Accepted solution]

And "lean" has meaning to a particular audience.  We, in the development and business expert communities get it.  Lean and agile are indeed terms that are easily accessible to "some" of us. But when you try to communicate something to the masses it might make sense to find more universally understandable language.  Maybe "simple" is too simplistic for the audience here 😉

[stephenjohannes · Accepted solution]

I would agree that "lean" is also a word that isn't not "mass-market" ready, however if you are talking about the decision makers for core applications such as finance, supply chain, they probably understand that word.  I wish there was a better alternative, but sometimes talking in the language of the decison makers instead of "mass market" is a good thing.   That being said it's slightly better than "EnjoySAP".