If you're just getting started with SAP for Retail, or if you're considering implementing it, this is the one resource you'll need. Written in an easy-to-follow style, with real-world examples, this book provides all the tools and tips you need to understand how your company can work more effectively with SAP.

Beginning with a general introduction, the book explains what SAP for Retail is, and how the different components relate to each other. From there, it explores the features of master data administration and the most important planning options. It reviews purchasing and order processing, and explains how important they are when managing supply chains.

In addition, it teaches you how to manage customer relationships and improve customer retention. The book concludes by teaching you how to use Enterprise SOA to keep IT costs down, despite ever-changing business processes and requirements.

Highlights

• Master Data, Forecasts, Analysis: SAP Retail, SAP NetWeaver BI, SAP NetWeaver PI
• Planning: SAP Retail, SAP Merchandise Assortment and Planning, SAP Demand Management, SAP Price Optimization
• Purchasing: SAP Retail, SAP Global Trade and Services
• Order Processing: SAP Retail, SAP Extended Warehouse Management, SAP Forecasting and Replenishment
• Multichannel Sales and Customer Service: SAP Enterprise POS, SAP Retail Store, and more
• Enterprise SOA: Retail Business Process Platform

About the Author(s)

Heike Rawe has worked for SAP since 1998, on a range of projects on knowledge transfer for technological subjects. She has managed the SAP NetWeaver Developer's Guide on the SAP Developer Network and in the Help Portal. She is currently part of the trading industries team, where she is responsible for optimized information brokerage.

Table of Contents

1 ... Introduction ... 17
... 1.1 ... Subject of This Book ... 17
... 1.2 ... Aim of This Book ... 19
... 1.3 ... Target Groups of This Book ... 19
... 1.4 ... Structure of the Book ... 20

2 ... SAP for Retail -- An Overview ... 25
... 2.1 ... Anything Is Possible -- The Success Story of Harrods Ltd ... 26
... 2.2 ... SAP for Retail -- Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts ... 28
... 2.3 ... System Architecture -- SAP ERP and SAP for Retail ... 33

3 ... Master Data, Forecasts, Analyses, and Connecting Applications ... 41
... 3.1 ... Master Data Solution -- SAP Retail ... 41
... 3.2 ... Possibilities of Master Data Administration ... 57
... 3.3 ... The Architecture of the Master Data Solution -- SAP NetWeaver MDM and SAP Retail ... 62
... 3.4 ... Software in Action ... 66
... 3.5 ... The Forecasting Solution ... 68
... 3.6 ... The Analysis Solution -- SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence ... 72
... 3.7 ... The Architecture of SAP NetWeaver BI ... 74
... 3.8 ... SAP NetWeaver Process Integration ... 84

4 ... Planning ... 93
... 4.1 ... What Is Planned and How ... 93
... 4.2 ... The Solution -- SAP Merchandise and Assortment Planning ... 104
... 4.3 ... SAP MAP Architecture ... 119
... 4.4 ... Software in Action -- SAP MAP ... 121
... 4.5 ... The Solution -- SAP Demand Management ... 122
... 4.6 ... SAP Demand Management Architecture ... 129
... 4.7 ... Software in Action -- SAP Demand Management ... 131

5 ... Purchasing ... 133
... 5.1 ... The Solution -- SAP Retail ... 133
... 5.2 ... The Architecture of Purchasing ... 156
... 5.3 ... Software in Action ... 162
... 5.4 ... The Solution for Global Trade -- SAP Global Trade Services ... 163
... 5.5 ... The Architecture -- SAP GTS ... 168
... 5.6 ... Software in Action ... 170

6 ... Order Processing -- Supply Chain Management ... 171
... 6.1 ... Today's Logistics Requirements ... 171
... 6.2 ... The Solution -- SAP Retail ... 173
... 6.3 ... Supply Chain Management in SAP Retail -- The Architecture ... 198
... 6.4 ... Software in Action ... 200
... 6.5 ... The Solution -- SAP Extended Warehouse Management ... 201
... 6.6 ... The Architecture -- SAP EWM ... 211
... 6.7 ... Software in Action ... 213
... 6.8 ... Other SAP Supply Chain Management Applications for the Retail Sector ... 214
... 6.9 ... The Solution -- SAP Forecasting and Replenishment ... 219
... 6.10 ... The Architecture -- SAP Forecasting and Replenishment ... 225
... 6.11 ... Software in Action ... 229

7 ... Multichannel Retailing and Customer Service ... 231
... 7.1 ... Today's Customer Service Requirements ... 231
... 7.2 ... The Sales Channel of Retail Stores ... 234
... 7.3 ... Interface to the Consumer -- SAP POS and SAP Enterprise POS ... 235
... 7.4 ... The Architecture -- SAP POS ... 245
... 7.5 ... Software in Action -- SAP POS ... 249
... 7.6 ... The Architecture -- SAP Enterprise POS ... 250
... 7.7 ... Software in Action -- SAP Enterprise POS ... 258
... 7.8 ... The Solution -- SAP Retail Store ... 259
... 7.9 ... The Architecture -- SAP Retail Store ... 265
... 7.10 ... Software in Action -- SAP Retail Store ... 267
... 7.11 ... The Solution -- SAP Workforce Management ... 270
... 7.12 ... The Architecture -- SAP Workforce Management ... 274
... 7.13 ... Software in Action -- SAP Workforce Management ... 278
... 7.14 ... The Solution -- Multichannel Retailing with SAP Customer Relationship Management ... 279
... 7.15 ... Software in Action -- SAP CRM Web Shop ... 293

8 ... Enterprise SOA in SAP for Retail ... 295
... 8.1 ... The Concept of Service-Oriented Architecture ... 295
... 8.2 ... Business Process Platform ... 304
... 8.3 ... Where Do Enterprise Services Come From ... 306
... 8.4 ... Examples of Beneficial Uses of Enterprise SOA ... 309

9 ... Summary ... 315

A ... Glossary ... 323

B ... The Author ... 333