Dear Mobile Group at SAP,
here is your challenge for 2014...
If I visit www.amazon.co.uk from my PC, I see this in the PC's web browser:
If I visit http://www.amazon.co.uk from my Smart Phone, I see this in the Smart Phone browser:
Another example, if I go to http://www.ebay.co.uk from my PC, I see this in the PC's browser:
If I visit http://www.ebay.co.uk from my Smart Phone, I see this in the Smart Phone's browser:
Now, let's look at browser based applications from the world's largest Enterprise software company, SAP.
If I go for example to Solution Manager WorkCenter on my PC, I see this in the PC's browser:
If I go to SolMan WorkCenter on my Smart Phone, it looks like this in the Smart Phone's browser:
Oh, it's the same page :-( and it doesn't work in the Smart Phone.
Why is it so difficult, for SAP to cherry pick across the whole product suite, beginning with Managers as Users,
the most useful applications which are already web enabled in ABAP WebDynPro and write the mobile version,
and have SICF services for mobile devices, and react to the incoming request's User Agent ?
Why do we have to have, GateWay, Fiori, Apps from the AppleStore, etc ?
For the connected scenario only, for Manager's only, why, in December 2013, haven't SAP already started
cherry picking the most useful connected apps for Managers and enabling them for the Smart Phone ?
If Ebay and Amazon can figure it out, why can't SAP ? Ebay and Amazon don't say to me, sorry Mr Silvey,
you need to install GateWay, Fiori, and download apps from the Apple Store.
SAP need to wake up a bit on this, because the next generation of Managers are the Millenials, and they are
not going to be impressed by this at all.
I don't see why SAP are procrastinating on this for so long, it's an easy one to fix, and here's how to do it:
. Put together a Team
. Focus on the Manager's connected business scenarios - scenarios for the Manager walking from meeting
to meeting, or even, the Manager on-call over the weekend who is in the Park and has 3G/4G and VPN on
his/her Smart Phone
. Across the whole Business Suite, I mean, FI, CRM, BI, HR, SolMan, etc, cherry pick a list of Applications
which will be the candidates for the first round of connected scenario, Smart Device enablement
. Write the handler in the ABAP ICM for filtering based upon request's User Agent
. Write the Smart Device friendly version of the apps in ABAP WebDynPro. Please don't say it's not possible,
if you want some tips on how and what to take from a PC's website version and make available on the SmartPhone
version, then just go compare on Ebay and Amazon
. Then publish the Apps as part of the next EHP upgrade
. That's the foundation, and then, simply, based upon the success, and believe me, it will be a huge success,
just extend the portfolio
. Simples
The Customers will win because they will be able to have Smart Phone access while leveraging existing investment.
Infact, Customers will be really happy.
If they have a Portal, entry point will be the Portal, and voila, job done.
Is it so difficult ?
All the best for 2014,
Andy Silvey.