RFID, Business Intelligence (BI),

Mobile Computing and the Cloud

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Learning Objectives
Define RFID and its role in logistics
Define business intelligence (BI) and provide example of its
uses
Explain how in-memory computing will change the use of BI
Discuss the importance of mobile applications to businesses
Describe cloud computing and why it is becoming important
for ERP providers
Explain how the service-oriented architecture (SOA)
concept has changed ERP development
Describe web services and outline the unique components
of NetWeaver
Define software as a service (SaaS) and identify the
advantages and disadvantages of using this software
delivery model
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Introduction
What is RFID?
Radio Frequency Identification
The use of radio frequency tags to identify real
objects made up of a microprocessor and an
antenna.
What for it is used?
To find out positional info through Radio waves
Why in ERP?
For inventory visibility and accountability
Capital asset tracking and anagement
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What is RFID?
RFID = Radio Frequency IDentification.
An ADC (Automated Data Collection)
technology that:
uses radio-frequency waves to transfer data between
a reader and a movable item to identify, categorize,
track..
Is fast and does not require physical sight or contact
between reader/scanner and the tagged item.
Performs the operation using low cost components.
Attempts to provide unique identification and backend
integration that allows for wide range of applications.
Other ADC technologies: Bar codes, OCR.
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Identification
Assign IDs to objects
Link the ID to additional information about
the object
Link the ID to complementary info
Find similar objects
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Identification Examples
Bar Codes
License Plates
Social Security Numbers
Student ID
Serial Numbers
Car Keys
Database Keys
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How Does RFID Work?
3 Components
Transceiver Tag Reader
Transponder RFID tag
Antenna
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RFID system components
E
t
h
e
r
n
e
t
RFID
Reader
RFID Tag RF Antenna Network Workstation
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RFID Hardware
Magnetic / Inductive Coupling
Transceiver
Tag Reader
antenna
RFID
Tag
IC or microprocessor
antenna
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Security
RFID used to grant entry to secure areas
Tracks time and movement of people
Dynamically change access codes
Provide automated entry
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Advantage of RFID in ERP
Improve Inventory accuracy
Satisfy trading partner requirement
Increase inventory turns
Reduce out-of-stock situation
Improve fill rates
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Example Companies used RFID
Walmart
More efficiently track products through its
logistics network
RFID reduced retail out-of-stock situations in
stores by 16 percent between the backroom
stock area and the store shelves
Garment-level RFID tags
reduce employee theft
Pharmaceutical firms
Comply with requirements to combat
counterfeit drugs
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Smart groceries enhanced
Track products
through their
entire lifetime.
Source: How Stuff Works
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Business Intelligence/Business Analytics
A term used to describe a range of different
applications and technologies used to extract and
analyze large amounts of data to aid in
interactive and visual
Data warehouse is the technology used to store
the large volumes of data used in the analysis
set of mathematical models and analysis
methodologies that exploit the available data to
generate information and knowledge useful for
complex decision making processes (Vercellis)
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SAP Business Intelligence (BI) Framework
Data Sources Analytic Capabilities Access
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A High-Level Architecture of BI
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Without BI
With BI
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Data Mining and Business Intelligence
Increasing potential
to support
business decisions
End User
Business
Analyst
Data
Analyst
DBA
Making
Decisions
Data Presentation
VisualizationTechniques
Data Mining
I nformation Discovery
Data Exploration
OLAP, MDA
Statistical Analysis, QueryingandReporting
Data Warehouses / Data Marts
Data Sources
Paper, Files, I nformation Providers, Database Systems
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Knowledge Discovery (KDD) Process
Data miningcore of
knowledge discovery
process
Data Cleaning
Data Integration
Databases
Data
Warehouse
Task-relevant Data
Selection
Data Mining
Pattern Evaluation
Knowledge Discovery (KDD) Process
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In-memory Computing
To speed access to the large volume of
data (= BIG DATA*), data in data
warehouse are structured as
multidimensional data cubes which
allow for relationships in the data to be
analyzed quickly
Main challenges:
Required technical expertise to construct a cube
Cube is a structure that necessarily restricts how
the data can be analyzed
* Enormous amount of data that is now available for BI use from all the available sources, including ERP
systems, web sites, corporate databases, scientific research, Twitter and other social network applications
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In-memory Computing [2]
Example: SAP HANA and Oracle Exalytics which
allow customers to analyze large amounts of data
instantly
Data is stored in computer memory rather than
on hard disk servers
The time required to access data from memory is a
small fraction of the time required to access data from
a hard disk
The primary performance measure for data storage
systems is latency, which is the time between when a
request is made for data from a storage device and
when the data is delivered
Typical latency, HD storage 13 milliseconds, memory 83
nanoseconds
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In-memory Computing [3]
With such a substantial difference in speed,
why would data warehouses use disk
memory?
Answer: storage capacity
Problem solved: with the data compression
provided by column storage, it is now
feasible to store large volumes of data in
memory without aggregation
An end user can analyze BI data on the fly without
needing an IT specialist to translate the data into
multidimensional cubes
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Case: Real-Time Business Intelligence (BI)
BI is now used for real-time monitoring of systems and is capable of
sending out alerts based on the results of the BI. United Parcel Service
(UPS) uses complex computerized event processing to monitor the
transactions related to the millions of packages it ships daily around the
globe. In its old system, reports would be run each evening to monitor the
server loads on the computers that maintained these important
transactions. If a problem occurred, UPS would find out about it the next
morning. With real-time BI, which includes easy-to-understand
dashboards and analytics, problems are identified immediately, and
automatic emails are sent to alert employees of any problems with the
companys computer systems.
Another example of the use of real-time BI is at Insurance.com, where its
new IBM Cognos Now system helps the company cope with its e-
commerce transactions. With Cognos Now, Insurance.com is able to
monitor network performance and make any necessary changes
immediately. For example, when a new call comes in to Insurance.coms
call center, the business intelligence system scans for available agents and
alerts the CRM software, which routes the call to one of the free agents.
Question: How could real-time BI help an organization like Fitter Snacker
monitor its IT systems? Be specific in your answer.
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Mobile Computing
Increasing number of smartphones and
tablet computers
Used for social networking and shopping information
Challenges:
wide ranges of formats
operate on a variety of operating systems
security
Example: SAP acquired Sybase Unwired
which lets a company quickly develop
mobile apps for almost any mobile device
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From Internet-enabled to Cloud Computing
Cloud computing: delivery of a software
product to a user via the Internet
SAAS (Software as a Service): a software delivery
model in which a software product is hosted by a
company on its servers and is accessed by
customers via a web browser
Advantages: initial affordability, shorter implementation time,
lower support costs and complexity
Disadvantages: security, bandwidth/response time, flexibility,
no frills and technical (not business focus)
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References
E.F.Monk and B.J. Wagner. Concepts in
Enterprise Resource Planning, 4th edition. Course
Technology, 2013
Magal and Word. Integrated Business Processes
with ERP Systems. Wiley, 2012
Sumner, Mary. Enterprise Resource Planning.
Prentice Hall, 2005.
Teaching Materials from SAP University Alliances
Carlo Vercellis. Business Intelligence: Data Mining
and Optimization for Decision Making. 1st edition.
2009.