Your SAP architecture forms the basis for setting out the layout of the information provision and can be subdivided into the following components:

• Process architecture
  Describes business processes and their mutual relationship.
• Application architecture
  Describes the totality of applications and their mutual relationship that support the business processes and their interrelation
• The architecture of the ICT infrastructure
  Describes the layout of the ICT infrastructure that consists of technical facilities in terms of hardware and networks

By nature, architectures provide quick insight and overview as an overall picture in a number of fields. This takes place from a business, informatics and IT point of view. Informatics architectures specifically aim at providing a survey of the contribution of information provision as a whole and the use of IT in the complex situation dynamic organisations find themselves in. All these issues are of great strategic importance and serve the organisation’s ability to survive.

Process architecture is an aspect of process thinking that defines the structure of business operations, generally with a time schedule of three to five years. This aspect is leading when it comes to the design and implementation of specific business processes. A process architecture forms the frame of reference for managers who face these challenges. Information system designers need to have thorough understanding of the supporting business process. The measure of effectiveness an informatics system contributes to the well-functioning of an organisation also depends on the quality of the business process itself.

Naturally, the common view on architectures as outlined in the preceding paragraph also bears on application architecture. Application architecture has everything to do with the way the total package of applications is used within an organisation. Application architecture deals with the coherence of various applications, the levelling of internal differences, performance and risk regulation, and ultimately how to realise a strategic use that supports the in the preceding paragraph described process architecture. As regards content, we could think of how to fit a 24x7 situation into the business process’ set of requirements, or how to come to an effective and transparent way of exchanging business-to-business data etc. All this is often unique within an organisation and strongly depends on what these specific business processes look like.

Because of our extensive experience with SAP, we are very able to advise you both technically and functionally in the field of SAP architecture. In many occasions, improvement for the end-users can be achieved in combination with a saving in costs thanks to, for example, performance improvements, virtualisation of your hardware environment and the migration of databases.