Yes, HANA and beer can make for a good mix.

Jon recently caught up with Omer Agiv, CEO of WeissBeerger Ltd, who made the trip from Israel to Sapphire Now 2013 in Orlando. His goal? To share an alcohol analytics solution, powered by the SAP HANA startup program, which gives real-time value to customers and breweries. And that has big names in the brewing industry climbing on board.

Omer explains that off-trade markets like supermarkets are easier for breweries to analyze. For bars and restaurants, breweries only know how many kegs were sold in a month – not which of four taps is flowing faster. Enter WeissBeerger’s alcohol analytics solution. Small sensors are physically placed on draft beer lines, each recording every drop. Consumption data is then sent to a brewery-side dashboard – enabling control of marketing, dynamic pricing and even the quality of the beer.

HANA’s role? It’s easier to get a foot in the door with SAP propping it open. HANA also has a lot of features that can save startups work, Omer says, citing the graphic design platform. WeissBeerger’s biggest appeal is focused promotion efforts. “Smart taps” could allow breweries to run a prize contest among all of the bars in one city from, say, between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. And there’s more value: breweries now have the ability to affect consumption, not just analyze it after the fact.

The guys talk about adoption, with some of the bigger names in Europe signing on – a healthy sign, especially in a conservative industry. On the tech side, Jon notes that WeissBeerger is using the HANA One cloud-based option, with the possibility of other licensing options depending on the scale.

Show Notes

:54 Sensors physically placed on tap lines deliver consumption data to breweries

2:40 Doors to new clients opened using SAP’s reputation

3:26 SAP persuaded conservative brewing industry, wary of new ideas, to sign on

4:16 HANA builds the whole platform for startups like this one

5:11 Without the need to gather huge data, WeissBerger used HANA more for analytics

5:50 Omer’s solution more about focused promotions – like real time selling contests

6:48 Big names climbing on board, even in this conservative industry

7:17 Omer’s solution uses HANA One, with licensing available upon scaling

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

When customers have trouble finding or accessing data, it might be time to call in the process miners.

Bastian Nominacher, Co-CEO of Celonis, sat down with the JD-OD Team at Sapphire NOW 2013 in Orlando.  The vital stats: With about 15% in cost savings, translating into potential millions of dollars, process mining pays off.

More than aggregated analytics, Bastian’s solution drills down into every process, uncovering digital traces that sometimes hamper key functions like procurement and invoicing. The HANA advantage? Celonis has been able to build better and more scalable solutions that also offer easier data integration.

In fact, with support from SAP, Bastian’s engineering team was able to complete integration in 2 to 3 months. Could he have used any other database than HANA, Jon asks? Not really, Bastian says. At least, not one that would give them the ability to push data in real time and scale it out.

The guys talk about the SAP HANA startup program, including SAP’s involvement on both the technical and market-enabling sides, which makes for a great spirit among program participants. With most of his customers of the large enterprise variety, Bastian expects that it might take a while to close some deals. How many live HANA customers would he like to have by this time next year? Given plans for U.S. expansion, around 20 to 25.

Show Notes

:44 Process mining increases compliance and efficiencies

1:29 Drilling down on processes reveals specific problems

1:50 2-3 month integration confirmed HANA as the only database of choice

3:35 Process mining can shave costs by 15%, potentially saving millions

4:18 Tech and market-side support from SAP a big plus

5:14 Forecast: 20 to 25 HANA customers a year from now

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

Dennis continues his discussion with Tamas Szirtes, a partner at Intenzz, to learn more about the future of mobile applications – this time in retail and health products. What Dennis found has broad implications.

Tamas says that SAP itself is very busy with new solutions for retail, an industry where the consumer experience has to be perfect – not second rate. It’s critical to remember that end-user consumers aren’t the typical SAP user. As an example, Tamas describes one of their apps for health care..

The mobile app, which runs on top of HANA XS, is aimed at people with special needs – from marathon runners to those looking for relief from allergies. The app provides product recommendations, and also has cross-selling capacities. And while Intenzz happens to be in the Netherlands, there’s nothing Dutch-specific about the app.

Given that the customer has established buying patterns, which the retailer can use for making product recommendations, Dennis notes that the app really amounts to “Shopping as a Real Service.” That could have furtherl impact down the line, possibly tying in to logistics systems.

As for the future of mobile retail apps on HANA, Tamas says that things will start to get interesting once people start looking beyond HANA’s basic capabilities.

Show Notes

:26 Retail apps are about end-user consumers, not the typical SAP user

1:04 Intenzz’s health/retail app, running on HANA XS, is for people with special needs

2:53 There’s nothing Dutch-specific about the app; it’s useful in other markets

3:03 App offers “Shopping as a Real Service,” which could be tied into logistics

4:11 Future of mobile apps gets interesting once people see beyond HANA’s basic features

In our other video shoot with Tamas, he demonstrates several additional HANA apps Intenzz has built. With a number of HANA apps in progress, Tamas also identified a need to monitor HANA instances 24/7.  So Intenzz created the “HANA Control Center on Mobile.” Built on the NetWeaver Cloud, the apps allows a company to monitor HANA processes 24/7, from any connected location.

Building the app on the NetWeaver Cloud had significant advantages. For one, functionality is easy to extend – no additional licensing is required for the vast majority of HANA customers who have a Java stack in house. For SAP Portal customers, the app is easy to create and manage, because Portal customers already have the knowledge as well as the support procedures in place.

During the demo, Tamas runs through the app’s main features, which monitor areas such as CPU, Memory, Users, Tables, Alerts, Connections, Admin Contacts and Documentation:

Demo Notes

:24 A mobile HANA Control Center lets users monitor processes at any time

1:48 Tamas runs through the main functions and options

3:47 App is easy to manage with a NetWeaver Portal

4:11 Future of mobile apps gets interesting – once people see beyond HANA’s basic features

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

When it comes to crunching numbers, Semantic Vision is bigger than Google News. Semantic constantly downloads from more than 160,000 sources and process more than 800,000 articles per day into 1.3 million semantic categories, running in eleven world languages in parallel. And they have patents in cross-language information retrieval.

Frank Vrabal, President of Semantic Vision, traveled from Czech Republic to Sapphire NOW 2013 to connect with his company’s largest customer, SAP. Oh, and to spread the word about the size and scope of Semantic’s data analysis, which tracks more than 5,000 semantic categories across 1,200 different industries.

How does that help the customer? Frank says that they deliver intelligence that is distributed among the millions of documents that are openly available on the Internet. One example: Semantic’s metadata, which is automatically generated, is  being used in the area of supply chain management. Another example – defense and security.

The guys talk about how HANA fits into the picture. Frank says that, due to the size of Semantic’s database, which has 35 terabytes, they needed something more powerful than what was available. The company joined the SAP HANA startup program and is currently working with HANA “very intensively”.

What would constitute a successful year with HANA? Frank wants to fully migrate to subscription-based HANA and to conclude the R&D phase in the algorithmic trading area. Thinking longer term, option could include powering a hedge fund which would leverage semantic analysis.

Show Notes

:40 Semantic performs analysis of 800,000 news articles per day

2:02 Company tracks 5,000 semantic categories across 1,200 different industries

3:04 Data used in the area of supply chain management as well as in defense and security

4:12 Semantic’s database, which has 35 terabytes, needed the power of HANA

4:53 Current R&D project is to find algorithms that can predict changes in financial markets

5:31 EOY goals: Integrate system on HANA & complete R&D phase in algorithmic trading

6:24 Algorithmic trading options are to work with a select few or create larger solution

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

Elhay Farkash, CEO of Lightapp Technologies, made the trip to Sapphire NOW 2013 Orlando all the way from his home base of Israel. His mission: meet customers who use his HANA-driven solution.

Elhay sat down with the JD-OD team to share how HANA helps Lightapap’s existing solution became a part of the SAP HANA startup program. The analytics-based solution, Elhay explains, mainly focuses on energy management for industrial manufacturing – companies that produce food and beverages, metals, plastics, etc. The problem? These companies use significant amounts of electricity, gas, fuel oils, water and wastewater.

The value add comes from companies who previously monitored those consumption quarterly switching to tracking those processes in real time. Jon notes that that makes a real difference, and is a good reason for HANA to enter the picture. Elhay agrees, adding that HANA enables Lightapp to do “a lot of fast work over a lot of data in real time,” especially for customers who are already using various SAP systems.

The guys switch gears to focus on Lightapp’s growth strategy, which Elhay views as a supply-and-demand chain issue. The plan is simple: Start all the way down at the demand end, with energy consumers, and work upward to the distributors and manufacturers of the energy itself, including utilities.

Bottom line? Elhay estimates that their current customer benchmark for energy-cost reduction is anywhere from 5% to 14%. And they’re working to get it higher. It’s all about measureable results for the customer, and making good connections with potential partners. A piece of good, old-fashioned networking, Jon notes, that never goes out of style – even in a HANA world.

Show Notes

:28 Elhay traveled from Israel to meet customers using his HANA solution

1:01 Lightapp helps customers manage energy data streams, reducing consumption and costs

1:43 Using HANA, Lightapp can offer this information in real time, instead of periodically

2:16 Natural integration with SAP systems speeds up deployment of their solution

3:12 Growth plan is to work up the supply chain from consumers to energy producers

4:09 Current benchmark for energy-cost reduction via the solution ranges from 5% to 14%

4:49 Networking never goes out of style

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

Dealing with a mountain of text data which may or may not have business relevance is no small task. According to Paul Wagner, Senior Development Operations Manager at Luminoso, the key lies in filtering streams of data in ways that businesses can actually use.

Talking with Jon at the SAP HANA Forum in Boston, Paul cites the example of Luminoso being able to distinguish Grumpy Cat, a popular Internet meme, from the commonly used pair of words, which merely mean “unhappy feline”. Making that kind of distinction while using both structured and unstructured data could have an impact. How? By influencing buying patterns and providing marketers with actionable insights.

The guys touch on ideas for SAP’s startup program that could make an impact for customers. Bottom lin? Having access to the technology layer and landscape is a huge bonus. The more you can get your feet wet, the better off you’re going to be.

Show Notes

:32 The HANA Forum showcased  interesting approaches handling big data

1:21 How Luminoso disambiguates between an unhappy cat and Grumpy Cat, the Meme

2:14 The same concept could be used to affect buying patterns

2:52 Establishing links among complex concepts

3:56 Paul imagines running Luminoso against e-mail data, pairing up like-minded innovators

4:56 HANA Startup Forums: the more startups can get their feet wet, the better

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

“Death to spreadsheets,” says Joanna Chan of Discovery Consulting, who, along with colleague Chris Paine, set out to build a mobile app – using NetWeaver Cloud – that would provide her company with a viable timesheet solution – and save having to chase down employees to account for billable hours.

In talking with Dennis at the Mastering SAP Technologies 2013, Joanna and Chris unveiled their app’s major difference: It relies on the likes of Facebook and Twitter to authenticate users. Security wonks, fear not. The app uses OAuth, the same secure protocol used by the social networks themselves. As a result, the same two-factor authentication that Google provides for its users becomes the level of security that’s needed to get into the app.

Prospective customers say that, in addition to looking nice, the app is easy to use and doesn’t require training – part of the whole point in creating it, Joanna explains. And the timesheet aspect of the app hasn’t deterred users at all. On the contrary, they seem to like the simple UI.

The next step? Use the app internally, say Joanna and Chris, both content to take a dose of their own medicine first. Potential enhancements include the integration of a signing service.

Show Notes

:43 New app, meant for the cloud, created as a timesheet alternative to spreadsheets

1:11 The team wanted to show they could build a mobile app, not just say so

2:26 One major difference: this app uses social networks to securely authenticate people

3:30 Simple UI gives customers something they can use without training

4:14 They’ll take their own medicine first, using the app internally

5:06 Adding a signing service is something to consider for the future

After the interview, Joanna and Chris demonstrated the mobile app to Dennis. Users can add several mobile devices by obtaining unique pairing codes for each. Once those are entered, the app authenticates the device being used against the cloud – meaning it recognizes the user’s account and shows all associated devices and timesheets. Voila – a process previously requiring manual spreadsheet entry is now securely synced to a common, accessible location:

Demo Notes

:21 Social media log-in generates a pairing code to sync a device with the cloud

3:01 Settings screen facilitates storing projects and forwarding of data

3:38 Hours can be entered for multiple days; color-coded boxes indicate submission status

4:45 Discovery Timesheet, available in App Store or Google Play, is simple to use

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

GoCatch, a free mobile app that connects taxi drivers directly with passengers, has made CEO Andrew Campbell popular with travelers looking to flag down a ride. Not so much, however, with the operators of the antiquated dispatch system that GoCatch bypasses.

Dennis sat down with Andrew at Mastering SAP Technologies 2013 to get a better feel for why taxi drivers should use his system rather than relying on what’s worked for decades. In addition to the outdated radio calls, Andrew explains, mobile dispatch terminals cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to install, and dispatch algorithms aren’t always efficient.

Thanks to a grant from the New South Wales government, Andrew’s group worked with a consortium that included Microsoft, Blackberry, Google and Nokia – resulting in a smartphone app that currently works on four different platforms.

Where does SAP HANA fit into the game? With the massive amount of data that GoCatch processes, HANA is a natural fit. GoCatch was also invited into the HANA Startup Program. As Andrew sees it, SAP has the lightest technology for his use case, and also represents a great channel to market.

Show Notes

:36 GoCatch, a smartphone app, connects taxi drivers with passengers in real time

1:28 Old radio dispatch systems are expensive and sometimes use faulty algorithms

2:12 Bypassing the system makes GoCatch popular with customers

2:29 NSW government funded a consortium of Microsoft, Blackberry, Google and Nokia

3:42 SAP HANA helps GoCatch adjust to surges in data and take corrective action

4:46 Partnership with HANA helps to achieves real-world outcomes – including revenue

Andrew took a few minutes to demo the highlight of his app for Dennis. Andrew starts with the driver application and puts through a job. Within a few seconds, a passenger icon shows up on the on-screen map, and the driver can accept the job – quickly, before another cabbie gets the fare:

Demo Notes

:22 Andrew shows how the driver-side application gets notified of a possible fare

1:27 The on-screen map displays the taxi as it approaches to pick up the passenger

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

It’s almost impossible to comprehend big data by manually looking at records. Machines are needed to identify patterns, including recurring ones, so that people can use their business skills to take action.

That’s more than a logical approach, according to Volkmar Uhlig, Chief Technology Officer of Hstreaming. It’s also good business. Volkmar, whose startup won the award for Best Big Data Solution at the SAP Startup event in Boston, sat down with Jon to talk about how Hstreaming can better help advertisers reach the right customers – among an estimated 100 billion ad impressions per month worldwide.

The amount of data involved means that SAP HANA could stand to play a major role. Business people want to make informed decisions in a very short period of time, using existing infrastructure. So what does Hstreaming think of HANA so far? Volkmar sees HANA as an opportunity to distill real-time data from video, audio and advertising behavior.  Connecting with SAP through the startup event, says Volkmar, proved helpful in seeing how to integrate data into Hstreaming’s existing processes.

Show Notes

:39 On being awarded Best Big Data Solution

1:18 In the world of big data, reading patterns trumps analyzing individual records

2:03 Using machines to analyze patterns makes efficient use of resources

2:49 Hstreaming helps advertisers place their ads in front of the right customers

4:15 Enabling security concerns to react in real time

4:50 HANA could help Hstreaming fully integrate data into an existing business process

5:56 Startup event offers the chance to connect with SAP’s knowledge of business processes

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

Car parking might seem the last application upon which to give the SAP HANA  treatment. But that’s exactly what Intenzz is doing.

Dennis paid a visit to the company’s offices in Soesterberg, Netherlands, to learn more about the parking app directly from Tamas Szirtes, a partner at the Intenzz – an SAP consulting firm specializing in mobile, HANA and business intelligence.

The challenge, Tamas says, was to make an app that would go beyond a simple transaction. He wanted one that would improve the customer experience. Example: allow parking operators to become brokers and re-sell each other’s spots. And, for the user, provide the ability to find a spot on the phone, reserve it and get directions/navigation to the location. The app can even help you find your car if you’ve forgotten where you parked it. Editor: something Jon would have found useful in Sapphire Now Orlando. 

HANA’s in-memory computing handles all of the data – the number of cars on the prowl, available parking spots and scheduling of nearby events. Predictive analyses can be used to prepare for parking patterns or to set and change prices. The system could recommend a cheaper area of the neighborhood to park, or offer personalized offers for events like after-theater dinners. As Dennis puts it: “This is way beyond ‘I want to park my bloody car.’”

Show Notes

1:02 Intenzz focuses on the possible combinations of separate technologies

1:49 Tamas describes the firm’s parking app – built to improve the customer experience

3:29 HANA’s in-memory power helps with predictive analyses of parking patterns – and prices

5:10 Combining innovative apps and HANA tech requires out-of-the-box thinking

After the interview, Tamas walked Dennis through three of the Intenzz apps in this bonus footage.

First up is a Travel Portal, running on the HANA cloud. Travel Portal was built in a couple of hours using a drag-and-drop interface. Some back-end coding is needed – making this particular app a joint effort between a business person and a developer.

The second app is for launching products. In this case, a new beer that a brewery wants to bring to market. This app, a mobile front end for trade promotions, can be easily created with no need for back-end integration:

Demo Notes

:23 A Travel Portal created on the SAP cloud platform – user friendly for tech-minded

1:50 Some back-end coding needed to connect mobile data to the on-site enterprise system

2:51 Back-end users can update info as, say, company travel policies change

3:29 Cloud platform allows for drag-and-drop design, with coding added by developers

4:27 Second app – a mobile trade promotion tool, easily built, that sells beer

5:38 HANA, SAP Business Suite and analytics run on the back end, straight off the cloud

Tamas also takes Dennis through a parking app with HANA potential.  Going screen by screen, Tamas enters his destination information and asks the app to find nearby parking facilities that have available spaces. Once safely pulled into his reserved spot, Tamas taps another icon to set the meter running. If he forgets exactly where his car is parked, a My Car menu provides reverse directions back to the space.  That’s just a start, says Tamas. The use of HANA will enable much more data – which, in turn, could give rise to nifty predictive scenarios:

Demo #2 Notes

:25 Entering address info calls up available parking facilities, sortable by location and price

1:23 Choosing a facility returns options for reserving a space, and info on rates and hours

2:06 Navigation and Park options get you there and start the meter running

3:20 The My Car option provides return directions to where you parked your car

3:38 Next iteration will include more options, such as offers from neighborhood businesses

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

ExpertIG sought to solve one key business problem with their mobile app: tracking orders at the enterprise level – using real-time data.

Steven Crooke, Mobility Practice Leader at ExpertIG, met with the JD-OD Team at Sapphire NOW 2013  to explain how his company’s tracking app, called My Orders, got plugged into the SAP ecosystem.

While the process of building the app took time, the overall result has been a success. The main challenge? Convincing customers where the app adds value. That means communicating the business case: the app eliminates much of the cost around customer service, as well as the potentially frustrating call to the service desk. It also gives the customer real-time anywhere access from the palm of their hand.

The app’s biggest commercial challenge lies less in selling the app’s features and more in getting the word out that the app exists. As for gaining customer trust, the partnership and certification with SAP has alleviated a lot of questions that might otherwise be raised.

Show Notes

:48 My Orders app solves one business problem: Tracking orders at enterprise level

2:35 App reduces customer service costs and provides real-time anywhere access

3:36 Biggest commercial challenge to the app’s success? Raising awareness

4:37 SAP certification provides comfort level that customers need

5:45 ExpertIG’s 2013 goal: to become SAP’s mobile partner of choice

In our demo shoot, Steven shows Jon how it all works:

Demo Notes

:24 My Orders app allows customers to track orders at enterprise level

:44 Dashboard uses color-coded icons to group and show status of all orders

1:55 Notification icons also use color scheme to prioritize action items

3:04 Bookmarking a problem order offers one more way to minimize supply chain disruptions

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

Mobile challenges continue to abound, says “Mr. Mobile” himself, John Moy, co-founder of BlueT. And there’s no easy path to a successful solution. If there were, everyone would be there by now.

Dennis caught up with John at the Mastering SAP Technologies 2013 to get a better feel for what’s changed on the enterprise mobile landscape. And, just as importantly, what’s gotten more complicated. In this two-for-one video special, John gives an update on his own startup and explains why enterprise mobile development is picking up.  He also gives his view on how SAP’s investment in its own mobile community is going.

This year, as opposed to the uncertainties of last year, John sees much more mobile activity. Some customers are in the midst of building apps; others are actively looking for options around platform. Given the state of play, John advises action over discussion: First, look at the wealth of business logic that’s encapsulated in your enterprise system. Then, unlock that logic so it can be tapped into a  multi-channel context, not just a mobile one. Oh, and prepare to be disrupted by the quick evolution of UI technologies.

Show Notes

:57 John’s startup update

1:47 Mobile challenges are everywhere

2:40 Compared to last year’s uncertainty,, John sees more activity this year

3:33 SAP’s investment in the community is bringing more innovation

4:03 Some customers are actively building apps; others looking for options around platforms

4:52 Proliferation of platforms amounts to “a real dog’s breakfast”

6:07 John’s advice: tap into the wealth of business logic in your system first

6:35 The evolving landscape of UI technologies.

For the second video shoot, John talks about the cool mobile apps he saw at Mastering SAP Technologies. John tells Dennis about having previously attended an Apple for Enterprise workshop in Melbourne, where the Apple rep said that the best enterprise they’d seen had been developed by game developers.

People are thinking fundamentally differently, Dennis adds, which means that the coolest apps aren’t necessarily coming from the usual places. The guys talk about the possibility of 2013-2014 being the year when things begin to take off in mobile. John thinks SAP is on the right path, in terms of where these trends are headed. If SAP’s plans come to fruition, there should be a very good story to tell:

:35 John’s seen quite a few cool new mobile apps of late

1:08 The  best developers aren’t found in the usual places

2:30 John’s view of SAP’s mobile progress

3:31 Mobile apps are moving fast – skills can become outdated very quickly

4:04 If SAP’s plans come to fruition, there should be a very good story to tell

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

Sounds surreal? Not at all. This is a real-world use case for SAP mobile technology that could have a significant impact on farming.

At the Mastering SAP Technologies 2013 in Melbourne, Australia, Dennis sat down with Sarat Atluri, a Polyglot Developer, who says he’s trying to mix technology with the needs of the farmer. Especially when it comes to helping manage cattle – whether it’s containment to a certain area or quarantining animals when they’re ill. Sarat also wants to help farmers automatically implement safe evacuation plans in times of emergency, such as during a flood or bush fire. As it stands, that’s all being done manually.

Another possible role for mobile technology? Replace the high cost of physical fencing –which can sometime extend over thousands of hectares of farmland – with automated devices, an option that’s become more viable as the devices get smaller and cheaper. Devices in Africa currently manage grazing in ways that keep the landscape sustainable – a possible option for Australian farmers.

The guys talk about Sarat’s choice of Android-based tech — chosen for its openness as well as for devices that keep getting more compact – and where SAP fits into the mix. As Sarat sees it, given the robustness and reliability of SAP’s software, moving to the NetWeaver Cloud environment guarantees connectivity from anywhere on the globe.

Show Notes

:33 Mixing technology with the farmer

1:07 Automation solves farming problems now being handled manually

2:14 Grazing devices being used in African countries help keep the landscape sustainable

3:14 Sarat wants to remotely push the data into the device – no more manual entry

4:00 Android platform chosen for openness and compact device sizes

4:27 Using NetWeaver Cloud provides needed connectivity from anywhere

Sarat also gave Den a product walk through:

:22 Sarat demonstrates how to draw a fence on the screen and add cows to the enclosure

2:39 A buzzing noise tells a device-equipped cow to stay within established boundaries

4:00 Using a smartphone app to find a missing cow

5:07 Sarat weighs various options for telling a missing cow to return home

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

A year ago, Basis became one of 10 companies in the SAP HANA startup program. Prior to Sapphire Now 2013, Dennis stopped by their UK office for an update.

Basis Technologies is developing applications for the energy utility industry that help those businesses optimize profit through pro-active customer management. During this  filming, Dennis talks with Craig Oliver, Product Manager at Basis Technologies’  Richmond, Surrey offices.

Craig reports that the product – PCI (Predictive Customer Insight) – has been expanded to predict a “propensity to call” and a “propensity to complain” – so that utilities can focus their efforts on reducing customer complaints in a predictive way. Regulators, after all, rank utilities based on the number of complaints received. And government funds decrease as a utility’s ranking falls.

Net-net: using PCI (powered by HANA)  to predict, and thereby reduce, customer complaints will improve regulator standing. Craig notes that the product has been further extended to help to understand the value a customer has – including profits generated versus the amount of resources used to care for the customer’s needs.

The guys talk about PCI’s ability to optimize customer profiles, as well as the HANA startup program. Working with the utilities teams at SAP, Craig says, is “going quite well”. The company’s next steps? Keep expanding the product. And get it into customers’ hands for use. Bonus footage: check out our 2012 demo shoot with Basis Technologies.

Show Notes

:47 Craig explains how PCI (Predictive Customer Insight) works

1:32 PCI has expanded to include capabilities that ultimately reduce customer complaints

2:09 Reducing complaints boosts a utility’s regulator standing

3:05 PCI also calculates a customer’s value: profits vs. resources used

4:01 Working with the utilities teams at SAP

4:36 Next steps? Expand the product and build use cases

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.

Jon keeps rattling on about why HANA should be about more than speed. Under certain circumstances, it can significantly change a company’s business model.

For an excellent example, the JD-OD team sat down with Ralph K. Treitz, CEO of VMS AG, at Sapphire NOW 2013 to learn how the HANA startup program has changed VMS’s previous consulting model to more of a self-service one.

He says VMS has been working on the CFO product for a little more than three years. But they have been very limited in how they can deliver the information they’re getting out of the SAP/ERP data to the customer. So when he found out last summer that HANA could help VMS speed up that process tremendously, the company applied to join the SAP HANA startup program and they started coding their product in HANA.

Here’s how it works: VMS develops an application that answers a CFO’s more pressing questions. Such as getting customers to pay faster, increasing working capital;and, reduced capital invested in warehousing. You know – the things that keep CFOs up at night. As Ralph points out, these are the kinds of processing tasks used to take 100 hours or more. But by using HANA, VMS can take that 100-hour task down to 20 or 30 seconds. In turn, this changes the entire process from a delivery model to a self-service model.

The guys talk about the challenges of selling the VMS solution to CFOs, a notoriously skeptical bunch. Ralph says that by working with a pilot group of 5 to 10 charter companies, he’s been able to differentiate his solution’s features with CFOs. As for future growth, with some go-to-market support from SAP, Ralph thinks VMS should add up to a HANA success story sooner rather than later.

Show Notes

:40 VMS develops an application that answers some of CFO’s pressing questions

1:19 HANA Startup program has helped VMS deliver data significantly faster

2:03 VMS, using HANA, can reduce a 100-hour task to a 20- or 30-second one

2:56 More than about speed, HANA changes a consulting model to a self-service one

3:36 Working with 5 or 10 pilot customers provides info to convince doubtful CFOs

4:37 Intrigued CFOs are investing time, which is worth more than money

5:09 Hot topics among CFOs these days are DSO and stock

5:48 VMS is reviving a longtime SAP topic – integration — in unique fashion

6:18 How VMS will grow from here

Disclosure: This video is part of a project commissioned by SAP to amplify startup activity and developer innovation on HANA, mobile, and the SAP cloud.