SAP IS (Industry Solutions)

Definition or Meaning - What is SAP IS?

Full form or SAP IS stands for (Industry Solutions), this module refers to industry specific solutions that effectively complement the standard SAP R/3 System components and are seamlessly integrated with the same. They are designed to cater to the customized requirements of particular industries and consist of various equipments and tools that can be used for the creation of a device in SAP IS - U.

SAP IS - U/ CCS refers to ‘Industry Specific Solution for Utilities - Customer Care & Service’ and is a power-packed sales and information system that is well equipped to support varied utility services and business processes. A good example of this sector is linked to the processes of the many departments of a company dealing in utilities - gas, electricity, heating, water, waste disposal and so forth. All these processes can be handled by using the applications and tools of SAP IS - U.

Billing - Core IS-U/CCS Application

One of the primary applications of the SAP IS-U/CCS module is in the consumption billing system, which is useful for valuating flat rates and measured consumption/services.

SAP Sales and Distribution (SD); given the volumes of data processing in a utility company, billing becomes one of the most important and challenging areas of concern.

With millions of customers waiting for their bills at the end of every month, the SAP ERP systems of utility companies are highly benefited by the many features of SAP IS-U / CCS. These include:

• Basic Functions: These are related to the management of regional structures and addresses; along with the generation of billing, dates and schedules for meter readings and budget billings.
• Master Data: The Master Data is referenced by related transactions and remains fixed for a long time. SAP IS effectively manages this data that includes business master data (linked to contracts, business partners and contract accounts); technical master data (related to delivery points, devices and their installation); and so forth.

• Billing & Device Management: Device management tools are useful for meter reading, installations and certification of devices used in a utility company. They can be integrated with SAP PM (Plant Maintenance) and other SAP IS-U tools with ease. On the other hand, billing relates to the invoicing of standard divisions like district heating, multimedia services, gas, water, electricity and so forth. SAP IS-U billing is closely integrated with accounts payable & receivable, SAP FI CO and other budget billing requests.
• Invoicing: this feature of SAP IS-U enables the grouping of bills before they are dispatched to customers. It handles tax/ extra fee requirements as well.
• SAP Customer Service (CS): Dedicated to the cause of offering easy and centralized access to customer data via the Customer Interaction Center (CIC), this feature facilitates ‘workflow processes and encompasses a sequence of activities that are performed by several users.
• Inter-company Data Exchange (IDE): After the deregulation of utilities sector, the erstwhile vertically integrated companies are being split into self accounting, individually operating units for the generation, supply, transmission and distribution of their services. This means that the data which was earlier contained in a single place is now being distributed between different operating units in a specific value chain. For complete processing, it is important to share this data between systems. IDE provides the mechanism to exchange and control the data between diverse service providers' systems.

SAP Industry Solutions (IS) Courses

Along with providing a brief overview of various SAP IS-U components and their tools, a course in SAP IS (Industry Solutions) provides in-depth knowledge about the various SAP navigation skills and their integration with other modules. Courses in industry specific solutions are usually offered by companies dealing in particular SAP modules that are important for their core business processes. The duration and fees structures of these particular courses vary from one institute / organization to another and are dependent on the methodologies followed by the same. The proficiency levels of a candidate, his/ her experience in the field of SA applications and prior knowledge in regards to specific industry operations, are strong determining factors for the valuation and extent of these courses.

To pursue a course in SAP IS, an individual must possess:

• A university degree in one of the specialized fields: M. Sc, MCA, BE, B.Sc, ME, MBA, etc.
• Sound knowledge pertaining to a particular industry, it’s operations, mode of delivery and other processes
• An awareness of SAP and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) tools.
• Basic knowledge of information technology and basic computer terminology.
• Good communication and time management skills.

Scope and Opportunity of a Career in SAP Industry Solutions (IS)

A certification in Sap IS helps candidates seize opportunities in their industry, even as they look towards the growing ones beyond traditional industry boundaries. With in-depth knowledge in industry-specific functionality and SAP components, candidates can take further advantage of industry best practices, preconfigured processes and benchmarking.

After going through the training sessions of this course, SAP IS trainers, coordinators and managers can:

• Provide industrial units and organizations with the specific capabilities that they need - in a scalable, cost-effective and robust manner.
• Support any size of business by relying on software applications modeled for flexibility.
• Leverage the advantages of end-to-end SAP IS Business Processes that cover diverse functional areas. in-memory computing, business analytics and mobility with confidence.

A course in SAP IS is most suitable for:

• Project leaders, project team members, SAP consultants and those related to the departments of planning and controlling of specific industry solutions.

• IT professionals who serve the task of supporting business processes in industrial units.
• Customers and consultants with expertise in specialized ERP products.
• Freshers from any disciple like B. Sc., M. Sc., B. Tech, M.Tech and MBA. They should be familiar with the SAP environment and possess knowledge of the industry which they desire to target.

Become a Certified SAP IS Consultant

Along with making a career in the field of SAP IS U/ CCS, candidates may look for well paying jobs in the SAP IS-Retail domain - which involves package related business transformations, configuration, functional gap analysis, work-around, closure and customization. A minimum of 3-4 years of experience in two complete life cycle implementations of this module is essential for offering functional guidance and valuable inputs to the team.

SAP IS professionals,

• Should be able to tackle technical and functional obstacles in the project.
• Effectively communicate with external/ internal stake-holders.
• Have the ability to live up to client expectations, develop leaders within their teams and foresee risks.

With all this and a lot more in store, the SAP IS module is the right way to go. Join up today and say “hello” to a more lucrative SAP career.