target=”_blank” href=”http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240221851/Sapphire-2014-CEO-McDermott-declares-war-on-complexity-and-sets-Fiori-free”>“Run Simple” mantra that has been governing the supplier’s strategy for the past two years and was also the forerunner of the full-blown S/4Hana ERP product launch in February 2015.

The research was released at the user group’s Business Value Through Technology symposium held in Dublin on 22 September 2015.

The survey questioned 72 SAP user organisations in the UK and Ireland and found 42% of SAP users are looking to implement SAP Simple Finance, while 53% of respondents said they understood the benefits of SAP Simple Finance and 47% did not.

Streamlined financial processes (53%) and real-time insights to enable better business decision-making (30%) were cited as the biggest benefits to implementing the product. Out of the 58% who weren’t currently planning to implement, justifying cost over benefits (38%) and updates to their existing landscape (19%) were cited as the biggest barriers.

Philip Adams, chairman of the UK and Ireland SAP User Group, said: “Considering that SAP Simple Finance has only been available since the start of 2015, it is interesting to see that many organisations are already looking to implement the product. It appears that SAP’s simplification mantra is starting to resonate with customers.

“However, the research shows users are still facing challenges in justifying the business case and ensuring their existing SAP landscape is compatible. This highlights that there is still work to be done to help customers overcome these obstacles and take advantage of the latest product innovation from SAP.”

When asked if they were using the much-touted SAP Fiori suite of apps or Screen Personas as part of their finance function, the majority (86%) said they were not. Some 8% said they were currently using SAP Fiori and a further 6% said they were using SAP Fiori and Screen Personas.

“Our symposium gave users the opportunity to hear first-hand from SAP and their industry peers about the latest SAP innovations, including S/4Hana and Fiori,” said Adams.

Cormac Watters, managing director at SAP UK and Ireland, said: “We are committed to working closely with the user group to help our customers and prospects understand the potential of new technologies, such as Simple Finance, and to help them make an effective business case for investment. This is particularly challenging in industries such as financial services that have significant legacy systems in place.”