Soucy Techno has successfully built a 100% cloud-based BI by combining SAP Datasphere, RapidViews, and Power BI, all connected to an SAP S/4HANA ERP deployed in a public cloud environment.
Thee Québec based group Soucy is well known overseas for its track systems, primarily used in agricultural vehicles. These systems are also found in industrial, military, and sports vehicles. The company operates 13 subsidiaries, providing comprehensive solutions to its clients and employing nearly 1,800 people today.
Soucy Techno is a subsidiary specializing in custom rubber compounds, which are essential components of the track systems designed and sold by the group. This subsidiary employs 200 people.
“In 2018, we decided to modernize our financial information system by choosing an integrated solution that aligns as closely as possible with market best practices,” explains Nicolas Duchesneau, SAP Analyst at Soucy. “We also wanted a solution that was quick to deploy and easy to manage, as our IT resources remain limited.”
A Reporting Project for Soucy Techno’s ERP
Soucy Techno opted for an SAP S/4HANA solution deployed in a Public Cloud. The ERP went live at the end of September 2019 and is now used by about 60 employees. « Three years after its implementation, we wanted to enhance it with BI capabilities,” continues Nicolas Duchesneau.
Initially, different departments built their reports in Excel, which was far from optimal. Meanwhile, the IT department struggled to create custom CDS Views within the ERP, a complex and time-consuming task. « We discovered the RapidViews solution, which allows us to centralize SAP analytics on a platform that is quick to deploy, easy to use, and constantly evolving. It became a game-changer for our SAP BI projects. » A game-changer for our SAP BI projects.
Soucy Techno then launched a Proof of Concept (POC) with RapidViews. « Connecting the RapidViews platform to an SAP S/4HANA ERP in public cloud mode was a first for both the software vendor and the system integrator. We initially attempted a direct connection to the ERP, then via an ABAP layer deployed on SAP BTP—but without success. The experts at RapidViews eventually found a solution by linking RapidViews to an SAP Datasphere data warehouse, which could directly connect to our SAP S/4HANA ERP. »
SAP Datasphere connects to the ERP in real-time, then feeds the data into the RapidViews platform, which transfers the results to Soucy Techno’s reporting tool, Microsoft Power BI. The result? A 100% cloud-based analytics infrastructure!
A Successful Project Completed in Just a Few Weeks
Once the technical solution was found, implementation began with the goal of deploying reporting for each module used in SAP S/4HANA : FI-CO, SD, MM and PP. « We first rolled out a full suite of standard reports covering purchasing, sales, shipments, and inventory before tackling the more financial aspects of our reporting. »
The project officially kicked off on April 24, 2023, with completion on July 7, 2023. « Once we understood the processes and interactions between the different systems, implementing the solution was very fast. The RapidViews platform made it significantly easier to build Power BI reports based on our SAP data. Today, all Soucy Techno departments benefit from this real-time reporting. »
Soucy Techno particularly values the autonomy provided by the BI Smart Repository, which allows the company to create custom reports quickly, without external assistance. Another major advantage is the scalability of this 100% cloud-based solution. « With the cloud, we benefit from continuous innovation. Our SAP S/4HANA ERP receives two major updates per year, while the RapidViews platform is updated approximately every two months. Each update integrates new CDS Views, further expanding the ways we can leverage our SAP data. »
The IT department at Soucy hopes to expand SAP Datasphere to new use cases soon. « We plan to connect some of our satellite systems to enrich our reporting, », concludes Nicolas Duchesneau.
