SAP is moving in quickly to capture its share of the analytics market, and it seems retail is a particular area of interest for the business software maker. HANA, its in-memory big data appliance, has been steadily gaining momentum since launch, and the firm is fleshing out this strategy with new investments.

SAP announced at the NRF 101st Annual Convention & EXPO that it has acquired SAF AG, a name that stands Simulation, Analysis and Forecasting. The latter’s portfolio will be integrated into SAP Forecasting and Replenishment, a forecasting and analytics application for large-scale retailers. The newest version of the software has been demonstrated today.

Retailers will now be able to better manage their inventory thanks another automation layer on the distribution lever, and forecasting has also been improved thanks to new algorithms. In addition, overall visibility has been increased and there are more customization options available, all coming together with the rest of the SAP BI portfolio.

“We have taken the initiative to expand our retail portfolio to directly address this critical business need. When married to prediction analytics, SAP’s standardized processes will create one of the most comprehensive solutions for managing inventory and keeping consumers satisfied,” said Lori Mitchell-Keller, senior vice president and head of the Global Retail Industry Business Unit, SAP.

Mitchell-Keller is not the first exec that stressed the significance of analytics in his company’s vision. Sanjay Poonen, president and corporate officer of SAP Global Solutions outlined an ecosystem where HANA plays a key role, and where business intelligence is reshaped for the business user rather than for the IT department. This vision is shared by several other companies in the industry, though involving their own offerings, and has a lot of potential.

Global outreach

We’ve also learned that SAP is reshaping yet another element in its strategy – the Asian market.  The new Asian Pacific headquarters has been set in Singapore; a research facility that will employ over 100 scientists.