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TOP 5 SAP Job Scheduling Software in 2024: Vendor Benchmarking

SAP is the most widely used Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. Despite its benefits and contribution to digitalization, SAP systems can be challenging to manage. For instance, in an SAP system management survey, SAP users complained about:

  • Time-consuming tasks by 25%
  • Difficulty in reporting by 18% 
  • Unpredicted issues by 48%
  • Data quality issues by 7%. 

SAP job scheduling solutions can overcome these challenges and facilitate process management in SAP systems by automating manual tasks and redundant activities. This article explains SAP job scheduling software and its features, then compares the top 5 SAP job scheduling tools.

What is SAP job scheduling software?

SAP job scheduling software automates and manages the scheduling and execution of jobs and processes within the SAP environment. The tasks that SAP job scheduling software automatically schedules and executes include:

  • Batch jobs 
  • Data backups and transfers
  • Report generation
  • System maintenance

What are the top SAP job scheduling software?

These five solutions are classified as SAP job scheduling software because they possess:

  • The ability to schedule and oversee SAP jobs according to predetermined time schedules and interdependencies.
  • Integrate with SAP systems and offer functionalities specifically tailored to SAP environments, such as supporting SAP-specific job types and monitoring metrics relevant to SAP systems.

The table below displays the shortlisted SAP job schedulers in terms of average ratings, total B2B user reviews, average scores for integration that they received from users, allowed deployment types and free trial options. The user review data is based on: Capterra, G2, Gartner Peer Insights and Trustradius.

SolutionRatings*Total number of reviewsIntegration scoresDeployment**Free trial / Open Source
RunMyJobs by Redwood4.71489.1On-prem, cloud & SaaSFree trial available
ActiveBatch 4.62469.0On-prem & cloudFree trial available
Stonebranch4.5859.0On-prem, cloud & SaaSFree demo upon request
Fortra's JAMS4.6 1628.9On-prem & cloudFree trial available
Tidal Software4.7 899.0On-prem & cloudFree trial available

*Ratings and reviews are based on Capterra and G2. We sorted companies first by sponsorship level, the vendors with links are sponsors, and then by their number of reviews.

** Based on vendor claims. “SaaS” is a fully vendor-managed solution. “Cloud” deployment take place when buyers deploy the solution in their public or private cloud and manage it themselves.

For a constantly updated and more comprehensive version of this comparison, check out our data-driven SAP job scheduling software list.

1- RunMyJobs by Redwood

RunMyJobs by Redwood is a SaaS full-stack enterprise job scheduler designed to automate SAP business processes in complex computing environments. Thanks to its SAP S/4HANA, BTP and other SAP out-of-box integrations, RunMyJobs by Redwood enables users to maintain a clean SAP core. SAP users, especially those migrating from SAP ECC to S/4HANA Cloud or in the RISE with SAP program, can leverage RunMyJobs for workload automation.

Check out the video below to learn more about Redwood: 

  • Pros:
    • Scalable SaaS platform: Built to scale without agents and infrastructure. Agentless connectors for most applications enable 1 click, 5-minute updates.
    • Native SAP integrations: Connectivity and support for SAP-specific job types and metrics with native integrations for SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA and BTP.
    • SAP-certifications: RunMyJobs holds five SAP certifications including “works with RISE,” “certified for S/4HANA,” “job scheduling,” and “utilities cloud.”
    • Easy-to-Use interface: User-friendly interface with intuitive navigation and configuration options. 5% of all user reviews include positive comments on the Redwood interface.
  • Cons:
    • Technical limitations: In all the B2B reviews analyzed by AIMultiple, 1% of RunMyJobs users evaluated their experience as time-consuming due to technical necessities like writing SQL scripts and importing CAR files. 

2-ActiveBatch

ActiveBatch is a workload automation and job scheduling platform that automates and manages complex business processes, workflows, and tasks across diverse systems and applications. 

ActiveBatch provides an extensive built-in integrations library, including support for SAP systems. ActiveBatch users can customize scripting and utilize these built-in integrations to interact with SAP modules, schedule SAP jobs, and execute SAP-specific tasks. 

ActiveBatch is one of the SAP Job Scheduling Software so the image shows ActiveBatch WLA platform workflow designer.
Figure 1: ActiveBatch platform
  • Pros:
    • Extensibility: Offers a wide range of built-in integrations for connecting to various systems and internal and external scripts (e.g. VBS, PS1, BAT or CMD).
    • Low-code Interface: Features a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, making creating and managing workflows easier In 16% of all public reviews, ActiveBatch is described as easy-to-use. 
  • Cons:
    • Maintenance: A reviewer on G2 mentions that ActiveBatch may require technical expertise to implement and maintain (See Figure 2).
A user review from G2 explaining pros and cons of ActiveBatch as a SAP scheduling software.
Figure 2:ActiveBatch user review on G2. 1 

3. Stonebranch

Stonebranch is a company that offers enterprise-grade workload automation and job scheduling solutions, such as Universal Automation Center. The UAC enables organizations to automate and manage complex business processes and IT workflows across hybrid IT environments. 

With native integration with SAP systems, Stonebranch UAC can be deployed as SAP job scheduling software. 

Pros:

  • SAP Job Types and Parameters: Stonebranch UAC supports SAP-specific job types and parameters, enabling the scheduling and execution of SAP tasks within the automation workflows. It provides flexibility to define and configure SAP job properties and requirements.

Cons:

  • Learning curve: Due to its extensive capabilities, users may require time and training to utilize the tool’s features fully.

Learn more on Stonebranch alternatives for a better comparison. 

4- Fortra’s JAMS

Fortra’s JAMS is a job scheduling and workload automation software. JAMS offers native integration with SAP systems, allowing direct communication and interaction with SAP modules. It can connect to SAP applications and databases to schedule and execute SAP-specific jobs.

  • Pros:
    • SAP-specific Functionality: JAMS provides features and capabilities specifically designed for SAP environments. It supports SAP-specific job types, dependencies, and parameters, allowing for precise scheduling and efficient execution of SAP tasks.
    • Advanced Scheduling Options: JAMS offers advanced scheduling options, such as time-based triggers, event-driven triggers, and dependencies. This flexibility enables users to create complex SAP job schedules based on specific criteria, ensuring optimal job execution.
    • Cross-Platform compatibility: Supports a wide range of platforms and operating systems, making it versatile for diverse IT environments.
  • Cons:
    • Complexity: The extensive feature set may require a learning curve and additional effort for initial setup and configuration. Besides, documentation or project templates were insufficient to help clients familiarize themselves with the tool better (See Figure 3). 
JAMS is another SAP job scheduling software so we explain pros and cons of the tool through a user review.
Figure 3: JAMS user review. 2 

Discover JAMS alternatives to compare and assess JAMS Scheduler accurately. 

5. Tidal 

Tidal is a comprehensive job scheduling and workload automation software provided by Redwood that can be used as an SAP job scheduler. With native integrations, Tidal users can interact with SAP applications, databases, and processes to schedule and manage SAP-specific jobs.

Pros:

  • Advanced Scheduling Capabilities: It offers advanced scheduling options, allowing for complex job dependencies and automation workflows.

Cons:

  • User interface: Users recommended changing the graphical interface for an easier user experience.
  •  Limitations in the cloud deployment: Some users reported difficulties due to limited features of the cloud connectors and slow Web GUI and file transfer. 
Tidal is another SAP job scheduling software so we explain pros and cons of the tool through a user review.
Figure 4: Tidal user review. 3 

What are the features of SAP job scheduling software? 

SAP job scheduling software delivers most of the features below. However, depending on your SAP landscape (e.g. mix of R/3 and S/4HANA systems), each job scheduler will be able to offer slightly different functionality which may significantly change the user experience. Therefore, we recommend buyers to evaluate each solution in their shortlist in detail at least across these dimensions:

1. Integration with SAP Modules

SAP job scheduling software must seamlessly integrate with various SAP modules, such as SAP ERP, SAP CRM, SAP BW/BI, SAP HANA, and others. It can interact with these modules to schedule and execute SAP-specific tasks and processes. The tasks and processes it automates consist of:

  • Data management: SAP job scheduler can schedule data backups, data transfers, data transformations, and data loads within the SAP landscape, ensuring data integrity and availability.
  • Transport management: Transport management is a crucial aspect of SAP system administration. The software enables you to schedule and manage transports, ensuring controlled and efficient movement of changes between different SAP system landscapes.
  • Job documentation: SAP job scheduling software may include features to document and store job-related information, such as job parameters, execution logs, and dependencies. This documentation helps maintain an audit trail, troubleshoot issues, and facilitate knowledge transfer within the organization.

2. Core job scheduler features

SAP job scheduler involves 5 key capabilities that enterprise job scheduling software offers:

  • Job Scheduling: The capability to define and create job schedules based on specific criteria such as time, date, frequency, recurrence patterns and other business requirements.
  • Dependency Management: The ability to define dependencies between jobs, specifying that certain tasks should only start after completing their prerequisite jobs. This feature ensures proper sequencing and avoids issues caused by job dependencies.
  • Job Prioritization: The feature to assign priorities to different jobs based on their criticality or business importance. This feature ensures that high-priority jobs precede execution, enabling efficient resource allocation.
  • Event-Based Triggers: Some SAP job scheduling software can trigger jobs based on specific events or conditions, such as the completion of a previous job, the arrival of new data, or a particular system event. This feature enables dynamic job scheduling and execution based on real-time events.
  • Resource Management: It manages SAP system resources effectively by optimizing the allocation of CPU, memory, and other resources based on job priorities, system constraints, and availability.

3. System monitoring and alerting 

SAP job scheduling software offers a centralized interface and real-time monitoring capabilities specifically tailored for SAP systems. Such a control panel for monitoring provides insights into system performance, resource utilization, and job execution within SAP landscapes by:

  • Tracking job progress
  • Viewing status updates
  • Receiving notifications or alerts for job failures and delays. 

This way, SAP job scheduling software ensures system performance optimization and the smooth running of SAP environments.

4. Additional features

SAP job scheduling software may offer specific features that can facilitate batch job management and execution, such as:

  • Job template library: The software may include a library of predefined job templates specific to SAP systems. These templates can be customized and reused for common SAP tasks, reducing the time and effort required for job creation and scheduling.
  • Reporting and analytics: Some SAP job scheduling tools may provide reporting and analytical capabilities to:
    • Generate job-related reports
    • Track performance metrics
    • Reveal insights on job execution trends and patterns.
  • SAP process management: Comprehensive platforms can offer functionality to automate and orchestrate complex SAP business processes by:
    • Defining end-to-end workflows involving multiple SAP transaction
    • Allowing for automated execution 
    • Monitoring these processes.

Transparency statement

AIMultiple serves numerous technology vendors, including Stonebranch and Redwood which provides Active Batch, RunMyJobs, and Tidal.

Further reading

Learn more on workload automation, IT automation and job scheduling tools:

If you have any questions about these solutions, let us know:

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Access Cem's 2 decades of B2B tech experience as a tech consultant, enterprise leader, startup entrepreneur & industry analyst. Leverage insights informing top Fortune 500 every month.
Cem Dilmegani
Principal Analyst
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Hazal Şimşek
Hazal is an industry analyst in AIMultiple. She is experienced in market research, quantitative research and data analytics. She received her master’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Carlos III of Madrid and her bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Bilkent University.

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