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SAP Solutions for Small and Midsize Enterprises




                                                  COST-EFFECTIVE ERP SOFTWARE
                                                  FIVE SECRETS TO STRETCHING
                                                  YOUR IT BUDGET


You want to support a grow-                         You need a flexible solution that can            Finding a solution to fit your budget
                                                    adapt and scale as your business grows,          requires evaluating a range of deploy-
ing business with valuable                          even without additional IT staff or re-          ment options, including on premise, on
software and IT support, but                        sources to support it. And you need this         demand, on device, and hosted. Start-up
                                                    world-class enterprise resource planning         costs can range from a few hundred
you have limited budget and                         (ERP) software within your budget and            dollars per user per month for a sub-
resources. Outdated appli-                          time horizon. In short, you need an af-          scription to a few thousand dollars to
                                                    fordable and flexible ERP solution that          implement a basic business intelligence
cations and countless inte-                         can be implemented quickly, adopted              (BI) solution. Growing in popularity are
gration challenges leave you                        rapidly, and maintained easily.                  outsourced on-demand solutions. You
                                                                                                     pay a monthly fee that includes software
little time to provide the kind                     Working with a tight IT budget? No need          application use, hardware infrastructure,
of strategic IT support that                        to despair. Get in on these five secrets         database, backup and security, support,
                                                    and get the most for your IT spend.              and updates. For software as a service
can help move the business                                                                           (SaaS), the vendor handles manage-
forward.                                            Secret #1: Consider Your Options,                ment, monitoring, and maintenance of
                                                    Then Get a Price Up Front                        hardware, database, and software infra-
                                                                                                     structure – so be sure to check each po-
How to do more with less?                           What will it cost to implement the enter-        tential vendor’s reputation and reliability.
                                                    prise resource planning (ERP) solution           According to IDC, “SaaS can provide
One approach is to “use                             your business needs to stay competi-             lower-cost, efficient choices for building,
technology rather than more                         tive? It shouldn’t be a secret. To get an        testing, and deploying certain applica-
staff to get the job done,” a                       accurate estimate – and find an afford-          tions and software services, and it
                                                    able solution that fits your budget –            offers new go-to-market choices over
trend noted in a recent IDC                         you must understand all project compo-           traditional managed services.”2
executive brief.1 What you                          nents, including not only the solution
                                                    itself but also its implementation. A typi-      Finally, ask each vendor for an up-front
need is an infrastructure that                      cal software implementation includes             price for solution plus implementation –
runs the business – whether                         costs related to licensing or subscription       or ask about a package that includes
                                                    fees, implementation, testing, and train-        software, hardware, and services. This
that means offering support                         ing. In addition to evaluating the up-front      eliminates surprises and ensures that
across time zones or com-                           outlay, look for a solution that minimizes       you stay within budget.
                                                    ongoing maintenance, administrative,
plying with new accounting                          and IT support expenses. An affordable
regulations – while driving                         ERP solution is one that can be main-
                                                    tained without an extensive infrastructure
process efficiencies.                               or expensive IT resources.

1. IDC Executive Brief, Three Truths to Guide SMBs Toward Capitalizing on the Economic Turnaround, June 2010.
2. Robert Mahowald, IDC Analyst Connection, Software as a Service: A Cheaper, Faster Way to Access Applications, December 2009.
Secret #2: Pay Only for What                      mon as they are frightening. An imple-            maximum productivity and performance.
You Use                                           mentation that drags on effectively elimi-        A single solution also reduces the need
                                                  nates any chance at rapid time to value.          for challenging system integration work
Another way to stay within a tight bud-                                                             and provides a platform for standardiza-
get is to start small, limiting your initial      In reality, you can implement a sophisti-         tion, so you can review business pro-
investment, then adding functionality as          cated ERP solution in as little as a few          cesses across the company, identifying
your business expands. For this pay-as-           weeks, depending on your require-                 and prioritizing opportunities to cut
you-grow strategy, you need a solution            ments. Look for a vendor that uses                waste, redundancy, and costs. With
flexible enough to expand as you grow –           best-practice methodologies to save               built-in business analytics and best prac-
highly configurable and comprehensive             time and streamline implementations.              tices, you can improve your ability to
software that adapts quickly to your              Choose a solution that can be imple-              support the business. Intuitive, easy-to-
business, without the need to buy or              mented within a manageable time frame             use dashboards and reporting help your
integrate additional software. For exam-          – 12, 8, or 4 weeks. You want a solution          employees present data in new ways
ple, you might need a solution that can           that gets you up and running quickly,             for deeper insight and maximum
support International Financial Reporting         providing the valuable insights needed            productivity.
Standards (IFRS) and U.S. GAAP simul-             to realize your growth and profitability
taneously yet also support additional             goals.                                            Secret #5: Take Advantage of
currencies and languages as you enter                                                               Training Opportunities
new geographic markets. Or you might              Secret #4: Document and
have pressing customer relationship               Drive Efficiencies                                Another secret for getting the most from
management (CRM) issues that require                                                                your IT spend is to take advantage of
you to implement ERP with CRM func-               Historically, one of the primary roles of         available training to get your employees
tionality; later you may want to add BI.          IT has been a driver of cost efficiency –         up and running quickly on any new soft-
                                                  within IT and across the business.                ware. Often overlooked and underval-
Look for a solution with modular design,          Through IT automation, standardization,           ued, training is critical for reducing the
which makes it easier to start small,             and process efficiencies, you can re-             time to value of your investment.
focusing on your most pressing needs,             duce costs while improving productivity.
then adding users and functionality as            For your employees, automated routine             According to a report by Michael
you go. IDC research confirms this                business processes save time and free             Doane, a leading expert on enterprise
benefit for on-demand solutions: “For             resources for higher-value projects. For          software and training, “On average,
smaller organizations, SaaS is particu-           IT, standardization means you spend               clients invest only 4% to 5% of their
larly appealing because it allows cus-            less time on system maintenance and               implementation budget on training, of
tomers to pay for what they use and               more time implementing innovative                 which about 50% is dedicated to the
deploy applications quickly with less in-         functionality. But if your company has            end users and the rest go to the internal
house staff and fewer related costs.”3            disparate systems running different               project team and executive awareness.
                                                  parts of your operations, you may be              Worse, since end user training is the
Secret #3: Implement Quickly                      spending too much time troubleshooting            penultimate step before Go-Live, a
                                                  and maintaining integration points – and          stage when both budgets and schedules
It’s no secret that the longer the imple-         not enough looking for opportunities to           are stretched thin, many clients cheap
mentation, the more it will cost. You             reduce costs and improve productivity.            out and provide foreshortened initial
can’t afford a lengthy or expensive ERP                                                             training.”4
implementation. Stories of multiyear              A single, integrated solution simplifies
software implementations that explode             your IT infrastructure and makes it
both budgets and timelines are as com-            easier to align business functions for

3. Ibid.
4. Michael Doane, Your Users Are Stumbling and Your Business Is Suffering: How cutting SAP Training could make bad times worse, June 2010.

2
does that mean for you? Better use of IT
                                                                                           resources, increased solution flexibility,
                                                                                           and rapid implementation. In short,
                                                                                           better software, better support, and far
                                                                                           less stress.

                                                                                           From licensing agreements to monthly
                                                                                           subscription plans, SAP has a solution
                                                                                           to fit your budget, timeline, and objec-
                                                                                           tives. Use one of the following afford-
                                                                                           able SAP solutions for small businesses
                                                                                           and midsize companies to solve impor-
                                                                                           tant problems today – and position IT to
                                                                                           support your company’s future:
                                                                                           •	The SAP® Business One application
                                                                                              gives you software for key business
                                                                                              activities, eliminating the complexity
   SAP offers a range of ERP solutions for small busi-                                        and expense of integrating multiple
                                                                                              solutions. It can be deployed quickly
   nesses and midsize companies, allowing you to                                              and requires minimal maintenance.
   spend less money and IT effort on implementing and                                      •	The SAP Business ByDesign™ solu-
                                                                                              tion is delivered on demand, giving
   managing solutions. Each complete and integrated                                           you powerful SAP software without
   SAP solution comes with the functionality you need                                         the need for a costly IT infrastructure
                                                                                              and staff – all for a low monthly fee.
   to run your business.                                                                   •	SAP Business All-in-One solutions
                                                                                              give you sophisticated applications
                                                                                              and state-of-the-art technology that
                                                                                              can be adapted easily to fit changing
To maximize your return, leverage the       Get the Best ERP Software Within                  business needs. The SAP Business
combination of course offerings, con-       Your Budget                                       All-in-One fast-start program simplifies
text, and delivery options that meets                                                         evaluation and implementation for
your budget, enables readiness, and         You want world-class ERP software that            quicker time to value and lower total
helps your organization move from vi-       is affordable, flexible, and quick to imple-      cost of ownership.
sion to realization through application     ment and adopt while driving further IT        •	SAP BusinessObjects™ Edge BI soft-
proficiency.                                efficiencies. SAP offers a range of ERP           ware is a comprehensive BI solution
                                            solutions for small businesses and mid-           specifically packaged and priced for
Whether you need standard project-          size companies, allowing you to spend             midsize companies.
team training, customized courses, or       less money and IT effort on implement-
certification, you need a vendor that       ing and managing solutions.                    For more information about SAP solu-
offers a comprehensive portfolio of ap-                                                    tions for small businesses and midsize
plications and technical training as well   Each complete and integrated SAP               companies, visit www.sap.com/sme.
as education services designed to train     solution comes with the functionality
your employees rapidly and efficiently.     you need to run your business. What




                                                                                                                                    3
50 104 475 (11/03) Printed in USA.
©2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP, R/3, SAP NetWeaver, Duet, PartnerEdge, ByDesign,
SAP BusinessObjects Explorer, StreamWork, and other SAP products
and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are
trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and
other countries.

Business Objects and the Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects,
Crystal Reports, Crystal Decisions, Web Intelligence, Xcelsius, and
other Business Objects products and services mentioned herein as well
as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Business Objects Software Ltd. Business Objects is an SAP company.

Sybase and Adaptive Server, iAnywhere, Sybase 365, SQL Anywhere,
and other Sybase products and services mentioned herein as well
as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Sybase, Inc. Sybase is an SAP company.

All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks
of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serves
informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary.

These materials are subject to change without notice. These materials
are provided by SAP AG and its affiliated companies (“SAP Group”)
for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of
any kind, and SAP Group shall not be liable for errors or omissions with
respect to the materials. The only warranties for SAP Group products
and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty state-
ments accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein
should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.




   www.sap.com /contactsap

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Five Secrets to Stretching your IT Budget

  • 1. SAP Solutions for Small and Midsize Enterprises COST-EFFECTIVE ERP SOFTWARE FIVE SECRETS TO STRETCHING YOUR IT BUDGET You want to support a grow- You need a flexible solution that can Finding a solution to fit your budget adapt and scale as your business grows, requires evaluating a range of deploy- ing business with valuable even without additional IT staff or re- ment options, including on premise, on software and IT support, but sources to support it. And you need this demand, on device, and hosted. Start-up world-class enterprise resource planning costs can range from a few hundred you have limited budget and (ERP) software within your budget and dollars per user per month for a sub- resources. Outdated appli- time horizon. In short, you need an af- scription to a few thousand dollars to fordable and flexible ERP solution that implement a basic business intelligence cations and countless inte- can be implemented quickly, adopted (BI) solution. Growing in popularity are gration challenges leave you rapidly, and maintained easily. outsourced on-demand solutions. You pay a monthly fee that includes software little time to provide the kind Working with a tight IT budget? No need application use, hardware infrastructure, of strategic IT support that to despair. Get in on these five secrets database, backup and security, support, and get the most for your IT spend. and updates. For software as a service can help move the business (SaaS), the vendor handles manage- forward. Secret #1: Consider Your Options, ment, monitoring, and maintenance of Then Get a Price Up Front hardware, database, and software infra- structure – so be sure to check each po- How to do more with less? What will it cost to implement the enter- tential vendor’s reputation and reliability. prise resource planning (ERP) solution According to IDC, “SaaS can provide One approach is to “use your business needs to stay competi- lower-cost, efficient choices for building, technology rather than more tive? It shouldn’t be a secret. To get an testing, and deploying certain applica- staff to get the job done,” a accurate estimate – and find an afford- tions and software services, and it able solution that fits your budget – offers new go-to-market choices over trend noted in a recent IDC you must understand all project compo- traditional managed services.”2 executive brief.1 What you nents, including not only the solution itself but also its implementation. A typi- Finally, ask each vendor for an up-front need is an infrastructure that cal software implementation includes price for solution plus implementation – runs the business – whether costs related to licensing or subscription or ask about a package that includes fees, implementation, testing, and train- software, hardware, and services. This that means offering support ing. In addition to evaluating the up-front eliminates surprises and ensures that across time zones or com- outlay, look for a solution that minimizes you stay within budget. ongoing maintenance, administrative, plying with new accounting and IT support expenses. An affordable regulations – while driving ERP solution is one that can be main- tained without an extensive infrastructure process efficiencies. or expensive IT resources. 1. IDC Executive Brief, Three Truths to Guide SMBs Toward Capitalizing on the Economic Turnaround, June 2010. 2. Robert Mahowald, IDC Analyst Connection, Software as a Service: A Cheaper, Faster Way to Access Applications, December 2009.
  • 2. Secret #2: Pay Only for What mon as they are frightening. An imple- maximum productivity and performance. You Use mentation that drags on effectively elimi- A single solution also reduces the need nates any chance at rapid time to value. for challenging system integration work Another way to stay within a tight bud- and provides a platform for standardiza- get is to start small, limiting your initial In reality, you can implement a sophisti- tion, so you can review business pro- investment, then adding functionality as cated ERP solution in as little as a few cesses across the company, identifying your business expands. For this pay-as- weeks, depending on your require- and prioritizing opportunities to cut you-grow strategy, you need a solution ments. Look for a vendor that uses waste, redundancy, and costs. With flexible enough to expand as you grow – best-practice methodologies to save built-in business analytics and best prac- highly configurable and comprehensive time and streamline implementations. tices, you can improve your ability to software that adapts quickly to your Choose a solution that can be imple- support the business. Intuitive, easy-to- business, without the need to buy or mented within a manageable time frame use dashboards and reporting help your integrate additional software. For exam- – 12, 8, or 4 weeks. You want a solution employees present data in new ways ple, you might need a solution that can that gets you up and running quickly, for deeper insight and maximum support International Financial Reporting providing the valuable insights needed productivity. Standards (IFRS) and U.S. GAAP simul- to realize your growth and profitability taneously yet also support additional goals. Secret #5: Take Advantage of currencies and languages as you enter Training Opportunities new geographic markets. Or you might Secret #4: Document and have pressing customer relationship Drive Efficiencies Another secret for getting the most from management (CRM) issues that require your IT spend is to take advantage of you to implement ERP with CRM func- Historically, one of the primary roles of available training to get your employees tionality; later you may want to add BI. IT has been a driver of cost efficiency – up and running quickly on any new soft- within IT and across the business. ware. Often overlooked and underval- Look for a solution with modular design, Through IT automation, standardization, ued, training is critical for reducing the which makes it easier to start small, and process efficiencies, you can re- time to value of your investment. focusing on your most pressing needs, duce costs while improving productivity. then adding users and functionality as For your employees, automated routine According to a report by Michael you go. IDC research confirms this business processes save time and free Doane, a leading expert on enterprise benefit for on-demand solutions: “For resources for higher-value projects. For software and training, “On average, smaller organizations, SaaS is particu- IT, standardization means you spend clients invest only 4% to 5% of their larly appealing because it allows cus- less time on system maintenance and implementation budget on training, of tomers to pay for what they use and more time implementing innovative which about 50% is dedicated to the deploy applications quickly with less in- functionality. But if your company has end users and the rest go to the internal house staff and fewer related costs.”3 disparate systems running different project team and executive awareness. parts of your operations, you may be Worse, since end user training is the Secret #3: Implement Quickly spending too much time troubleshooting penultimate step before Go-Live, a and maintaining integration points – and stage when both budgets and schedules It’s no secret that the longer the imple- not enough looking for opportunities to are stretched thin, many clients cheap mentation, the more it will cost. You reduce costs and improve productivity. out and provide foreshortened initial can’t afford a lengthy or expensive ERP training.”4 implementation. Stories of multiyear A single, integrated solution simplifies software implementations that explode your IT infrastructure and makes it both budgets and timelines are as com- easier to align business functions for 3. Ibid. 4. Michael Doane, Your Users Are Stumbling and Your Business Is Suffering: How cutting SAP Training could make bad times worse, June 2010. 2
  • 3. does that mean for you? Better use of IT resources, increased solution flexibility, and rapid implementation. In short, better software, better support, and far less stress. From licensing agreements to monthly subscription plans, SAP has a solution to fit your budget, timeline, and objec- tives. Use one of the following afford- able SAP solutions for small businesses and midsize companies to solve impor- tant problems today – and position IT to support your company’s future: • The SAP® Business One application gives you software for key business activities, eliminating the complexity SAP offers a range of ERP solutions for small busi- and expense of integrating multiple solutions. It can be deployed quickly nesses and midsize companies, allowing you to and requires minimal maintenance. spend less money and IT effort on implementing and • The SAP Business ByDesign™ solu- tion is delivered on demand, giving managing solutions. Each complete and integrated you powerful SAP software without SAP solution comes with the functionality you need the need for a costly IT infrastructure and staff – all for a low monthly fee. to run your business. • SAP Business All-in-One solutions give you sophisticated applications and state-of-the-art technology that can be adapted easily to fit changing To maximize your return, leverage the Get the Best ERP Software Within business needs. The SAP Business combination of course offerings, con- Your Budget All-in-One fast-start program simplifies text, and delivery options that meets evaluation and implementation for your budget, enables readiness, and You want world-class ERP software that quicker time to value and lower total helps your organization move from vi- is affordable, flexible, and quick to imple- cost of ownership. sion to realization through application ment and adopt while driving further IT • SAP BusinessObjects™ Edge BI soft- proficiency. efficiencies. SAP offers a range of ERP ware is a comprehensive BI solution solutions for small businesses and mid- specifically packaged and priced for Whether you need standard project- size companies, allowing you to spend midsize companies. team training, customized courses, or less money and IT effort on implement- certification, you need a vendor that ing and managing solutions. For more information about SAP solu- offers a comprehensive portfolio of ap- tions for small businesses and midsize plications and technical training as well Each complete and integrated SAP companies, visit www.sap.com/sme. as education services designed to train solution comes with the functionality your employees rapidly and efficiently. you need to run your business. What 3
  • 4. 50 104 475 (11/03) Printed in USA. ©2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. SAP, R/3, SAP NetWeaver, Duet, PartnerEdge, ByDesign, SAP BusinessObjects Explorer, StreamWork, and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and other countries. Business Objects and the Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, Crystal Decisions, Web Intelligence, Xcelsius, and other Business Objects products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects Software Ltd. Business Objects is an SAP company. Sybase and Adaptive Server, iAnywhere, Sybase 365, SQL Anywhere, and other Sybase products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sybase, Inc. Sybase is an SAP company. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serves informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary. These materials are subject to change without notice. These materials are provided by SAP AG and its affiliated companies (“SAP Group”) for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind, and SAP Group shall not be liable for errors or omissions with respect to the materials. The only warranties for SAP Group products and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty state- ments accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. www.sap.com /contactsap