Unit 1 - SAP Business One - Overview

Introduction to SAP Business One

Objectives 

At the end of this topic, you will be able to:

• Answer the question: What is SAP Business One?
• List the advantages of the integrated business processes in SAP Business One
• Describe how SAP Business One can be a digital platform for today's technologies

Business Scenario

• You are the managing director of a small company and want to implement a new software solution to make your business processes more efficient.
• You need a solution that integrates your business processes and provides a platform for growth in the digital economy
• You would like to learn more about how SAP Business One can help you meet these challenges and how you can use it to effectively run your business processes.

The Drive for Digital Transformation

The time is ripe for small enterprises to digitally transfigure their businesses. Further, more than ever people are hyperconnected through smart bias to each other and to businesses. Technology has progressed to the point we're living in a smart world. Businesses need to suppose not only about internal edge but also about how they connect to suppliers,  guests, and the community at large. 

To succeed as a small business you need to have the right information to make the right business opinions at the right moment. SAP Business One provides the tools to do that. 

Business One Facts

• The most complete platform for a growing business, trusted by over 70,000 businesses
• Designed for small and midsize businesses
• Capture business information in a single scalable system
• Provides instant access to real-time information through one single system
• Divided into several modules each covering a different business function
• With a user-friendly interface that serves as your central access point

• SAP Business One supports the technologies that drive today's digital economy.
• SAP Business One has analytics that allows you to access massive amounts of data in today s economy. You can run your business in the cloud or on-premise, and your team can connect via mobile technologies from anywhere in the world. SAP Business One can incorporate the data coming from external sensors and other sources and use innovative technologies to meet today s challenges.

A small bakery using SAP Business One could benefit from the software's integration capabilities by streamlining its supply chain and financial processes.

For example:

1. The bakery could integrate its purchasing process with its inventory management, allowing them to automatically reorder ingredients when stock levels fall below a certain threshold.
2. They could also integrate their sales process with their financial accounting, enabling real-time updates to their financial statements as sales are made.
3. In addition, they could use SAP Business One's reporting capabilities to track key performance indicators such as cost of goods sold, gross profit margins, and sales trends, giving them better insights into their business operations.
4. The company could use the Material Requirements Planning (MRP) module to plan and manage its raw material requirements, ensuring that they have the necessary resources for production.
5. They could then use the production module to manage the entire production process, from the creation of work orders to the completion of finished goods.
6. Additionally, they could integrate their service processes with their production and MRP processes, allowing them to track and manage the repair and maintenance of their equipment, as well as the delivery of after-sales services to their customers.

By integrating these various business processes, SAP Business One can provide the Bakery with a single source of truth, allowing them to make informed decisions and improve their overall operational efficiency.

• The graphic displays SAP Business One s solution stack. The solution stack rests on a solid foundation with its deployment flexibility. SAP Business One can be run on-premise or in the cloud. Customers choose from SAP s hosted cloud environment, a partner-hosted cloud, or a private cloud.
• SAP Business One runs completely on in-memory technology when you use the SAP HANA database as the underlying platform. However, you also have the option to run on Microsoft SQL. Either way, you have flexible deployment options.
• Regardless of the architecture used, end-to-end business processes are the core of SAP Business One.
• many tools enable partners and customers to build on or integrate into Business One. Functionality can be extended by using three development platforms: Software Development Kit (SDK), the Integration Framework, and the SAP Business One Service Layer. There are multiple partners and SAP provided solutions that extend the scope to meet companies ’ needs. In the boxes in the graphics, you see many ways you can enhance the solution such as industry solutions, web services, networks, mobility, and analytic options.
• Behind it all, there are tools and support for lifecycle management that provide you with a low cost of ownership.

You can choose whether to run on-premise or in the cloud.

On-Premise, Key Benefits include:	Cloud Base, Key Benefits include:
Compliance with internal Data Security Policies. Direct control and access to your data, allowing flexibility in local reporting access. Better ability to customize and extend your business process. Leverage internal hardware and existing IT infrastructure and resources. Perpetual licensing, with higher upfront cost but better long-term TCO. Less dependence on the always-connected internet.	Easy and affordable deployment. Secure browser-based access from anywhere, at any time. Access to the most up-to-date functionality without having to use rely on in-house IT resources. Subscription licensing avoids capital expenditure and gives operational expenditure flexibility. Manage the most critical business functions in your Web browser.

Industry Specific Solutions

• SAP’s ecosystem provides multiple solutions for small businesses to meet industry challenges.
• Here is a list of some solutions that have been developed by our software solution partners to extend the functionality of SAP Business One.  
• These solutions help our customers meet the unique challenges of their business by combining the power of industry-specific solutions with horizontal extensions that go beyond generic business needs.
• The solutions are fully integrated into SAP Business One and certified by SAP.
• The solutions can be deployed on-premise, in the cloud, or for SAP Business One, a version of SAP HANA.

Run your Business with Native Apps

SAP Business One for iOS and Android devices cover all important business processes so employees who are on the road or in remote locations, like service technician, can get the information they need to resolve customer issues, capture orders or see information contained in Business One like customer and supplier contacts and more. It reduces some of the frustrations that can be associated with being away from the office, helping to make people more productive when they're on the road.

Key Benefits

• Instant access for employees who need to view and update data from anywhere
• Integrated analytics enable decisions to be made in real-time
• Comprehensive sales and service functions
• Increase productivity of employees on the road

Analytics and Reporting

Cockpit

• Visualize all analytics in your user-specific SAP Business One Desktop 

Pervasive Analytics Designer

• Customize and create new analytics, amplifying the end-user experience

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 

• Track business-critical measures

Dashboards and Advanced Dashboards 

• Embed across all business forms and functions empowering end users with up to the second information

Excel Report Designer

• Create predefined Microsoft Excel reports with a real-time connection to your business data

Interactive Analysis

• Create flexible ad hoc analysis within the familiar Microsoft Excel

Analytical Portal

• Run and schedule Crystal Reports and Excel Reports in real time through a web browser

Semantic Layer

• Aiding end users to access information freely using common business terms

SAP Crystal Reports

• Generate and create feature-rich and interactive reports with the embedded software

The Web Client

The Web Client is based on SAP Fiori design principles encapsulating SAP Business One core processes and business logic.

• Is based on SAP Fiori design principles encapsulating SAP Business One core processes and business logic
• Focuses on the creation, processing, and updating of Sales Quotations, Sales Orders, A/R Deliveries, and A/R Invoices
• Supports creation and update of items, business partners, and activities
• Provides sophisticated analytic charting capabilities
• Can be launched on either a desktop computer or tablet; or directly from the SAP Business One desktop application

SAP Business One is used by customers in over 165 countries around the world in 28 languages. While SAP provides 50 localizations for the product, our partners have adapted these localizations to fit the needs of many other countries. Customers can go global while receiving support from partners that have deep, local knowledge and expertise.

Summary

Here are some key points:

• SAP Business One integrates business functions into one digital platform seamlessly, giving you instant access to real-time information through one single system. The application is divided into several modules, each covering a different business function.

• The SAP Business One interface serves as a central access point for all your business needs.

• Users can also access the system via browsers and mobile devices

• SAP Business One can run both on-premise and in the cloud.

• You have the choice of databases: SAP HANA or Microsoft SQL. With the SAP HANA database, you have access to powerful analytics and apps designed to use the advantages of in-memory computing.

• SAP s partner ecosystem provides add-on solutions to meet business and industry challenges. Additionally, SAP provides a portfolio of integrated products that connect your business networks.

• The SAP PartnerEdge portal provides the best source of up-to-date information for partners on SAP Business One.