The benefits of SAP Business One for SMEs are extensive, but it has been a long-held perception in the business world that SAP is the preserve of large enterprise. With this in mind, we are going to list some of the benefits of SAP Business One for SMEs and try to debunk this commonly held myth.
Why do people think SAP is mainly for large enterprise?
It’s true that SAP is well established amongst big business and S/4HANA is a market leading ERP solution. But this is not SAP’s only ERP solution. SAP Business by Design and SAP Business One are also very well-established ERP systems, which were specifically developed to fit the needs of smaller businesses. These systems provide enterprise-grade resources without the extravagant price point for which large enterprise ERP systems are synonymous.
With around 80% of its global customer base being SMEs, SAP solutions are definitely not only for large companies. SAP Business One offers many benefits to SMEs that can help support their growth by providing detailed insight into their financials, purchasing, production, inventory and sales within a single system. Let’s have a look at some other benefits:
Financial visibility
Financial visibility is one of the biggest benefits of SAP Business One and SAP Business by Design; although most businesses probably won’t eliminate spreadsheets entirely, having financial operations connected with other key areas in the business, such as inventory, sales and purchasing, can speed up the pace of transactions and improve cash flow. Analytics provide real-time insight into the state of the business’s financial situation and provides the data on which to base strategic decisions.
Supply chain management
Both SAP Business One and Business by Design enable companies to manage their whole supply chain from within one system. With a visual workflow of the order to pay cycle, they provide easily accessible information on purchase orders, invoices, payments, receipts and returns, which helps automate processes to reduce manual administration and therefore save time and money. Businesses can optimise their purchasing with simple dashboard reporting and keep all their supplier and customer information in one place. Goods receipts can be matched with inventory levels in the warehouse in real-time, which optimises stock control and gives an accurate picture of stock availability to meet customer demand.
Build better customer relationships
Companies can optimise their sales and customer relationship management with the integration of the sales and CRM features within SAP’s SME solutions. Sales staff can track the progress of their deals through the pipeline, while marketing can nurture customer relationships once the prospect becomes a customer. With all data contained in one place, businesses have greater insight into their customers’ spending habits and the effectiveness of various marketing campaigns and sales promotions. This enables them to optimise their sales and marketing management by concentrating on the most profitable activities, while nurturing their customer relationships and providing excellent customer service.
Improve decision making
SAP Business One and SAP Business by Design offer advanced analytics capabilities that provide real-time information that companies can use to base their strategic decisions upon. With the ability to create and customise all the reports you need, you can configure settings and report on the data that is important to each particular job role.
Big solution for a small price
SAP Business One and SAP Business by Design are comprehensive ERP solutions which improve operational efficiency in every area of a business. However, with the popular misconception that SAP is mainly for large companies, businesses often don’t realise just how much they would get for their money with SAP Business One. With modules covering business intelligence, inventory and project management, sales forecasting, CRM, purchasing and financials, it offers the same kind of technology that multinationals use, in one integrated solution without the hefty price tag.
To discuss the benefits of SAP Business One for SMEs, and find out how it could help your business automate processes to reduce manual administration and increase efficiency, please contact our friendly team now.