New Version of SAP Business One

In a move to solidify its lead as the premier provider to companies of all sizes, SAP AG unveiled the latest version of SAP Business One, its affordable business management software solution designed to address the needs of rapidly growing small and midsize enterprises.

A single, integrated solution that manages and connects critical operations including sales, finance, purchasing, inventory and manufacturing, the new version features enhancements based on direct feedback from small-business customers to enable faster installation, more intuitive use, global trade and easy Microsoft Excel-based reporting and analytics. Delivered by a growing network of nearly 1,100 channel partners, SAP Business One is available in more than 37 country versions and has attracted more than 7,800 customers in three years. The software enables small businesses to automate and connect their operations while nimbly adapting to market demands such as the need to interface with customers, suppliers and distributors; increasing globalization; and more stringent compliance requirements.

Many small businesses start with accounting software as they develop and implement their IT strategy, but this can complicate life as point solutions are added to meet different needs, said Raymond Boggs, vice president of SMB research at IDC. Having an integrated business management solution can help small businesses benefit from a consolidated view of different operations, giving them the information they need to make informed decisions, rather than having just the rear view mirror to track past results.

Intuitive use and speedy installation
Enhancements in the new version of SAP Business One make the solution even easier to use and implement. A more customizable and intuitive interface allows users to filter information and access the data they need to run their business; tool tips have been added for better navigation; and other improvements make it easier to work with attachments and facilitate access to online help. The solutions new implementation tool, Copy Express, allows SAP partners to easily copy custom reports, queries, user settings and other configurations from one installation to another. These configurations can then be easily deployed at customer sites, reducing set-up time and deployment errors.

Global trade made easy
With SAP Business One, small businesses have an entry point to engage in global trade with the facility enjoyed by larger enterprises. To address increasing globalization and countries where multiple languages are spoken, the solutions new multi-language support of trade documents (such as invoices, quotes and purchase orders) allows users to speak to their business partners in their own tongue by assigning a specific language to each customer or vendor when trade documents are printed or displayed. This multi-lingual capability is supported by a new embedded user dictionary that allows translation of items, remarks and documents. Additionally, the new version includes numerous enhancements to address local and regional requirements, such as tax declaration and sales reports for European Union countries and other individual markets.

XL reporter simplifies accurate reporting
Where many report generation tools lack the ability to collect the correct data in a useful format, the XL Reporter tool embedded in SAP Business One leverages the user-friendly, familiar Excel-style interface and reports on live data drawn from a variety of sources, including general ledger, receivables, payables, sales, purchasing and inventory software. With the fully integrated reporting and financial analysis tool, users can create up-to-the minute reports with ease and access dashboards that display snapshots of key performance indicators such as sales bookings, year-to-date revenue, accounts receivable, open orders or other data from the system.

The solutions new capabilities allow us to pull the information we need in formats that are familiar to us and simple to work with, said J. Albers, financial director, Drumarkon International B.V. We were able to get up and running on the new version of SAP Business One very quickly, and are already benefiting from the ability to better monitor, manage and influence performance from a unified view across our entire business.

SDK enables seamless solution extensions for SAP partners
Designed as a core business management solution, SAP Business One provides a flexible platform that SAP partners can adapt and extend with vertical industry and other capabilities to address customer needs. Using its Software Development Kit (SDK), a growing network of ISV partners has already developed more than 250 components and solution extensions. SAP has updated the SDK to allow partners to build vertical solutions and custom applications that leverage all of the setup and configuration objects and settings within SAP Business One such as company information, posting periods, tax information, bank definitions and others eliminating the need to duplicate development within the custom application and minimizing computability. Additional enhancements to the user interface help facilitate navigation and data entry between applications, such as the ability to capture selection criteria when running reports within SAP Business One, or to manipulate menu items.

Small businesses are looking for an intuitive management tool for greater control and the ability to make more informed decisions across the entire enterprise, said Kamal Karmakar, CEO, CitiXsys Technologies, Inc., a New York-based solution and service partner providing service and support to SAP Business One channel partners. With the SDK for SAP Business One, we have an extremely effective way to add capabilities for a seamless solution stack, so that our customers can manage critical business processes without having to piece together and manage separate modules and applications on their own.

Availability
Initial customers are already using the new version of SAP Business One, which will be rolled out in the coming weeks and available through SAPs channel partners. For existing customers, it can be easily installed as part of the standard maintenance agreement.

With our newest version of SAP Business One, we are delivering an even more robust set of business management tools that enable our customers to grow through higher productivity, global trade and better business information analysis, said Gadi Shamia, vice president of Solution Management, Small Business Solutions, SAP AG. Built on feedback from our customers, SAP Business One delivers the capabilities that small businesses want, in a single, affordable and easily implemented software solution.