Do companies with less than 1,000 employees really need real-time data analysis? Moreover, is there any need for speed regarding data deliverance – as provided by SAP HANA for example?
Probably not, one might think. Sure…if the businesses abstain from more competitiveness, more excellence and – in consequence – market success. Yes, it’s true: Such goals can be achieved simply by the intelligent use of the appropriate technology.
That’s one of the reasons we are now offering the SAP S/4HANA edition for SAP Business All-in-One. The easy-to-handle platform combined with the industry-specific ERP solutions for small and medium sized businesses enables enterprises to automatize their core processes and to foster innovations. Indeed, partners who develop solutions mainly for smaller firms, welcome the new solution – as, for example, itelligence* does for mechanical and plant engineering.
Small and medium sized businesses need to scale – it is the crucial precondition for successfully competing in the marketplace. Technology is the key, as several examples show.
For instance, take the merchandising company Nostalgic-Art of Berlin. Nostalgic-Art had been founded in the early years of the 21st century with just a handful of employees. Over the years, the company had developed to a flourish firm that delivers its offerings to many gift shops all over Berlin, Europe and even as far as Australia, Japan and Mexico. For already a decade, Nostalgic-Art runs its business on SAP Business One on a SQL database. Due to a continuously increasing demand, Nostalgic-Arts asked its partner CIB-Computer for more transactional speed in its whole system landscape. Currently, the company is testing SAP HANA as the main database. Herewith, the people in charge intend to gain decisively more speed and agility for further growth.
But speed isn’t the only item on the company’s wish list. Additionally, the new solution should comprise a stock barcode scanner, sales breakdown by quarters and days as well as fast IDE integration/ interfaces to other vendors like “Nanu-Nana” gift shops and “Hornbach” DIY markets.
Moreover, advanced analytics now are available for SMEs, too: SAP Business One contains such important tools like predictive analysis, ad hoc reporting, SAP Lumira visualizations and more.
Another important feature is SAP Business ByDesign, a cloud solution highly welcomed for example by Navigator’s customer Zhena’s Gypsy Tea, a certified vendor of fair trade herbal teas. In an effort to grow its business, as well as improve its FDA compliance and transparency, Zhena’s felt that SAP Business ByDesign provided the functionality needed for the company especially referring to its analytic capabilities and the traceability and transparency for FDA regulations.
As those success stories show, data analysis capabilities as well as other functionalities delivered by up-to-date technology like SAP S/4HANA edition for SAP Business All-in-One are much more than just a nice-to-have for SMEs. It’s critical for success because it gives small businesses the chance to act efficient and flexible – and to grow without the need to permanently upgrade the technological equipment.
Rinse Tamsma is senior vice president of Global Partner Operations, MEE, SAP
Photo provided by Nostalgic-Art
*itelligence press release (in German)
