Cultural Change an upshot of SAP technical prowess

“We tend to think we can separate strategy from culture, but we fail to notice that in most organisations strategic thinking is deeply coloured by tacit assumptions about who they are and what their mission is.”
Edgar Schein

When enterprise resource planning software fails, it's usually because the company didn't dedicate enough time or money to training and managing culture-change issues.

"Faulty technology is often blamed, but eight out of nine times, ERP problems are performance-related," says Pat Begley, senior vice president of educational services at SAP, an ERP software company in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

When the technological problems are overcome by an SAP solution what happens to traditional processes and traditional behavior patterns and traditional organisational structures when those organisations suddenly have dramatically different views of what the world is likely to be like next week, next month, next quarter?

What happens when guesswork and catch up are no longer the norms?

What happens when all the people across the enterprise who should have access to these new insights gain that access?

Employees need appropriate training and a level of understanding so that they will support the ERP implementation and continue to support the use of the solution throughout its lifetime. Without employee commitment and dedication the solution is unlikely to become the backbone of the business and deliver on all the benefits of increased efficiency, productivity and reduced costs that they offer.

Early and constant communication is also critical to ease them through the transformation. Explain why you are implementing this tool and how it will make them more profitable or satisfied.

"End-users will want to know why they can't do it the old way," Begley says. "They need to know why the change was necessary and why management thinks it's important."

Your people are your main resource and core asset. They directly influence the value of any additional assets such as ERP software your company acquires or implements and are critical to strategic success.

iPad Making Fast Inroads into the World of Business

Apple are putting an emphasis on the fact that the iPad is a useful innovative and soon to be key Business Tool.

“Featuring built-in support for Microsoft Exchange, secure access to corporate data, and a powerful platform for apps, iPad is ready for work, right out of the box.”

Apple, known for courting consumers with sleek designs and easy to use software is making inroads with corporations at a much faster pace than the iPhone was able to achieve in its early days.

Wells Fargo spent two years studying the iPhone before letting bankers use the device at work. Apple's iPad, released in April, took just weeks to get cleared.

Apple, known for courting consumers with sleek designs and easy-to-use software, is making inroads with corporations that say the iPad can make workers more productive without putting sensitive customer information at risk. SAP, Tellabs, and Daimler's Mercedes-Benz are using the tablet-style computer for tasks as varied as accessing work e-mail, approving shipping orders, and calling up on-the-spot auto-finance options.

Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs announced the iPad in January, touting its ability to deliver games, video, music, Web access, and digital versions of books and magazines. Yet companies say it's widely applicable at work, too.

"This iPad thing has taken the world by storm," says Ted Schadler, vice-president and principal analyst at Forrester Research and author of Empowered, which explores how employees use new technologies. "It came in as a consumer product and very quickly the people who actually bought them were businesspeople."

Business Week

Enthusiastic Telemarketers Required

Two Enthusiastic Full Time Telemarketers Required

Intelligent Information Systems is a SAP Gold Partner focused on the reselling of SAP Business One and are own branded add on Intelligent Essentials. We require two full time telemarketers to make contact with SMEs within the UK and Ireland.

Applicants MUST have a clear speaking voice, fluent English, a confident telephone manner and a positive attitude.

The ideal candidates should be self motivated and target driven. They should have excellent time management, communication and organisational skills.

Applicants must also have a minimum of 1 years experience in Telemarketing. Experience of contacting SMEs and a knowledge of SAP Business One would be an advantage.

Please submit your CV and a brief cover note if you meet the criteria to Sonya O’Connor at sonya.o’connor@iisystems.net

SAP and Sybase Unveil Joint Strategy

At a co-located event today in Boston and Frankfurt, company leaders from SAP AG and Sybase came together for the first time to share the strategy and joint product direction for the newly combined companies.

Recognising the strength of Sybase’s existing business model, SAP confirmed that Sybase will be run as a separate, independent unit – and that customer investments in Sybase products will be preserved and supported. Setting the stage for their vision of an unwired enterprise and embracing the evolution of mobile as the new desktop, SAP and Sybase today also unveiled strategic product directions and planned co-innovations in three key areas: enterprise mobility, business analytics and enterprise information management (EIM).

With the combination of complementary technologies from the SAP BusinessObjects portfolio and Sybase, the companies now offer a complete and optimised high-performance business analytics infrastructure. SAP BusinessObjects BI solutions are already certified on Sybase IQ 15.0 and Sybase ASE 15.0. Customers can take advantage of complete solutions – from business analytic applications; to reports, scorecards and dashboards; to data integration and data quality; to transactional storage, data marts and data warehousing. SAP and Sybase will also deliver business analytic applications that are optimised for industries such as financial services, consumer products, retail and manufacturing.

The combination of SAP and Sybase EIM offerings provides the industry’s broadest solution portfolio for enterprise information management, including data integration and data quality, master data management, complex event processing (CEP), real-time replication, modeling, application development and database capabilities.

Copyright of SAP AG 2010 - Visit http://www.sap.com/about/newsroom/press.epx?pressid=13780 to read the full article

ERP Vs Accounting – What’s the difference?

Though ERP Systems have been around since the 1960s there still is a common misconception that ERP Systems and Accounting Systems are one in the same.

ERP Systems originally existed in the form of MRP systems and developed into what we know as ERP systems around 1990. Global ERP leader SAP technologies were established in the year 1972 by five engineers.

Paul Marketos, Managing Director of Bluekey Software Solutions, which specialises in implementing SAP Business One, says that while accounting is central to any business, it is not what differentiates it.

“Without integrated systems, accounting only offers after-the-fact reporting. But, there are so many factors other than what’s happened in the past influencing where your business stands today and where it will be tomorrow and in a month’s time."

“An accounting package cannot help you forecast demand for products, reduce stock handling, keep goods flowing or improve stock management. Nor will it allow you to set up business rules which prevent stock from being sold or shipped at the wrong price or to customers who owe you more than 90 days; or ensure that managers are alerted to operational exceptions.”

“Where an accounting system assists in tracking the finances to provide an overview of where the company stands from a financial perspective, based on historical data; ERP can be used to plan, control and streamline all aspects of business in real time, into the future."

“ERP integrates your key operational and customer-centric divisions, from production through to sales and service, enabling them to operate more efficiently. In fact, ERP is so effective in planning, integrating and controlling the business that good accounting is just one of the by-products of ERP,” says Marketos.
He believes that ERP is becoming a competitive necessity for companies of all sizes."

“Having made the shift from manual ledgers and Excel spreadsheets, companies that have automated their accounting processes are starting to realise that they need something bigger and better to improve efficiencies and profits because an accounting package simply cannot do it for them."

“The fact is that even with the best accounting package in play, that one source of the truth - that complete and accurate view of the business - remains elusive, and the only way to get it is with an integrated ERP solution."

“Many larger enterprises are also beginning to put pressure on their supply chain to implement ERP, not only to automate and speed-up administrative processes, but to streamline communication and other transactions as well,” says Marketos, adding that very often, the implementation of an ERP system leads to a complete re-engineering of many business processes, resulting in a leaner, meaner, faster and more profitable version of the business.

“With better inventory control, costing and operational efficiencies, ERP can actually help to drive profits, and so it quickly pays for itself,” says Marketos.

When the competitiveness, health and longevity of a business is at stake and the only way to increase profits is through improved efficiencies and cost cutting, the investment in ERP can be easily justified.

Best Business iPhone Apps

Make your iPhone work for you.

iThoughts
Mind mapping tool that highlights the benefits of using touch screen technology. An excellent tool for those that like the mind mapping approach.

Quickoffice
Excel and Word functionality for the iPhone.

WorkSnug
Locate a nearby wireless network (and cafe). Uses the augumented reality approach also found on Nearest Tube.

BusinessWeek
Quality content with good small business and management channels.

National Rail
Obtain the latest information and never miss a train again!

Tube Exits
Shortest journey calculator for the tube.

Weather Pro
High precision weather forecast.

Business Card Reader
Import contact information from business cards directly to your iPhone contacts.

Twittelator
Discover Twitter for yourself and join the growing business users. Alternatively, there is the LinkedIn app.

Currency Converter
Currency Converter is an iPhone business application which allows users to convert money between 23 currencies. The application will constantly update the conversion rates, allowing users to check exchange rates.

ACTPrinter
ACTPrinter is an innovative new application which hopes to save the world by cutting back on unnecessary print-outs. It allows users to “print” documents from a Mac or PC to an iPhone. It means users can take their documents with them without printing, folding, and then sheltering documents from the rain. Documents can be viewed easily and conveniently without sorting through a stack of paperwork.

Intelligent iPhone
Not forgetting our very own iPhone app which is currently being developed which will allow you to access SAP Business One and elements of Intelligent Essentials via your iPhone!

Government to award 25% of IT contracts to SMEs

The coalition government has set a policy objective of placing 25% of government IT external expenditure with SME suppliers.

Achieving the scale of savings demanded by government requires moving from the status quo and deploying innovative ideas, products and services. While government appreciates that small and medium-sized enterprises, (SMEs), are best placed to provide that innovation, the barriers to using them are huge.

Blockers include: perceived risk of SMEs, complexity of UK interpretations of EU procurement rules, self interest from gatekeepers to preserve lucrative status quos, and an underlying belief that big is safe.

Aside from the government's self-imposed objective, there are a number of other key drivers that should prompt more support for SMEs:

•Looming job losses in the public sector may not be soaked up by large companies.
•SMEs are a vital part of the UK economy and employ 51% of those working in the private sector. They are also the key to innovative step-change savings and efficiencies.
•SMEs are disadvantaged in bidding for and securing government work by the structure of public sector procurement and the UK interpretations of EU procurement regulations. In the current IT supply chain to government, 70% of the revenue goes to just over a dozen large organisations - those gatekeepers often have the most to lose from innovation.
•There is an urgent need to create more jobs in the private sector.
•An effective mechanism for government to give contracts to SMEs (and become "anchor clients") would make step-change savings, create the new jobs, and provide customer references to help those SMEs to export, and help reduce the deficits for the Exchequer.

The coalition's policy objective of placing at least 25% of external government spending to SMEs is feasible in the IT marketplace and does not necessarily require changes to EU procurement legislation. It can be done if the public sector takes a creative approach, using the legislative requirements as a constraint rather than a driver for procurement.

David Chan, Computer Weekly

Keys to Ensuring ERP Success for SMEs

Make you first ERP implementation your last by following these steps when selecting and implementing ERP.

1.Know what your company needs and wants
2.Look into the future, plan for it
3.Be committed from the top down
4.Try before you buy
5.Pick a partner that understands your business
6.Monitor the progress to ensure focus
7.Don’t bite off more than you can chew

Know what your company needs and wants

What does your company need ERP for? What major areas of your current structure are letting you down. These are things that your company needs to have in order to function properly; there are other things that would be nice to have be may not be a necessity though be sure to consider these once the fundamentals have be accounted for.

Look into the future and plan for it

When assessing your company software needs take some time to look at what you would like to see in the future. Short sighted planning opens organisations up to things like replacing systems, or spending a lot of money to meet future demands. Your ERP systems should support your company and employees in achieving growth.

Be Committed from the top down

If the owners and managers aren’t serious about the integration of their business and the installation of an ERP system the likely hood of success is minimal. The people who run and own the business have to be the driving force behind it at times. How it should be set up, who should do what, breaking down departmental barriers, signing the checks. Buy in is important from the top down. Employees will follow your lead.

Try before you buy

There are many different ways to try before you buy such as trials and full demonstration in using your own data. It is very important that you see that way your companies’ data will flow and how your people will use the system in there day to day jobs. Just because a software package does something, it doesn’t mean it does it the way you need to.

Pick a partner that understands your business

The software you buy and the company you buy it from are not necessarily the same. There are many software salesman out there who know how to navigate the software and talk the talk, but they really don’t understand your business processes. Your partner should offer advice when asked, they should bring business process value to your organisation. Anyone can tell you how software works but you need to find someone to tell you how software could best work for you. IIS have implemented over 200 SAP Business One implementations in almost every business sector and we continue to support our business partners within them.

Monitor the progress to ensure focus

Someone at a high level has to monitor the progress, ensuring that internal staff and vendors are progressing at the proper pace. You will also want to ensure the budget is on track based on the progress of the implementation. You need to ensure that things aren’t sidetracked and if they are that they are scheduled for in the future and the reason that this is happening should be valid.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew

ERP is important and effective in many areas. SME’s often have key people who where many hats, if you try to do too much you will these people will be overloaded. Focus on what is going to give you most return for your investment first and then expand the system. Copyright of Integrate IT 2010

Copyright of Integrate IT 2010

Is Google Making Us Stupid? Or Making Us More Intelligent and Increasing Our Productivity?

Google has no doubt made all our lives a hell of a lot easier and simpler. Anytime we have a question, a query or have a temporary memory lapse we can turn to Google and have all our problems answer in a matter of seconds.

This has good and bad points.

On the one hand it means that we aren’t pushing ourselves and making use of our memories and innate intelligence as we become more dependent on Google and other such search engines to act on our behalf.

“Severe mental decline is usually caused by disease, whereas most age-related losses in memory or motor skills simply result from inactivity and a lack of mental exercise and stimulation. In other words, use it or lose it.”
Franklin Institute

I would have to disagree with the fact that Google is making us stupid. I don’t oppose the idea that it has the potential to replace brain activity but I think on the whole, along with other technological advancements it has the promise to expand and increase our knowledge. Not only that, it allows us to focus on the completion of tasks which may be more efficiently completed as we become more readily informed.

This week, the Harvard Business Review agrees with me.

The HBGR’s Paul Michelman contends that yes, the Internet is helping to rewire our brains. He says:

"We are heading towards a deeper immersion in ideas - but of a very different kind that we experienced in the pre-Web days. We will take our new-found abilities to consume and contextualize multiple ideas and multiple forms of media and combine it with our long-held ability to dive deep into text-based content."

Make constructive use of the tools available. If used in adjunct to our own memories and intelligence they have the potential to increase our acumen whatever the topic.
Most experts agree that Google won't make us stupid.

Indeed, 76% of technology stakeholders and critics interviewed by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project and the Imagining the Internet Center at Elon University believe that the Internet and search engines will enhance human intelligence by 2020.

Intelligent Email Release 1

Intelligent Email

Intelligent Email provides functionality in SAP Business One to send marketing documents and statements via email.

One of the first in a long line of Intelligent Essentials Demo Videos to come!

SAP gains recognition for Proactive Sustainability Efforts

Executing on its commitment to sustainability SAP today announced that the expansion of its North American headquarters on the Newtown Square campus in Pennsylvania has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, the highest rating given by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Designed by FXFOWLE Architects and opened in May 2009, the 200,000-square-foot building is currently the largest LEED Platinum-certified facility in the State of Pennsylvania.

The building received the max number of LEED points in the water efficiency, innovative and design process categories. The state of the art design water management system they are using is set to save over one million gallons of water every year.

Energy efficient buildings support SAP’s goal of reducing carbon emissions to year 2000 levels by 2020. SAP estimates that the new building is one-third more energy-efficient compared to conventional buildings by using intelligent design features.
The building's sensor system is integrated with exterior shading devices that automatically adjust the lighting and help control the temperature level in the facility. A hybrid air conditioning system produces ice to cool the building during the overnight hours when energy demands and electric rates are the lowest. Floor-to-ceiling glass exteriors and a green roof, planted with native and regional vegetation, integrate the office with its surrounding natural environment and create an exceptional work environment.

In addition, SAP committed to an annual purchase of 19 million kilowatt-hours of wind-generated Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The wind-energy purchase offsets more than 80 percent of the electricity needs of the SAP Newtown Square campus and reduces the company's carbon footprint by over 10 tonnes.

Source: SAP News – Press Release 17/08/2010

Intelligent iPhone Sneek Peek!

The latest addition to Intelligent Essentials is on the way.

The Intelligent iPhone App is making rapid progress. Here's a few sneek peek images of the App. Let us know what you think, and don't hestitate to pose any questions or queries you might have.

Hope your as excited as we are!

Motivate your staff with SAP B1! Another SME to realise the benefits.

Small toy business Jellycat has implemented an SAP application to integrate its business functions.

SAP's SME-specific Business One package will automate the company's processes and provide financial reporting.

Danny Olive, finance director at Jellycat, said, "We needed a comprehensive, integrated and scalable solution to help us continue our business success."

This follows a push by SAP to expand its offering into the SME market. Jim Hageman Snabe, co-chief executive officer of the firm, said the company had made recent inroads into the sector.

He said: "Reaching more than 100,000 customers is a testament to the inroads we have made in expanding our volume business and our success in the SME segment."

SAP's current ERP and business software for small to medium businesses includes:

Business One
BusinessByDesign
Business All-in-One
BusinessObjects
NetWeaver
Crystal Reports®
Xcelsius®

Each of the SAP SME products has been developed to encourage better management of business processes, providing business owners and managers with insight and information into revenue draining processes and the solutions to streamline them. In a similar way to its large scale ERP products, SAP's SME products helps business owners and managers drive efficiency throughout their entire organisation.

Providing such training to employees also helps them visualise the link between their roles and the success of the business, clarifying the communication channels which SAP initiates. Through SAP, SME owners and managers can empower their employees to contribute to the future success of the organisation.

Sources: Ezine Articles and Computer Weekly

To Do List or Not To Do List

“One of the secrets of getting more done is to make a TO DO List every day, keep it visible and use it as a guide to action as you go through the day.”

Jean de La Fontaine (French Poet)

“For every minute spent in organising, an hour is earned.”

To Do Lists have their advantages it has to be said and I’m a great believer in them…

1.They can help relieve stress! Knowing what needs to be done and having it written down may help remove it from your mind and avoid unnecessary thinking about.

2.We can prioritise once we have a full list of what needs to be done.

3.A to do list is more dependable than our memory! With the substantial amount of tasks which one must now complete within our working and social lives we can’t really expect ourselves to remember everything, and why should we, we’re only human!

4.We can cross out the tasks once they are achieved which will help you feel a sense of achievement and true completion. You can truly recognise the accomplishments you have made.

5.If anything remains on your to do list it can be readily carried over until tomorrow. Just because you write a to do list for doesn’t mean that everything needs to be crammed within a specific time period.

6.A to do list may provide us with a more realistic picture of what we are likely to achieve within a given time period as we can recognise the number of tasks which need to completed and consider the time which may need to be allocated for completion.

Not everyone is a fan of To Do Lists…

1.The mind is powerful thing. Is it not better to trust our memory and keep our brains active?

2.It can be a time consuming process writing a To Do List; time which may be better spent completing tasks.

3.If you fail to complete your to do list you may feel guilty… it can drain you of your motivation as the list appears to be endless and time frame for completion is beyond estimation.

4.Some people suggest highlighting and placing focus on one goal for the day which will under pin your activities. Something which you are passionate about and will provide a sense of motivation for all the routine tasks which you must consider along the way.

So what’s the solution? Do what works for you!

I personally feel that writing a To Do List can be a constructive activity once it is realistically drawn up and you don’t place undue pressure on yourself to complete tasks beyond the time that is available to you. What you do you should do well and everything else can wait.

Perhaps easier said than done but there are only so many hours in the day!

“There are occasions where saying “no” is the best time management practice there is.”
Catherine Pulsifer, We Never Seem to Have Enough Time

Keeping up to date with customers

"Marketing is the whole business seen from the point of view of its final result -- that is, from the customer’s point of view."
- Peter Drucker

As marketing co-ordinator for IIS I'm trying to find new ways to interact with our customers, build and maintain relationships with them. I want to encourage all our customers, who we see as business partners, to interact with us, provide feedback and make any enquiries or suggestions they have directly through our positions within the various social media platforms.

Communicating with us is now free and easy!

We understand the importance of our customers, as they along with our employees are what make us who we are and without them we wouldn't exist.

Not taking action to strengthen your relationships can cost your business big time and here are 9 advantages of being proactive to keep learning about your customers:

Allows you to have a real point of difference that is still relevant and not generic eg great customer service

Helps you craft communication that is meaningful to them

Allows you to pinpoint areas of opportunity such as new services or products or on the other hand what to drop from your range

See what changes have occurred for example are they hanging out in places where you are not

Allows you to see what is working and what is not

Allows you to review what features and benefits are important to them

You can see what they like and dislike so you can make adjustments

Deepens the relationship

It make life a lot easier!

Source: Small Business Brief

Hospitality or Bribery??? Bribery Act 2010

“Though the bribe be small, yet the fault is great.”
Edward Coke

The Bribery Act 2010 will soon come in to force but what does it mean for businesses?

The Bribery Act 2010 introduces controversial new corporate offences, which will add more weight to the increasing burden on prudent managers who are responsible for business planning. The Act has enormous importance from a practical, commercial point of view, in all sectors, whether public or private.

What does this mean? It means that it will now be an offence to bribe another person, or receive a bribe, including the mere offer to give a bribe, or a request for one.

A sensible starting point would be to:
•Identify areas of the business where bribery could be an issue, for example, in procurement or sales, where official permissions or consents are required. Look for warning signs. The risk is potentially higher where there is a foreign element, although a very recent police case in the Liverpool Crown Court highlights a potential problem with lavish corporate entertainment even in the domestic market.

•Consider corporate entertainment in particular, and consider some central monitoring of entertainment given and received.
An anti bribery policy should be written and circulated to all members of staff and make it part of the terms and conditions that they agree to adhere to.

Get prepared now and then once the Secretary of State’s guidance is published hopefully only a few changes will have to be made.

Adapted from Source: SME Web