SAP Ranked Leaders in the Business Intelligence Tools Market

IDC has reported SAP as the market leader in the business intelligence (BI) tools market based on software license and maintenance revenue. IDC also reported that SAP has grown faster than the market for financial performance and strategy management (FPSM) applications for the fourth consecutive year.

“Today's competitive business environment demands real-time visibility into performance, and SAP delivers that by providing our customers with the most comprehensive set of integrated BI and EPM solutions," said Sanjay Poonen, executive vice president and general manager, Business User and Line-of-Business Sales, SAP.

"We continue to lead the combined BI and FPSM market because SAP enables customers to give their employees - from the boardroom to the shop floor - instant insight across all lines of the business so they can contribute to their bottom line. Customers continue to turn to SAP solutions over competitors because we provide a unique vision and approach to analytics, and we deliver those solutions on a modern platform that works with their existing IT environments. This makes it easy for all business users to get up running quickly, so they can focus on running their business more effectively."

SAP is clearly in tune with the diverse needs of businesses relative to their sector and the dynamic nature of the environments in which they reside.
Testament to this is the continued growth which SAP have achieved despite the negative growth overall in the IT market. They are a trusted and extremely well established business software provider and their commitment to innovation is central to their continued success.

Discover SAP in the World of Social Media

SAP are leading the way for partners and those who utilise SAP software in terms of the development of their presence in the world of Social Media and the exemplary way they are utilising its functions.
As a leading SAP Gold Partner in the UK and Ireland at IIS we have found their presence on the various Social Media sites to be not only inspiring but have also found the information and updates supplied and resources made available to be extremely useful and insightful.
SAP customers, partners or anyone with an interest in SAP would be foolish not to discover them on the various social media platforms. To make your life easier I have supplied some of the main links!

Facebook

SAP Community Network
http://www.facebook.com/#!/sapcommunitynetwork?ref=sgm

SAP Eco Hub
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/SAP-EcoHub/136104103748

SAP Software
http://www.facebook.com/SAPSoftware?ref=ts

SAP Tech Ed
http://www.facebook.com/SAPSoftware?ref=ts#!/pages/SAP-TechEd/74338051990?ref=ts

SAP Partner Edge SME
http://www.facebook.com/SAPSoftware?ref=ts#!/group.php?gid=154776037065&ref=ts

SAP Business One – Richard Duffy
http://www.facebook.com/SAPSoftware?ref=ts#!/pages/SAP-Business-One/7481621789?ref=ts

Twitter

SAP News
http://twitter.com/sapnews

SAP Community Network
http://twitter.com/SAPCommNet

SAP TV
http://twitter.com/saptv

SAP Channel Partner
http://twitter.com/SAPChanlPartner
S
AP 4 SME
http://twitter.com/SAP4SME

SAP B1
http://twitter.com/SAP_B1

SAP Info
http://twitter.com/sapinfo

SAP B1 UK and Ireland
http://twitter.com/SAP_B1_UKI

LinkedIn

SAP Company Profile
http://www.linkedin.com/companies/1115

LinkedIn Groups

SAP Business One
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=114094

SAP Community
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=36867

SAP Network Global
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=38891&about=

European SAP Professionals
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1876038&about=

Of course once you link it with one of the pages on the various sites additional ones will be readily accessible.

Also don’t forget the SAP Community Blogs and also be sure to visit the SAP You Tube Channel.

http://www.youtube.com/user/saptv

SAP invest in the future of their partners

SAP have teamed up with Birmingham City University.
The aim being to strenghten the link between academia and industry.

They have created a new degree, an MSc in Enterprise Systems Management and the initiaitive also includes a scholarship and new SAP training facility.

The new degree is both full and part-time and will provide access to students to four SAP components -ERP, CRM, Business Objects and Business Intelligence. Each of these is incorporated one of eight degree modules using SAP as the common theme throughout to illustrate to students how interconnected modern organisational processes work. At the end of the degree students will then choose from thesis titles that have been proposed by local SAP customers including senior management of Birmingham Council – itself the largest local government user of SAP globally. Finally students will take the SAP ‘TERP10’ Certification giving the students a real SAP qualification to complement their degree.

SAP set the benchmark and guide the way to supreme SEO

Search Engine Optimisation -A crucial topic for all in the business world whichever the sector as websites, site traffic and visibility prove to be imperative to achieving and sustaining competitive advantage.

Though I have a broad understanding of the concept and the actions it commands though I wouldn’t claim to comprehend how to truly optimise the conveniences.

SAP Community Network has been recognised for their expertise, exemplary example they have set and the benefits they have reaped as a result with regard to SEO. They have been featured on Gaspedal, Business Blogging Blog as they have created a 300% annual increase in search engine traffic; brought to my attention by the wonderful world of Facebook.

They have introduced five key SEO Activities.
1. Defining Page Related Key Words
2. Evaluating a Page’s Current Effectiveness
3. Placing Keywords Where They Matter Most
4. Generating Link Love
5. Monitoring Page Search Ranking

Keywords identify the page and once defined should be tested to establish their effectiveness; the placing of them evidently has an impact. Links both onsite and offsite generate what they describe as “link love” and the more “link love” created the more your Google search ranking will be improved upon. Establishing a high ranking isn’t a once off activity, it needs to be monitored, evaluated and continually given attention and energy in order for benefits to be consistently reaped.

For a more in depth peek into their knowhow visit the SAP Community Network wiki:

http://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/Community/Strategic+SEO+on+SAP+Community+Network

I found it informative, simplified and to the point. A valuable read and a constructive insight, an area which is clearly unwise to neglect!

Set objectives and see the return on your investment in SAP B1

SAP has never claimed to be a quick fix revenue booster; it is a long term investment into the future success and profitability of a company.

For anything to be measurable objectives need to be set and for these objectives to be of any real value they should be formulated with a clear understanding of the issues that are having an impact on your businesses bottom line.

What does your company wish to gain from SAP B1? What do you particularly hope to achieve within your business from implementing it? What are the results you want to see?

The potential benefits are far reaching, some perhaps more relevant than others depending on the industry in which your business resides and more importantly the different and core functionalities which exist within it.

Elements of your business which can be expected to gain from implementing SAP B1 include productivity, labour costs, financial performance, inventory management, pricing, customer management, and process improvements.

More specifically, though not by any means exhaustively, a business in the Retail industry will be supported in matching inventory to customer needs, where as a Professional Services business will gain from speeding up collections with more efficient billing. A company in the Wholesale and Distribution industry can expect to create efficiencies and subsequently increase their margins.

Most notably for all technology support and maintenance costs will be reduced in the long term. SAP B1 is an investment and if maintained correctly can have transformative results.

Innovation is the hot topic - SAP B1 8.8 PL 12

Innovation has been, and will continue to be the hot topic with regards to SAP B1 which was highlighted at the demo in Boston at the end of last year.

The main focus for innovation with regard to SAP B1 was intended to be incorporated in version 8.81 at the end of 2010 but due to the positive market reception elements of the development have been pulled forward.
The 8.8 PL 12 initiates the beginning of future innovations that have been planned and anticipated for SAP B1.
Key features include the new Cockpit, Dashboards and Mobile Services.
The critical thing to remark upon is that these features are all optional and will not be forced upon users, though the benefits are certainly advantageous and the demonstrations ought to speak for themselves and prove appealing!

The Cockpit provides quicker access to important information and functions the user employs regularly and action based upon the information can be accomplished with ease. Increased efficiency is also supplied to users throughout the use of this readily customisable function.

The first framework to deliver Dashboards in SAP B1 is being created and is now geared up to be introduced and demonstrated to customers. What is available at the moment should be regarded as a preview though it should most definitely be installed in demo systems and included and highlighted in customer presentations. It does at this time have limitations, though it may be possible to use in a productive environment, the key focus and intention at the moment is to gain feedback from customers so that SAP can work to resolve issues and modify the functionalities for Dashboards they want incorporated as they develop SAP B1 8.81.

Mobile services don’t yet include “out of the box capabilities” discussed at the demo in Boston, however what is now contained in 8.8 PL 12 is a Mobile Service framework and the guides on how to develop and build upon this will be made available to partners before long.

As with all Patch updates 8.8 PL 12 also includes important corrections and legal changes. Crystal report layouts have also been contemplated and now include graphics and visual breakdowns; the intention going forward is to furthermore embrace and take advantage of the key features Crystal has to offer.

Everything we need to know as Partners with regard to the key features, familiarising ourselves with them and getting them up and running is available at:

What has been stressed, and should be continually emphasised to customers is that innovation is of core importance to SAP and the innovations they supply are all part and parcel of the sustained maintenance SAP is committed to delivering.

Find out more:

Being customer centric is a key priority for all; global leaders SAP consolidate their stance

Enthusiasm reflects confidence, spreads good cheers, raises morale, inspires associates, arouses loyalty, and laughs at adversity ...it is beyond price.

ALLAN COX

The biggest change at SAP in recent months has been the change in leadership; now confident, assertive and highly informed.
In April this year when SAP announced its quarterly earnings they emphasised not only double digit growth but also a return in customer trust made evident by 90% of their customers purchasing their support package.

Though perhaps like many companies existing customers were initially temporarily forgotten or shelved as the economic circumstances took precedence they have come to realise the merits of investing in customers continually and the long term costs of regaining them once lost as opposed to sustaining them by comparison.

You've got to give loyalty down, if you want loyalty up

DONALD REGAN

Never was there a truer quote.

SAP has clearly identified what their customers’ need, where they fit in and how they will drive further customer value.
Adapted from: Evans, B., SAP’s top priorities to become undisputed, Information Week, 17/05/2010, accessed 12/07/2010, Available at: http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/interviews/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224800105&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All

99.9% of all successful businesses have one thing in common…they are customer centric!
They know their customers, the business is built around their core customers, employees live, and breathe customers, and the business tracks its customers as part of key performance business tracking.

To find out more and determine how customer centric your business is visit:

http://www.articlesbase.com/strategic-planning-articles/is-your-business-customer-focussed-do-you-have-a-customercentric-strategy-a-simple-checklist-for-your-business-by-ysatisfy-consultancy-829741.html

At IIS we see our customers as our partners in making SAP Business One better.
Our customers are our wealth and we are continually committed to meeting their diverse and ever changing needs. The development of Intelligent Essentials is testimony to this as these standardised enhancements have been developed to compliment and build upon what is already available from the SAP Business One platform.

Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.

HELEN KELLER

SAP Benchmarking - A free hidden gem for SAP customers!

“SAP Benchmarking is a hidden gem ...and one that that many customers do not realise is a free service that is available to SAP Customers around the world. It's easy to participate in, results are confidential and it is your chance to see how your organisation measures up and what you can do to move your organisation to new levels of performance”.

Paul Kurchina, KurMeta Group, 9/07/2010, http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/20025

Looking internally at your company’s performance does have its merits though it is difficult to know how much better your performance could be, should be or how it measures up to your competitors unless you compare it to those of similar companies. Competitive benchmarking involves measuring the company’s performance with that of other comparable businesses against key credentials and comparators such as finance, products and services, organisation, technology, research and development and personnel policies.

The SAP benchmarking program was piloted in 2004, and rolled out largely in 2005. The mission of the program was to develop a forum for SAP customers where year on year performance metrics, and best practices could be readily assessed and contrasted.

To date the program has involved 8,500 participants making it one of the largest benchmarking programs in the world and most notably of all it’s free to SAP customers.

Participants receive a detailed benchmarking study of their businesses processes. Key performance indicators are highlighted within the High Impact Strategies Framework; strategies which are believed to create and have the biggest impact on value creation for the particular business relative to its industry and competitive forces within it.

With over 4,000 survey’s complete the comparable data is all embracing encompassing areas such as financial excellence, customer value life cycle, strategic IT, operational excellence and product and service leadership; moreover, this list is not exhaustive.

The increased competitive pressure within today’s business environments driven by the dynamic, turbulent economic conditions is now compelling organisations to seek new ways to improve their performance and sustain their positions. Measuring of internal performance is no longer sufficient as it can breed complacency and result in positions being challenged, bypassed and potentially pilfered by the competition.

Benchmarking allows for gaps in performance to be identified and then the challenge is how to change the company’s strategies and practices to fill these gaps and reside more competitively.

Businesses should be given every opportunity to excel and reach their full potential. SAP recognise the need for businesses to gain support in improving, building upon successes, strengths and overcoming weaknesses to take advantage of opportunities and minimise threats. According to the now famous business and management consultant, Albert Humphrey, fundamentally this is the basic premise upon which strategy should consistently be cultivated.

SAP Business One, Customisation without the Pitfalls

At IIS we understand and are committed to providing tailored solutions to meet the diverse busienss needs of organisations in a vast array of industries. Customisation of ERP solutions bears even more precedence for SME's as their unique requirements can be even more diverse, limited or specialised than larger organisations. Customisation allows for a smoother transistion between old and new processes and ultimately ensures a better fit between the ERP system and the end user.

Customisation by its nature suggests time delays and more money having to be spent. With ERP systems it also inherently implies these issues having to be dealt with incessantly in relation to both the maintenance and updating of the system.

"SAP Business One is one of the most versatile SME packages available on the market today. The software provides a complete solution to many lines of business. One of the key advantages of the product is its seemingly endless capacity for customisation to suit (almost) every need. This catalog is designed to aid persons who sell, implement, customise and use SAP Business One. You will find precise descriptions of otherwise lesser known functionalities with examples of how to apply them, detailed instructions on how to set up specific business processes, workarounds for presently unavailable features and much more. The content is derived from business consulting requests from partners to SAP and relates to the currently supported versions of SAP Business One (2007 and 8.80). All future content will relate to version 8.8x and future versions only. Content based solely on SAP Business One 2007 can be accessed in the EoP Wiki until the version goes out of maintenance.The articles are real life answers to real life questions!"

Learn more at :http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/index?rid=/webcontent/uuid/2015042b-e6bf-2c10-88bc-f52b878d2895

Intelligent Essentials have been developed by IIS to compliment and build upon what is already available from the SAP Business One platform. These standardised enhancements provide one single add on which can be attuned to cater for your distinct business needs. Adaptation of software has never been so easy with the enhancements conveniently having the capability to be turned on or off according to the businesses individual needs.

To find out more visit our website: http://www.iisystems.net/

Focusing on the upside of customisation; overcoming the obstacles!

Intelligent Information Systems enters the world of social media!

We're looking forward to interacting with our customers, gaining insight and feedback in to their needs, sharing our experiences, ideas, interests and developments and expanding our insight into the vast array of sectors to which we supply SAP Business One. We want to remain the leading providers of SAP Business One in UK and Ireland and we recognise the need to share and build upon our devoted interest to its development, and developments in our own and customers industries.

Come join, follow and interact with us on:
Our Blog: http://intelligentinformationsystems.blogspot.com/
Our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/IntelligentB1/
Our Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Intelligent-Information-Systems/