The only constant of business is that it changes all the time. Every company tries to find a solution suited to its specific profile that will give it an advantage over its competitors, along with complex client service as well as process and cost optimization. Companies often develop at such a rate that keeping systems and tools up to date is neither practically nor financially viable. Additionally, the maintenance and integration of multiple systems often results in analytics disruption and a lack of data consistency. Therefore, in every company’s development, there is a point in time to consider a complex ERP solution change. Many roads may lead to this decision, but the two most common are:
- Further company development is not possible within current system parameters (supporting complex production processes, warehouse services, and key decision-making analytics).
- Company development dynamics create a need to reorganize business processes within the company and to look for a more effective business model.
Both of the above problems indicate a need for change. There are many IT solutions to choose from on the market. The main purpose of this publication is to present the 6 main advantages of using the SAP Business One solution offered by CompuTec S.A., which can completely cover the needs of wholesale, service, and production companies. It is worth mentioning that the offered solution is completely unified in terms of information flow, business processes, and analytics and reporting. In just a few points, I will try to focus on the key functions and advantages, broken down into thematic blocks. I also hope to persuade you that the solution we offer here at CompuTec S.A. outperforms that of our competitors.
1. Significant Shortening of Data Access Time
The SAP Business One system has been designed in a way that allows the user to access a specific area of the structure from its every level. Consistency of data is supported by SAP Business One’s functional, not modular, structure. This solution allows the user to manage their own desktop, including dynamically adding any fields and information by other users, which are supported in further stages of the process. The system structure allows the user to drill down to the source of data from every level due to embedded tracking tools. The built-in browser also allows you to search through records in every section of the system. Additionally, a context help tool provides guidance for less experienced users. This shortens the duration of processes and customer service response time. Complexity of data and fast access to it increase work effectiveness.
2. Efficient Management of Processes from the Outset
The SAP Business One solution makes it possible to build your own process maps based on a procedure route, e.g., for the whole sales or purchase process. It allows you to create a flexible and adjustable process route. The whole process has a logical step-by-step structure; therefore, it is always possible to refer to any of the steps in the process. It allows you to control each and every step in the process from the panel level and quickly ascertain during which step a specific action took place. One of the options that aids process management is the possibility to assign a document to specific cost dimensions (MPK) to track analytics information for every process for future use. This kind of model allows you to get full, complex information about any process quickly (dynamic Business Partner reports, turnover, etc.). The biggest advantage of the functionality is the organization and standardization of processes. This helps to introduce the system to new employees and standardize company work.
3. Full Production Process Management
In every production company, the crucial area of operation that often needs improvement is, of course, production. SAP Business One has an extensive manufacturing extension called CompuTec ProcessForce. It covers both the preparation of production (Bill of Materials, scrap management, co-products, etc.) and the support and automation of processes on the shop floor, thanks to CompuTec PDC panels that allow you to implement and record changes, giving you direct insight into crucial data straight from the shop floor. Additionally, the system provides full support for warehouse movement management, both on-site and during the MRP planning process. CompuTec ProcessForce production support is a wide-reaching functionality, and its detailed description can be found on the CompuTec ProcessForce page. Of course, the functionality is operated in relation to sales management: Sales Orders, the ATP tool, and the warehouse. The functionality also allows you to track production costs and quality control at every stage.
4. Multilevel Production Planning
Production planning is a very complicated process that requires a professional tool to be managed. SAP Business One combined with CompuTec ProcessForce allows the user to plan production from three perspectives. The first one is a classic view of Manufacturing Orders on a Gantt chart, on which we can make changes to the production calendar. It also displays overload warnings. The second perspective facilitates planning on a Gantt chart with resource indicators displayed. The last one allows planning directly on a resource, with access to information about availability, capacity, and alternative resources. Production planning also gives an overview of resource groups and tools connected to resources. This method gives a clear view of action taken at the production site, with the opportunity to optimize the use of available or less loaded resources.
5. Fast and Dynamic Reporting
The described solution gives very wide analytics opportunities due to its consistent structure. Thanks to a multidimensional structure and the opportunities of the SAP HANA platform, we can generate every kind of analysis that could be required. This is a standalone solution that does not need any other business intelligence system and is capable of creating even very complex data reports in the system. Apart from classic reporting, it is also possible to generate interactive reports and analysis. You can also create multidimensional dynamic reports managed by Microsoft Excel. An embedded tool for forecasting cash flow has been implemented too. It is also worth mentioning that SAP HANA is a unique, in-memory processing platform that allows you to increase reporting speed up to 1000 times faster than other databases. For the most demanding customers, we offer SAP Lumira. Thanks to it, we can create dynamic presentations based on interactive reports.
6. Key Decision-Making Support
The final, but also one of the most important, functions is the possibility to create dynamic, personalized cockpits and KPIs. Every user can create a unique cockpit and fill it with the information required by that specific user. The following options are available, among others: process maps, reminders, last operations, dynamic charts, and individual KPIs. Using it, managers can perform specific steps based on an overview of the situation.
As you can see, the scope for utilizing this system is very wide. The structure of the system is unique compared to other systems available on the market. Thanks to the usage of reliable mechanisms, we can have a full and detailed insight into the whole business. We can analyze what has already happened and react on an ongoing basis to what is happening in real time. SAP Business One offers a wide range of functionalities in conjunction with relatively low implementation costs. Another important point is the fact that the above functionalities are supported by SAP and will be supported in future versions.
Thanks to the combined possibilities of SAP Business One and CompuTec ProcessForce, you will:
- Optimize and speed up your business processes
- Reduce unnecessary cost
- See your business from a different perspective
To conclude, I would like to mention one more important case, which often is not stressed enough at the system selection stage. The crucial thing for choosing the right system is a detailed analysis of company needs, and making a decision based on the budget that comes from it. This model not only allows us to prepare a well-tailored offer, but also presents a new perspective on every key process in the company. Not the other way around. That is how we do it.
In the next entries, I will try to deliver more detailed descriptions of the advantages and develop the main points I made above.
