With the latest release of SAP Business One customers now have the ultimate software for cloud with flexibility, power and value.
For years people have been talking about Software as a Service (SaaS) as the panacea for business problems when in reality it is a cloud deployment with a rental model. For any solution to be the right fit for your business it must:
- First and foremost, meet your business requirements for growth, return on investment and ease of use.
- Help you adapt to the changing marketplace, also known as “Digital Transformation.” This translates to:
- Meeting your customers online
- Supporting the needs of a ever growing remote workforce
- Providing the ability to interact with your supply chain electronically
- Etc.
- Easy to manage. Outsourcing to the cloud or to a publisher provided SaaS platform transfers work from your IT staff to a third party.
- Stand the test of time! Change is hard, and although easier than ever before, nobody wants to change software every few years.
What is a Cloud Application?
What is a cloud application? Typically, the definition is aligned with how a software company designs their application. Microsoft has defined it’s SaaS maturity model with four levels:
- Single Tenant Cloud – Custom Instances
- Each customer gets a separate copy of the software. This approach limits economies of scale, but provides greatest potential for customization.
- Single Tenant – Configurable instances
- All customers use the same code configured in different ways. Each tenant runs their own copy on a separate virtual or physical machine. In practical terms, this similar to Single tenant cloud with stricter version control to add scalability for the service provider.
- Multi-Tenant – Configurable
- Each tenant can customize the same shared software instance through a self-service tool. This approach was embodied in the SAP Cloud Control Center for SAP Business One, where a “cloud operator” can deploy “compatible” or “certified” third party products to individual company’s through configuration.
- Multi-Tenant – Configurable and Scalable
- Theoretically, scalability is the key to efficiency and profitability for the provider. Level four requires the ability to add new software instances to a dynamic resource pool, to maximize the utilization of storage, processing power and other resources. Each tenant’s data is stored separately, and a virtually infinite number of tenants can be seamlessly accommodated by adjusting the number of servers on the backend to meet the current demand.
With SAP Business One version 10, powered by SAP HANA 2.0, SAP meets the definition of Level 4. There may be limits to any cloud’s scalability for both practical and technical reasons. For example, security and reliability may dictate smaller databases for a faster recovery time.
Many providers claim that the application must be browser based to be “true cloud”. In reality, nobody is 100% cloud. You always access the cloud from the ground in an office, manufacturing facility, home or from anywhere on the road! However, browser based makes the connection to the cloud easier to manage.
Why SAP Business One in 2022?
In my 35 years of selling, implementing and hosting business management software, I have always known there is not one system for all customers. The products I represent and recommend must be functional, affordable, flexible and user friendly. SAP Business One is especially good for discrete product distributors, light manufacturing and companies that sell and service products.
With the latest release, SAP Business One technology has everything a cloud needs!
- The HANA 2.0 platform allows for multiple versions of software within the same SAP Business One Cloud platform increasing efficiency and scalability.
- The new HANA platform also simplifies upgrades and allows providers and their customers of choosing when to upgrade as opposed to dictating when upgrades occur.
- Introduced the “web client” for a true cloud browser-based experience.
Web Client
With the latest release of SAP Business One the web client is now more functional than ever with all the core modules needed for a distribution company:
- Financials
- Sales, Purchasing and Service
- Banking
- Human Resources/Projects
- Reporting and Analytics
What is even better is how well SAP has integrated it with the other cloud tools most companies use:
- Microsoft 365 Integration – Export sales documents to Microsoft OneDrive as Word files and view them online by clicking the Share menu and choosing the new Export to Word option.
- The Web Client for SAP Business One is now directly accessible in Microsoft Teams. Your staff can use all the supported functions of Web Client, collaborate through chats and manage work easily and seamlessly without changing systems, thereby increasing productivity and performance, especially when working remotely.
- With the new Scan Business Card app, you can now create a business partner by selecting a photo, or taking a picture of a business card with IOS devices, such as iPads.
Flexibility and Future Proof
SAP has maintained the best of the “client server” functionality and made SAP Business One a “true cloud” application. In addition, the application is available in any format you need.
- On premise, dedicated cloud, multi-tenant cloud
- Powered by SAP HANA or Microsoft SQL Server
- Licensed on annual subscription or purchased
The speed at which SAP developed the web client is a testament to their investment in the product, providing confidence that SAP Business One can be your business technology platform for the long run.
Learn More
As you can see, I am passionate about SAP Business One and the using the Cloud to power business transformation! To learn more about either contact me at gfeldman@i-bn.net or book time on my Calendar.