SAP Business ONE Implementation

Wolfgang Niefert

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2009
• eBook ISBN: 9781847196385
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Information Technology
• Index: Computer Science

In Detail

SAP Business ONE brings the power of the SAP ERP platform to small and mid-size companies. It offers fast-growing companies the same ERP capabilities used in world-wide conglomerates and major corporations. SAP Business ONE is powerful, and to fully harness it takes careful planning.

This book will provide you with a guide to install and implement SAP B1 in your business. It starts with the basic tasks of installing and configuring, but moves at a fast pace and goes on to cover topics such as advanced CRM, e-commerce, and modern Distribution Center configurations for inventory optimization and Warehouse Management.

The book is divided into two main sections. The case study starts out in section one with an ad-hoc implementation of a simple Lemonade Stand business. This section is focused on getting SAP B1 up and running quickly. In the second section the Ad-Hoc Implementation is taken to the next level , and we professionally expand this idea and develop a Beverage Distribution Center with outsourced production. This includes advanced inventory optimization. The workflow is optimized using existing functionality and also using Add-Ons to expand the standard functionality and transform the generic SAP Business ONE business engine into an Industry Solution.

The book is full of examples with detailed step-by-step explanations. We will be implementing a complete SAP Business System including add-ons as part of a case study.

Finally we connect SAP to the Web and introduce a solution that presents SAP features in a web interface with real-time integration. The book is completed with a chapter focusing on growth. Franchise architecture for SAP Business ONE is introduced and applied to the case study to help you learn how to get started with this.

Each chapter has a section that assists you with applying knowledge for your own project. You will have your business set up and ready to go by the time you complete this book.

Bring the power of SAP Enterprise Resource Planning to your small-midsize business

Approach

With clear instructions and plenty of screenshots, this book will provide you all the support and guidance you need to implement SAP Business One in your business. We will work with a project plan in each chapter and implement new techniques in the related case study. Alongside this hands-on approach tips and tricks are provided that you can use for your own project.

Who this book is for

This book is written for technically savvy business owners, entrepreneurs, and departmental managers. If you are a departmental sales manager you can benefit from the advanced sales stages and workflow concept in this book. The seasoned inventory and warehouse manager can immediately utilize the inventory optimization and warehouse management concepts. Your web technicians will benefit from the e-commerce information and understand how your web strategy can be aligned with SAP B1. As a business owner your key players from sales to fulfillment gain back control and you can grow your business to the next level using modern franchising concepts. If you have SQL skills you can leverage your knowledge, connecting with SAP tools and features that are built on queries. No previous experience with SAP or ERP is assumed.

SAP^® Business ONE Implementation

Wolfgang Niefert

---

Table of Contents

SAP® Business ONE Implementation

Credits

About the author

About the reviewers

Preface

What this book covers

Section 1 – SAP Express Implementation

Section 2 – Implementing SAP Business ONE in your own Company

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Getting Ready to Implement SAP Business ONE

Setting the stage for the book—how does your business "tick"

Sales leads and follow-up

Delivery

Inventory

Warehouse

Service and support

Manufacturing

E-commerce

Industry

ROI and budget for your own system

What this chapter will cover

Toolbox for your business

Identify the problem areas—asking the right questions

Solutions for problem areas—paper and pencil

Proven examples—case study

Fix It—project plan and tips

The case study—why your company is like the "Lemonade Stand"

Start with a piece of paper

SAP Business ONE—a business engine

Introducing key terms and concepts

Real-time information instead of islands of data

Positioning SAP Business ONE against mySAP—All-In-One and Business ByDesign

Real-world note

Business hell versus profitable growth

What is profitable growth

What is real time

Establish metrics—the cost of no investment

Designing "metrics" for your own business

What is prototyping

The virtual enterprise

SAP 100-word definition of SAP Business ONE

Why projects fail?

Summary

2. SAP Business ONE Express Implementation Walk-through

Configuring a new SAP Business ONE company Lemonade Stand Inc.

Prerequisites for the case study

Options to configure a system quickly

The ad hoc prototyping method

Use a template database

Use an industry solution

Perform a thorough analysis

Problems with this simple example

Future way for SAP implementation

Your own project

The Lemonade Stand case study

Company Name

Database Name

Local Settings

Chart of Accounts

Base Language

Define Posting Periods

Walk-through configuration

Choose Company

Exchange Rates and Indexes

Company details and settings

Company details

What is the valuation method?

Essential configuration parameters

G/L Account Determination

Default payment terms for banking

Tax

Payment terms for customers and vendors

Setting the stock system

Getting ready for transactions

Business partners and marketing documents

Office integration

Don't rush—details will always catch up

Business partner master data

Add sales people

Item groups

Almost done

Sales stages

Entering master data

Transaction digestion

Summary

3. Reporting and Analysis: Getting Ready for Growth

Reporting architecture

Reporting requires a forward-looking vision

Real-time reporting

What is BI—business intelligence?

The difference between data and information

User-defined fields

API programming and certified add-ons

How to create a UDF?

Adding a UDF to Marketing Documents

How can the new field be used for reporting?

Developing an efficient UDF concept

Components of a reporting strategy

Establishing the data collection framework for your project

Report delivery based on information requirements

SAP Business ONE reporting tools "hands-on"

SQL for managers

Using the Query Generator

Using the Query Wizard

Drag and relate

Alert system

XL Reporter and Crystal Reports

XL Reporter add-on

Summary

4. Creating a Project Plan using the SAP Accelerated Implementation Plan

Project management background

Let's define the goal

Project codename

Task lists

The limited resources

Progress reporting and controlling using checklists

Project management resources

Step-by-step SAP project plan preparation

Hands-on activity

How to speed things up?

The perfect project

The SAP procedural model

The big SAP "procedural model"

The SAP Accelerated Implementation Program

Project milestones based on the Implementation Blueprint

Phase 1: Handover from Evaluation

Handover

Kick-off meeting

Create a project binder

Hands-on again—starting your implementation blueprint

Project binder and documents

Documents for tasks

Phase 1 documents

Phase 2 documents

Phase 3 documents

Phase 4 documents

Phase 5 documents

Project plan for Phase 1

Phase 2: Analysis and Design

Dividing the analysis into subjects

Project plan for Phase 2

Phase 3, 4, and 5: Installation and Customization, Handover, and Training

Project Plan for Phase 3

Project plan for Phase 4

Project plan for Phase 5

The project plan—the main outline

The project plan and issue log management

Summary

5. Business Process Analysis and SMBs

Being a business architect for your own SAP solution

Business process analysis is used for strategy

Business process analysis is used for requirements analysis

How to talk to your ERP system

Using business process analysis tools for your business

Time-lined organizational chart

"Lemonade Stand"—key success factors

Defining your own "key success factors"

The Lemonade Stand strategy

Your own "strategy"

The Lemonade Stand "time-lined organizational chart"

Your own "time-lined organizational chart"

Painting a coherent picture from a set of yellow sticky notes

The "international language of ERP"

The EPC "Event-driven Process Chain" notation

What is a process?

Designing the "core processes" for your business

Sales process and distribution center core processes for the "Lemonade Stand"

Finalizing your own "core processes"

Project status—where are we now?

Phase 1: Handover from Evaluation "Lemonade Stand"

Phase 1: Your project

Phase 2: Analysis and Design "Lemonade Stand"

Phase 2: Your project

Phase 2: Process analysis results "Lemonade Stand"

The sales process chart

The service call process chart

The purchase order process chart

The MRP

The warehouse process

Putting it all together for your own project

Phase 2 "Analysis and Design" completion

Solution architecture for "The Lemonade Stand"

Define authorizations and data ownership

Master data

Summary

6. Implementing an Integrated Sales Strategy

What you will learn about SAP Business ONE sales in this chapter

History of CRM

Positioning CRM in your company

Customer touch points

CRM is a strategy

Integrated information and data discipline for reporting

Defined workflow

Collaborative team work

Summarizing the success factors for a CRM strategy

The "360 +ONE" sales strategy

Implementing the 360 +ONE sales strategy with SAP Business ONE

Integrated sales workflow

Consistent workflow—sales stages

Sales opportunities

Sales stages

Sales quotation

Configuring alternative items

Configuring volume discounts

Collaboration activities

Sales opportunities and service calls

Summary of the SAP CRM workflow

Sales opportunity repo...

Table of contents

• SAP® Business ONE Implementation