Why SAP?  Best run businesses run SAP – that’s why.

Most people have heard of SAP, it’s one of the largest technology companies in the world – creating software solutions that run thousands of businesses around the globe, many you’ve heard of and quite a few you haven’t. Reaction to the brand can vary from the extremely positive to; “aren’t they just for the big guys?” and “I’ve heard they are really expensive.”

I’m here to tell you that this is not even half the picture. I work for InCloud Solutions which is a small company where SAP nevertheless has a huge impact – something which is true for thousands of small and medium sized companies around the world. We run on SAP as well as selling it because SAP gives us the clout to punch big.

We use SAP Business ByDesign highly suited to medium sized business – but SAP has created a family of products that help businesses of all sizes to run smarter with a focus on helping customers perform at their peak. The SAP Suite of applications connects the front office to the back office creating efficiencies as well as insights so you can innovate, improve and ultimately be the best you can be.

Why SAP? Here’s the challenge – Everything is changing

We all know that everything – communities, economies, industries, technologies – is changing faster than ever. It will never change this slowly again.

The way value is created and measured is changing too

And while we work to understand and adapt we have to consider the impact that this has on how value is created and measured.  Shareholder value now reflects the impact that we have on our communities and society.

Disruptive Business Models are re-shaping industries

New business models – from concierge services to the sharing economy – are emerging to disrupt entire industries.

Rapid growth in data volume is overwhelming decision makers

The volumes of data created by tracking every action we take has caused such a proliferation of data that decision-makers are overwhelmed by information, often obscuring the best path forward.

Empowered customers are demanding more.

Customers have better information and higher expectations when it comes to quality and consistency of not only the products or services they purchase, but also the experiences they have when dealing with the companies from whom they buy. Technology has reduced switching costs and changed who has the information. Customers will vote with their wallets if they aren’t getting the experience they want.

The world’s resources are getting scarcer

Pressure on the world’s resources continues to grow. The global population is expected to grow to 9.7 billion by 2050. This increases demand for food, water, and energy. Demand for raw materials, to manufacture the products they will use. And demand for skilled people – the talent that will fuel your business.

A more diverse workforce is seeking a greater purpose

And finally, the core values of an increasingly diverse workforce – traditional dimensions such as age, gender, and ethnicity as well as new dimensions like neurodiversity (autism, for example) – are forcing companies to reconsider how they engage their employees with a purpose greater than growing the bottom line.

Why SAP? The solution

Best-run businesses don’t see these trends as issues. They see them as opportunities.

Best-run businesses are the ones that emerge as the disruptors – agile enough to create new value chains.

They are insight driven

Best-run businesses are able to make sense of the data and convert it not only into information, but also into insights, predictions of the best outcomes, and prescriptive actions for organizations.

They are customer centric

Putting customers first and foremost at the heart of everything they do.

How we can help

Our strategy is to give your enterprise the capabilities it needs to succeed: These are  visibility, focus and agility – all of which will help you survive and thrive.

  • Visibility – the ability to collect and connect data that was previously siloed and to recognize unseen patterns.
  • Focus – the ability to simulate the impact of potential options and direct scarce resources to the areas of maximum impact
  • Agility – the ability to respond faster to changes in the marketplace or the business, and to pivot business processes toward the best customer outcomes

Task ahead – Becoming an Intelligent Enterprise

Becoming an intelligent enterprise is transformative, in many ways – these are 3 of the keys tasks.

  • Redefine the customer experience – deliver a next-generation customer experience in a world of disruption.
  • Deliver a step change in productivity – create maximum cost synergies to fund innovation
  • Transform workforce engagement – attract and retain top talent

Why SAP? How it’s done

InCloud Solutions backed by SAP offers an Intelligent Suite of applications for every line and function of business from Manufacturing and Supply Chain to Project Management all centred on the strong digital core – SAP Business ByDesign – that runs your financial processes. We provide a unified user experience and seamless integration across the portfolio. We enable you to make use of individual modules at your own pace.

The data generated from these applications can then be presented in reports to suit you – pulling together the data you require from multiple sources in real time.

And what’s more the whole suite is ready for the future. You can add in embedded Intelligent Technologies such as Machine Learning, Internet of Things, and Advanced Analytics without hassle. These technologies can automatically detect patterns in the data, recommend the best course of action, and optimize workflow. And for customers who want to innovate even further, SAP offers industry accelerators and open innovation services, which apply design thinking methodologies to identify new business models.

A key part of this strategy is learning. The data captured as people use the intelligent suite helps to continuously improve the intelligence of the overall system – in a virtuous cycle. So, best run businesses can keep getting better.

Best run business have an impact on the way the world is run.

SAP is committed to helping every business become best run. Our bigger goal is to help our customers to strengthen economies, improve society, and safeguard the environment.

So, why work with SAP?

We are involved directly in delivering the best possible outcomes for our customers. We want you to be a best-run business, and an intelligent enterprise. And we live our purpose: helping the world run better and improving people’s lives.

We deliver on our purpose because SAP is a large company with a deep, global impact. SAP have more than 94,000 colleagues in over 180 countries. They work with over 18,000 partners, and share expertise in 25 unique industries.  They reported over 23 billion euro in revenue in 2017 and invested more than 3.3 billion of that in research and development (R&D).

As a testament to the success of the SAP family, we have a large global customer base with more than 400,000 customers.

Why SAP for mid-sized business?

While most people know SAP because we serve 92% of the Forbes Global 2000 companies, 80% of our customers are actually small and midsize enterprises.

With this many customers, it’s easy to see how more than three-quarters of the world’s transaction revenue flows through SAP systems. SAP customers produce most of the world’s food. Most of the world’s medical devices. I could share hundreds more statistics, covering every industry – manufacturing, energy, services, government, and more. It is this large customer base that gives SAP the chance for us to fulfill our purpose. When we help our customers to become best-run businesses we really help the world run better and improve people’s lives.

So, how can we help you deliver on the purpose and the promise of your business? How can we help you change the world? How can we help you become a best run business with SAP? Contact us direct; [email protected]

Now check out our achievements with Business ByDesign in 2018 and plans for 2019 with Rainer Zinow.