SAP Business One
Encyclopedia
SAP Business One is an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP
Enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...

)solution for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as divisions and subsidiaries of larger companies. Produced by SAP
SAP AG
SAP AG is a German software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, with regional offices around the world, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software...

, the solution is intended to assist companies by providing support for sales, customer relationships, inventory, operations, financials and human resources. The application has over 30,000 customers.

The product is sold, implemented, and supported through a network of local resellers in 40 countries.

Solution Overview

SAP Business One provides essential business functions out-of-the-box, including:
  • Accounting and financials: automate financial and accounting processes. Includes support for multiple currencies, budgeting, and bank reconciliation
  • Warehouse and production management: Manage inventory across multiple warehouses, track stock, and manage production orders based on material requirements planning
  • Customer relationship management: Offers sales and opportunity management, and after-sales support
  • Purchasing: automate procurement – from purchase order through vendor invoice
  • Reporting: provides access to data in order create new reports and customize existing ones with integration with Crystal Reports
    Crystal Reports
    -External links:*****Reviews:****...

  • Mobile application: launched in 2010, provides access to Business One on an iPhone or iPad and is available in the Apple App Store


History

In March 2002 SAP purchased TopManage Financial Systems, an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

-based developer of business applications and branded their system as SAP Business One. TopManage was founded by Reuven Agassi and Gadi Shamia, both taken key executive positions at SAP following the acquisition.

The acquisition allowed SAP to reach out to the midmarket through its partners and also to gain additional business from the smaller subsidiaries of its enterprise customers.

In December 2004, SAP acquired the technology and assets of iLytix Systems AS, a privately held software company based in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

. As a result SAP introduced new reporting and budgeting capabilities in SAP Business One called XL Reporter.

In July 2006 SAP acquired Praxis Software Solutions and plans to integrate the company's Web-based CRM and e-commerce capabilities into SAP Business One. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Minneapolis-based Praxis, a private software company, had previously been a SAP Business One partner.

In 2009 SAP sold the Web-based CRM and eCommerce components that comprised the former Praxis Software Solutions. Currently SAP does not offer an eCommerce solution for SAP Business ONE. This functionality will be provided through the Solution Extension Program.

In 2011 SAP partnered with CitiXsys to use their business consolidation solution to extend reach for SAP Business One intercompany integration. The solution enables businesses to manage intercompany transactions for more than one company by automatically replicating corresponding transactions across multiple company databases.

Integration

Integration needs are present SAP Business One customers that include small businesses, as well as divisions and subsidiaries of larger corporations. sIn addition, many of these companies require integration of their existing websites, consolidation of multiple ERP systems and other integration solutions. SAP Business One provides integration technologies for these purposes and more.

Integration can be achieved using the SDK component DI API, DI API Server and UIAPI. The DI API provides COM
COM
COM is the original, yet still common, name of the serial port interface on IBM PC-compatible computers. It might not only refer to physical ports, but also to virtual ports, such as ports created by bluetooth or USB-to-Serial adapters....

 based interface to the business objects & business logic of SAP Business One. The DI API Server is similar to DI API except it provides SOAP
SOAP
SOAP, originally defined as Simple Object Access Protocol, is a protocol specification for exchanging structured information in the implementation of Web Services in computer networks...

 based protocol.UIAPI ,which based on COM
COM
COM is the original, yet still common, name of the serial port interface on IBM PC-compatible computers. It might not only refer to physical ports, but also to virtual ports, such as ports created by bluetooth or USB-to-Serial adapters....

 too, focus on SAP Business One User Interface.

As those are APIs, using them requires software development skills. A simpler way to achieve integration is by using the SAP Business One integration framework. The integration framework enables simple (XML based) definition of integration scenarios. Instead of complex, high-cost implementation, it enables strong low-cost, reliable integration solutions with minimal requirements to resources and skills.

The SAP Business One integration framework is an integral part SAP Business One. It is used to enable integrated functionality such as dashboards, the Business One mobile solution, or Datev-HR integration. As an option, it allows the customer to implement individual integration to business partners in a highly efficient way via the graphical flow designer. It provides all needed connectivity for ftp, SQL, the new web 2.0 technologies and native support for SAP R/3, SAP Business One, SAP XI, and more.

The Business One partner-company integration (also known as Branch Consolidation / B1BC) is an out-of-the-box solution for customers that are running multiple SAP Business One systems connected together. It automatically synchronizes the business data and provides financial consolidation. The solution enables businesses to manage intercompany transactions for more than one company within a group of companies by replicating corresponding transactions across multiple company databases. Automating the replication of such transactions significantly reduces the amount of end user effort and manual rekeying of data to maintain intercompany trading financial statements.

The Business One subsidiary integration solution (also known as integration for SAP NetWeaver/B1iSN) is a special solution for customers, running SAP NetWeaver components in their headquarters and SAP Business One in their subsidiaries. Subsidiary integration runs centrally in the HQ and integrates the subsidiaries into the enterprise business processes. It provides:
  • Standardization and unification of business processes with the subsidiaries
  • Centralized control of subsidiary interactions
  • A single solution for all subsidiaries
  • Rapid integration
  • Subsidiary independence with the ability to leverage parent company processes


Business One integration with mobile devices and content enables the connection of SAP Business One to mobile devices and to non-SAP and SAP information and services. Integration is achieved with the connectivity technology that comes standard with SAP Business One.

The Business One SDK provides components that allow development of addons to the Business One Application. Developers that use the SDK can share their knowledge and experience on the SAP Development Network (SDN).

Resellers & Partners

In order to become a SAP Business One reseller, a company must be part of SAP's PartnerEdge Program. Partnership starts at the Certified level, and as higher standards of knowledge and support can be shown, it can progress through Associate, Silver and Gold.

Competitors

SAP Business One competes with Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics is a line of enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management software applications developed by Microsoft. Microsoft Dynamics applications are delivered through a network of reselling partners who provide specialized services...

 globally, and with a variety of national packages such as those sold by Sage
Sage Group
The Sage Group plc , commonly known as Sage, is a global enterprise software company headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. It is the world's third-largest supplier of enterprise resource planning software , the largest supplier to small businesses, and has 6.1 million customers...

 in many countries around the world.

Recently new competitors with online offerings have emerged in the marketplace. Companies such as NetSuite
NetSuite
NetSuite Inc. is the leading vendor of cloud-based Software-as-a-Service integrated business management software for mid-market enterprises and divisions of large companies, with over 10,000 organizations and a +$225 billion market cap...

 (CRM & ERP), Salesforce.com
Salesforce.com
Salesforce.com is an enterprise cloud computing company headquartered in San Francisco that distributes business software on a subscription basis. Salesforce.com hosts the applications off-site...

 (CRM only) and DynaWare (EOS) offer similar functionality in web based applications.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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