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Business Analysis Challenges Made Easy with SAP Business One and HANA

February 17, 2012 | by Blue Ocean Systems

Which of the following business analysis challenges sound familiar to you and your organisation?

  • Your organisation faces a significant lag time between gathering and viewing large volumes of operational data.
  • You need to gain accurate business insight while your operations continue to run.
  • Your business data does not provide enough (or any) flexible analytic models to help you uncover trends.
  • You struggle to combine business analysis from data across all of your operational platforms.
  • Your IT resources are drained by collecting and analysing operational data for month-end processes.
  • All of the above?

We regularly hear these frustrations faced by many, if not all, organisations who are looking for cost-effective ways of gaining accurate and real-time business analysis data to enable them to immediately make informed decisions.

The Solution?

SAP HANA is a flexible, multipurpose, data source agnostic in-memory application combining SAP software components, which are optimised on hardware provided and delivered by the leading hardware partners of SAP.

By implementing SAP HANA software you will enjoy direct access to all of your operational data without affecting any of your SAP ERP or other operational software; resulting in your organisaton being able to quickly and effectively uncover trends and respond to changing business conditions with all the necessary data at hand.

The Benefits?

Real-Time Analytics

Analyse vast volumes of real-time business operations data.

Make informed, efficient, quicker decisions with access to all relevant information.

Multipurpose, In-Memory Technology

View and analyse all transactional and analytical data in real-time from virtually any data source.

Adaptable, Powerful Analytic Models

Develop flexible data views to explore analytic information as it happens.

Extensive, Source-Agnostic Data Access

Combine external data to analytic models to incorporate data from across your entire organisation.

Cost-Effective Solution

Reduce hardware and maintenance costs for managing large volumes of operational data.

Business Planning

Improve your planning, forecasting, and financial close processes with analytic models to highlight trends.

Talk To Us About SAP HANA Today

The Blue Ocean Systems team of experienced and professional ERP consultants can discuss with you how SAP HANA can immediately ease your business analysis challenges. Contact us today for more information.

Watch SAP HANA in Action

SAP Business One evangelist, Richard Duffy, walks you through the features and benefits of SAP HANA.

Posted in Business Intelligence, Latest News, Productivity | 1 Comment

5 Inventory Optimization Strategies for Sales and Cash Flow Growth

November 22, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

Sophisticated inventory systems are not just for multi-billion dollar companies anymore. With recent advancements in business management software and global e-commerce, SMEs now have many of the same inventory processes and technology as larger firms.

5 Inventory Optimization Strategies for Sales and Cash Flow Growth

Herein lies your broader world of possibilities, which are fraught with new challenges. On one hand, if your company can sense and respond to lucrative inventory-driven opportunities in the marketplace, you can now expand in practically limitless ways. On the other hand, be careful. Assume that if your company can do this, so can your global competitors.

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Posted in Finance & Technology, Productivity | 34 Comments

Taking Inventory of Your Inventory: An Optimization Questionnaire

November 17, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

For some SMEs, the difference between establishing a competitive advantage or establishing a larger line of credit lies in how well you manage your inventory—no matter if you provide physical goods, services, or both.

With so much of your cash flow and customer satisfaction ratings dependent on inventory, it should be no surprise that there’s an unending flurry of buzzwords and new business practices to help you right-size your positions.

However, what lean means to an apparel company might be excessive to an electronic components supplier. And just-in-time product availability for an industrial steel manufacturer is a completely different notion than it is for a digital camera retailer.

So which inventory management approach is right for you? It’s a complex answer that depends on the business you are in, how fast you want to grow, and your economic environment. Whether your inventory processes are completely unique or well-established industry best practices, we suggest you start by taking inventory of your inventory issues.

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Posted in Productivity | 4 Comments

SAP – A Better Plan for Planning

October 14, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

There’s a sea of change underway in how companies plan. A critical mass of business leaders at companies large and small now say the planning practices that they’ve relied on for decades are no longer capable of steering their businesses in these uncertain times.

That’s because few annual forecasts can hold up in the face of global volatility and uncertainty. But if there is a silver lining to the dark economic clouds, it’s that executives are discovering that leaner, meaner, short-term planning “sprints’ are making their businesses more resilient.

In fact, a recent survey of 273 companies conducted by Accenture found that a mere 11 percent say they’re fully satisfied with their planning capabilities. That’s down 17 percent from two years ago, and down 20 percent from a decade ago.

In talking to SAP customers, we find they report higher levels of satisfaction with planning when their process is agile. That means the ability to plan quickly and efficiently, and the means to adjust course and forecasts as business drivers and the competitive environment change.

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Posted in Productivity | 9 Comments

Planning: A Path to Innovation

October 9, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

A previous article called out the importance of agile planning, and the tools and techniques required to keep your business on the move. Limiting planning to an annual exercise adds risk, because there’s simply no way to anticipate and accommodate the wild market peaks and valleys businesses face today.

But the need to embrace agile planning doesn’t invalidate the need for an annual plan. If anything, the annual plan takes on more importance. It remains the fundamental strategy for the year, establishing the mission, goals, desired outcomes, measurement benchmarks, and specific actions for components of the organization.

Most important, the annual plan is a catalyst for innovation—something that often falls by the wayside when economic forces motivate management to focus on cost-cutting and preserving profit. That’s a mistake, because in a weak economy, innovation can be the difference between dying, surviving, and thriving.

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Posted in Business Intelligence | 21 Comments

Tech That Supercharges Personal Productivity

September 15, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

Even the best business management software is ineffective without effective people at the helm. Yet you’ve probably experienced how the “human factor” can get lost in the excitement and effort that comes with implementing new enterprise technologies and business processes.

So when we considered possible topics for our September newsletter, dubbed, “The Productivity Issue,” we decided to begin with the human side of the equation first.

Tell us if this situation sounds familiar: You are producing more than you ever have in your career, but it seems you have less time. Yet, you’re facing higher internal corporate expectations and greater competitive pressures. So what gives?

A common misconception is that you do. It is you who should sacrifice more of your personal time so you can (ironically) lead that next initiative for your company to become more productive or achieve that next milestone. But is this the best strategy over the long term?

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Posted in Finance & Technology, Productivity | 4 Comments

For Productivity’s Sake, Isn’t It Time to Deploy Self-Service BI?

September 5, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

In an earlier issue of the SME Newsletter this year, we covered the basics of business intelligence (BI) software and the value that it can add to global businesses of all sizes. Your response to those articles was overwhelming—the most we’ve ever received—so we thought it useful to take the BI conversation to the next level and address the #1 interest among readers: connecting the dots between BI software and increasing organizational productivity.

As BI becomes increasingly important in modern business, many would say that getting the right information to the right person at the right time is a hallmark of an efficient, competitive organization. But you would also probably say this is easier said than done in a fast-moving business like yours, right?

Well, we have good news. It’s getting easier all the time. One recent technology evolution is “self-service’ BI, a growing trend that describes the ability to extend it beyond the IT department and put it in the hands of more employees to serve themselves.

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Posted in Business Intelligence | No Comments

Growing Pains

August 11, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

The business environment has been challenging over the past few years. Yet despite high unemployment and a very competitive environment, many companies are doing well. They’ve compiled strong cash reserves, and have learned how to operate more efficiently than ever before.

The decision to come out of “retrenchment mode” and turn on the growth spigot happens fast. Market signals can change within weeks. Overnight, the time to tap those cash reserves and take action arrives. Business leaders suddenly need to make good decisions about myriad expansion options and initiatives.

Hire staff. Boost capital investment. Prepare for an increase in demand. Attack a competitive threat. But one dimension that’s often overlooked in growth planning is assessing the readiness of your existing business management systems and processes. Current systems can appear to be solid, yet structural problems that can derail the business can be lurking out of sight.

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Posted in Productivity | No Comments

From Spreadsheet Insanity to Dashboard-Driven Decisions: How to Make the Move

August 9, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

Performance management dashboards are a hot topic at SAP BusinessObjects events and many of our business management user group meetings. That’s because dashboards have evolved into something much more powerful than what we knew just five years ago.

They are no longer simply a collection of static images spit out by spreadsheets and tools. Today’s business dashboards are powered by dynamic business management software and business intelligence (BI) platforms. The difference can be seen immediately and all the way down to your bottom line.

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Posted in Business Intelligence, Finance & Technology | No Comments

Your Company, Unwired

July 20, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

Enterprise mobility was by far the hottest technology subject at our May SAPPHIRE NOW conference, due in equal parts to customer excitement around our recent acquisition of Sybase, a leading database and mobile software company, and because the mobility market literally exploded in the past year.

John Chen, CEO of Sybase, a SAP Company, reported in his keynote presentation that 45 percent of SAP customers will implement mobile enterprise applications in 2011. That’s a huge increase year over year.

It’s amazing how fast things have changed. Just a few years ago, enterprise mobility initiatives were limited to early adopters, such as energy and consumer technology companies with large field service organizations. Now it seems like any new coffee shop is running its business on a smartphone rather than a cash register.

So where does your business stand on enterprise mobility these days? If you are like many executives we talked to at SAPPHIRE NOW, the rapid proliferation of mobile technology has caught you by surprise. Consequently, we thought it timely to give you a quick primer on the latest trends and share our experiences and best practices to help you make your next move in mobile.

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Posted in Finance & Technology | 1 Comment

Get the Most out of Mobile By Managing Four Key Issues

July 8, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

SAP has helped thousands of the world’s largest companies deploy enterprise mobility initiatives over the past decade. Today we are helping companies with just a few million dollars in revenue achieve their mobility goals as well.

The sum of our experience? Enterprise mobility is far different than any other technology revolution that has come before it. You must be prepared, whether your company is large or small.

The proliferation of lower-cost and more powerful mobile devices—many of which employees own—has made enterprise mobility possible for virtually any company. And in most cases, it’s now an imperative as well. But unlike large companies, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) grapple with challenges and constraints driven largely by having fewer human and financial resources.

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Posted in Productivity | No Comments

Expert Answers to the Eight Most Asked Questions about BI

May 9, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

The first story in this month’s newsletter discusses the evolutionary stages of business intelligence (BI) in small- and medium-sized enterprises. It should give you a good perspective on the impact BI can have in your company, and what differentiates a BI neophyte from a BI-driven culture of excellence.

If your interest was piqued, now you have questions—questions we probably heard before. Every day, SAP and our 10,000 global implementation partners are asked about BI from executives like you. We thought it would be useful to share our answers to some of the questions your peers ask most often.

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Posted in Business Intelligence | No Comments

Budget Approved. Now What?

March 27, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

So you’ve submitted your IT annual budget, and it’s approved. Now comes the crucial next step: figuring out how you’re going to achieve your technology objectives with that allowance, and delivering everything on an acceptable timeline.

Until recently, IT vendors gave businesses like yours few choices in terms of deployment and pricing. Software was paid for up-front and deployed on-site. Implementation services were paid for at the completion of each phase.

But the world has changed. Today, there are myriad ways that software can be designed, deployed, and used: client-server, distributed, Web, public cloud, private cloud, mobile, insourced, outsourced, as a service—the list is long and keeps growing.

Now you can select from a range of technological approaches and financing options to find those that best meet your needs, best fit your budget, and best position you for growth. That said, with ample choice comes ample confusion.

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Posted in Finance & Technology | No Comments

Is It Time For a Cash Flow Health Check?

March 26, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

Few would argue against the importance of getting a physical every year, along with a flu shot to build your body’s immunity. Likewise, it’s also a good practice to check your businesses’ health periodically, so you can be sure it’s in prime shape in the event you need a shot of capital.

Certainly cash flow management is a top priority in any business. But it’s never more important than when access to capital is as limited as it is today. And nobody will give your business a closer physical exam than the banker, when you knock on his door, hat in hand.

It’s common knowledge that accurately prepared cash flow statements and forecasts are the basic tools required to successfully manage money in or out of your business. That’s probably how you’re making sure you have sufficient capital to meet the businesses’ daily demands.

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Posted in Finance & Technology | 1 Comment

The Banker Will See You Now

March 9, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

If the past few years taught us anything, it’s that global markets can change overnight, and often. Rosy outlooks sour. Dour outlooks flower. And your banker’s feelings about financing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) ebbs and flows with the capital markets.

While lending prospects are expected to improve for SMEs this year after a three year drought (see recent Financial Times article), finance industry experts say bankers and businesses will often remain at odds. Most bankers believe that SME’s business prospects are still tenuous and thus are higher risks.

Herein lies the conundrum for CEOs. Many tell us they feel the time to expand is now, but they need greater access to capital to act on strategic expenditures such as IT projects, mergers, acquisitions, and R&D. However, this doesn’t mean your business can’t defy both the markets and bankers’ sentiment when it comes to financing.

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Posted in Finance & Technology | No Comments

Six Ways To Make Your Tight IT Budget Seem Huge

March 2, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

Here’s a business strategy that should be familiar to every reader. When business is good, you invest in IT to improve the company’s operations, service levels, and competitiveness. When business is bad, you freeze or cut the IT spend.

While that strategy is familiar, today’s marketplace is not. Your business has weathered a historic recession that saw IT budgets pared to the bone. Ditto your surviving competitors. And while the business climate is improving, we’re not out of the woods yet.

You want to—you need to—do more with your information technology, but you’re not sure the time is right to warm up the IT budget. And you also know that getting the timing wrong could cede competitive advantage.

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Posted in Finance & Technology | 15 Comments

Wondering Which SAP Solution is Right for your Business? Here’s a Quick Guide to Help You Find the Perfect Fit.

February 26, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

When you’re selecting software for your business, you want to make sure that it’s the right fit – otherwise, it can be like watering the fern in your office with a fire hose. SAP offers an entire portfolio of solutions for small and midsize businesses – but how do you know which solution is the right fit for you?

Read this quick summary of SAP’s small and midsize enterprise portfolio – and see which solution would work best for you. Not only can you identify the right solution choice but you can also see all the benefits you have to gain from putting powerful software to work: lower costs, better business performance, and a boost to profits.

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Posted in Business Intelligence | 1 Comment

Are Your Processes the Key to Greater Profit?

February 23, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

If you’re looking for business improvement ideas, consider your business processes – because while they’re often invisible, your processes can make the difference between mediocre results and a highly profitable business.

But how do you go from ‘okay’ to ‘great’ – without grinding your operations to a halt while you figure out how to automate every process task? That’s where SAP solutions for small and midsize companies can help.

SAP software has process support built right in – along with the kind of functionality that will help you streamline your business processes, eliminate waste and cut costs. Get rid of repetition and rework. Cut down on costly errors. Effortlessly coordinate workflows between departments – for a stronger bottom line.

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Posted in Finance & Technology, Productivity | 1 Comment

Business Planning: The Hard Way or the Easy Way?

January 29, 2011 | by Blue Ocean Systems

Let’s face it – the idea of business planning might not get you out of bed in the morning. It’s time-consuming. It can be arduous. And it can add another set of deliverables to your already heavy workload. How can you take time out to think about the future when you’re juggling so many day-to-day priorities?

You can’t avoid business planning – but you can make it significantly easier, more productive, and (it’s true!) more enjoyable. When you lean on advanced tools instead of yesterday’s methods, you can take the pain out of business planning.

Here’s a quick checklist that lays it out: the difference between the hard way and the easy way, at every step of the planning process. And to give you some tangible examples of that difference in action, you’ll find below the stories of three SAP customers who have simplified and strengthened their planning processes – for better results.

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Posted in Productivity | No Comments

How SAP Business One Improves Small Business Efficiency

April 18, 2010 | by Blue Ocean Systems

The ability to be nimble in today’s ever-changing market is a definite strength for most small business. But the other side of the small business coin is that you may not have the infrastructure in place to really take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. If you find that you’re spending more time putting out fires than developing new products or building your client base, it might be time for an efficiency overhaul – and SAP Business One can help.

Maximizing efficiency means having a system that frees you up to focus on growing your business, not just maintaining it. It also means finding a solution that’s easy – and economical – to implement. SAP Business One pulls the following core elements of your business together into one easy-to-use system, boosting your efficiency.

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