subject: Sap Business One In Multinational Firm Faq [print this page] Here in the United States ERP software selection might look like easy job. We would like to produce this paper in the form of questions and answers for better readability. Our audience is IT managers in large and mid-size organization with offices, distribution and production facilities in several foreign countries:
Q. Is this software localized worldwide? For example in our case we have facilities in China, Brazil and Middle East
A. It is not available in Arabic. So the term worldwide is probably too strong. But software is available in other major world regions including Brazil and China
Q. Could you work out ERP localization meaning?
A. It has two components: foreign language support in the interface as well as compliance to foreign legislation. In fact the second part is more complex and this is why we do not recommend accounting not localized for the country
Q. Before deploying the system we would like to think about IT infrastructure architecture. What would be recommendations?
A. Begin with template company creation with GL chart of accounts. Later on you will use it for quick and standard implementations in foreign locations. We also recommend you to deploy all the databases on the central server in United States. Publish application via Citrix for international users. Acquire software licenses here in the USA and pick strategic consulting organization which should be responsible for coordination with international consulting subcontractors
Q. We are opening place in Campinas near Sao Paulo. We are new to the requirements. Do you have comments?
A. There is SPED which in translation from Portuguese means Public Digital Bookkeeping System. Tax related transactions should be reported via internet to IRS servers. This information is now public and open to CPA, tax collector and lawyer communities. As you may guess it is not a good idea to mess it up. There is add-on available through VAR channel which does the job. Also taxation formulas and rates are very complex and there is usual determination procedure for consulting firm which might take time. Rates might be based on industry code, company size, source and destination location and item code
Q. Is Business One available in China? Is it translated to Chinese?
A. Application supports Unicode and is available in Chinese
Q. We already have corporate ERP platform in the office in Atlanta. Unfortunately it is not localized in Brazil. Should we still consider B1 for Sao Paulo office? How do we produce consolidated financial reporting in this case?
A. There might be spokes-and-hub model. We have seen the case when GL entries from B1 were exported into text files and then imported into Dynamics GP via Integration Manager (GL level consolidation). Then P&L and Balance Sheet were produced in FRx (currently it would be Microsoft Management Reporter). There might be approach in the case of low level operation when you are exporting GL trial balance to Excel and use it in consolidated reporting
Q. We heard that it is for small business and in our case we need at least twenty five users worldwide
A. SAP itself recommends it to multinational companies and its capacity should be OK to handle up to one hundred and may be even two hundred named users
Q. In Rio de Janeiro office we would like to deploy local application Microsiga. Could you share your vision on pluses and minuses?
A. Multinational business is often about retaining control and manageability from the headquarters. The application which is popular in foreign country might be better positioned for compliance. However it might a black box for internal audio and consolidated financial reporting
Q. Are there recommended industries for implementation?
A. It is probably better to say that application is flexible and it good idea to see your case study
Q. We have mining facility in Siberia and office near Moscow. So far we used 1C Accounting but would like to Business One. Do you see the problem?
A. In Russian Federation accounting practice is government GL chart of accounts oriented. Accountants could be waken at night and they should still remember each account number (20 is main production for example). Consider using SAP B1 for ERP functionality and printing Balance statement from 1C
Please call us 1-866-304-3265, 1-269-605-4904, help@efaru.com. We have local presence in Chicagoland, Southern California, Atlanta Georgia, South West Michigan, Houston and Dallas areas of Texas. We serve customers USA and Canada nationwide and internationally via web sessions and phone conferences (Skype is welcomed). We are working on Brazilian ERP consulting market in Sao Paulo since 2004
