subject: Sap Business One Or Erp Selection Notes [print this page] In accounting software selection it is important to work out checkpoints and do your homework. Lets try to make reading filter for our internet auditory. First of all do you have a budget of at least ten thousand dollars? Have you already tried QuickBooks or Peach Tree and understood the limitations? Do you have at least three potential users in accounting, sales and purchasing departments (combined)? There are optional questions as well based on the company type and industry. If you are multinational corporation then do you plan to open subsidiaries in such countries as Brazil, China, Mexico or Russia? If you are small company then do you have to record manufacturing accounting? Well these questions should be a good starting point in including SAP B1 into your list of candidates. Now lets go to details:
1.Starter packages versus mid-market software. As in real consumer decision you can purchase cheap car and it will do the basic job of driving. But at the same time you should have doubts about its longevity (hundred thousand miles is probably a maximum for cheap auto) and the options are basic. If you plan to spend several hours per week in your vehicle then it is good idea to look for something more upscale. The same is applicable to accounting/ERP software. Lets translate these checkpoints into technical questionnaire
2.Database Platform. Do you expect your accounting system to be open for data export and custom managerial reporting? The problem is that starter packages typically have to host data in proprietary database in order to cut down the cost/pricelist
3.International business issues. There is huge consumer market as well as manufacturing job outsourcing opportunity. However hosting countries want their royalty. Multinational companies have to adjust to the international business realities. If you are expanding to Brazil then you should be ready to such regulations as SPED (Public Digital Bookkeeping System). In China we have hieroglyphs and Unicode requirements. Accounting software available in the United State might be not necessary compatible with Unicode
4.Enough scary questions? Well Business One does the job. But in any case we recommend you to read whitepapers and do your homework in your future ERP system selection. Lets move to technical details
5.Application is hosted in Microsoft SQL Server. Here you can do all kinds of queries in MS SQL Server Management Studio. Plus it is open to reporting tools with ODBC or native SQL driver connections including Crystal Reports, Access and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (often referred as SSRS)
Now lets answer several popular questions:
Q. We have heard that it is for small business. In our case we are multinational company and we need at least twenty users to be in the system. Should we look for something else?
A. Very good question and we hear from the SAP office in Sao Paulo Brazil that it could support up to two hundred users
Q. Is it possible to bring over data from our old accounting (Great Plains DOS 9.5)?
A. There is special tool Data Transfer Workbench where data conversion is typically done. When you export your document then the next step is to fill out CSV templates in Excel for DTW
Q. What is the best tool for custom managerial reporting?
A. Consider report design in Crystal. It is owned by SAP and naturally integrated into user interface. Reports in demand are Sales Commission and Customer Statement
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