Organizations in Varied Industries Leverage the Best of SAP(R) Software, Delivered On-Demand; SAPPHIRE(R) 2009 Attendees Test-Drive SAP(R) Business ByDesign(TM)
ORLANDO, Fla., May 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Midsize companies choose SAP(R) Business ByDesign(TM), the fully integrated, on-demand business solution from SAP AG (NYSE: SAP), to run their mission-critical business processes and adapt quickly to changing market conditions. SAP Business ByDesign enables midsize companies from various industries to improve transparency and business operations, and support international growth--all while helping to reduce IT costs. In selecting the flexible and scalable SAP Business ByDesign solution, charter clients enjoy close collaboration with SAP from the first point of contact through their productive use of the solution. Charter clients in North America include ADC Rig Services Inc.; IntelePeer; OneVision Solutions; Praxis Energy Agents, LLC; Skullcandy; Suh'dutsing Technologies, LLC; and TAM Ceramics. The announcement was made at SAPPHIRE(R) 2009, being held in Orlando, Florida, May 11-14.
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Customers Gain Operational Transparency With SAP Business ByDesign
-- Skullcandy, a designer, manufacturer and distributor of quality audio products and accessories, chose SAP Business ByDesign to apply the benefits of an on-demand system to its fast-growing financial, inventory and sales operations. The solution will help the company streamline business across its worldwide supply chain and distribution network.
"SAP Business ByDesign offers Skullcandy a platform that is fully integrated, scalable and can be quickly implemented to meet our demand for growth," said Scot Carlson, vice president, Finance, Skullcandy. "Given our small size and mobile workforce, the on-demand solution fits our business model. With SAP software, we are able to implement a world-class, global solution while preserving and redirecting our capital to support other strategic initiatives within the business."
-- ADC Rig Services Inc. provides project management services to offshore oil and gas exploration companies worldwide. ADC needed a 360-degree view of its business and access to the insight provided by real-time data to make profitable decisions for current and future business opportunities.
"ADC recognized SAP as a leader in the oil and gas industry since the majority of our clients use SAP solutions to run their businesses," said Kim Macias, CFO, ADC Rig Services Inc. (ADC). "SAP Business ByDesign provides ADC a fully integrated business solution that enables us to meet the needs of our business today and provides us with a platform to support future growth at an affordable and predictable cost."
-- IntelePeer, based in San Mateo, California, is a leader in hosted on-demand rich media communications and telephony services such as voice, video, SMS text messaging and data. By implementing SAP Business ByDesign, IntelePeer has automated many of its strategic processes, including the ability to track all customer-related activities from prospect to pricing and production status. This has resulted in significantly improved internal controls, reduced risk and reduced cycle times.
"We needed complete process transparency and automation to ensure efficiency and consistency," said Todd Smith, VP Corporate Controller, IntelePeer. "Before SAP Business ByDesign, we had many manual, undocumented processes. Due to the complex, high transaction nature of our business and lack of integration, this exposed us to significant operational risks and inefficiencies. Key processes were not standardized. Routine tasks were not 'routine' or properly documented. In addition, we have no IT department. With SAP Business ByDesign, we are now operating on a single hosted, integrated platform, which immediately delivered a return on our investment."
-- Praxis Energy Agents, LLC is a privately owned company with offices in Stamford, Connecticut, in the United States; Athens, Greece; and in Singapore. Praxis lacked the clarity it needed to manage its business operations across the globe. Having used SAP Business ByDesign for almost a year, Praxis is now relying on a single system for its Americas, European and Middle East operations. This has resulted in transparency across its business.
"Now that we are successfully running our business on a single global system, we believe the use of SAP Business ByDesign has enabled us to achieve operational clarity," said Stefania Tsagli, director, Praxis Energy. "After a fast implementation, we were able to quickly retire our old systems and enjoy the benefits of the new solution, which requires minimal internal IT support."
-- TAM Ceramics is a manufacturer of ceramic grains and powders for the refractory, investment casting, weld rod, friction and electronic materials markets. The company recently became independent as a result of a spin-off and needed a solution that could run the business. It quickly eliminated on-premise solutions due to the resource requirements for implementation and ongoing maintenance. TAM selected SAP Business ByDesign because the solution is able to provide the end-to-end manufacturing capabilities and industry best practices required to run TAM's business cost effectively and with less IT support.
"We are successfully running the solution today and have been able to realize benefits from the integrated system throughout our operations," said George Bilkey, CEO, TAM Ceramics. "SAP Business ByDesign is the right solution for our business and SAP is the right partner for our company."
Integrated, On-Demand Solution Answers Challenges Midsize Companies Face Today
In times of economic challenges, when every company carefully examines current and future investments, small and midsize companies need business models that reduce investment risks while simultaneously assisting users in managing the entire organization. Dedicated to the demands of midsize companies, SAP Business ByDesign provides a comprehensive solution to run an entire business without the need for additional IT resources. Delivered on-demand, the solution is managed, monitored and maintained by SAP experts in world-class hosted data centers. SAP Business ByDesign is currently available in six countries: China, France, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and the United States.
"SAP Business ByDesign addresses the requirements of midsize companies looking for a comprehensive, integrated solution that can deliver tremendous value to the business while minimizing risk and helping to lower the total cost of ownership," said Hans-Peter Klaey, president of SME and a corporate officer at SAP AG. "Through our controlled go-to-market strategy, we are in a position to work collaboratively with many of the most innovative companies in the United States. With SAP Business ByDesign, our charter clients receive a solution that supports their business strategy in a flexible way over the long term. We listen to our charter clients and partners and, by understanding their needs, we perfect our offering."
Online Interaction With SAP via Business Center
The SAP(R) Business ByDesign(TM) Business Center is an integral part of the customer lifecycle. Without registering, current and future charter clients and partners can receive online product information, demos and role-based videos. Visitors to the center can contact SAP directly via phone, e-mail or online chat. The SAP Business ByDesign Business Center provides charter clients with expanded functionality and access to the SAP Business ByDesign community.
Test-Drive SAP Business ByDesign, an Integrated, On-Demand Solution
Companies attending SAPPHIRE have the unique opportunity to test-drive the SAP Business ByDesign solution on the show floor at the SME village. Drivers can experience the functionality, handling and performance of the solution, as well as hear from charter clients.
SAPPHIRE(R) 2009 Orlando
More than 10,000 customers, partners and technical experts are convening at SAPPHIRE(R) 2009 to discover how SAP and its thriving partner ecosystem are delivering IT solutions that help today's best-run businesses achieve clarity in every area of their operations. SAP's premier educational and networking event, SAPPHIRE is the one occasion where senior executives, business managers, and decision-makers can come together every year to explore how innovative business solutions foster long-term, profitable growth. SAPPHIRE 2009 is being held in Orlando, Florida, May 11-14. For more information, please visit www.sap.com/sapphire. Join the conversation via Twitter at #sapphire09.
Based on the success of last year's events, SAP and the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG) are co-locating their premier events in Orlando, where the 2009 ASUG Annual Conference takes place May 11-14.
In addition to SAPPHIRE 2009, SAP is also hosting SAP(R) World Tour 2009, a series of local events in more than 70 cities through Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. For more information, visit the SAP World Tour event page on sap.com.
About SAP(R) Business ByDesign(TM)
SAP(R) Business ByDesign(TM) is the industry's most complete and adaptable on-demand business solution for midsize companies with 100 to 500 employees. Based on an innovative business process platform, SAP Business ByDesign delivers immediate business value and ongoing support, enabling customers to quickly and cost-effectively adapt their IT solution to unique and changing needs. Supporting the complete array of core business processes, the solution helps reduce total cost of ownership by bundling software, e-learning, services and support for easy configuration, adaptation and ongoing operation--without requiring extensive IT infrastructure and resources. SAP Business ByDesign is the latest addition to the SAP portfolio of distinct solutions for small businesses and midsize companies, and complements the existing solutions -- SAP(R) Business One for companies with 10 to 100 employees, and SAP(R) Business All-in-One, serving companies with distinct industry demands and approximately 500 to 2,500 employees. Additional information is available at www.sap.com/solutions/sme/businessbydesign/.
About SAP
SAP is the world's leading provider of business software(*), offering applications and services that enable companies of all sizes and in more than 25 industries to become best-run businesses. With more than 86,000 customers in over 120 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE, under the symbol "SAP." For more information, visit www.sap.com.
(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications.
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