SAP® Business One EmpowersSME Manufacturers

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© Copyright 2017 Silver Touch Technologies Ltd

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IntroductionManufacturing industries continue to be the back bone of economies across the world. They are one of the biggest players that impact global economy in terms of imports and exports.

Competition is greater than ever before. To succeed, manufacturers have to demonstrate a higher value proposition to the market. Whether it's through faster response times, higher quality products, or exceptional customer service and relation-ships, manufacturers are being asked to do more. To maintain a competitive advantage, manufacturers require flexibility in their operations and must continually drive innovation—not only in the marketplace but also in how they do business.

Manufacturers have to be efficient in time management, resource handling, product development and new product introduc-tion to meet the ever changing and demanding needs of the customers.

Like any other industry section, there is always an urge to stay one step ahead of the competition and in order to achieve this, manufacturers rely heavily on research and development to bring out new products and services. Innovation is critical for manufacturers to be best in class, after all ‘Manufacturing is the "place" where projects and innovations get materialized!’

Challenges Faced by The Manufacturing IndustryThere is little doubt the UK manufacturing sector is facing some tough challenges, but with those come opportunities. To take advantage SMEs need to ensure they are competitive, efficient and provide the very best in customer service.

Manufacturing is not only about producing a product at a lower cost; it is about finding ways to provide customers with innovative new products, attract new customers and strengthen the loyalty of your existing customers. You have to be aware of the latest trends and adapt to the continuous changes within the market place.

SkillsThe biggest challenge for UK manufacturers is finding skilled technical staff. At a time when the UK sector has seen a number of high-profile closures, the ramifications of not finding enough skilled workers among SME businesses to meet demand is particularly poignant; over a quarter of UK manufacturers who took part in a recent survey said “late delivery on a project would result in losing that customer”.

Product development and InnovationConsumers always look for the next big thing in the market, and they want it now! Such a fast paced market expects manufac-turers to stay relevant with the need to keep up with product development and innovation. Companies have to channel their resources in the right way to keep producing new products and upgrade their already existing products. By doing so, they can stay in the market without having to compromise on quality or delivering on time.

Innovation is vital for the company to stay in the competitive market scenario. Irrespective of the size of business, successful manufacturers require vision, execution, and a powerful and scalable business platform. They need to find innovative ways that are not solely based on price, but can also help them to effectively stay in business and enhance profitability. They also have to place importance on reducing operational costs, improving efficiency, ensuring world-class customer service and collaborating with suppliers.

Order Delivery on TimeThe issue of ensuring orders gets delivered on time appears to be exacerbated by a change in demand put on manufacturers – in particular a switch away from large bulk orders towards a growing trend for smaller ones. In a recent survey over half (51%) of UK SME manufacturers said customers are increasingly requesting orders in “smaller series”, This presents challenges for UK businesses owners – top of which, is trying to keep costs down, followed by then getting the price right.

CostsManufacturers are having to ensure their material and processing costs are accurate whilst ensuring invoices are paid on time and product innovation initiatives are being optimized.

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Regulatory Bodies and TransparencyIn today’s commercial set up, regulations and guidelines, pertaining to the various sectors have become a norm. There exists a set of rules for every industry, and manufacturing is no exception. The list seems to be growing, and in doing so, placing ever increasing pressure on companies to maintain their business goals, whilst ensuring they observe the guidelines imposed on them. It has also become mandatory for the companies to keep their work transparent, right from product inception to the supply chains. Some of the areas of compliance bearing on manufacturers directly or indirectly are:

Product safety

Health, safety of the workers and the environment

Data protection

Anti - corruption

IT security

Labour laws

In terms of addressing some of the challenges, UK manufacturers believe technology holds the key and is going to have a major impact on the competitive landscape. Among UK SME manufacturers, those who have invested in business software solutions have saved on average six hours a month on financial administration – a considerable reduction given that the UK industry average is 11 hours per month on such tasks.

Today's business environment is shifting from the traditional model of simply manufacturing and selling products. Supply chains are now global in nature, customers have more options for where to get products, and they need their suppliers to be true business partners. Customers expect these partners to not only provide high-quality products, at the right time, but also to anticipate their future requirements and identify changing market trends, whilst meeting and exceeding their needs.

This means that manufacturers and distributors need easy-to-use, flexible solutions to more effectively manage their business. SAP® Business One addresses these needs with a powerful, flexible, and integrated solution that also enable users to deliver amazing customer experiences!

The SAP® Business One application offers an affordable way to manage your entire business – from sales and customer relationships to financials and operations.

Designed specifically for small businesses, SAP® Business One helps you to streamline processes, act on timely information, and drive profitable growth.

SAP® Business One is designed with flexibility in mind. Whether it’s deployed in your office or in the cloud, you can access it on the move using our SAP® Business One mobile app and as your business grows, you can customize and extend it to meet your evolving needs.

A single, integrated solution, it provides clear visibility into your entire business and enables complete control over every aspect of your operations. It captures all critical business information for immediate access and use companywide. SAP® Business One delivers what you need to manage your key business areas and decisions.

With an established global presence, with over 41,500 customers’, SAP® Business One is available in 25 languages and in 41 different countries. It offers a standard set of tried and tested business solutions to meet the needs of a fast growing manufacturer.

SAP® Business One customers have noticed planning time reduce by 50% and improved responsiveness to changes in demand. Other benefits include higher utilization of machines and labour, reduced lead time and ability to estimate accurate and reliable profit margins.

Overview

SAP® Business One for Manufacturing

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Increased utilisation of machinery and labour

Reduced lead time

Reduced planning time

Improved responsiveness to demand changes

Predictable delivery times

Ability to estimate accurate order margins

Reduced held stock and capital expenses.

Increased customer satisfaction

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Manufacturing organisations’ have invested in SAP® Business One for the following reasons:

Key Benefits Improve supplier and customer relationships with just-in-time production process planning

Free up your capital with reduced inventory and more accurate forecasting

Raise customer satisfaction levels with improved quality, capacity and material control

Improve efficiency, make savings and cut costs

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SAP® Business One offers a simple yet powerful planning system so you can cut costs, improve processes, and increase revenues. With SAP® Business One your manufacturing software is integrated with your accounts and CRM functionality in one complete system, enabling you and your management team to gain real insight, visibility and control over key processes.

Help Gain Competitive Advantage

How SAP® Business One Supports Manufacturers

Key Capabilities Define a multi-level BOM for complex products

Instantly check the availability of all products or materials

Easy tracking of all material transactions and costs

Create standard, special or disassembly production orders

Convert production orders to work orders

Convert production orders to purchase orders

Use the MRP wizard to create demand forecasts and avoid stock-outs

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Help Streamline Your Supply Chain The integrated warehouse and inventory management tools in SAP® Business One enable you to manage your supply chain by providing reliable information about inbound and outbound shipments as well as current inventory levels. With the advanced functionality available with SAP® Business One, you can access essential buying information, monitor perfor-mance, improve customer service and operate more profitably.

Key Benefits Make efficiency gains with automated processes

Improve customer service with on-time delivery and fewer shortages and stock-outs

Get control of your supply chain with accurate reports and forecasts

Reduce inventory costs with improved

visibility, control and planning

Improve business insight with powerful warehouse and inventory reporting tools

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Key Capabilities Keep track of product inventory, quantity at each warehouse, movement history, and stock levels

Various costing models; multiple units of measure and pricing

Goods receipts and issue control; stock transfer tracking; consignments, drop-ship and other orders.

Easy report creation with data that is regularly refreshed; display in various report formats or as dashboards

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FinanceHandle financial transactions including general ledger, account set up and maintenance, journal entries, multidimensional cost centres, foreign currency adjustments, and budgets

SAP® Business One Features Summary

ServiceOptimise the potential of service departments, providing support for service operations, service contract management, service planning and tracking of customer interaction activities.

SalesEasily create quotes, customer orders,deliveries, update stock balances,and manage all invoices and accounts receivables.

PurchasingManage supplier transactions such as issuing purchase quotes and orders, updating stock, calculating landed costs for imports, handling returns and credits, and processing payments

Materials RequirementsPlanning (MRP)Schedule and manage items for production or purchasing based on a variety of criteria, with this simple yet powerful planning system that drives efficiencies for production planners and buyers

CustomerRelationshipManagement (CRM)Control all of the information on customers and suppliers including profiles, contact summa-ries, account balances, and sales pipeline analysis.

Intercompany IntegrationManage intercompany transactions across multiple entities. Share resources and informa-tion between a companys’ physical and virtual locations, enabling consolidated reporting.

Stock ControlHandle stock levels, item management, price lists, special price agreements, transfers between warehouses, and stock transactions.

Real-time InsightGain real-time access to information and a way to explore it in detail without IT assistance, supporting better and faster decision-making. Increase employee productivity by putting your users in control of information.

SummarySAP® Business One is a complete solution for business management. It covers all critical business functions in a single system. Easy accessibility of up-to-date information on every aspect of your business such as: material resourcing, process scheduling, purchasing, pricing, stock levels, etc.

SAP® Business One solution comes at an affordable price and is undoubtedly best suited for manufacturers to boost their overall performance, productivity and profitability. SAP® Business One delivers rapid time-to-value, enabling small businesses to grow, using streamlined operations, respond quickly to customer needs, facilitating closer and more loyal customer relationships.

Why Silver Touch?Silver Touch globally has been a partner of SAP® for over 5 years and has implemented over 90 solutions in 15+ industry verticals. Our services include SAP® Business One license procurement, installation, implementation, customisation, add-on development and training and support. We have a team of technical and functional professionals that can help you in execut -ing all your manufacturing business needs. We understand your manufacturing business, its processes and its requirements before deploying the solution, thus offering you bespoke services.

We ensure that our manufacturing clients can leverage the full potential of the unique features of SAP® Business One and have access to its latest features, giving them the advantage of our world-class consulting services. We also provide seam -less post-deployment support and offer prompt resolution to all your queries.

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