SAP Business One Implementation Boosted The Business Performance Of A Swiss Disinfectant Manufacturer

As the client had already selected SAP Business, it was looking for a strong implementation partner to get the ball rolling. With the strong implementation experience in SAP Business One and an incredible capability of offering more technical, implementation and support bandwidth, Flexsin was brought on board. The client also saw strong value in Flexsin's ability to offer local support in its time zone cost-effectively.

Flexsin started a discussion with the management by organizing a workshop on closely understanding the client's needs. The workshop was closely followed by mapping the requirements with Flexsin's expertise. During the workshops, Flexsin focused on analyzing the business requirements tabled in two different manners- a broad system blueprint and a more detailed scope of works. With its deep SAP expertise, Flexsin knew that the important aspect is that no implementation of SAP Business One can begin without a detailed scope of works. The scope of works (analysis and design) included the following segments:

• Which modules of SAP Business One will be implemented?
• What data conversion will be included and excluded?
• What reporting is required (standard SAP Business One reports and custom-written reports)?
• A listing per functional area of the business requirements
• The SAP Business One configurations per module (chart of accounts, etc.)
• A project plan
• Hardware requirements
• Implementation responsibilities including customer and Flexsin

Flexsin conducted a good number of five workshops with the client, making sure that the scope of work covered and documented all key business processes. The SAP team took extra time and care while determining the scope of works phase to ensure it had done a comprehensive analysis of key business requirements.

Front-end:
SAP Business One offers multiple configuration tools. These tools are designed for a superuser to be able to make basic system changes without the need for external consultancy. Flexsin used a few of the tools mentioned below as part of the project's front-end:

• GUI forms Editor: It allows the modification in the screen layouts. User-defined fields (UDFs) were added to a form using this mechanism. The end result was a customizable screen layout that suited the client's business and made it quicker and easier for its users to enter data.
• UDF: By adding UDFs to a screen so that users can capture additional or company-specific data that might not be available on the standard SAP Business One screen.
• User-defined tables: They allow the user to define tables with ease.
• Form layouts: They make the changes to printed form layouts for including the client's company logo, portrait or landscape and more. SAP Crystal was the preferred mechanism for making changes to form layouts in SAP Business One.
• Change field names: Flexsin trained end-users on the simplicity with which a superuser can make field name changes in SAP Business One. The client was trained to the extent that no need for external resources was felt for making a field name change; the client was able to do it themselves in 10 seconds.
• Reporting: The reports were added to the menu structures while being easy to modify and tailor to user-specific requirements.
• Formatted searches: Formatted searches were added with ease and were also used for multiple applications including automatically entering values into a field, entering values from a pre-defined list of values, and creating links between fields.
• Queries: Flexsin used the SAP Business One Query Generator. The users were trained to identify the fields that the client wanted to query using the “view system information” functionality in SAP Business One and then write individual queries.

Backend
Companies required different functionalities in the form of customization. To manage this, Flexsin develop customer-specific add-ons using the SAP software development kit (SDK). Add-ons helped enhance the relevance of features for the client's business activities, ranging from production, distribution, service, project management, quality management to human capital management.

Some common integration elements include integrating:

• Third-party HR solutions
• Logistics and travel management solutions
• Warehouse management solutions
• Third-party solutions that streamlined billing and industry-specific functions

Development Process
Flexsin solutions team worked with the business and IT team of the client to help improve their business processes. Besides, the teams also identified to-be processes and mapped their business requirements to the functionality available in the SAP application through configuration and customization. Extensive testing and effective change management remained the key elements of this project. The key phases and activities are highlighted below.

Phase1:

• Final implementation in the system
• Overall test
• Release of the system for production (live) operation

Phase 2: Final Preparation: The final preparation included testing, end-user training, system management, and cutover activities. This phase also serves to resolve all crucial open issues. On successful completion of this phase, the customer's business will be ready to run with the new live SAP Business One

Phase 3: Go Live and Support: The purpose of this phase is to cut over to live productive operation and to continuously support and improve live operations. This phase encompasses two distinct periods as follows:

• Project End: When the system first went live, all issues and problems were resolved, the transition to the production support team was finalized, and knowledge transfer was completed. Finally, the project was given for sign off.

Phase 4: Once the project was completed, the production support team monitored the system and resolved live business process issues. Proper change management procedures were followed, and ongoing end-user training was conducted. Plans were made to continuously review and improve business processes.

Phase5: Continuous Improvement: Once the project is complete, the production support team will monitor the system and resolve live business process issues. Proper change management procedures will be established, and ongoing end-user training will be conducted. Plans will be made to continuously review and improve business processes.