Chapter 1. Getting Ready to Implement SAP Business ONE

"That stinks!" I said after I picked up the dirty sock. "No," was the reply "it is the smell of victory." You see, it depends on how you look at things. What appeared to be a dirty sock was indeed a valuable sports artifact worth a lot of money.

"What does this have to do with the SAP Business ONE application?", you may ask. Well, SAP Business ONE helps you separate the unnecessary clutter from the success drivers of your business. The solution does this with real-time data for all departments. In case you thought that the sock example is a bit far-fetched, I would like to counter this and explain that there is a theory in quantum physics called the observer effect. It essentially states that an act of observation changes the phenomenon being observed. In our example, only a closer observation revealed the object's true value. The same thing goes for a business. It is only with the right data that you can observe and make decisions that leads your business in a successful direction. I will provide a list of examples where additional information can change your view on things and impact your decisions. I am not talking about the big picture here, but rather a detailed level where you can easily lose sight, though you shouldn't.

Have you noticed that there are managers who can pretty much run any kind of business and make it a success? How do they do it? Is there a specific way that we can follow to run our business? You may say that it takes a great idea. That's true. However, what about timing and operating the business? One thing is for certain, it is not enough to only have a great idea. You must also be able to develop it from the start to the end.

What do successful business owners have in common? Do they all use SAP Business ONE? No, but they are able to establish metrics and measure performance, which allows them to make the right decisions. This is where SAP Business ONE comes into play. It is designed to help you collect the right information and run reports in real-time.

In this book, I will introduce SAP Business ONE and show you how observing your business data in real time can lead to a multitude of subtle changes that will make the difference between failure and success.

At this point, all you need is a business idea, this book, and SAP Business ONE. This book is for any technically savvy entrepreneur with a vision to make his or her business a success. These entrepreneurs understand that technology can be used as an enablement platform for a business venture. In order to make this venture a success, the technology used must be challenged every day.