Sap
Content
SAP SAP AG is a German multinational software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Headquartered in Germany, with regional offices around the world, SAP is the market leader in enterprise applications in terms of software and software-related service. The company's best-known software products are its enterprise resource planning application (SAP ERP), its enterprise data warehouse product – SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW), SAP BusinessObjects software, and most recently, Sybase mobile products and in-memory computing appliance SAP HANA. SAP is one of the largest software companies in the world. SAP was founded in June 1972 as System Analysis and Program Development by five former IBM engineers. The acronym was later changed to stand for Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing. In 1973, SAP R/1 was launched.[4] Six years later, in 1979, SAP launched SAP R/2.[4] In 1981, SAP brought a re-designed product to market. However, SAP R/2 did not improve until the period between 1985 and 1990. SAP developed and released several versions of R/3 in 1992 through 1995. By the mid-1990s, SAP followed the trend from mainframe computing to client/server architectures. In 2008, SAP acquired Business Objects, a business intelligence company and added its products to its portfolio. In 2010, SAP acquired Sybase in a major acquisition move. Sybase being the largest business software and service provider specializing in information management and mobile data use. In December 2011, SAP AG agreed to buy SuccessFactors Inc. for $3.4 billion in cash or 52 percent more than the share closing price on 2 December 2011. With the acquisition, SAP AG will become more competitive with Oracle Corp. in the Cloud computing market.[10] In May 2012, SAP AG announced to acquire the Sunnyvale, California-based supply chain network operator Ariba Inc. for an estimated $4.3 billion dollars. SAP said it will offer $45 a share. The acquisition is assumed to be completed in the third quarter 2012, subject to approval by Ariba shareholders and regulators.
Business and markets
SAP is the world's largest business software company and the third-highest revenue independent software provider (as of 2007).[12] It operates in four geographic regions: EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), America (United States and Canada), LAC (Latin America and Caribbean), and APJ (Asia Pacific and Japan), which represents Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, India, Greater China, and Southeast Asian countries. In addition, SAP operates a network of 115 subsidiaries, and has R&D (Research & Development) facilities around the globe in Germany, India, US, Canada, France, Brazil, Turkey, China, Hungary, Israel, Ireland and Bulgaria. SAP focuses on six industry sectors: process industries, discrete industries, consumer industries, service industries, financial services, and public services. It offers integrated product sets for large enterprises and midsize companies and small businesses.
PRODUCTS
SAP's products focus on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). The company's main product is SAP ERP. The current version is SAP ERP 6.0 and is part of the SAP Business Suite. Its previous name was R/3. The "R" of SAP R/3 stood for realtime. The number 3 related to the 3-tier architecture: database, application server and client (SAPgui). R/2, which ran on a Mainframe architecture, was the predecessor of R/3. Before R/2 came System RF, later dubbed R/1. SAP ERP is one of five enterprise applications in SAP's Business Suite. The other four applications are: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – helps companies acquire and retain customers, gain marketing and customer insight Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) – helps manufacturers with product-related information Supply Chain Management (SCM) – helps companies with the process of resourcing its manufacturing and service processes Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) – enables companies to procure from suppliers Other major product offerings include: the NetWeaver platform, Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) software, Duet (joint offering with Microsoft), Performance Management software and RFID. SAP offers service-oriented architecture capabilities (calling it Enterprise SOA) in the form of web services that are wrapped around its applications. While its original products were typically used by Fortune 500 companies, SAP now actively targets small and medium sized enterprises (SME) with its SAP Business One and SAP Business All-in-One. SAP ERP is SAP AG's Enterprise Resource Planning, an integrated software solution that incorporates the key business functions of the organization. SAP ERP is, in the SAP Business Suite software, the name for the modules comprising the former SAP R/3. It contains the following solutions. SAP ERP Financials: Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Accounting and Financial reporting, Risk management, Regulatory Compliance, Cash Flow Monitoring, Travel Management SAP ERP Human Capital Management: End-user Maintenance, HR and Payroll, HR Process Management, HR Reporting, Labor Force Analysis, Placement, Recruitment and Training, Talent Management SAP ERP Operations: Procurement and logistics, Product development and manufacturing, Sales and service, Operations analytics
ERP advantages and disadvantages Advantages Allows easier global integration (barriers of currency exchange rates, language, and culture can be bridged automatically) Updates only need to be done once to be implemented company-wide Provides real-time information, reducing the possibility of redundancy errors May create a more efficient work environment for employees Vendors have past knowledge and expertise on how to best build and implement a system
Disadvantages Locked into relationship by contract and manageability with vendor - a contract can hold a company to the vendor until it expires and it can be unprofitable to switch vendors if switching costs are too high Inflexibility - vendor packages may not fit a company's business model well and customization can be expensive Return on Investment may take too long to be profitable Implementations have a risk of project failure
ORGANIZATION Functional units of SAP are split across different organizational units for R&D needs, field activities and customer support. SAP Labs are mainly responsible for product development whereas the field organizations spread across each country are responsible for field activities such Sales, Marketing, Consulting etc. Head office located in SAP AG is responsible for overall management as well as core Engineering activities related to Product Development. SAP customer support, also called Active Global Support (AGS) is a global organization to provide support to SAP customers worldwide. SAP Labs India[35] is the largest development unit in terms of number of employees outside the SAP headquarters located in Walldorf, Germany.
CAUSES
In 2012, SAP is listed as a partner of the (RED) campaign, together with other brands such as Nike Inc., Girl, American Express and Converse. The campaign's mission is to prevent the transmission of the HIV virus from mother to child by 2015 (the campaign's byline is "Fighting for an AIDS Free Generation"
Business and markets
SAP is the world's largest business software company and the third-highest revenue independent software provider (as of 2007).[12] It operates in four geographic regions: EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), America (United States and Canada), LAC (Latin America and Caribbean), and APJ (Asia Pacific and Japan), which represents Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, India, Greater China, and Southeast Asian countries. In addition, SAP operates a network of 115 subsidiaries, and has R&D (Research & Development) facilities around the globe in Germany, India, US, Canada, France, Brazil, Turkey, China, Hungary, Israel, Ireland and Bulgaria. SAP focuses on six industry sectors: process industries, discrete industries, consumer industries, service industries, financial services, and public services. It offers integrated product sets for large enterprises and midsize companies and small businesses.
PRODUCTS
SAP's products focus on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). The company's main product is SAP ERP. The current version is SAP ERP 6.0 and is part of the SAP Business Suite. Its previous name was R/3. The "R" of SAP R/3 stood for realtime. The number 3 related to the 3-tier architecture: database, application server and client (SAPgui). R/2, which ran on a Mainframe architecture, was the predecessor of R/3. Before R/2 came System RF, later dubbed R/1. SAP ERP is one of five enterprise applications in SAP's Business Suite. The other four applications are: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – helps companies acquire and retain customers, gain marketing and customer insight Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) – helps manufacturers with product-related information Supply Chain Management (SCM) – helps companies with the process of resourcing its manufacturing and service processes Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) – enables companies to procure from suppliers Other major product offerings include: the NetWeaver platform, Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) software, Duet (joint offering with Microsoft), Performance Management software and RFID. SAP offers service-oriented architecture capabilities (calling it Enterprise SOA) in the form of web services that are wrapped around its applications. While its original products were typically used by Fortune 500 companies, SAP now actively targets small and medium sized enterprises (SME) with its SAP Business One and SAP Business All-in-One. SAP ERP is SAP AG's Enterprise Resource Planning, an integrated software solution that incorporates the key business functions of the organization. SAP ERP is, in the SAP Business Suite software, the name for the modules comprising the former SAP R/3. It contains the following solutions. SAP ERP Financials: Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Accounting and Financial reporting, Risk management, Regulatory Compliance, Cash Flow Monitoring, Travel Management SAP ERP Human Capital Management: End-user Maintenance, HR and Payroll, HR Process Management, HR Reporting, Labor Force Analysis, Placement, Recruitment and Training, Talent Management SAP ERP Operations: Procurement and logistics, Product development and manufacturing, Sales and service, Operations analytics
ERP advantages and disadvantages Advantages Allows easier global integration (barriers of currency exchange rates, language, and culture can be bridged automatically) Updates only need to be done once to be implemented company-wide Provides real-time information, reducing the possibility of redundancy errors May create a more efficient work environment for employees Vendors have past knowledge and expertise on how to best build and implement a system
Disadvantages Locked into relationship by contract and manageability with vendor - a contract can hold a company to the vendor until it expires and it can be unprofitable to switch vendors if switching costs are too high Inflexibility - vendor packages may not fit a company's business model well and customization can be expensive Return on Investment may take too long to be profitable Implementations have a risk of project failure
ORGANIZATION Functional units of SAP are split across different organizational units for R&D needs, field activities and customer support. SAP Labs are mainly responsible for product development whereas the field organizations spread across each country are responsible for field activities such Sales, Marketing, Consulting etc. Head office located in SAP AG is responsible for overall management as well as core Engineering activities related to Product Development. SAP customer support, also called Active Global Support (AGS) is a global organization to provide support to SAP customers worldwide. SAP Labs India[35] is the largest development unit in terms of number of employees outside the SAP headquarters located in Walldorf, Germany.
CAUSES
In 2012, SAP is listed as a partner of the (RED) campaign, together with other brands such as Nike Inc., Girl, American Express and Converse. The campaign's mission is to prevent the transmission of the HIV virus from mother to child by 2015 (the campaign's byline is "Fighting for an AIDS Free Generation"
