Operate your business more effectively by driving faster, smarter decisions, applying better control over costs, minimize risk and liability, and anticipate change. SAP Business ByDesign helps you automate business processes, streamline administrative tasks, and proactively deliver role-based information to employees.
SAP Business ByDesign
FOUR STEPS TO A
BEST-RUN BUSINESSCONTENT
^t 4 Executive Summary
5 Overcoming Barriers to Profitable Growth
6 Building a Unified Business 6 Establish and Align Key Performance Indicators
8 Four Steps to a Best-Run Business 8 1. S ee the Whole Picture to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions 8 2. C ontrol Your Cost Structure End to End 9 3. Minimize Risk and Liability 10 4. Anticipate change
11 SAP Business ByDesign 11 Single, Integrated Solution for Faster, Smarter Decisions 11 Embedded Process Controls Improve Cost Structures 11 Consistently Meet Performance Standards and Control Risk 11 Adaptable and Scalable for Quick Response to Market Changes
12 Getting Started 12 Find Your Path to Value 12 Process Automation 12 End-to-End Process Integration 13 Process Change Management
16 For More InformationEXECUTIVE SUMMARY
It is often at this point that business leaders ask themselves, "What do we need to do to get out of our own way?"
This document describes how you can build a strategy to unify and run your business more effectively by:. Driving faster, smarter decisions. Applying better control over your cost structure. Minimizing risk and liability. Anticipating change
With the fever to win deals and expand reside in multiple places with little a customer base, the business environ- information sharing, and there's limited ment in dynamic, fast-growing compa- visibility into the pipeline. There are nies is often ruled by the principle of often multiple financial systems and "the ends justify the means." Setting data models, manual and distributed up operational processes is something purchasing practices, informal that big companies do to slow things governance, and ad hoc spreadsheet down and is seen as a hindrance to reporting based on the next board of creativity and innovation. Early on, this directors meeting or customer visit. approach works well and helps estab-lish business practices that allow a Unstructured creativity compounded by young company flourish in its unique fast growth leads to the inability of competitive environment. Often, com- business leaders to make confident, panies get combined and find them- fact-based business decisions. Multiple selves competing in whole new mar- versions of the truth and increased kets on a much larger scale, without internal complexity often become a big-the supporting infrastructure and pro- ger barrier for growth than outside, cesses to operate efficiently. At some competitive influences. Technology has point, however, the proliferation of one- now become a limiting factor. Deci-offs and splintered processes creates sions based on logic have been re-obstacles for managing growth and placed by decisions based on instinct. scalability. Customer records
4 Four Steps to a Best-Run BusinessOVERCOMING BARRIERS
TO PROFITABLE GROWTH
According to a study focused on mid- diversification, and global expansion. Responses indicate that maintaining size companies by the Economist Intel- This study also found that globalization profitable growth in an expanding global ligence Unit, downward pressure on is not just for the big multinationals - marketplace will require a primary focus prices combined with the rising cost of midsize companies are tapping into on increasing operational efficiency inputs (particularly energy and raw ma- global markets to increase profits and across the business.terials) are combining to squeeze mar- decrease costs as well. To do this 1gins (see Figure 1). Executives across requires building a network of partners, industries represented in this survey - customers, and suppliers spread all but particularly manufacturers - are over the globe with more people in-extremely keen to reduce costs and volved in the value chain. Unfortunat ely, improve operating efficiency as their ramping up and managing operations 2companies grow (see Figure 2). come with challenges: localization, Achieving these objectives will enable training, procurement, and visibility, to the companies to expand further name only a few. through new customer acquisition,
Global Asia-Pacific What do you believe will be the most serious impediments Europe U.S. to growth in your key markets over the next three years? Select up to three. (% respondents)High labor costs vis-à-vis Downward pressu... [download for more]
