1. Can a German Software Giant Provide Client/Server Solutions? SAP

2. SAP A.G. *based in Waltdorf, Germany *Europe's largest vendor of software emerging leader in software packages for client/server environments. *It currently controls $5.2 billion of the worlds client/server enterprise applications business * has mushroomed into the world's fourth largest software company. Nearly 7000 companies use R/3. * Among its clients are : the Dow Chemical Company Microsoft Corporation Apple Computer IBM Intel …...

3. SAP's R/3 business processes *human resources *plant management *manufacturing.

4. SAP *The software modules are integrate *they have their own common database management system. *The programs come in 12 foreign languages. * Specific versions are tailored to accommodate different currencies, tax laws, and accounting practices. *Managers can generate reports in their own local languages and currencies *fluently and to connect divisions and operating units spread around the world.

5. SAP software can be *customized by approximately 10 percent. * customized to multinational currencies and accounting practices. SAP makes this flexibility one of its key selling points. *As another selling point, SAP promotes the package as a platform for business reengineering. *It can operate on a wide range of computers, including UNIX-based machines, PowerPC- enabled IBM AS/400 minicomputers, and other servers.

6. SAP software can be *run on a number of different operating systems, including five variations of UNIX, Digital Equipment Corporation's VAX/VMS operating system, 0S/2, Windows NT, and other operating systems are also being developed.

7. The R/3 package includes *integrated financial accounting, *production planning, *sales and distribution, *cost-center accounting, order-costing, *materials management, * human resources, *quality assurance, *fixed assets management, *plant maintenance

8. The R/3 package includes * project planning applications. *word processing, *filing systems, *e-mail, *other office support functions.

9. R/3 can be *configured to run on a single hardware platform, *or it can be partitioned to run on separate machines (such as in whatever combination users choose to minimize network traffic and place data where users need it the most). to minimize network traffic. A central data dictionary keeps track of data and its location to maintain the integrity of distributed data.

10. SAP will sell clients *a blueprint of R/3"s information, data, and function models * software tools to facilitate custom development and integration of existing applications into R/3.

11. R/3 may be the way *it helps organizations automate and even redesign their business processes. *By adopting the system design offered by the package, companies can evaluate and streamline their business processes.

12. The R/3 package * The SAP package lets order takers make immediate decisions about granting customers credit and lets them access production data online so that they can tell customers exactly when their orders will be available for shipment. *The project resulted in a 70 percent reduction in the amount of time it took to deliver products; *response time to customers was also cut in half.

13. Because R/3 is so complicated, it is usually less expensive to change organizational procedures than to change the way the system works. Many companies installing R/3 experience intense organizational upheaval.

14. Estimates for every dollar spent on SAP R/3 software, five more must be spent on training and systems integration.