SAP Best-Run Now initiative aimed at riding the storm

Dubbed Best-Run Now, the initiative includes software tools geared to managing liquidity, saving costs and managing workforces, both now and while planning for future growth Bill McDermott, president and CEO, global field operations at SAP, explains that it’s about recognising users’ requirement for IT solutions that can be quickly consumed and that can help them to adapt and respond to the current challenging global marketplace. He emphasises that, as companies face shortages in sales and spending, limitations in accessing credit and fluctuating costs, it becomes essential to make shifts to improve operations and protect the bottom line. Hence, SAP’s push, with bundles of flexible software and services to help them identify opportunities, increase visibility into cash and liquidity, make efficient workforce adjustments, more rapidly access performance data, streamline supply chains and make savings in procurement and expenses. “No other company in our industry has the ability to provide, in a matter of days, offerings designed to help customers address the challenges that have emerged on a global scale,” says McDermott. “Customers around the world, the biggest and the smallest, trust SAP to innovate and deliver the solutions they need to become best-run.” As for the detail, there’s not a lot, but one of the tools is Business Intelligence Accelerator (BIA), aimed at boosting performance of analytic processing and enabling managers to access and analyse large volumes of business data better. Another is Optimise IT, which focuses on reducing operational IT costs. McDermott also makes the point that, for SMEs, there are special arrangements for licenses on solutions such as Business-All-In One, BusinessObjects Xcelsius and BusinessObjects Crystal Reports, available direct from SAP and via SAP channel partners. “The strength of our product offerings, combined with industry-leading services and support, enables us to create these solution packages, including special financing offers, to roll-out for customers immediately,” says McDermott.