Small Businesses Move from Competitive Offering to SAP for Complete Business Management Solution on a Single Platform


SAP® Business One Provides Rapidly Growing Small Businesses with a Comprehensive and Scalable Business Solution

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. - December 10, 2007 - Signaling the 'next step' for businesses that have reached the limitations of point solutions, SAP America, Inc., a subsidiary of SAP AG (NYSE: SAP), today announced that rapidly growing small businesses HRP USA, Native Trails and Style West have replaced their QuickBooks software with the SAP® Business One application. Citing the need for more integrated and scalable business management solutions to support rapid growth beyond basic accounting software solutions, these emerging companies have selected SAP Business One to integrate core business functions across sales, financials and distribution while gaining improved visibility and control over growing operations.

SAP Business One provides a complete and affordable business management solution that allows these companies to manage sales, customers, inventory, distribution and financials - all within a single system. With robust accounting control and auditing capabilities, SAP Business One enables more disciplined and proactive financial management for customers. Built as a single, integrated system, SAP Business One eliminates the complexities and costs required to customize and integrate multiple point solutions. HRP USA, Native Trails and Style West join more than 15,800 small businesses worldwide that have selected SAP Business One for its long-term value and overall ease of use.

"Unlike their large corporate cousins, small businesses don't regularly assess and update their IT infrastructures," said Raymond Boggs, vice president of SMB research, IDC. "They don't have the time or the money. But growing firms find that they need more than core financials to manage their businesses effectively. This is where a comprehensive solution, especially one that can grow with the business, can be invaluable."

HRP USA Navigates Financials with SAP Business One

HRP USA, based in Chester, Pennsylvania, develops and distributes state-of-the-art steerable thrusters and propulsion control systems for commercial ships. The American subsidiary of Dutch company HRP Nederland bv, HRP USA found that its existing business management system could not accommodate the additional complexity brought by the growth of its business in North America. Specifically, it lacked clear project-based tracking and the ability to deliver related project profitability reports and multiple-currency tools. By working with Accelbus Systems LLC to select and implement SAP Business One, HRP USA gained financial project management capabilities to monitor costs across all facets of its business, providing real-time, comprehensive financial reports. With significant sales in Canada and Mexico, HRP USA used the currency conversion tool within the SAP solution to instantly convert and track customer invoices and payments for a more accurate financial picture.

"Our business model revolves around providing our customers with complex and highly reliable propulsion systems," said Peter Slootmaker, general manager, HRP USA. "With projects that last up to two years from initial contract to final commissioning, the ability to monitor the labor, materials and production costs of each project is crucial. SAP Business One provides us insight into the current status of each project via an easy-to-use framework that monitors all of our financial transactions, providing ease of mind to allow us to concentrate on what matters most - delivering on time and offering our customers the best support possible."

Native Trails Crosses Over to SAP

Based in San Luis Obispo, California, Native Trails is a leading manufacturer of upscale kitchen and bath products, specializing in handcrafted copper basins, tubs, vanities and accessories. Facing a growing demand for its products and a widening network of independent retailers, the company selected SAP Business One to replace an existing QuickBooks installation. With SAP Business One from Apollo Consulting, Native Trails will integrate all business departments from sales to distribution on a single solution, providing increased financial transparency and improved analytics for better decision-making. The solution's scalable platform will allow Native Trails to quickly adapt to changing business practices and better enable business growth.

"Like many growing businesses, we outgrew an entry-level accounting solution and began pushing it beyond the limit, forcing our need for an application that addresses both accounting and our increasingly complex inventory management system," said Lang Riley, IS director, Native Trails. "SAP Business One can handle large inventory levels, complex price lists and transfers between warehouses and wholesalers - processes that existed outside the scope of our previous solution and forced additional modifications."

Style West Steps Up with SAP Business One

Style West is the exclusive North American distributor and marketer of several dynamic Brazilian brands: Havaianas flip-flops, Cia Maritima swimwear and Serupi handbags. Having realized rapid jumps in consumer demand over the last several years and facing a barrage of new orders from a growing network of U.S. retailers, Style West experienced increasing difficulties manipulating its existing accounting solution to respond to customer concerns and control expanding operations. After an extensive selection process, Style West implemented SAP Business One, working on an aggressive timeline with reseller partner SoftEngine, Inc. to activate the solution with minimal disruption to its distribution schedule. With advanced control over inventory, financial and distribution operations, Style West has since benefited from enhanced process efficiency, improved customer communications and new insights into demand patterns and purchase cycles.

"Our company experienced a tremendous amount of growth over a short period, seriously testing the limits of our previous IT infrastructure," said Dave Sengstaken, president, Style West. "With SoftEngine's assistance, we quickly implemented and activated SAP Business One, linking together our major business departments and making us more responsive to customer needs and demands. The solution also provides a scalable platform that will support anticipated future growth, while still being able to manage a multi-divisional company."

Style West will soon add another division in 2008 as the company expands to develop and manufacture its own line of apparel.

"New businesses often settle for point solutions that address only the most critical functions during a company's 'lift-off' phase," said Dan Kraus, vice president, SAP Business One, SAP Americas. "Yet as companies grow and critical processes evolve, these solutions are outgrown and can gradually inhibit productivity and profitability. SAP Business One offers an unparalleled and affordable range of tools across all business areas, enabling small businesses to run at full speed and consistently drive business process improvements for enhanced operational performance."

About SAP

SAP is the world's leading provider of business software*. Today, more than 43,400 customers in more than 120 countries run SAP® applications-from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small businesses and midsize companies to suite offerings for global organizations. Powered by the SAP NetWeaver® technology platform to drive innovation and enable business change, SAP software helps enterprises of all sizes around the world improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. SAP solution portfolios support the unique business processes of more than 25 industries, including high tech, retail, financial services, healthcare and the public sector. With subsidiaries in more than 50 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE under the symbol "SAP." (Additional information at )

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications such as supply chain management, customer relationship management, product life-cycle management and supplier relationship management.

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