IT for Manufacturing Executives
R&D: A Make-Or-Break Investment
September 30, 2010 8:40 am | by Behnam Adib | Articles | CommentsTo be successful in this global market, manufacturers should invest enough in research and development to design and prototype new products dynamically. ** This is part one of a two-part article on the value of integrating R&D with production in a manufacturing enterprise. One of the biggest challenges in a manufacturing company, especially with the worldwide time-to-market race, is how to establish a solid integration between R&D and production entities.
Seeing the Big Picture: A Corporate Guide to Better Decisions through IT
September 30, 2010 8:23 am | by SAP | White PapersThe sheer amount of information available in today's business climate can be a double-edge sword. This TEC white paper takes an informative look at how small businesses and midsize companies can develop ways to access the right information at the right time in order to make better, faster decisions – without getting bogged down or delayed.
SaaS Realities: Business Benefits for Small and Mid-sized Enterprises
September 30, 2010 8:21 am | by SAP | White PapersIn this paper, we consider the business advantages of moving to a Software as a Service (SaaS) model for improving business operations, and to better meet the challenges of growth, competition and regulatory compliance faced by small-to midsize businesses.
Evaluating SaaS Solutions: A Checklist for Small and Mid-sized Enterprises
September 30, 2010 8:18 am | by SAP | White PapersIn this paper we discuss the relevant criteria for evaluation of SaaS solutions targeting small-to-midsize businesses, and we raise the key questions that should be asked. It is important to ensure that the qualities of the SaaS solution will align well the business requirements and be sufficiently adaptable to meet the needs of change and growth. We also provide an evaluation template for small-to-midsize business executives to use in conducting an evaluation of a SaaS solution.
Software as a Service: A Cheaper, Faster Way to Access Applications
September 30, 2010 8:15 am | by SAP | White PapersSoftware as a Service can provide lower-cost, efficient choices for building, testing, and deploying certain applications and software services, and it offers new go-to-market choices over traditional managed services. For smaller organizations, SaaS is particularly appealing because it allows customers to pay for what they use and deploy applications quickly with less in-house staff and fewer related costs.
Comparing the Total Cost of Ownership of SME On-Premises Business Management Applications and SAP Business By Design
September 30, 2010 8:12 am | by SAP | White PapersRead how SAP Business ByDesign delivered on-demand compares to other equivalent on-premise applications. IDC provides its analysis of the lifetime cost of ownership for a typical on-premise SME business management system and compares it to the cost of running SAP Business ByDesign.
The ROI of Software-As-A-Service
September 30, 2010 8:09 am | by SAP | White PapersFirms almost always consider software-as-a-service (SaaS) as a cost-advantage over on-premise in the short run due to its quick implementation times and pay-as-you-go pricing. But many firms question the long-term value of SaaS, wondering if the rent-versus-own model necessarily has a cost crossover point and if so, when? As SaaS continues to move into a broader range of applications and into larger, more strategic deployments, Forrester examined client decisions across a range of SaaS solution areas and found that firms obtain long-term value with SaaS solutions.
Access Your Enterprise Agility
September 30, 2010 8:06 am | by SAP | White PapersWhile firms have used different business strategies to insulate themselves from the effect of change, CEOs are beginning to recognize the need for their firms to become more agile in detecting and making the changes to strategy, operations, and products. Turning agility from a buzzword into a business capability requires firms to measure and manage their ability to change — and agree on what agility means specifically for their enterprise.
Measuring the ROI of ERP in SMB: Keeping ERP Projects Alive When You Need Them the Most
September 30, 2010 8:03 am | by SAP | White PapersRead this report from Aberdeen to discover their findings about the benefits of an implementing an ERP system. Companies which are growing and improving performance have often invested in an ERP system that will grow with them. An ERP system can help small and mid-size businesses develop a balance between their business drivers, growth and customer service.
AXIS Analyst Insight: SAP ERP for SME Not Just for SME
September 30, 2010 8:00 am | by SAP | White PapersThis Axis Analyst Insight presents vendor-specific highlights from the ERP in Manufacturing Aberdeen AXIS™ published in June 2009 and focuses specifically on SAP Small to Medium-size Enterprise (SME) offerings. With ist dominant market share, it was not surprising to find SAP to be "market ready", but it is a bit surprising to see where its SME products are landing.
A Fresh Look At SAP's Software As A Service (SaaS) Solution
September 30, 2010 7:56 am | by SAP | White PapersAt Sapphire 2009, SAP showcased about a dozen Business ByDesign Customers, some brand new and some I had met a year ago, along with a test-drive area that allowed customers and analysts to touch and feel, and take a guided tour of the product. Not being one that is easily led, this analyst went a bit off-road in the test drive. While the data might not have been real, I left convinced that the application behind it was.
Four Steps To A Best Run Business
September 30, 2010 7:18 am | by SAP | White PapersOperate 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.
'Augmented' Reality On A Cell Phone
September 30, 2010 7:01 am | Videos | CommentsCan you imagine a technology that allows you to to take a cell phone, point it at something, and immediately receive a wealth of information about that object? This technology, a form of 'augmented' reality, is here. Researchers from Georgia Tech recently developed a cell phone program that allows users to see the world like never before.
Unemployment Drops For Third Time In Four Weeks
September 30, 2010 5:16 am | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Applications for jobless benefits dropped last week for the third time in four weeks, a sign that employers are cutting fewer jobs. Initial claims for unemployment aid fell by 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 453,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Wall Street analysts had expected a smaller drop.
Boeing Secures $11.9B Air Force Contract
September 30, 2010 5:15 am | News | CommentsThe U.S. Air Force has signed an eight-year contract with Boeing Co. worth $11.9 billion for upgrades to B-52 bombers. The Defense Department says that Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio is handling contract activities. Shares of Chicago-based Boeing rose 79 cents to $66.76 in after-hours trading, after finishing regular trading up $1.
