In today’s around-the-clock, around-the-world business culture, we at Key Business Solutions know that flexibility is the key to remaining competitive. More specifically, flexibility in terms of how you access, manage, and analyze your company data should empower on-the-go professionals. Moving past what SAP Business One is offering users in terms of accessibility, independent software vendors (ISVs) are producing modern, business user friendly financial report writers that include mobility and flexibility as a foundation – for the increasingly large group of users who require access to company data wherever the job takes them. Third party manufacturers have consistently been identifying SAP B1 customer needs, resulting in Business Intelligence (BI) products that are a response to these demands for flexibility.
ISV solutions are providing SAP B1 customers the capability to move beyond native, too simple, or too complex BI tools to accelerate workflow processes with best-of-breed, customizable financial reporting solutions. The best ISV tools will offer you options for optimal flexibility. We know there are times when you or a co-worker has to make informed decisions at a trade show, on a flight, or in a restaurant on the road, requiring company data for analysis. A lot of companies continue to rely on the typical client-server, on-premises BI solutions, which means that you have to be in the office, or work with a perhaps sluggish remote connection to get to operational and/or transactional data. As today’s business continues to move in the direction of global customer bases, on-premises won’t satisfy your needs for long. What solutions, then, are equipped to keep up with you and your business?
At Key Business Solutions, we get it: shopping for any new solution can be an exhausting process, including webinars, demos, and training that are not already on your list of things to do. However, we also know how important the investment can be to the productivity of your team – and for that matter, the staff morale. Even if the tool is cost efficient, the investment will be a big one, including your time and your energy, so the decision should not be made lightly when it comes to securing the tool that flexibly meets your business process goals.
What are some things you should be considering when shopping for flexibility? First of all, evaluate if you need to integrate live from SAP B1 (for a real-time analysis) or if you can query data from BI data storage source, like an OLAP cube or a data warehouse. Your team will benefit from the familiarity and flexibility of an Excel-powered tool, but reporting beyond the GL should be an option. You and your team should be able to access your data anywhere you have an internet connection without giving up Excel formatting. Today, some ISVs are offering financial reporting applications for your smartphone or tablet, so you can access operational reports, KPIs, and company financials. And finally, consider the power of a tool that is positioned within a comprehensive, fully integrated BI suite for cohesive, streamlined processes in managing and analyzing your data.
To continue learning more about key considerations regarding your financial reporting options for SAP Business One, read the rest of this article here.
