A Case Study on..

SAP and the Evolving Web Software

ERP Market
Presented by:
Asmita Rao (50)
Chinmay Khankhoje (36)
Harshad Khedekar (37)
Purva Patankar (46)
Sarang Tilak (57)
Vandan Pathak (47)
Vijay Kekan (34)
 SAP’s Inception

Founded by 5 German IBM Computer Analysts in 1972

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
 Co-ordination of cross-functional and cross-divisional information
 Central processing of information
 Enormous savings in Time and Expense
 Managing A-Z of business simplified

R/1 & Installation in Nestle

Benefits to Nestle
Expansion – Good or Bad?

Focusing of R/1 onto MNCs

Initial Strategy

Switching of strategy – Outsourcing

Decentralization, Link between SAP and Clients, Concentration on core



competencies, Penetration into global markets made easier


Profits distributed, Lack of firsthand knowledge of needs of customers

Engineering Mindset- Boon or Curse
 Next Generation
•
Launch of R/2
•
Value-chain/business process modules like product development, inventory, and
order tracking
•
Use of Oracle DBMS in R/2 enabled Oracle to develop its own ERP software and
emerge as SAP’s competitor
•
Linkage to databases and mainframes
•
Customizations for each industry
•
Going public-1988
•
Broad solutions-A cut above the rest
•
SAP concentrated on providing solutions to many companies’ business process
problems
 Introduction of R/3 solution
•
SAP’s continuous investment led to introduction of third generation ERP solution, R/3 in 1992.
•
It had following 7 modules:

1. Production planning

2. Materials management

3. Financial accounting

4. Asset management

5. Human resources management

6. Project systems

7. Sales and distribution

 SWOT ANALYSIS OF R/3
Strengths Opportunities
•Offered seamless, real-time integration •Competitors would take time to catch up
•Embedded many industry best practice with the updates.
solutions . • internet based tools
•Could operate in multiple languages and • small and medium enterprises
convert exchange rates.
•Could be customized to meet broader
needs of industry.

Weaknesses Threats
•Cost of customization was too high for •Oracle emerged as a strong competitor
consulting companies •Increasing demand and popularity led to
•Difficult and expensive to implement several SAP divisions which led to lack of
•Was too standardized coordination and monitoring
•During reconfiguration, a lot of time was
consumed
•Many a time, expectations were not
matched
 R/3’s Effects
•
R/3’s popularity led to decentralization of marketing, sales and
installation of its software.
•
By 1995, it had 18 national subsidiaries and today it has over 50.
•
But decentralization led to growth in consultants, who tried to fulfill their
vested interests.
•
This led to a backfire of company’s mission which was to supply software
that linked functions and divisions.
Contd…
Price was based on –



number of users within a company
number of different R/3 modules that were installed
degree to which users utilized R/3 module

SAP’s expensive prices led to decline in its reputation and sales.



SAP was even sued by a company ‘Foxmeyer’ which claimed its



bankruptcy due to supply chain problems.

T he Changing Envir onment

Facing Stiff Technical Competition

- PeopleSoft’s focus on the HRM module

- Oracle offering an Internet-based ERP

platform

Victims of Weaknesses

- Complicated process of customization

- Expensive Module options


SAP’s managers to reevaluate Business

Model & Ways

Implementation problems

Work Culture
- Hard work, Teamwork, openness & speed
- No meetings, empty offices,
- Product oriented than Service oriented

Capitalizing focus on HRM
- Developed job profiles, Career structure,
Rewards to retain them
- SAP sued Siebel system for enticing their employees

Standardizing the working of Divisions
- for easier transfer of people & knowledge
- Facilitating Co-operation between Engineer &
Consultant
- Reduce overheads cost to recruit people
Implementation Problem (contd..)


Adopting Standardized & Hierarchical approach

- To earn profit from training & installation sector

- Global training program charging high entry fees

- Focus of Subsidiaries on particular sector


Problems continued

- Still highly decentralized & remained Product focused company

- Subsidiaries continued to form strategic alliances

New strategic problems

ERP system focus on company's internal business processes and not on



cross company or industry level transaction


Emergence of e-commerce

Internet offered supply chain management (SCM) and customer relationship



management (CRM) software


SAP , Microsoft , Oracle unaware of implications of web-based computing
New strategic problems (Contd..)
Introduction of netscapes web browser led to collapse in microsoft stock


price. SAP’s stock price also began to reflect because of web

development

Emergence of new web-based software technology

Industry environment started changing

Rivalry among major software makers in the new web based



software market became intense

 New Strategy

1995 SAP teamed with Microsoft , Netscape and sun Microsystems and
introduced SAP R3 3.1 internet compatible system

SAP raised new funds on the stock market to keep web based R/3
systems up to date with dramatic innovations in web software
development

And broaden its web based application - B2B , B2C networks, web site
development and hosting, security and system management , streaming
videos and teleconferencing
Competitors’ Reaction
SAP had no developed competency in web software development its


competitors started to catch up

Oracle took advantage of Oracle Database system and emerged as its



major competitor.

Oracle was cheaper and easier to implement quickly

Competitors started providing specific aspects of ERP system but not full


range services as offered by SAP


Low cost modules were easily available
Changing customer needs
SAP changed its platform from a vendor of ERP components to provider


of ebusiness solutions

SAP recognized customers demand for networked environments with



global connectivity to enable realtime decision-making

Customers wanted to leverage ebusiness with the aim to increase



productivity, improve customer satisfaction and lowering overhead costs

Customers also wanted total solutions package that would take care of


relationships management and supply chains

Yesterdays ERP doesn’t meet ALL of these
needs

Inability to effectively address

industry specific needs
MySAP

MySAP offered a total solutions ERP package including SCM and CRM module

MySAP would help to leverage and build upon customers’ core competencies to


enhance their competitive advantage


Supported all other softwares and platforms

SAP worked across its range of products to make its system cheaper and easier to use

MySAP was completely compatible with R/3 system to enable customers to expand


their use of SAP products

SAP offered in-house training and development programs for consultants and


programmers
Key differences

Client/Server Architecture Enterprise – services Architecture

Transactional User Business User
Data-centric Information-centric
Functional modules Adaptable industry processes
Process efficiency Analysis , Decision and Actions
MySAP – The Strategy
To improve its cost-effectiveness, MySAP moved to a Parallel Outsourcing


Policy, wherein it ensured involvement of SAP consultant in installation and

maintenance processes to monitor external consultant’s performance

Adopted a Stock Option program in 2000 to retain valuable employees

Embraced the concept of Open Architecture, such that its MySAP Applications


were compatible with other software manufacturers such as Microsoft NT, Sun’s
Java and UNIX

Realized the need for strategic alliances and acquisitions to mitigate increasing


competition and overhead costs and enhance its market presence

Ex. Allied with Commerce One to compete in B2B segment, joined with IBM to


improve Product Life-cycle Management (PLM)

MySAP – Going Strength to Strength

By 2002, SAP achieved a position of market dominance through its partnerships and alliances

Even Microsoft recognized the enormous potential threat from SAP and introduced its XP OS which was


incompatible with SAP’s products

However, MS later adopted to open architecture policy announced that its next version of XP would support


Java based programming


Recession that started in 2000 lowered demand for software products which hurt smaller companies badly

However, SAP emerged strongly as a result of exit of other smaller competitors from the market

By 2002, established itself as No.1 vendor of software with a worldwide market share of 30%
Implementing mySAP

Split SAP Product Line into distinct but related mySAP product groups

MySAP Product Group: Collection of cross-functional product development



teams focused on target markets


Purpose of product group:
• To decentralize control
• Make it more responsive to needs of customers
• Adopting to changing technical developments
• Give SAP centralized control of development efforts
Contd..
SAP enlisted some of its key customers as “development partners” & as


members of the teams

Each group will be treated as an independent profit center & head of each group


reporting directly to SAP’s Chairman

A significant part of engineering development effort would take place inside



each mySAP group – for better customized solutions

Competitors are allowed to work with SAP teams to make their products


compatible with SAP’s products

Contd..
SAP grouped its national subsidiaries into 3 main world regions: Europe,


America & Asia/Pacific

• This grouping helped in easier knowledge transfer between countries &
serve specific demands of the national markets
• The global structure made it easier to manage relationships with consulting
companies & coordinate regional marketing & training efforts

At present, SAP operates with a loose form of matrix structure

This matrix allows SAP to provide products to the customers in a fast,



coordinated way.

Decentralization places authority in the hands of its employees, which enables



the matrix system to work

The Future
Due to recession & continuing market uncertainty, many customers are


reluctant to move to mySAP due to its high costs

Hence SAP introduced a product called R/3 Enterprise, targeted at those



who were not ready to make the leap to mySAP

R/3 Enterprise: Collection of web software that can be easily added to R/3


platform. To provide a company with the ability to network with other

companies & perform e-commerce operations

To become jump from 3rd place to 2nd in being the largest global software


company
Thank You..