mySAP(TM) Customer Relationship Management Helps Ensure Quality Client Service
Through Effective Management and Delivery of Project-Based Services
WALLDORF, Germany, March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SAP AG (NYSE: SAP)
today announced that professional services providers worldwide are adopting
mySAP(TM) Customer Relationship Management (mySAP CRM) to maintain an edge in
a highly competitive sector. AEPEX Business Consultants, CAC Corporation,
Esprit Consulting, Global Enterprise Management Solutions (GEMS) and Sumisei
Computer Service are among the global professional services companies using
the CRM solution's industry-specific capabilities -- such as opportunity
management, project resource planning, project management, audit management
and interaction center Web client -- to enhance operational efficiency,
sharpen focus on the customer and improve the delivery of services.
Professional services companies face growing challenges from increased
global competition, pricing pressures from a new "buyers market," longer
bidding cycles and increasing customer demand for substantial cost savings.
Additionally, companies providing legal, audit and tax services are battling
intensified government scrutiny and grappling with new regulations that
require increased risk assessment and reporting processes. A core part of the
SAP(R) for Professional Services solution portfolio, mySAP CRM addresses these
unique business challenges by providing tailored functionality to more
effectively manage professional services firms' core business processes,
including managing new and existing opportunities, project execution and
resource planning and utilization.
"Lead generation and service delivery are the bread and butter of a
professional services organization," said Matt Light, research director,
Gartner, Inc. "A highly integrated project portfolio management solution can
ensure more personalized service and faster responses to changing customer
needs at every stage of a client engagement. With the right CRM solution and
strategy, professional services firms can deliver highly complex projects at
low costs to ensure superior client satisfaction and generate repeat
business."
Tools for Full-Circle Management of Client Engagements
mySAP CRM helps ensure a complete view of the entire services process from
lead to cash. This level of transparency helps professional services companies
such as Esprit Consulting make efficient use of resources, saving the
organization time and money and helping it battle the extended bidding cycles
and competitive price constraints of today's marketplace. The company is using
the SAP CRM solution to create transparency in its time and expense reporting
and invoicing and improve efficiency in contact, project and opportunity
management.
"We needed a comprehensive solution that would target our specific
industry needs and deliver clearer insight into our entire revenue line
-- from financials to project management and resource allocation," said
Lars Erdmann, partner, Esprit Consulting. "By improving data quality and using
collaboration functionality, mySAP CRM helps us increase sales efficiency and
get more and better-qualified leads to drive revenue and profitability."
Opportunity and Audit Management
Opportunity management functionality in mySAP CRM enables transparency
across the customer pipeline and allows for better tracking of each bid being
pursued. Coupled with the solution's audit management tools, opportunity
management allows professional services providers to cross-check for conflicts
of interest and control risk. The solution also helps companies plan,
structure and schedule projects. Project management features confirm each task
before the project phase is approved, noting interdependencies and other
constraints to help create reasonable milestones and fulfill project goals.
Project Resource Planning
Project resource planning tools in mySAP CRM enable professional services
firms to manage the full roster of consultants operating across various
regions. This software feature searches for, selects and allocates staff to
projects automatically by matching skills required with skills available.
Professional service providers can now make the most effective use of human
resources and knowledge assets to better manage sophisticated account
requirements and achieve lasting, profitable customer relationships while
obtaining a tangible, immediate return on their existing IT investment.
"In today's economy, building close and long-standing client relationships
is vital for professional services organizations challenged to enhance their
portfolios and excel in operations and service delivery while keeping costs
low," said Peter Kirschbauer, member of the extended management board, SAP AG.
"mySAP CRM gives professional services providers a competitive advantage by
drawing upon SAP's deep expertise from working with the industry's top
companies to help identify and qualify new business opportunities while
efficiently managing current projects."
SAP will present its solutions together with its service, technology and
small and midsize business (SMB) partners at SAP's main booth in hall 4 at
CeBIT 2004, being held in Hanover, Germany, March 18-24.
About mySAP(TM) Customer Relationship Management (mySAP CRM)
Moving beyond traditional CRM functionality, SAP's innovation and
unmatched industry expertise are setting new standards for the way companies
connect with their customers and partners, creating customer-centric business
processes across enterprisewide operations and business applications.
mySAP(TM) Customer Relationship Management (mySAP CRM) delivers the
market's greatest breadth and depth of functionality, offering more than
280 end-to-end, industry-specific processes to cover the unique business
demands of more than twenty-five industries. Built on the open, Web
services-based architecture of the SAP NetWeaver(TM) technology platform,
mySAP CRM helps companies leverage existing IT investments, achieve lower
total cost of ownership, gain faster return on investment and continually
evolve the business processes having the greatest impact on success.
(Additional information at http://www.sap.com/crm )
About SAP
SAP is the world's leading provider of business software solutions. SAP(R)
solutions are designed to meet the demands of companies of all sizes -- from
small and midsize businesses to global enterprises. Powered by the SAP
NetWeaver(TM) open integration and application platform to reduce complexity
and total cost of ownership and empower business change and innovation,
mySAP(TM) Business Suite solutions are helping enterprises around the world
improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create
efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. The unique
core processes of various industries, from aerospace to utilities, are
supported by more than 25 industry-specific SAP solution portfolios. Today,
more than 21,600 customers in over 120 countries run more than
69,700 installations of SAP(R) software. 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 http://www.sap.com )
Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts
are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe,"
"estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project,"
"predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP
are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no
obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All
forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors
that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in
SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"),
including the SAP Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2002 filed with the SEC on
March 218, 2003. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.
NOTE: SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver and other
SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos
are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several
other countries all over the world. All other product and service names
mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in
this document serves informational purposes only. National product
specifications may vary.
For customers interested in learning more about SAP products:
Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24
United States Only: 1-800-872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727)
For more information, press only:
Jeff S. Chang, +1-650-320-3197, jeffrey.chang@sap.com, PST
Claire McPeak, +43 (128) 822 469, c.mcpeak@sap.com, CET
Manuela Schnaubelt, +49 (6227) 7-62999, manuela.schnaubelt@sap.com, CET
Shoshana Lombardi, Burson-Marsteller, +1-202-530-4550,
shoshana_lombardi@was.bm.com, EST
Uwe Schaad, Burson-Marsteller, +49 (69) 2380931, uwe_schaad@de.bm.com,
CET
SOURCE SAP AG
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Related links:
http://www.sap.com
CONTACT:
Global Customer Center, +49 180 534-34-24, or
United States Only, 1-800-872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727), or press,
Jeff S. Chang, +1-650-320-3197, or jeffrey.chang@sap.com, PST, or
Claire McPeak, +43 (128) 822 469, or c.mcpeak@sap.com, CET, or
Manuela Schnaubelt, +49 (6227) 7-62999, or
manuela.schnaubelt@sap.com, CET, all of SAP AG; or Shoshana
Lombardi, +1-202-530-4550, or shoshana_lombardi@was.bm.com, EST,
or Uwe Schaad, +49 (69) 2380931, or uwe_schaad@de.bm.com, CET,
both of Burson-Marsteller, for SAP AG
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