SAP Business One is standard ERP designed to cover as many requirements as possible for a wide range of industries with its functions. This has the advantage for companies of not having to resort to a niche product simply because they have one or two specific focuses in their processes. Of course, there are companies for which the basic functionality of SAP Business One is insufficient to implement their industry-specific requirements. In this case, there's no need to immediately resort to a „super specialised“ application. For this, there are numerous enhancementsaddons) converting SAP Business One from standard to industry ERP.
Initially, this would not be unusual for ERP software, as many ERP providers offer the option of adding additional functions to the business software based on the software's source code. However, this is often the hidden pitfall. Such software, which is often heavily modified, later has difficulties keeping pace with the software manufacturer's innovations. As a result, it is not uncommon for the customisations to have to be reverberated again during an update or upgrade.
SAP Business One took a different approach here, even when it was created 13 years ago. The strictly shielded core of the software is off-limits to development partners. This is SAP's sovereign territory. At the same time, a layer was created where extensions can be docked onto this core. The strictly object oriented programing of SAP Business One, which constructively demonstrates its advantages. The result is the apparent squaring of the circle: A largely adaptable ERP software, which at the same time remains updateable.
Lots Addons for service providers
Why this long introduction? Because this is one of the reasons why there are now several competing solutions for SAP Business One (at least for some industries). Addons exists. One of these multiply occupied areas is the service provider sector. Of course, the field of service providers cannot be narrowly defined. From the cleaning crew to the assembly company to the IT service provider, there are countless varieties of services that place service and its marketing at the top of the list. At the same time, a number of other sectors have service components in their offering. Many industrial companies employ fitters, service engineers and a wide range of service specialists, whose services sometimes make a significant contribution to the company's turnover.
The requirements for ERP software, such as SAP Business One, are of course just as broad as the variations in service offerings. The good news is that SAP Business One can now offer a similarly broad range of solutions!
SAP Business One - Standard
Well it's not like that SAP Business One absolutely requires an extension to map processes of the service provider. With the service module ERP solution for SMEs, this area is even covered in great detail. The standard functions of SAP Business One contain among other things:
- Processing of service calls
- warranty processing
- Management of customer equipment
- Management of technicians
- Service contracts
- Serial number management
Important data can also be transferred to the fitter, technician or field service employee using a mobile app.
Versino - Service One
The addon comes from the house of Versino Service One. The solution is seamlessly based on the SAP Business One standard. The solution for technical customer service accompanies the entire process with workflow control. This begins with the telephone acceptance of service cases. These are converted into service orders and lead to scheduling for technicians or fitters by the dispatching department. A graphical planning board (web-based) is available for this purpose, which can be used to schedule open service orders into the calendar using drag & drop.
The service technician receives all the necessary data via smartphone app. Appointment requests for the execution of service orders reach the employee in this way. They can also view details and confirm them directly. The technician can call up a weekly schedule with all service orders and retrieve further information on each service order, including data, images, drawings and spare parts for the product. The service technician uses the Service One mobile app to report back the required working time and materials so that a delivery note can be created and invoicing can take place.
Features like a knowledgeDatabase or one CTI-Integration round off the software.
The service module of MariProject
MariProject is definitely one of the most comprehensive extensions of SAP Business One. That addon is aimed in various versions at service providers of all kinds, but also at plant manufacturers or other project-orientated companies.
The recently expanded service module supports SAP Business One users in planning,
Billing and evaluation of service calls. A mobile & web client is also available to the service technician or field service employee.
Of course, it is strongly integrated with the other functions.
Coresystems Field Service
Of course, when listing the SAP Business One Addons For service providers, don't forget Coresystems. The Swiss have even focused a significant part of their activities on this business. The name of this Coresystems division, „Coresystems Field Service Software,“ already says it all. However, behind it lies the „Coresuite Mobile,“ which has been successfully developed over the years. Here, the name says it all. The suite focuses on the mobile nature of service processing.
The novelty of the solutions listed here is probably the stationing of the data in the cloud. To be more precise, in the Amazon Cloud. Although SMEs still have their difficulties with the operator model, this naturally guarantees maximum data availability for the field service.
Otherwise, the extension for SAP Business One offers many functions that a field service needs. Starting from the SAP Business One service ticket, you can schedule, forward to technicians, edit checklists, record data and times and report back.
Who has the choice...
Together with the possibilities of SAP Business One There is therefore a sheer abundance of possibilities for the work of service providers and fitters, maintenance departments or similarly structured target groups in the field service to support them. We as versino We do not commit ourselves to this, but operate with the tools that best suit the processes, needs and tasks at hand.
It's nice to have the choice!
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