SAP Business ByDesign vs. SAP Business One

SAP Business ByDesign vs SAP Business One: What is the difference?

Manual processes such as bookkeeping, billing, inventory and customer contact management which have traditionally been done on spreadsheets and a hodge-podge thrown together applications or even just paper, are no longer effective solutions for growth. The better way to manage, plan and grow your business is to automate all that can be automated looking towards digital solutions to make their processes more efficient.

Growing companies need to be looking at ways to streamline their business processes and turning to robust Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is the best way to centralize your data and automate business processes.

SAP has over 40 years of enterprise resource planning experience across industries and business sizes. They have used the latest technologies to build future-proof Cloud ERP solutions that will power the next generation of business.

SAP Business One (B1) and SAP Business ByDesign (ByD) both have long stable histories and clear development plans for future support and growth from SAP. Both platforms incorporate Financials, Sales, Service, Inventory, Purchasing, CRM, and Reporting into a connected business suite. The platforms are well suited for companies in Distribution, Manufacturing, Retail, and eCommerce, including Life Sciences (Medical Device and Pharmaceuticals), Consumer Products and Industrial Machinery.

We are often asked, “What is the difference between SAP Business ByDesign and SAP Business One.

SAP Business One Overview
The SAP Business One platform offers an affordable way to manage small to lower midsize businesses. Providing integrated solutions from accounting and financials to purchasing, inventory, sales, CRM, operations and human resources. SAP Business One is a single integrated solution that provides clear visibility into your entire business and complete control over every aspect of your operations.

An end-to-end core business suite and has limited requirements
Move beyond spreadsheets and bookkeeping solutions like QuickBooks
A stable and affordable entry-level ERP Software.

Business One benefits from real-time business analytics delivered by SAP HANA.

Typical size of company in users: 5-15

SAP Business ByDesign Overview
Business ByDesign is a single cloud ERP solution for fast-growing, mid-market businesses to scale and compete without the complexity and cost. Connect every function across your company to time-tested best practices and in-depth analytics. ByD can be more robustly customized to include the features and integrations that you need. This means that ByD stretches from the 20 user count all the way up to 1500 users, and from simple Financial Management all the way through to full-blown Inventory and complex Manufacturing.

39 separate business processes with deep functionality
One system with an organizational structure that will mirror your business structure
Accessing data in real-time at any time - means inventory can be checked and orders made at anytime

Typical size of company in users: 25 to 150

SAP has identified the boundaries in which segments of the market each of the ERP solutions play. In doing so SAP, has in essence, stipulated where each product suite has its strengths and market capability.

As can be seen here, in general terms Business ByDesign stems from the Small/Medium Businesses (SMB), all the way up to the Upper Medium Enterprise (UME).

SAP Business One and SAP Business ByDesign have a small crossover point with each other and the best solution will depend on the size, structure and growth potential of the organization.

For example, a business with a simplified management structure, limited locations and a more limited growth plan, will be better matched to the Business One platform, whereas a business on an accelerated growth path, multiple operating companies or locations, and a more corporate management structure, would be best matched to SAP Business ByDesign.

This is because of SAP Business ByDesign’s ability to expand quickly and to greater scale with the functionality and capability a larger company needs from its ERP backbone.

Navigator Business Solutions offers a refined and direct upgrade package for those companies moving from SAP Business One to SAP Business ByDesign as well as those that need to move from under-performing business software.

Regardless of which SAP ERP platform you choose to go with the most important way to ensure a positive outcome is by doing a thorough test (and re-test) of your erp system before full system go live. Most ERP implementation failures are not due to software, rather they are impacted by people who must use the new system and processes.

Moving to cloud ERP means changing your business processes along with the software. To maximize that transition engage with a reputable, experienced ERP cloud provider that has your best interests at heart. Even after go-live there are opportunities to improve, leverage the business and industry knowledge of your solution provider and learn how to optimize the technology’s features.

Comparing SAP Business One vs. SAP Business ByDesign