Because the SME Digitalisation Program will start soon (on November 4, the public review period of the Applicant’s Guide closes), several companies have asked us if SAP Business One qualifies for financing. The simple answer is YES, SAP Business One may be implemented through this program, with ERP systems being on the list of eligible technologies. The complex answer is that an SAP Business One project is mainly intended for medium-sized companies (financing between 20 and 100,000 euros) and includes several components necessary for a digitalization project.
Announced as early as 2020 in the context of PNRR , the Digitization SME program entered the right lane, and the final form of the applicant’s guide will most likely be published in November. No less than 347.5 million euros are available, which the authorities believe can finance, on average, more than 5,500 projects. However, the amounts are not distributed uniformly at the national level but depend on the regions of economic development.
What spendings are eligible? Digitization in a general way, but more concretely a company can buy ITC equipment (laptops, desktops, servers, network), business solutions (licenses or cloud subscriptions for 3 years), development of websites and e-commerce portals, analysis and consulting for acquisitions and project implementation, personal training, etc.
SME Digitalisation, highlights
The SME digitalization program offers specific financial values for various categories of companies. Medium-sized enterprises, for example, can receive between 10,000 and 100,000 euros, a sufficient amount to carry out a large digitization project. The challenge is more about writing balanced projects that meet several requirements and modernize several aspects of a company’s activity. Through the conditions of acceptance and evaluation, the program requires compliance with some criteria of digital intensity (12 in total according to the Requested Guide), which makes it necessary for the projects to include several components of:
– ERP and CRM systems
– Cloud computing services
– Solutions that include Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation, and Blockchain
– IoT (Internet of Things) equipment
– eCommerce for both B2C and B2B
– Electronic exchange of documents, EDI, and customer portals
– Social media and social selling
An SAP Business One project designed for a medium-sized company includes by default several such components. This is essentially what we have delivered in recent years for most of out clients.
SAP Business One project components
In the System Innovation Romania projects, the SAP Business One ERP system represents the basis, but on which we build a much more complex architecture. Artificial Intelligence and Software Robots (a distinct category in the SME Digitalisation program) are now included as standard in SAP Business One. There are six software robots that automate an important set of operations, from extracting documents from emails to creating sales orders based on purchase orders.
Read also: SAP Integrates Six Software Robots into SAP Business One
Another digital intensity criteria that we comply is the electronic exchange of documents at the level of the ecosystem of partners. In most projects, we add EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) technology that allows the exchange of documents in standardized XML format between different IT systems. Thus, the processing of documents is much faster, and the commercial order-receipt cycle is shorter.
Read more on this topic: The 10 advantages of SAP Business One – EDI integration
IoT (Internet of Things) involves the use of equipment that exchanges data via the Internet with the computer system. It can be industrial equipment, assembly or packaging lines, electronic scales, various sensors, etc.
The integration of SAP Business One with the most diverse eCommerce platforms is another aspect we insist on in projects. It is the only approach through which data flows automatically between the two systems, and prices and stocks are updated in real-time. SAP BusinessOne integrates with most eCommerce platforms, both proprietary and OpenSource: Magento, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Shopify, Bluegento, etc. and offers performance with any of them. Without this integration, one cannot talk about a modern online trade, regardless of the type of products or the specifics of the client (natural or legal persons).
Cloud computing services can be easily added to any project funded by SME Digitalisation program by using Qlick Sense, one of the most powerful cloud data analysis and reporting tools. System Innovation Romania is a Qlik partner and we have relevant experience in this field.
Here’s how a SAP Business One implementation includes multiple eligible technologies and complies with the digital intensity criteria, aspects that matter for the overall project score and increasing the chances of acceptance.
Regardless of whether you write your own projects or contract a consulting partner, put SAP Business One and System Innovation Romania in the core of your digital transformation process. Not only will you benefit from a top ERP system, developed by the global leader SAP, but you will integrate multiple new generations of technologies into the project that will increase the added value.
We wish you success in digital transformation!
