MINNEAPOLIS - Oct. 17, 2007 - SAP, the largest business software company in the world, has partnered with Four51 to develop the Four51 Edition for SAP Business One, an application that customizes SAP's powerful business management software to meet the specific needs of print distributors. The Four51 Edition integrates SAP Business One, a business management system for small and midsize companies, with the Four51 e-commerce network, online procurement service for buyers, suppliers and distributors of print materials.
At last year's Print Solutions Conference, Four51 announced its partnership with SAP America to develop a single business management system that helps print distributors eliminate inefficiencies and free up resources to focus on the most valuable work. After months of development, the Four51 Edition for SAP Business One was unveiled today at the 2007 Print Solutions Conference, the largest printing services expo in the industry.
"We've been using Four51 for about a decade and process 90 percent of our transactions on its e-commerce platform," said Dan Schroer, president of print distributor Prograde, Four51's alpha partner for testing the new Four51 Edition for SAP Business One. "Now the Four51 Edition seamlessly integrates that platform with the back-office management functionality of SAP, which is a huge benefit for our growing business."
In its standard form, SAP Business One gives businesses functionality to manage finances, inventory, customer relationships, partnerships, reporting and more. The Four51 Edition for SAP Business One customizes the system specifically for print distributors with order-to-fulfillment sales management and a flexible, template-based toolset that automates the order specification and quoting process.
"We now have a single system that tracks every aspect of our business, from the first interaction we have with a potential customer to the final delivery of the product and on to managing that relationship in the future," Schroer said. "Beyond eliminating separate systems and redundant data entry, the beginning-to-end integration gives us real-time inventory management and lets us easily see and improve upon customer relationships and increase our profitability."
Four51 expects to make the Four51 Edition of SAP Business One generally available January 14, 2008. Representatives from Four51 and SAP will be on hand in booth 501 at the DMIA Print Solutions Conference to demonstrate the new product, describe the development process, and answer questions.