What is SAP Business One software? We answer your SAP B1 FAQs

Fast-growing businesses often start to hit a wall with their existing systems as they scale. They may be using a combination of a basic accounting system such as Xero and a range of supporting spreadsheets but will quickly start to feel the limits of this sort of setup. 

This is where businesses look to upgrade to a full ERP (enterprise resource planning) system – and the number one most popular ERP solution for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with over 70,000 customers worldwide, is SAP Business One (B1). 

Thinc is an award-winning SAP partner with decades of experience in helping growing companies pick out the best technology to help drive their business forward. We’ve put together this guide to explain some of the most commonly asked questions about Business One to help you figure out everything you need to know. 

We’re constantly listening to your questions about SAP Business One and updating this advice – we last reviewed this information on 7 August 2024.  

What is SAP B1? 

SAP Business One (B1) is an affordable, ERP solution designed for SMEs that are looking to grow their business. It gives you an integrated platform through which you can manage all the functions you need to run your business, including financials, sales, inventory, production and operations. 

It’s not a modular solution, which means you get all the features out of the box, but it’s licensed in a way that means you pay for the parts you use. It’s therefore easy to scale as you grow, and you can add extra functionality as and when you need it.  

What can SAP Business One do? 

 SAP Business One is a complete ERP system. It’s designed to do every task you need to run and grow your business. Some of the key features include: 

• Financial management: Get the complete package of financial tools, including a general ledger to manage your accounting, cash flow and reconciliations, with complete visibility and control over everything. 

• Sales and customer management: Gain oversight of the whole sales process and customer lifecycle, right from the first contact to after-sale service and support. Get tools to manage customer details as well as sales and marketing campaigns.  

• Inventory and purchasing management: Manage the complete order-to-pay cycle, with easy control over receipts, invoices, returns and payments. You can also use B1 to manage your warehousing, shop floor and returns management.  

• Reporting and analytics: Create a wide variety of accurate and highly customisable reports in a fraction of the time. You’ll get real-time dashboards and KPIs, data visualisations and easy integration with Excel. 

How does SAP Business One benefit the business? 

When your business is fully connected, your operational efficiency will skyrocket. Business One helps you automate admin and break down your siloed data. Once you no longer have to manage multiple spreadsheets and deal with laborious manual tasks, you’ll free up much more time for your staff to focus on crucial value-adding activities. Craft beer company Jubel saw a 25% increase in operational efficiency and, thanks to massively streamlined processes, can now create a new product in minutes instead of days. 

Business One is a platform that helps you realise your company’s growth potential. You’ll get built-in country-specific tax and regulatory support that allows you to expand internationally without adding complexity. You can also add an additional Intercompany solution to expand your global capabilities.  

Why do SMEs need SAP Business One? 

Some people see the word SAP and immediately associate it with a complicated solution that’s only built for enterprise level businesses. But SAP Business One is designed to be a complete ERP solution for SME-sized businesses, giving them all the functionality needed to efficiently run their business, without the complexity or added costs of a larger solution. 

B1 gives SMEs the power they need to grow, with tools for streamlining operations; integrated finances; sales and customer management; and more. Plus, it’s all built in an easy-to-use setup that gives you a clear picture of exactly what’s going on in your business.  

What is the difference between SAP B1 and S/4 HANA? 

SAP make a range of business software solutions which are suited to companies of different sizes. Both Business One and S/4 HANA are complete ERP solutions, but Business One is designed for small to medium businesses, while S/4 HANA better fits large global corporations. Both can be built on HANA (SAP’s intelligent in-memory database), but S/4 HANA offers a range of features for businesses with more complex needs, and as such comes in at a higher price. 

SAP Business One is designed form the ground up for SMEs. This provides a solution that is flexible and can be easily customised to match the agility of smaller businesses. The user interface of SAP B1 is also intuitively designed to accommodate working behaviours of business where staff often preform multiple functions.

Is SAP Business One cloud-based? 

SAP Business One gives you the option to be deployed either on-premises or on the cloud. This means you can get all the benefits of a cloud-based ERP system, which is more scalable, cost effective and quicker to setup. Or, if you’d rather, you can opt to have your SAP system running on your site utilising your hardware. 

If you want to know more on this topic, take a look at our SAP Business One deployment explainer. 

Does SAP Business One have payroll? 

While SAP Business One doesn’t have payroll built in as standard, this feature can be easily added with a third-party integration. This gives you the ability to manage all your HR and payroll functions inside the same integrated platform you use to run the rest of your business. 

How long does it take to set up SAP Business One? 

There’s no set time that it takes to get Business One implemented as it can vary based on the complexity of the business and exactly what you need your system to do. At Thinc, we’ve got people set up in as little as two weeks for a more straightforward system, but for more complex needs, it can take months. Whether a speedy rollout or a more considered deployment is required, we always start by listening to your needs and making recommendations on what will best serve your organisation. 

How much is SAP Business One? 

Business One is designed to be a customised solution, so the price you pay will vary depending on your business needs. The price factors in three different things – the software, support and setup.  

The software largely depends on the user count and the types of licences you require (either full or limited access). Support takes into account the extra help you’ll need to keep your system running and your staff up to speed. This is like an insurance policy in that the fees are n line with the size of the SAP B1 estate. The fees make sure you’ll have direct access to an expert to sort out any issues when its needed. The setup costs will vary based off how complex your system is, what your business needs are, and how much hand-holding you need along the way. Thinc tailor this to the timescales and wider systems experience of our customers, meaning you get the level of assistance needed without paying for services you don’t require. 

The quickest and easiest way to find out your custom pricing for SAP Business One is with a quick chat. Get in touch for a no-obligation discussion today. 

How to buy SAP Business One 

You can’t purchase Business One directly from SAP; you have to go through one of its partners. This partner will also work with you to implement in your business and be on hand to offer ongoing support to make sure you get the most out of the system.  

Deciding on your partner is every bit as important as deciding what software you’re going for. You need someone who’s going to guide you on how to use B1 to help your business grow, rather than just getting things implemented and forgetting about it.  

Why Thinc 

At Thinc, we work closely with you to understand how your business works and come up with a customised solution that perfectly fits your needs. Our certified SAP experts will also be there to answer any questions you’ve got and give you all the support you need to unlock the full power of Business One. 

If you’ve still got questions about SAP Business One, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Visit our SAP B1 page to learn more about the solution and to learn how you can schedule a demo or a chat with one of Thinc’s SAP experts.