Sap brings transparency to the processes inside your company.
You don't know what is happening in the mind of you accountant on the other side of the World. How bills are issues and if these are payed correctly and in-time?
How do we choose credit control, who is approving purchasing spends?
Internal and external audits could not see whole picture and they are not there all the time and even more - if someone would like to hide something from them it could be easily done in most cases.
Problem is that many companies when starting SAP implementation ending up building their own ERP on top of SAP. And that is ridiculous waste of money.
From my experience that is mostly due to internal company politics and lack of IT management skills.
Just one example : we had a big implementation in the big region where Implementation manager for SAP introduction was originally from. He was approached by some factory director and asked if we could change the standard process as "You know we have these guys working for years and they are not very adaptive for changes..let's make it easier for them, will ya?" And Implementation manager agreed. "As ERPs come and go, but connections and people stay there". So it took 3 consultants + 2 developers three months to rework the process. It later was not working perfectly, so many bugs and enhancements(as these guys couldn't stop asking for more changes) caused more money spent in support.. And it's just one episode in several years long implementation cycles.
On other hand I had very smooth implementation in TOP 50 company. But for them it was not only to implement as software, but also to audit their internal processes and to eliminate waste. There dedicated Implementation Manager started introduction to SAP with words: "We are Columbus, SAP is as ship which will bring us to America. And wont be easy, but I hope you will all jump on this ship otherwise we will have to leave you..".
SAP ERP is made for standardizing and simplifying processes, so just don't invent light-bulb every time you need a light in a room.
You could implement SAP for SMB as well. I even know several startups who decided to go SAP.
The key is to limit customization(I bet you don't have complicated accounting or logistics processes) and stick to SAP consultants from Eastern-Europe(2 times cheaper compared to German consultants, due to their lack of German , wich you don't need) - just search linked in for consultants fromt he biggest SAP hubs in the region: Slovakia, Poland(mostly SAP Basis consultants), Latvia (Project management, ABAP and SAP ERP).
Good luck!
