be one solutions Japan: 10th Anniversary & SAP Partner of the Year 2020

This year marks be one solution Japan’s 10^th anniversary. Since its inception, be one solutions Japan has leveraged its global and local expertise to help its clients build and standardize systems while adopting best business practices. In recognition of such efforts and achievements, this year be one solutions Japan won SAP’s Japan 2020 Partner of the Year Award for SAP Business One. In light of such a prestigious honour, we took the opportunity to interview two of the company’s top executives about the award and the firm’s initiatives: Gen Okazaki, founding and chief executive; and Takahiro Ishibashi, project manager.

Global Standards for Japanese Clients

be one solutions Japan specializes in the international deployment and Japan specific deployment of SAP Business One, an ERP product aimed at small- to medium-sized businesses. Rollouts most commonly benefit the overseas branches of Japanese businesses while roll-ins better suit foreign firms operating in Japan. The be one solutions group as a whole consists of 18 organizations operating in 26 countries and we have rolled out SAP Business One into more than 500 offices in 60 nations. As Okazaki explains: ‘We have a number of strengths. First, we operate globally. Second, we can scale up or down rapidly from one to ten as needed within that worldwide framework. And, third, we can serve as a single point of contact to support our clients however, whenever, and wherever they need us.’

Over the past 10 years, be one solutions Japan’s business has evolved. At first this evolution was mainly driven by implementation, operational maintenance, and support for Japanese companies’ domestic operations. In the past five years, however, be one solutions Japan began to focus more on rollouts which could utilize its global expertise and networks as Japanese corporations expanded overseas. Thanks to this successful formula, be one solutions Japan is now a leader in its field.

Ishibashi says this: ‘Probably our greatest strength is our global perspective based on knowledge of the cultures, languages, and customs of the places our clients operate. Such knowledge and experience along with the benefits of SAP Business One products means we can smoothly introduce and implement new systems which can then be standardized to improve the collection and accuracy of management data. Furthermore,’ adds Okazaki, ‘as a group specializing in overseas expansion projects, we have created and supported an introduction-project system whereby our overseas team members offer invaluable local expertise. This well-established system supports operations and maintenance throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas.’

A key element behind be one solutions Japan’s success is understanding that the goal is never only system replacement. Instead, the end objective is to learn how a head office and local branch can automatically gather data as accurately and with as little human intervention as possible. By introducing a two-tier ERP strategy, for example, be one solutions Japan can coordinate the ERP systems between a head office and the local installed base, which translates into a smooth-running and smoothly integrated system that generates easily shared master data at the lowest cost possible. What’s more, be one solutions also proposes designs and solutions beyond the implemented ERP to help clients future-proof their operations while increasing and improving the synergy between customer and provider.

The Japan 2020 Partner of the Year Award for SAP Business One

Receiving the SAP Japan 2020 Partner of the Year for SAP Business One Award was indeed a milestone and honour for be one solutions Japan. The deciding factor behind the award was likely the success of a large-scale project initiated in 2015 that has since generated numerous licences and contracts. Another contributing element was likely the company’s ability to capitalize on its strengths as a “single global SAP partner” capable of providing quality system rollouts and long-term, trusted partnerships.

Ishibashi elaborates on the benefits of such an achievement: ‘Building on our success, we have earned and now receive orders from top, listed companies which, in turn, provide us with even more chances to participate in high-profile system rollout projects along with the staff to develop and support them. This is a huge leap forward and a symbol of real growth,’ says Ishibashi.

‘I believe that this award,’ adds Okazaki, ‘has true appeal for companies wanting to expand overseas with access to valuable, real-time management data when they do. Such a scenario means faster decision-making processes and better overall unity for the corporate group – both theirs and ours. And, as a bonus,’ he says, ‘such success also brings with it the opportunity to work with the best and the brightest both inside and outside our group, something truly motivating.’

The Ideal Partner for Digital Transformation

SAP Business One is a simple yet powerful ERP software package used by many SAP customers to maximize the operational efficiency of their small- to medium-sized global business operations. To supplement and customize our services, be one solutions also features an in-house development team to provide complementary add-ons that take SAP Business One to a new level.

Here is a partial list of available add-ons:

- be one Manufacturing Software
  This add-on dealing with quality-control and split production ordering is very helpful for customers seeking control of Serial, and Cost Roll Up functions – something SAP Business One doesn’t cover.
- Shop Floor (be one Manufacturing sub-module)
  This useful tool helps staff at manufacturing sites track work hours by registering start and completion times for aspects of the manufacturing process.
- Plant Maintenance (be one Manufacturing Sub-module)
  This add-on targets the control and management of factory equipment.
- be one DMS (Dealer Management System)
  This dealer management system allows for end-to-end process integration, forecasting, inventory management and availability sharing, warranty registration, and more between dealers and distributors, whether in the automobile industry or not.

We should also mention other products for improving business efficiency, such as the AI-driven OCR Software as well as the ELO Document Management System Software that sets the digital standard for the electronic filing, management, and archiving of documents and information – as well as being globally integrated with SAP Business One and SAP Field Service Management, a product which targets the maintenance of sold equipment.

To support client digital transformation however and whenever possible, Okazaki says this: ‘We are so committed to realizing our clients’ needs in every way and situation that we’ll even research, screen, and provide products from outside sources when needed.’

Ishibashi adds the following: ‘What we do is act as a contact point and provide services usually hard to come by for small- and medium-sized businesses such as infrastructure management, improved operational speed and efficiency, and the ability to ramp up hardware implementation quickly – all while lightening operational burden.’

The Benefits of Transparency and How It Promotes Best Practices

As a company, we highly value pro-active communications. Particularly since our employees work all over the world and share and connect both professionally and privately, we have a corporate culture that inspires positive morale. Such a culture also helps us connect deeply and quickly with our Japanese client base and the resulting shared and exchanged information and opinions match perfectly with the knowledge and experience of our global consultants.

One excellent example of be one solution’s corporate values is employee relations. Since we understand both the importance of work/life balance as well as flexible work styles, our work-from-home-based system was established even well before the advent of COVID-19. Thus, as highly experienced and daily users of cloud-based systems ourselves, our expertise in remote implementation can be transmitted to our clients easily and thoroughly.

Growing Together with Our Clients

Ishibashi says this about his aspirations for the company: ‘To be clear, our primary goal is to become a leader in SAP Business One implementation. To follow on from that, we also want be one solutions recognized as the most trusted, one-stop, full-service provider for two-tier ERP strategies and choices.’

Finally, Okazaki says: ‘As a company providing essential services to clients who are dedicated to expanding smoothly and stably on a global scale, we are convinced we can skilfully assist with such ambitions and thus grow steadily together. We believe our customers value be one solutions Japan for our global SAP implementation expertise and that together we can achieve great things.’