SAP SME Summit 2012 showcases ICT Solutions for M’sian SMEs
KUCHING: Business management software provider SAP showcased its 2011 business performance among Malaysian SMEs and outlined its solutions to help SMEs improve operational efficiencies and accelerate growth in today’s increasingly challenging global markets at the SAP SME Summit 2012.
More than 80 per cent of SAP’s 176,000 global customers are SMEs, 90 per cent of which are in the lower middle and small enterprise markets.
In Malaysia, SAP is committed to supporting the goals of Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) put forth by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to help Malaysian businesses use ICT to transform the way they work and for Malaysian SMEs to succeed in growing their GDP contribution to 40 per cent by the year 2020.
Presently, SMEs make up over 98 per cent of businesses in Malaysia and in 2011 SMEs contribute about 31 per cent to GDP, 56 per cent to the workforce and account for 19 per cent of Malaysia’s total national exports.
Delivering the keynote address at the SAP SME Summit 2012 to executives from 150 top Malaysian SMEs, SMECorp sheif executive officer Datuk Hafsah Hashim encouraged Malaysian SMEs of all sizes to seek out best in class ICT solutions to help them drive business success within and beyond Malaysia.
“To successfully compete in the global economy it is critical that Malaysian businesses adopt ICT solutions to improve operational performance, raise productivity and reduce costs,” said Hafsah.
“SAP has a proven track record of helping Malaysian SMEs become best-run businesses with innovative ICT solutions that are now increasingly available on mobile devices like the iPad and through cost-effective cloud computing.”
SMEs are mostly owner-managed, entrepreneurial companies. For many entrepreneurs, business information and decision support tools tend to be a combination of static historical reports, analysis spreadsheets and gut feel, which is fine while the SME is small and easily managed on this basis.
However, as the business grows, it needs to sustain its flexibility and agility in the face of stiffer competition and increasing volumes of information and regulation.
Business software solutions are invaluable tools to help SMEs remain lean and efficient companies while supporting business growth with quick and accurate decision making.
Typically, the barriers among SMEs to the adoption of business software solutions are cost and complexity. Costs include software and services, as well as people and time.
The SME faces additional hurdles, such as tighter budgets, less sophistication and organisational knowledge, technology hurdles and fewer people, meaning less time to spend on planning and analysis.
Consequently, the typical SME needs outside help defining critical success factors and the relevant metrics.
“SAP’s strategy to serve the SME market is to approach the market in the way that best addresses our customers’ needs and buying preferences,” said SAP Malaysia Managing Director Serene Sia.
“By working with partners and an extended ecosystem, SAP is introducing alternative business software deployment, packaging and licensing options such as software-as-a-service, cloud computing and pre-built applications.
“These innovations give SMEs with limited in-house IT resources, to get an advanced ICT system up and running more quickly, with minimal cost, fuss and risk.”
