History and Evolution of SAP

BYAJAL JOSE AKKARAEPGPKC052IIM - KOZHIKODE

SAP stands for Systems, Applications and Products (Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in the original German) in Data Processing, this definition turns you towards a fact that SAP creates a common centralised database for all the applications running in an organization. 

EVOLUTION

SAP, started in April 1st 1972 by five former IBM employees in Mannheim, Germany, states that it is the world's third-largest independent software vendor. It started with a vision: to develop standard application software for real-time business processing. They wanted to develop and market a standard enterprise software which would integrate all business processes, because they had noticed that client after client was developing the same or very similar computer business programs which though were not really integrated with each other.

Five former IBM employees

1. Dietmar Hopp2. Hans – werner hector3. Hosso Plattner4. Klaus Tschira5. Claus Wellenreuther

SAP R/1 -

The first version of SAP's flagship enterprise software was a financial Accounting system named R/1. 

SAP R/2 - 

This was replaced by R/2 at the end of the 1970s. SAP R/2 was in a mainframe based business application software suite that was very successful in the 1980s and early 1990s. It was particularly popular with large multinational European companies who required soft-real-time business applications, with multi-currency and multi-

language capabilities built in. 

SAP R/3 & SAP R/3 Enterprise - 

SAP R/3 was officially launched on 6 July 1992. With the advent of distributed client-server computing SAP AG brought out a client-server version of the software called SAP R/3 (The "R" was for "Real-time data processing" and 3 was for 3-tier).

As a result of marketing changes and changes in the industry, other versions of SAP have been released that address these changes. The first edition of mySAP ERP (SAP ERP) was launched in 2003 and bundled previously separate products, including SAP R/3 Enterprise, SAP Strategic Enterprise Management (SEM) and extension sets. The SAP Web Application Server was wrapped into NetWeaver, which was also introduced in 2003.

mySAP

1. SAP not clear on value they are of feeling2. Inconsistent messaging3. Decentralized Marketing

To transform SAP from

Product driven company to Market driven

company

Customers perceptionCustomers perception

Outdated

Breaking the typical German mindset

Hired an American (germans usually hire germans ) Martin Homolish from Sony as new Global CMO

(note: Martin Homolish Now CMO of hp)

1. Communicating the brand2. Aligning the organization3. Leveraging the brand

against changing business objectives