AcceleratedSAP R/3 implementations productive in six months.

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 1997--

SAP introduces TeamSAP to provide customers with worldwide

network of SAP and partner expertise for most efficient

and effective R/3 implementations

SAP America Inc. today announced that the first customers of AcceleratedSAP, Cultor Food Science Inc. and INTERSOLV Inc., successfully went live in under six months, on time and on budget, demonstrating the success of SAP's accelerated methodology and delivery of a more rapid return on customer investment.

AcceleratedSAP combines proven accelerators, such as tools, templates and best implementation methodologies, with experienced R/3(TM) consultants to simplify and streamline customer implementations. As part of its ongoing effort to provide more effective and efficient R/3 implementations, SAP has also introduced TeamSAP, a newly organized strategic worldwide network that combines the expertise of SAP and its partners in the delivery of best implementation practices for each R/3 customer.

Worldwide, TeamSAP includes more than 2,800 consultants and more than 15,000 qualified partner consultants. Interaction begins before purchase of the R/3 solution, when SAP consultants identify the right experts from the vast resources of TeamSAP, to create the optimal implementation team for each customer. From the implementation launch through the support of live implementations, the consultant team functions as a cohesive unit with customers to evaluate, design and install the best solutions for their business operations.

"We are extremely pleased at the success of Cultor Food Science and INTERSOLV, our first live customers to realize the time and cost savings provided by the combined strength of AcceleratedSAP and TeamSAP," said Eileen Basho, executive vice president of the professional services group of SAP America Inc. "Through the teamwork demonstrated by SAP consultants working with several partners, key decisions regarding optimal business solutions for each customer were evaluated and applied more strategically and rapidly. AcceleratedSAP is also validated by SAP's partner organizations that complete AcceleratedSAP training and embrace it as an industry standard for SAP implementations, confirming SAP's commitment to accelerating R/3 implementations and providing customers with a faster and better return on information."

"We are impressed with SAP's AcceleratedSAP R/3 implementation methodology and intend to incorporate it into Hewlett-Packard Co.'s own Rapid/3 accelerated implementation approach for R/3," said Lenny Alugas, manager of Hewlett Packard's SAP consulting practice in the Americas. "We believe that AcceleratedSAP could enable HP to implement R/3 faster and result in a higher-quality end product at a lower cost."

AcceleratedSAP Customers

"As a rapidly growing international company, INTERSOLV faced a critical need for a comprehensive solution to manage the myriad transactions involved in serving our installed base of more than 25,000 customer sites," said Greg Gehring, vice president of information services at INTERSOLV, a $145 million-plus application enablement software company. "SAP's AcceleratedSAP implementation program allowed us to go live with R/3's financial accounting, controlling, assets management, production planning, and sales and distribution modules in just five months. The Windows NT-based platform combined with SAP's direct consulting expertise provided a cost-effective and fast way to implement R/3 to support our growth into the next millennium."

"SAP's AcceleratedSAP program is a critical part of our overall IT strategy," said Helge Rasmussen, director of global IT at Cultor Food Science, a $500 million subsidiary of Cultor Ltd. that was formed in January 1996 by Cultor's acquisition of the Food Science Group of Pfizer Inc. "We faced a business requirement to move completely off our old parent company's IT system no later than July 1997; working directly with SAP, we in fact went live in January to all North American users after just a six-month implementation. We have completed restructuring our global operations, and we will shortly start rolling out R/3 to all of our operating units worldwide using the AcceleratedSAP program."

AcceleratedSAP Methodology and Accelerators

The key to AcceleratedSAP is flexibility. SAP consultants apply methodologies and tools to meet a customer's specific implementation scope, taking into consideration each organization's business needs and internal resources. The methodology provides customers with choices of proven accelerators that SAP has identified throughout the implementation process which facilitate rapid implementations. TeamSAP works with each customer to determine which accelerators are appropriate for its R/3 implementation - applying as many or as few as the customer chooses. As a result, TeamSAP can tailor each R/3 implementation to individual business, industry and timing requirements.

AcceleratedSAP installations begin with SAP's customer-focused Estimator Kit. Using this kit, TeamSAP works with customers early in the process to evaluate their business functions, relevant consulting expertise and implementation requirements, and then deliver a high- level scoping of implementation cost, effort and time. Once the process is finalized, TeamSAP begins implementation - utilizing SAP's proven ASAPT methodology and accelerators, including tools, templates, sequential checkpoints and best practices developed in conjunction with many of SAP's customers.

Key to all rapid implementations is the AcceleratedSAP Roadmap, designed to enhance the efficiency of implementations through a sequence of six phases: Project Preparation, Business Blueprint, Simulation, Validation, Final Preparation, and Go-Live and Support. Other powerful implementation tools include the Business Engineer with its business-process reference models and configuration guide, which serve to support initial implementation configurations and the processes of continuous business engineering that customers may need.

AcceleratedSAP Partner Training

SAP has also introduced an AcceleratedSAP training program for partners to promote rapid R/3 implementations and to provide partners with a standard rapid R/3 implementation methodology. The new training program has been embraced by both smaller regional partners and larger implementation partner organizations that have attended AcceleratedSAP training classes. Partner consultants trained by SAP's AcceleratedSAP instructors are equipped to deliver the most effective rapid implementation practices for SAP customers. SAP will offer many ASAP training classes throughout the Americas in 1997.

SAP America Inc.'s Professional Services Group

The SAP America Inc. professional services group is a world-class team of consultants dedicated to effective and accelerated deployment of SAP software. SAP's professional services group works with and promotes its partners as key success factors in its implementations. Professional services consultants also provide application consulting and project management.

SAP is a market and technology leader in client/server enterprise application software, providing comprehensive solutions for companies of all sizes and all industry sectors. Cultivating innovative technologies on a solid foundation of business experience, SAP delivers scalable solutions that enable its customers to continually improve upon best business practices. SAP products empower people to respond quickly and decisively to dynamic market conditions, helping businesses achieve and maintain a competitive advantage.

Founded in 1972, SAP is based in Walldorf, Germany, and employs more than 8,400 people at offices in more than 40 countries worldwide who are dedicated to providing a high level of support and service to more than 7,000 companies. -0- SAP, ASAP and R/3 are trademarks of SAP AG. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

CONTACT: SAP America

Narina Sippy, 617/672-6646

[e-mail]

or

Waggener Edstrom

Karen Gilden, 503/245-0905

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