SSP Add-Ons: A Slight Introduction

Dear reader, if you have read our previous blog post on SAP add-ons,  then you already know what they are. However, in case you are just discovering us and would like to have a brief introduction to what add-ons do and why they are important inside Enterprise Resource Planning softwares, you may want to read this post.

What are Add-Ons?

Add-ons are complementary solutions that add specific functions to the basic functionality of any given ERP system. In the latest post we mentioned some integrations that were included inside the SAP Business One license, our preferred Enterprise Resource Planning solution. 

However, in this week’s post we want to dive deeper into the SSP add-ons, which are Software Solution Provider add-ons. In other words, we will talk about third-party integrations that can make your solution seem to have grown superpowers. It is important to note that this type of add-ons do require an additional investment to be installed inside your SAP Business One solution. 

	Provider	Cost
SAP Add-ons	SAP	Included in the SAP Business One license
SSPs Add-ons	Certified partners (Software Solution Providers)	Depends on project-specific basis

Industries that benefit from Add-ons

A Software Solution Provider (SSP) add-on can prove to be one of the most beneficial additions for any enterprise, especially when taken into consideration that it can be tailored with the specific needs of different industries in mind and can offer solutions which are especially designed to solve pain points. Some featured industries are the following:

• Aerospace & Defense
• Agriculture
• Apparel & Footwear
• Automotive
• Chemicals
• Education
• Equipment building
• Food Beverage
• High-Tech & Electronics
• IT
• Industrial Machinery
• Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul
• Metal Processing
• Plant Construction
• Plastics Processing
• Professional services
• Rental
• Retail
• Warehousing & Logistics
• Wholesale

SSP Add-Ons

You should also look into which type of integration you require, not only whether it is compatible with the industry you are in, but what type of integration you need for your company. So depending on your interests, these are some examples of business add-ons you can acquire for your business:

SSP Add-Ons	Definition
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)	Manage customer relationships by tracking customer data and interactions. CRM systems can be used for a number of purposes, including sales forecasting, product development, and marketing.
Customer Engagement	Platform that tracks, manages, and enables interactions with your prospects and customers.
Document Management	Capture, track and store electronic documents such as PDFs, word processing files and digital images of paper-based content.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)	Automatically send business documents and data between trading partners from computer to computer in EDI standard format.
Inventory Planner	Forecast sales, purchases, seasonalities, marketing activities, etc. and get up-to-date insights of your inventory trends.
Payroll	Support all your requirements for payroll and attendance by enabling users to define salary calculation, tax rules, overtime, loans and more.
Personnel Time Management	Record your working time and link it to different project developments to keep track of relevant data.
Product Configurator	Support insurance product development activities, including pricing, product modeling and testing with central components as a workbench, calculation engine and a graphical user interface.
Quote Builder	Easily tailor quotes to your prospect’s needs.
Warehouse Management	Control in and out processes by eliminating paper-based management. (Organizing warehouse space, scheduling work hours, managing inventory and fulfilling  orders).
Warehouse Scanning	Capture and control warehouse information by scanning SKUs.

Deciding which Add-on to implement

Depending on the type of business you have, you may need to use more than one add-on to get the job done. This is why it is important to do the appropriate research to determine what fits your needs and if you need more than one extension. After that, make sure to evaluate the features of each platform, the ease of use, and the pricing structure. You will also need to ensure that you select the right partner properly set up and integrate it with your Enterprise Resource Planning Solution. Additionally, make sure to find adequate training for your staff to ensure the best possible use of the platform.

Besides the SSP Add-Ons covered in the table above, some of the most common integrations for ERP systems include programs designed for e-commerce, shipping, supply chain management, accounting system integrations, among others. Ultimately, the goal of a good integration is to reduce the time your employees spend carrying out manual tasks that are taking away precious time from their workday, as well as the stress your employees are experiencing. 

Keep Learning More

Remember, a good integration can reduce the time people spend on processes that take a long time to complete. In addition, it reduces the likelihood of human error on key processes that are vital to the overall performance of your enterprise.

It has been our pleasure to discuss the subject of SSP add-ons, but in case you want to learn about the add-ons that are included with the SAP Business One license, please check out our last blog post. As you can see, these integrations were made so that you can maximize the potential of your ERP system and make it work to its full potential. We also want to encourage you to look into your possibilities because we are sure there is an add-on out there for you just waiting to maximize your enterprise’s performance.

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