The tool’s setup is not straightforward. There are a lot of layers in the tool’s deployment and it requires expertise. If you stick with the default functionality, then the deployment is quick. However, if you want customization as per your business needs, then deployment will be dependent on that. It will take time.

Sometimes we need to enable the scope manually if there is mismatch with the production copy or testing copy. It takes lot of time for the initial setup, around five to six months but for the later rollouts, it's less than three months.

I rate the initial setup a six to seven out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.

The initial setup is very easy. It took around 24 weeks to get ready for business. 

How straightforward the initial setup will be for your organization will depend on the level of integration that you want within your organization. For example, how many users you have, how many specific requirements they have, and what your logistics function needs are versus your accounting function versus your HR function. The list goes on.

I would say that when it comes down to tier one and tier two ERPs, a lot rides on the partner you choose to help with the implementation and the requirements that you have going into it. It has to be carefully managed. You can have a very decent implementation. But if not, you're going to be stuck with horrible reporting.

I would say having a core implementation team is essential. Each function is represented by a business leader and that leader can bring the requirements to the implementation team and serve as an intermediary between the business itself and the implementation, providing the test cases, doing the pass or fails, evaluating the progress of the partner that you're using. Being able to have direct communication and having a very structured approach to implementation is key.

You cannot just install the disk and have it be ready to go. This solution requires a lot more thought and effort to be able to put into place in a large-scale company. 

A lot depends on how you approach it. If you approach it badly, you're going to have a bad experience. But if you approach it in a very prudent way, you're going to have the right experience implementing this solution.

The deployment of this solution took about five months for us. We took specific steps when we deployed Business ByDesign. We chose a project manager. We chose a VAR to help with that. We set up our historical data integration, we defined our test cases, and we developed a timeline for the implementation with key points and deliverables along the way. We took a very practical view of the implementation.

The initial setup of SAP Business ByDesign is simple compared to SAP ECC 6.0 or SAP S/4HANA.

The initial setup of SAP Business ByDesign is straightforward.

The initial setup of SAP Business ByDesign is straightforward.

The initial setup was somewhat moderate. I say that because you need to understand the data structure of the system well enough to be able to set everything up properly. There's a significant learning curve there because you need to learn tons of information specifically about the data structure.

Implementation can take about three to four months. Three to four months for a small company and it takes up to six months for the company with the manufacturing.

The initial setup was complex, but that was due to our business scenario rather than the product.

Its initial setup was straightforward. It took about six months to implement it.