In this video, we walk through the complete sales process in the SAP Business One Web Client, showing how each document is created throughout the workflow. The demonstration covers the 5 key stages of the sales cycle:

1. Creating a Sales Quotation
2. Converting the Sales Quotation into a Sales Order
3. Processing the Delivery
4. Posting the A/R Invoice
5. Recording the Incoming Payment

As with the desktop client, the copy function is available, allowing information from the previous document to be carried forward automatically when creating the next one. This reduces manual data entry, helps maintain accuracy, and streamlines the entire sales process.
 
The Web Client also provides a consistent interface and user experience across other business processes, not just sales. By watching this demonstration, you will gain a clear understanding of how data is entered and managed throughout the SAP Business One Web Client.
 

 
If you would like to request a demo of the Web Client, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Lithium-ion batteries have become commonplace, but so have fire incidents

 
In recent years, news reports about fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in devices such as smartphones and portable power banks have become increasingly common.
Hearing that the batteries inside products we use every day can potentially catch fire naturally makes many people uneasy.
One of the primary causes of these incidents is thermal runaway, a phenomenon in which a battery rapidly generates heat and spirals out of control. Common triggers include:

• Internal damage caused by strong impacts
• Use or storage in high-temperature environments
• Improper charging practices

On the other hand, we rarely hear about conventional dry cell batteries causing fires.
Why is there such a difference?
 
 

What exactly is a lithium-ion battery?

 
Most people are familiar with the term lithium-ion battery, but surprisingly few understand how it actually works.
Lithium is a chemical element belonging to the alkali metal group, represented by the symbol Li. An ion is an atom that has gained or lost electrons and therefore carries an electric charge.
Although this may sound somewhat technical, a lithium-ion battery can be explained quite simply as: ‘A battery that stores and releases energy by allowing lithium ions to move back and forth between a positive electrode and a negative electrode’.
This mechanism enables lithium-ion batteries to achieve a high energy density, which is why they are widely used in smartphones, laptops, portable power banks, and many other electronic devices.
 
 

The role of liquid electrolyte in fire risk

 
In today’s lithium-ion batteries, lithium ions move through a substance known as an electrolyte. In most cases, this electrolyte is a liquid made from flammable organic solvents. While these materials help lithium-ion batteries achieve high performance, they can also pose safety risks under certain conditions.
For example, the following situations can increase the likelihood of a battery overheating or catching fire:

• Severe physical impact
• Damage to internal components caused by aging or wear
• Internal short circuits

When any of these occur, the battery may generate heat rapidly, potentially leading to ignition.
 
 

How are they different from dry cell batteries?

 
So, what makes dry cell batteries different?
Like lithium-ion batteries, dry cell batteries also contain electrolyte. However, the electrolyte used in most dry cell batteries is typically water-based. As a result, even when exposed to heat, it does not burn the way flammable organic solvents do.
Of course, dry cell batteries can still generate heat or even rupture if they are short-circuited. However, they are generally considered to have a lower risk of catching fire than lithium-ion batteries.
 
This naturally raises an important question: Why not use a water-based electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries as well?
 
The answer lies in the way lithium-ion batteries work.
Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable batteries designed to be charged and discharged repeatedly. If a water-based electrolyte were used, the water could break down through electrolysis during charging, making it difficult to maintain the battery’s performance and efficiency.
For this reason, organic solvent-based electrolyte remains the standard choice in most lithium-ion batteries today.
 
 

All-solid-state batteries: A promising next generation technology

 
To address these challenges, all-solid-state batteries have attracted considerable attention in recent years.
As the name suggests, all-solid-state batteries replace the liquid electrolyte used in conventional lithium-ion batteries with a solid electrolyte.
In fact, technology itself is not entirely new. Researchers around the world have been exploring and developing all-solid-state batteries for over a decade. However, significant technical challenges have made commercialization difficult, and large-scale production has taken longer than many initially expected.
Some of the key benefits expected from all-solid-state batteries include:

• Longer driving ranges for electric vehicles (EVs)
• Faster charging times
• Reduced risk of fire
• Longer battery life

These advantages have the potential to enhance not only electric vehicles but also many of the devices we rely on every day, including smartphones and laptops.

However, the promise of all-solid-state batteries extends beyond improving the performance of consumer electronics. For decades, experts in the energy sector have pointed out that storing electricity is often more challenging than generating it. Advances in battery technology therefore play a critical role in shaping the future of energy use and management.

The importance of energy storage was highlighted in 2019, when Japanese researcher Akira Yoshino was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions to the development of lithium-ion batteries.
Today, lithium-ion batteries are widely recognized as one of the foundational technologies underpinning modern society.
If all-solid-state batteries achieve widespread adoption in the future, they could help create a world that is not only safer and more convenient, but also more energy-efficient.
 
As battery technology continues to evolve, it will be fascinating to see how these innovations transform the way we live and use energy.

 
In this article, we explore how Work Orders in Beas Manufacturing help manufacturers improve production execution, inventory control, and shop floor visibility within SAP Business One.

A work order is much more than a production instruction sheet. It serves as the control tower of the factory floor, giving manufacturers a real-time view of operations while coordinating material allocation, inventory reservations, production reporting, labor tracking, and production progress within a single work order.

In a previous article, we discussed how process management helps manufacturers reduce dependency on individual expertise and transform shop-floor knowledge into organizational assets. However, even with standardized processes, production plans can still fail when operators struggle with system transactions, materials become unavailable unexpectedly, or managers lack visibility into production progress.

This is where Beas Manufacturing helps organizations bridge the gap between planning and execution. Let’s take a closer look at three key capabilities that help manufacturers maximize operational performance.
 
 

Work Order Structure

 
The Work Order Structure provides a visual tree view that consolidates all manufacturing information into a single interface. As transactions are recorded, the system updates in real time, ensuring that everyone works with the latest production data.

The screenshot below shows a typical Work Order Structure in Beas Manufacturing. From a single screen, users can monitor material consumption, operation progress, and upcoming production activities, making it easy to understand the status of a work order immediately.

 
Benefits for Production Teams

• Intuitive navigation between production tasks and system transactions
• Reduced risk of process errors by following a guided workflow
• Accurate and consistent data entry that supports operational excellence

Benefits for Production Managers

• Real-time visibility into factory operations without leaving the office
• Immediate access to production status across all work orders
• More time for decision-making instead of manual information gathering

Inventory Reservation

 
Material shortages are one of the most common causes of production delays. Beas Manufacturing addresses this challenge through its Inventory Reservation functionality.

Materials required for production can be allocated directly to a work order before manufacturing begins. This can be performed with a single click from the Work Order Structure screen. The reservation process allows planners and managers to verify material availability and ensure that production schedules are supported by actual inventory.
The screenshot below illustrates the Inventory Reservation function in Beas Manufacturing, allowing users to secure materials before production begins.

 
Benefits for Production Teams

• Prevention of unexpected material shortages
• Elimination of production interruptions caused by missing components
• Reduced need for last-minute inventory adjustments

Benefits for Production Managers

• Protection against inventory being consumed by competing work orders
• Greater confidence in production schedules and delivery commitments
• Improved customer satisfaction through more reliable lead-time estimates

Labor and Production Reporting

 
Beas Manufacturing allows companies to establish standard operation times and production benchmarks within the system. These standards create the foundation for accurate labor and production reporting.

Employees can easily record labor hours, completed quantities, and production activities directly from the operations linked to the work order. The user-friendly interface simplifies data entry and ensures that critical production information is captured consistently.

The example below shows a typical labor and production reporting screen in Beas Manufacturing. Operators can quickly record labor time, completed quantities, and production results, ensuring that shop floor activities are captured accurately and consistently.

 
Benefits for Production Teams

• Structured data entry for labor, production quantities, and operational activities
• Reduced administrative burden and fewer data-entry mistakes
• Faster reporting with less need for corrections or follow-up questions

Benefits for Production Managers

• Real-time visibility into production performance
• Accurate labor and cost tracking
• Data-driven decision-making for continuous improvement initiatives

Building a Stronger Manufacturing Operation with Work Orders

 
When these three capabilities, Work Order Structure, Inventory Reservation, and Labor Reporting, work together in real time, manufacturers gain a powerful competitive advantage.

Production plans become more reliable because system data accurately reflects shop-floor reality. Managers gain immediate visibility into operations, enabling proactive decisions rather than reactive problem-solving. The result is improved production scheduling, stronger inventory control, and greater operational efficiency.

By connecting planning, execution, and performance tracking within a single platform, Beas Manufacturing Work Orders become the engine that drives modern manufacturing excellence. Organizations can strengthen their operational foundation, improve productivity, and create the capacity to take on new growth opportunities with confidence.

If you would like to discover how Beas Manufacturing and SAP Business One can improve your production management processes, please feel free to contact us.

 
The production management module in SAP Business One includes a dedicated production order function. In practice, the distinction between terms like “production order” and “production instruction” (or “work order”) is often blurred, though broadly speaking, “production order” leans towards management and planning, whilst “production instruction” tends to refer to specific operational steps. The production order within SAP Business One falls into the former category.
Within the production order screen, you can clearly record exactly which products are being manufactured, in what quantities, and by what deadline. It also allows you to specify which materials are required, how many are needed, and where they will be used.
Because production orders act as the starting point that links a continuous stream of data, such as production output, costs, and inventory movements, it is no exaggeration to say they are the most critical feature of the entire production management module.
 
 

Key features of production orders

 
SAP Business One’s production orders are flexible enough to support a wide range of production methods, from Engineer-to-Order (ETO) right through to Sale-to-Stock (STS).
Regardless of the production method to be used, all actual performance figures are reflected in real time on the production order’s “summary” tab.

Additionally, the relationships between connected data can be visualised directly from the production order screen using the “Relationship Map” feature, giving users a clear, graphical overview of how everything ties together.

The benefits of using production orders

 
Among companies looking to implement SAP Business One, a common requirement that comes up regularly is the need to sharpen cost control accuracy.
To address this requirement, we usually delve into two main areas: planning and actual performance. Regarding planning accuracy, the root cause of the issue can often be described as an inability to define production orders with sufficient precision.

For example, the difficulties in converting from an Engineering Bill of Materials (EBOM) to a Manufacturing Bill of Materials (MBOM) can result in production orders that do not reflect reality accurately enough. To deal with this, we often take a step-by-step approach to improve accuracy. This involves clarifying the relationship between the EBOM and the MBOM, and reviewing how each component’s master data is registered, ensuring that the necessary line items are correctly defined within the production orders.
Resulting in the enhancement of the level of detail captured within the production orders, which naturally leads to far more accurate cost data.
 
 

Expect improved accuracy in cost control and inventory management

 
By using production orders in SAP Business One, you can significantly improve the accuracy of both cost control and inventory management. However, there is no need to have the perfect system from the very start of the implementation.
As your team gets more familiar with the system, it is possible to refine your production management approach step by step, for instance by analysing the gap between planned and actual cycle times and making targeted improvements.
If you are interested in implementing the SAP Business One production management module, or would like to learn more about production orders, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
 
 

 
The Web Client is a feature that lets you use SAP Business One directly from a web browser, and it comes included as part of the SAP Business One package. It is built around SAP Fiori, SAP’s own UX design concept, which brings a clean, straightforward interface and a navigation experience that feels natural from the very first use.
 
In this video, we walk through the essentials: how to access the Web Client, the steps to log in, and how the home screen is laid out. If you have only ever used the desktop version, you will notice the Web Client has a noticeably different look and feel, with a tile-based home screen that makes it easy to get your bearings and find what you need quickly.
 

 
If you would like to request a demo of the Web Client, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

 
Many factories rely heavily on the experience of long time employees and the unique ingenuity they have developed on the shop floor over many years. However, when that valuable expertise exists only in the minds of individuals, the foundation of the organization becomes fragile. As senior workers retire, the skills they have accumulated over decades risk disappearing with them. It is an invisible threat quietly creeping into the operations.

In environments where only a few individuals understand the details of certain processes, even one absence can disrupt the entire production line. Managers struggle to understand what is happening on the shop floor, and this lack of visibility becomes a barrier to improvement. The real issue lies in this very structure that allows stagnation of information.

If we call the Bill of Materials the heart of manufacturing, then Routing represents the very lifeblood flowing through the shop floor. If the steps, resources, and timing required to complete a product are not clearly defined and this information is available only to a limited number of individuals, the sustainability of the organization is put at risk. SAP Business One and Beas Manufacturing provide the tools to break this pattern and turn individual expertise into shared organizational knowledge.
 
 

A new approach to Routing with Beas Manufacturing

 
Beas Manufacturing offers three features that make it easier to standardize your Routings. By converting shop-floor expertise into data and continuously refining it through ongoing improvement, you can create a cycle that transforms individual skills into a shared organizational asset.

1. From tacit to explicit knowledge: Break down the expertise of skilled workers into resources and operation catalogs. By creating a shared language that anyone can reference, the speed and accuracy of knowledge transfer improve dramatically.
2. From specialized to standardized operations: Convert your resources and operation catalogs into unified operational sequences, that is, Routings. By establishing a highly repeatable operational structure, you build organizational strength that no longer depends on the abilities of specific individuals.
3. From overwriting to keeping valuable records: Instead of simply overwriting data with the latest updates, preserve the history of adjustments through version control. (For more information on version control, see our article on Bill of Materials in Beas Manufacturing.) With a clear record of past changes to your Routings, you can take the next step forward based on solid evidence.

The example above shows two Routing versions in Beas Manufacturing. In Version 1, the entire process is grouped into a single operation. In Version 2, the same work is divided into four steps.
Once the steps are separated, it becomes clear that the drying stage alone takes 40 minutes. As the level of detail in your Routings increases, inefficiencies and delays become more visible, enabling you to plan improvements based on actual data.
 
 

Data that becomes the key to unlocking your future

 
When information bottlenecks are eliminated and a smooth flow of knowledge is restored to the shop floor, the organization is freed from the burdens that constrain its future, such as the fear of losing technical expertise and the lack of transparency in management. The skills of experienced workers are passed down through the system, allowing the entire organization to operate based on a shared language. As these efforts are recorded and accumulated, quality and speed stabilize, bringing significant change to everyday factory operations.

The data created through the above-mentioned three Beas features becomes a foundation for meeting delivery commitments and maintaining quality, even as market conditions change. It is not just a record of past work; it becomes a powerful asset that enhances your competitiveness and helps shape future strategy.

If you are interested in learning more about Routing or version control in Beas Manufacturing, please feel free to contact us.

 
The Bill of Materials (BoM) forms the foundation of the production process. Maintaining its accuracy in environments where production plans shift frequently, and procurement conditions fluctuate is challenging, to say the least. Many organizations have grown used to working with outdated practices and underestimating the risks that unreliable data can pose.

One of those practices is overwriting the previous BoM structure with a new one, making it impossible to trace the specific component that caused a defect in production. Another one is updating the BoM manually, increasing the risk of prototype parts being accidentally mixed into regular production. Situations like these are essentially ticking time bombs.

These problems do not come from lack of attention. They come from systems that were not built for the pace of modern manufacturing. Depending on constantly overwriting the same Bill of Materials is no longer enough. It is time to recognize the limits of past practices and move to a system capable of properly controlling and tracking information as it evolves.
 
 

Turning the Bill of Materials into a strategic asset

 
So how do you stop the problems that keep resurfacing and turn your Bill of Materials into something your organization can rely on? One viable solution is the next generation Bill of Materials provided by Beas Manufacturing, the manufacturing add-on for SAP Business One. (For reference, see the article on the Bill of Materials in SAP Business One here.)
Instead of just listing components, the system keeps track of how the product evolves over time, with built-in version control.

In the screenshot shown above is an example of a Bill of Materials in Beas Manufacturing. Within a single product, in this case, a shelf, multiple specifications can coexist, with Version 1 representing the red shelf and Version 2 representing the blue shelf. Since the product structure is visualized in a hierarchical format, even highly complex, multilevel products can be understood at a glance.
 
 

3 control mechanisms to prevent errors on the shop floor

 
How does BoM version control capability affect operations on the shop floor? We want to introduce 3 control mechanisms that can significantly improve your data accuracy and provide strong operational support.

1. Multi-version control: Multiple versions of a single product can be maintained in parallel. This reduces the need to search for historical data and enables an effective response to defect analysis and repeat orders, thereby improving overall quality assurance.
2. Validity period control: The system automatically switches to the appropriate version based on its defined effective dates. This removes the need for manual updates at changeover times and prevents input errors associated with manual processing, enabling a fully calendar-driven operation.
3. Status control: Usable versions for sales orders, purchase orders and other documents are restricted according to each version’s status. This prevents inconsistencies such as issuing orders for incomplete or invalid versions of products and establishes a shop floor environment in which errors are eliminated through systematic controls.

Reliable information drives quality manufacturing

 
When this kind of system becomes the standard across an organization, it can bring clarity and order to the shop floor. Departments no longer need to rush around trying to handle each change. Employees are freed from the frustration of searching for missing information or worrying about mistakes, reclaiming the time needed to pursue high quality manufacturing. Reliable information becomes a source of confidence, and smooth collaboration across departments takes shape naturally.

Beas Manufacturing delivers value that goes far beyond simply providing a software solution. It circulates vital information throughout the factory in real-time, enabling all departments to work with greater ease. Dependable data becomes the basis that supports the company’s ability to grow.
 
If you are interested in learning more about how Bill of Materials and its version management work in Beas Manufacturing, please feel free to contact us.

 
In this article, we take a look at the Bill of Materials functionality within SAP Business One.
The information that describes the relationship between a finished product and its components (or items) goes by different names depending on the industry. Even within manufacturing, you will encounter terms such as Bill of Materials, BOM, batch record (or batch sheet), recipe, and formula, among others. For the purposes of this article, and to keep things consistent with SAP Business One’s own terminology, we will refer to all of these simply as “Bill of Materials”.
 
 

Key features of the Bill of Materials

 
Let us take a look at the Bill of Materials screen in SAP Business One.

To give a practical example of what can be defined within this screen, consider the following:

• 1 finished product (“Product”) has 3 associated processes/route stages (“Routing”).
• “Routing 1” requires “Semi-Finished Goods” and “Resource 1”.
• “Routing 2” requires common items/raw materials (“Common RM”), raw materials (“RM A”) only used for this product, and “Resource 2”.
• “Routing 3” requires “Resource 3”.
• The planned cost of the finished product is 145,600 JPY.
• The selling price of the finished product is 200,000 JPY.

Beyond this, the “Attachments” tab allows you to manage relevant documents related to the Bill of Materials, making it straightforward to centralize all related information in one place.
There are also a number of additional options available through configuration changes, such as the handling of by-products and adjusting the number of decimal places used for quantities. This flexibility means that Bills of Materials can be structured in a variety of ways to suit different operational needs.
 
If the standard fields available out of the box do not quite align with the information your business needs to capture, this is where one of SAP Business One’s most notable strengths comes into play, namely how straightforward it is to customize, to the extent that it can be handled entirely in-house. System administrators are free to add whichever fields are required, allowing the system to be tailored to your processes and the overall quality of your data to be continuously improved.
 
 

Integration with other features

 
The data defined within the Bill of Materials feeds directly into other areas of the system. It is used in Production Orders, which serve as the formal instruction to manufacture, as well as in MRP runs carried out for production planning purposes.
If you need to make changes to an existing Bill of Materials, the Bill of Materials Management function provides a convenient way to do so in bulk, whether that means updating rows that meet a specific set of criteria or adding entirely new ones.

Planned enhancements to the Bill of Materials functionality

 
This article has provided a broad overview of the Bill of Materials functionality available in SAP Business One.
The system is already well equipped to support a wide range of manufacturing industries, and further improvements are planned for upcoming versions, including enhancements to features such as version control, which are commonly required in production management environments.
 
If you would like to find out more about what the functionality can do, get a clearer picture of how your own bill of materials structure might translate into the system, or learn how other businesses already using it have approached their setup, please feel free to get in touch with us.

 
The Web Client is a feature that allows users to access SAP Business One directly through a web browser. Provided as an integral part of the SAP Business One ecosystem, it enables access not only from desktop PCs but also from tablets and other devices via browsers such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

It is built on SAP Fiori’s UX design concept, which delivers a clean and intuitive interface that makes day-to-day navigation straightforward for all users. It also offers robust data visualization and analytical capabilities through charts and dashboards, giving businesses a clear, at-a-glance view of their operations.
 
 

A Clean Design Built for Everyday Use

 
SAP Fiori was designed with a single guiding principle: that anyone should be able to use it without confusion.
The home screen organizes key functions and information into a tile-based layout, allowing users to access what they need quickly and without navigating through complex menus. This streamlined approach keeps daily workflows running smoothly.
The home screen can also be personalized on a per-user basis. Tiles can be configured to reflect each user’s role and responsibilities, whether that’s a member of the sales team, the finance department, or any other part of the business, ensuring everyone sees the information most relevant to them.

Home Screen

Home screen with tasks organized in tile format
 
 

Making Data Visible

 
One of the Web Client’s standout strengths is its data visualization. It readily turns data into something you can actually see and act upon.
For example, document lists can be easily converted into charts.

1. Select Sales Orders from the home screen tile

2. Navigate to the document list view, and choose your preferred display format using the button in the top-right corner

3. Specify the criteria to be implemented in the chart such as sales order per sales representative, and generate the chart instantly

 
Beyond this, a wide variety of charts and dashboards are available to support visual analysis. In addition to the standard reports provided out of the box, user-defined data can also be displayed graphically, meaning businesses can tailor their view to the metrics that matter most to them.

Extensibility Within SAP Business One

 
The Web Client is not a standalone cloud ERP product, it is part of SAP Business One, a system with a long and well-established track record as an on-premises ERP solution.
As such, it retains the high degree of customizability that has always been one of SAP Business One’s key strengths, giving it an advantage over purely cloud-based ERP platforms in this regard.

Therefore, users can fully leverage SAP Business One’s native extensibility through the Web Client.
 
 

Web Client and Desktop: Better Together

 
The Web Client is not intended as a replacement for the desktop version, it serves as an extension of it.
While the rollout of desktop features to the Web Client is ongoing, the majority of key documents and master data are already accessible.

Crucially, both versions draw on the same company data, and no additional licenses are required.

A likely scenario going forward is that office-based users handling day-to-day transactional work continue to use the desktop version, whilst those who need real-time visibility on the go, or who require a consolidated, visual overview of business data, turn to the Web Client. This kind of complementary usage may well become the standard approach for SAP Business One going forward.

If you would like to request a demo of the Web Client, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Lately, I have been seeing the term AI agents a lot at events hosted by SAP and other companies.
Despite the growing popularity of the term, many people may still wonder how AI can actually be used in their daily work. I certainly did. That is why, starting in the latter half of last year, I attended several AI seminars and events, and I am finally beginning to form a clearer picture of how it might be applied.

Let’s take common, everyday tasks in the wholesale business as an example:

1. Receiving an order e-mail from a customer.
2. Checking the inventory of the requested products.
3. In case of insufficient inventory, confirming the delivery date with the supplier.
4. Based on the delivery date provided by the supplier, confirming the shipping date with the customer.
5. Receiving the customer’s approval and creating the sales order.
6. Placing a purchase order for the supplier.

In the seminar I recently attended that showcased AI in action, steps 5 and 6 were handled by AI, requiring human approval only for final decisions, while all other steps were fully automated by AI, including decision making.

Naturally, enabling AI to perform these types of tasks requires a significant amount of configuration, and it is still difficult to say how much capital investment in IT would be needed to be able to automate processes to this extent. Nonetheless, the demo offered a very clear and relatable example of how AI could be integrated into everyday business processes.

This example illustrates automation using AI envisioned in Industry 4.0, initiated by the German government over a decade ago. While Industry 4.0 focused mainly on the manufacturing sector, Society 5.0, proposed by the Japanese government, expanded this concept to encompass the whole society.
I also believe that the use of AI will have a wide range of applications across society, surpassing the example mentioned above.

Lastly, whenever I see an AI demo where a user and an AI are having a conversation, it reminds me of a particular movie scene.
In an 1980s “Star Trek” movie Chief Engineer Scotty has traveled through time, from the future to what was then the “present day” of the 1980s. He tries to use a Macintosh computer by speaking to it, saying, “Computer?” After an awkward silence, an engineer from that time hands him a mouse and a keyboard. Scotty then lifts the keyboard and tries to speak into it like it is a microphone.
It is a wonderfully heartwarming moment.

Back then, voice input was seen as a technology of the future. Nearly forty years have passed since then, and voice input has become commonplace. Yet, whenever I see voice input in action, I can’t help but remember that movie scene I watched all those years ago, and it still brings a smile to my face.