SAP SI Delivers Customized Solutions, Rapid Implementations To Automotive and Manufacturing Companies

SAP SI MaxValu(TM) Combines Best Practices to Bring High-Value, Rapid, and Low-Cost Implementations to Specialized Industries

ATLANTA, May 14 -- SAP Systems Integration America, LLC (SAP SI America), today announced the availability of SAP SI MaxValu(TM), a best- practice-based prepackaged industry solution that supports all key business requirements for manufacturing and automotive enterprises. MaxValu delivers full functionality, an expandable and scalable solution, role-based education and training, effective documentation for implementation processes, and an open path to full SAP capabilities. The solution supports discrete, flow, and mixed-mode manufacturing techniques in multi-site, multi-currency, and multi- language environments and is available in two solution sets: MaxValu Best Practice and MaxValu Customize and Roll.

MaxValu Best Practice leverages SAP SI's vast experience implementing SAP(R) solutions in these industries and incorporates industry-specific best practices. The solution supports all key business requirements, including sales, service, manufacturing, procurement, quality, financial and management reporting, and costing. Currently, the solution is offered in unique industry templates for automotive suppliers, complex product manufacturing and discrete repetitive manufacturing.

MaxValu Customize and Roll builds on industry templates to provide customers with additional value by incorporating special requirements. Examples of these requirements may include unique customer functionality, special chart of accounts and reporting conventions, multiple countries, mixed mode manufacturing, client staff training, and technical upgrades for customers using an older release of SAP.

NexPress Solutions LLC, a joint venture with Heidelberg, is the first company to implement MaxValu. "I valued not only the overall management of our SAP project implementation, but also SAP SI America's leadership in the application of the MaxValu methodology," said Robert Scheidt, IT manager for NexPress Solutions LLC. "Eight weeks into the project, MaxValu had us testing in a working environment. Other methodologies may have had us still in workshops pouring over PowerPoint presentations at that point. In addition, SAP SI America's data management tool set provided us the means to quickly execute the complex task of migrating massive amounts of master data from our existing system. I really counted on SAP SI America coming through on this project. You can count me as a satisfied customer and chalk this one up as an 'on time,' 'on budget' project for NexPress Solutions."

To further demonstrate the value of the SAP solution, SAP SI allows customers to "try and buy" MaxValu. This "kick the tires" trial provides customers with a reasonable facsimile of the software adapted to the business and minimizes the customer's investment in the project decision. Try-and-Buy is a two- to three-week prototype of the SAP SI MaxValu solution that can be performed on a system provided either by SAP SI or the customers. With the Try-and-Buy program, SAP SI sets up the system with the enterprise structure, conducts testing with samples of actual customer data, and demonstrates core processes representing most business functions utilizing generic output forms; with a resulting usable system as a base for the remainder of the project.

Several other enhancements, including business case assistant, hosting, and application support are also available for SAP SI MaxValu. With business case assistant, SAP SI provides customers with a self-guided or consultant- assisted business case development template. This tool gives the customer a clear vision of future improvement opportunities through an ROI tool. For customers looking to outsource their information systems or avoid staffing required to support the IS application, SAP SI also can provide a hosting service and application support.

"In today's economic environment, customers in the manufacturing sector are increasingly looking for high-quality, low-cost, low-risk implementation," said Richard Ogburn, EVP Manufacturing, SAP. "By being attuned to our customers we developed MaxValu to deliver an excellent solution that is expandable and scalable for the future and an open path to leveraging full SAP capabilities."

About SAP Systems Integration AG

SAP Systems Integration AG provides enterprises and public institutions with end-to-end IT services. The internationally operating consulting company implements and operates IT systems in an SAP(R) environment and integrates heterogeneous system landscapes -- even across company boundaries. SAP SI has approximately 1,650 employees around the world and earned revenues of $279 million (U.S.) in fiscal year 2002.

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on beliefs of SAP SI management. Any statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "plan", "project", "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP SI are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views and assumptions of SAP SI, and all forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. SAP SI undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

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