Foreword

Team-Fly

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Information is the lifeblood for today's business.

Information is what lets us understand the past and try to plan for the future. There is no business without information.

There is no life without blood, either. Blood connects our organs and transports the oxygen so vital for our existence. But it is the mixture of our blood, the speed of the bloodstream, and the well-functioning of all organs that make our body fit for all the challenges in life.

Is your business ready for challenges?

Information is just the starting point; it is an enabler. Today's business does not lack information; it is the information overload that represents a challenge.

But how do you use the information captured in all these databases, in all these files on your computer, in your drawers and in your Personal Digital Assistant? Does it prepare you to make informed decisions? Does it enable your company to stay competitive? How well do you process (and not just access) information? Are you able to derive knowledge to unlock your information power?

SAP introduced a solution with exactly these business issues in mind. SAP's Business Information Warehouse is the technological platform for data warehousing and e-business intelligence on top of your ERP product. It uses the veins put into place by ERP to pump through all the information to the consumer. It allows anybody to access critical information anywhere anytime.

Naeem Hashmi is one of the pioneers for this new technology. His extensive background in science and technology and his knowledge of today's most challenging business issues put him in a premier position to guide you through the first steps with SAP BW.

I am confident you'll enjoy Naeem's style of presenting even very complex subjects in a very easy-to-read format with his own sense of humor.

Steffen Fischer,
Director, SAP America
CRM Workplace Product Management

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Team-Fly