A high degree of financial focus is evident in both SAP’s and Oracle’s ERP offerings. Accounting and reconciliation-based financial software are common features and present the ability to simplify recordkeeping, consolidate across departments and locations and integrate sales and procurement across entire supply chains.
In addition to supporting multiple currencies and languages, both platforms provide regulatory compliance settings and forms as well as real-time data management. To facilitate faster analysis of diverse financial records and increase revenue, these features also incorporate advanced computing capabilities, such as AI and machine learning (ML).
| SAP Business One Professional | Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP | |
|---|---|---|
Accounting | Standard features such as accounts payable (A/P), accounts receivable (A/R) and fixed asset management | Standard and advanced features covering accounts payable to asset management retirement and amortization |
Budgeting | Basic budgeting features for managing and executing general planning | Advanced tools including asset lifecycle management in addition to standard budgeting features |
Pricing | Straightforward pricing tools to manage product pricing | Pricing tools can match market, currency, exchange rate and calculate profit margins, rebates and discounts |
Human Resources (HR) | Well-designed employee portal, payroll and e-recruiting functionality to help with both retention and employee turnover | Good reporting capabilities including visual representations |
CRM | Integrates marketing, sales and finance to create a whole story of customers to help with contextual sales | Good marketing support |
AI and ML | HANA computing platform is basis of all SAP offerings and AI digital assistant “CoPilot” makes data accessible | AI tools like Digital Assistant are built into all parts of Oracle software and use natural language to sort databases |
Accounting
Accounting features, such as A/P, A/R and fixed asset management are offered by both SAP and Oracle ERP systems.
With Oracle, financial management and reporting are made more reliable and governance, risk management and compliance (GRC) requirements are incorporated. Oracle is proud of its risk management solutions, which help to enforce enterprise-wide compliance and automate some industry-specific compliance requirements.
However, SAP’s risk management tools can still help your business identify and better understand risk factors and prevent cash leakage as well as enforce policies.
With Oracle, you can implement tools based on common processes. For example, the Asset Management to Retirement module covers the entire lifecycle of an asset, from acquisition to amortization to disposal. A point-of-sale (POS) approach is also used in “Transaction to Cash Position,” integrating it with long-term financial information.
Budgeting
SAP’s software contains relatively basic budgeting capabilities, such as managing and executing general planning. However, Oracle’s ERP system is significantly better.
Oracle offers a specialized tool called “Asset Lifecycle Management,” which enables you to utilize the financial potential of your equipment and other facilities as well as handle typical budgeting needs for businesses.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, Oracle’s offerings outdo SAP’s basic features as well. With Oracle, you can adjust your base prices based on market segment, currency, exchange rate and more. It can also manage profit margins, rebates and discounts using set guidelines.
HR
In terms of HR management SAP offers a plethora of additional tools beyond what Oracle brings to the table. Several HR functions may be managed by SAP and users are able to find critical information about them all in one place. In addition, employees can access and update their information through a dedicated portal.
In addition to payroll, SAP ERP software provides e-recruiting functionality that helps companies retain employees and reduce turnover.
Even though Oracle’s reporting capabilities aren’t as robust as SAPs, the visual representations allow for quick communication. If you’re looking to make more HR decisions based on data, this aspect could be especially important to you. By visualizing your company’s data, you will be able to see the history and future of your company quickly.
CRM
With Oracle, you can plan campaigns and budgets on a single platform while SAP offers cross-functional processes relating to finance, procurement and marketing.
SAP’s Customer Account Management tools can help your business with nearly every aspect involving the customer. Providing access to your customers’ histories allows you to deal with lead generation more effectively. Additionally, this tool integrates with marketing, sales and finance, giving you a complete picture of your customer’s history with the business and potential ongoing needs. With more knowledge of your customers, you can market in context and use smarter selling strategies.
Sales-order management gets high marks from us for both solutions. SAP casts a wide net and supports distributors of every size and across every industry segment. Oracle’s strengths are its reporting and data features.
AI and ML
Both SAP and Oracle integrate AI, machine learning and automation into their software but each uses these tools in different ways. SAP’s HANA computing platform, first introduced in 2008, essentially drives all of SAPs offerings providing automation, predictive analytics and machine learning tools throughout SAP’s products. In addition to its platform being built on HANA, SAP also offers an AI-driven digital assistant called “CoPilot,” which helps individuals access the deep analytics and data without requiring a human brain to dig through old reports.
Oracle’s software features the use of AI and ML as well as with tools, such as Supply Chain Finance, Accounts Payable and more driven by embedded AI. The company also offers its Digital Assistant AI to help customers get the most out of the platform. Oracle offers analytics and big data tools that use natural language processing to aid managers with database searching and analysis. Oracle also offers Oracle Database which offers similar benefits to SAP’s HANA platform.
