SBI Creates New Business Process Solutions Unit

SBI Optura

Optura is operating as a wholly owned subsidiary based in Phoenix and includes WebFlow, a software and services company acquired in May by SBI, based here.

Optura offers prepackaged software solutions and consulting expertise in five areas, including finance, logistics, human resources, supply chain and procurement. Vertical focus will include the manufacturing, financial services, retail, telecommunications and transportation markets.

The unit is working to develop and support the line of packaged workflow applications under the RapidFlow product line. RapidFlow products include APLink, Invoice Exception, AR Shortages, Material Master Data and Customer Master Data.

While the company's official announcement was made Thursday, SBI said Optura signed several new clients during the past quarter, including Baker Hughes and Ontario Power Generation.

The WebFlow acquisition was sought to provide a boost to SBI's SAP practice, the company said. As part of the acquisition, SBI acquired WebFlow's 30-person consulting company. That company has a focus on pre-packaged software applications using SAP's native workflow technology, SAP Business Workflow. It has well-known SAP clients, including Eastman Chemical, Hasbro and Nestle USA.

Optura is now an ISV member of the SAP Software Partner Program.

Coleman Barney, executive vice president at SBI, said in a statement that Optura's offerings are designed to enhance, not compete with, enterprise applications such as SAP, Oracle or J.D. Edwards.

SBI also recently acquired financially troubled Web integrators, Scient and Lante. In 2001, SBI bought Emerald Solutions and marchFirst. These acquisitions, particularly the most recent, are aimed at gaining market share as SBI moves forward particularly in the area of "productizing existing business process solutions," according to the company.