"The Torelli Bicycle Company is the perfect company for us to do this implementation with," said Mike Coleman, SAP America's Vice President for North American Distribution, Direct Marketing Resellers (DMR) & E-Store, after visiting Torelli's rustic headquarters in North Hollywood, Calif. "I think it's a prime candidate for [an SAP] makeover. "Why? Not because Torelli is unique among small and midsize businesses. Actually, it's not, according to Coleman. In fact, Torelli fit the bill for an SMB enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution from SAP precisely because, in many ways, it is so typical, Coleman said in a recent video update.

"You might think that Torelli is unique. I don't think that it necessarily is," Coleman said. "The better word is 'emblematic.' I think it's the perfect candidate [for an ERP implementation] based on its business model and its growth needs."

The unique part about Torelli, in Coleman's view, is the gutsy move the company's CEO Todd Linscott made when he decided to push forward with plans to upgrade his simple bookkeeping system to an integrated ERP solution - even after the global economy took a turn for the worse.

"Todd really had to stick his neck out," Coleman said. "When he bought the company a couple of years ago ... it was just when the economic crisis was declared. He was at a crossroads, and he had an opportunity to make a decision: Does he stay with the current business model, which is based on QuickBooks, or does he take the opportunity to really step up and begin to use the tools - in this case the SAP Business One tools - to compete like a larger company and essentially position [his company] for growth, even in a depressed market condition. These tools do, in fact, give him that capability and that capacity." What gutsy moves has your company made lately? Tell us how you're investing in your business processes to "grow your way out of" the current economy and set the stage for a bigger, brighter future. Then watch the video above to find out more about the benefits companies like Torelli can expect from their ERP investment.