Tips to Overcome Sales Tactics by ERP System Integrators

By |May 2nd, 2011|

This is the beginning of a series reviewing some of the typical tactics and sales scams many software vendors use to gain your business. This way, you can create a selection process that filters out such vendors.Rather than competing on merit, many vendors resort to various strategies or techniques that prevent you from gaining the critical insight you need to make the best possible decision. Their strategies and tactics deflect you from discovering any of their weaknesses, or even deceive you [...]

Scams, Shams, ERP System Integrator Tactics

By |April 25th, 2011|

I read two articles that I wanted to summarize and review here. The articles provide two opposing viewpoints of consulting and some lessons learned for service buyers.   This article on CIO about “7 Dirty Consultant Tricks (and How to Avoid Them)” [FN1] caught my attention. In particular, I was interested in the part about ways consultants try to “extract money from their clients…”: IT consultants are among the most slippery of the bunch. Among their favorite tricks: Using "scope change" t [...]

FIXING Stupid SAP Vendor – Partner Selection RFI – RFP Processes

By |February 21st, 2011|

I am always amazed at how much time, energy, money, and effort companies spend on the SAP Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) processes. Many companies spend months, and in some cases even years, evaluating, analyzing, and preparing for an RFI or RFP. During the RFI and RFP preparation stage, senior management and staff are involved. At times, a dozen or more employees may be involved. When you add it all up, it can easily cost your company tens of thousands, hundreds o [...]

More on Stupid SAP Vendor – Partner Selection RFI-RFP Processes

By |February 14th, 2011|

This is a follow-up from last week's post on Why SAP Vendor – Partner Selection RFI Processes are Stupid. Next week's post will provide insight, suggestions, and ideas on how to ensure your SAP RFI or RFP processes achieve the best possible results. SAP is a COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) business software application. In the COTS world, solid financial statements may indicate an SAP partner or vendor who has mastered the art of "squatting" or "lock-in." They may routinely custom code non-miss [...]

Why SAP Vendor – Partner Selection RFI Processes are Stupid

By |February 7th, 2011|

It is time to kill useless SAP Partner RFI (Request for Information) practices. Results-oriented criteria need to update and replace these practices. ---------------------------------- The SAP implementation or integration vendor selection RFI today is nothing more than a beauty pageant, measuring superficial aspects and providing little useful information for making the right SAP consulting service vendor selection. SAP Quantity or SAP Quality, Which One Do You Think Makes a Difference Today? [...]

ERP Education: Losing Our Religion

By |January 17th, 2011|

Most ERP software packages are designed around industry-accepted business practices, operating philosophies, and techniques that have evolved over many years. Today, the issue is not businesses have a body of knowledge with supporting software tools; the question is, are clients educated enough to see the value or understand the proper use of the tools? The short answer is no.   Education versus ERP software training Many have lost sight of the difference between education and software tra [...]