Industry Specific SAP Consulting vs Deep SAP Application Experience

By |March 21st, 2011|

The need for industry-specific SAP experience is probably one of the most overrated ideas in the SAP consulting field. The most successful SAP implementations require integration of the business requirements with application functionality. To do this well requires three separate domains of expertise: industry expertise, application expertise, and consulting skills. One of those domains, consulting skills, is based on skills in change management, communication, process engineering, people skills [...]

Using Your SAP Steering Committee for Business Transformation

By |March 14th, 2011|

How Long-Term SAP Steering Committee Integration Changes the Enterprise One of the biggest benefits of an SAP implementation is the business transformation it can bring. At first, the changes and challenges are uncomfortable, even downright painful. However, in the mid- to long-term, SAP brings about a business culture transformation. When ongoing steering committee involvement enables that transformation, business to IT convergence occurs. Over time, this convergence of business and technology [...]

What are SAP Best Business Practices Anyway

By |March 7th, 2011|

Over the last couple months, I have seen a few posts debating the use of software “best business practices.” The basic takeaway is that if everyone uses the standard delivered “practices,” no one has competitive advantage. While this may be true for many software applications, two components of SAP make this idea misleading. Many of these commentators fail to recognize that SAP refers to different things as "best business practices." The key types of SAP best business practices involve the proc [...]

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? [...]

SAP ROI through Strategic Business Transformation

By |January 31st, 2011|

Many business ideas and paradigms have been proposed over the years. Some of them turn out to be fads, while others have enduring legacies. While many have merit, they all have one thing in common-- they are supposed to address the marketplace in some way. Whether or not they stand the test of time depends on how well they help businesses compete in a globally competitive marketplace. Enduring business ideas generally become part of an accepted business strategy. One example is Michael Porter's [...]