Create SAP Convergence Instead of Business to IT Alignment

By |April 4th, 2011|

This is part of an ongoing exploration of creating an SAP or Technology "Center of Excellence" within your enterprise. For the background and key insights on this approach, see the Series on SAP Competency Center or SAP Center of Excellence . ------------------------------ The real future of technology is for IT to integrate with business, or in other words, to converge business and technology. The idea of aligning with business is too weak to define what IT and SAP must do within the enterpris [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

SAP System Vendor Project Success Criteria & Factors 5

By |November 29th, 2010|

This is the final post in the series on SAP project shared success criteria. Doing this entire topic justice has been more of a challenge than I had originally anticipated. At some point, I will put it all together in a PDF e-book. This series leaves you with a lot to digest but over the years these items generally make up the foundations for a very successful project that is able to transform your business. This series has been challenging but interesting and I am glad it is complete. In a few [...]

SAP System Vendor Project Success Criteria & Factors 4

By |November 22nd, 2010|

I had intended to wrap this series up with this post, but because I haven’t done much review of the SAP System Change Control Process, this post will address that topic in detail. The last few SAP critical success factors will have to wait for the next post. Many of the steps, insight, techniques, and other suggestions I have made were gleaned from the SAP ASAP methodology and my experience with the various toolsets that SAP provides to their customers and vendors. This post will address this S [...]