R3Now.com – ERP, SAP, and IT Solutions for IT Decision Makers

SAP Failures: Is Lack of Sr. Mgt. Commitment the REAL Issue?

When ERP projects fail it is popular (and easy) for consultants and the project management team to simply throw up their hands and site “lack of senior management commitment” as the evil force behind it. However, like much of the conventional ERP wisdom out there today, the real issues can be much deeper than that.  In my previous blog entries, I posed the following questions: Why would any management team spend hundreds of thousands or perhaps  millions of dollars on ERP with the goal...

Business Strategy and IT Strategy to Reproduce Apple Innovation

I recently read a Fortune Magazine article extolling the virtues, or more the impact, of Apple's Steve Jobs on business.  Certainly under Steve Jobs’ guidance Apple has come to represent the best of business innovation for several reasons:  Jobs built Apple as an innovative company After he left Apple the company nearly collapsed He returned and turned the company around from the brink of collapse Jobs at Apple, through his innovative guidance, has transformed three primary...

ERP and SAP Business Case for ROI, Business Benefit, and Success

Your company’s SAP or ERP business case should start before your RFP, and not just at a high level. It is important to take some time up front to get educated and develop some key understanding before ever issuing an RFP.  The more educated you are: The better the quality of the RFP. The better choice you will make at vendor selection (you'll be able to see past sales pitches to the substance). You'll be better able to make a more objective assessment during demonstrations and t...