CRM Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Innovate. Integrate. Transform. Run.

Business and IT Alignment – Integrating Technology and IT Spend with Business
Business and IT Alignment – Integrating Technology and IT Spend with Business

Business and IT Alignment – Integrating Technology and IT Spend with Business

By Bill Wood|February 5th, 2010|

Aligning technology to business requirements is based on a few underlying assumptions that are often lacking from SAP projects. Those assumptions are 1) the business actually knows what their requirements are, 2) the project scope includes those requirements, 3) the right management and internal employees are committed and engaged, and 4) the system integrator you select has consultants with the required experience. Often, I see businesses fail to look beyond operational excellence areas of the [...]

Using KPIs to Align Your SAP Business Case to Strategic Business Direction
Using KPIs to Align Your SAP Business Case to Strategic Business Direction

Using KPIs to Align Your SAP Business Case to Strategic Business Direction

By Bill Wood|December 18th, 2009|

On their first attempt, few companies see dramatic transformations with Key Performance Indicators. Many businesses or organizations eventually abandon the efforts because they start out with poor alignment between what they are measuring and the business value proposition or their underlying competitive pressures. Some companies eventually develop some great reports and a dashboard for their executives or senior managers. However, few companies effectively use a Key Performance Indicator in a [...]

Competitive Pressures and Value Propositions, Is Lean the Answer?
Competitive Pressures and Value Propositions, Is Lean the Answer?

Competitive Pressures and Value Propositions, Is Lean the Answer?

By Bill Wood|November 10th, 2009|

Modern technology allows international outsourcing, greater agility, quicker product design to market, and specialized focus on niche markets, lowering the barrier to entry for new competitors and causing more market specialization. On the flip side, customers have a wide variety of information from sellers and the Internet about products, design, services, options, pricing, and availability. Business is more dynamic than ever. Because of the pace of change, focusing on internal process improve [...]

The Real Reason Executive Participation Creates IT Project Success
The Real Reason Executive Participation Creates IT Project Success

The Real Reason Executive Participation Creates IT Project Success

By Bill Wood|October 10th, 2009|

Since I started in the SAP and ERP arena in 1994, I have heard experts passionately declare that a key criteria for IT project success is executive participation. That mandate applies to any large scale project, whether through ERP, CRM, APO, SOA, BI, or other solutions. Many implementation companies wrongly believe that executive participation is only important because the executive brings authority and visibility to the project. However, a more overlooked yet crucial reason is the senior exec [...]

Realizing SAP Business Benefit
Realizing SAP Business Benefit

Realizing SAP Business Benefit

By Bill Wood|August 26th, 2009|

When implementing or upgrading SAP, too often I encounter vendors and consultants who believe they are more qualified than they actually are. Think of backyard mechanics who changed the oil on someone's cars and checked the tire pressure a few times, then somehow think that qualifies them to do engine overhauls on Formula 1 race cars. Similarly, why do you expect old-style implementation vendors and consultants to transform your business into a competitive powerhouse by only addressing cost-foc [...]

Using SAP to Improve Revenue and Profitability
Using SAP to Improve Revenue and Profitability

Using SAP to Improve Revenue and Profitability

By Bill Wood|January 17th, 2009|

For years, CIOs have been under pressure to cut costs, improve operational efficiencies, and automate the enterprise. CIOs who implement SAP have largely been effective at streamlining the back office. They have also succeeded at optimizing the extended supply chain because SAP supports execution activities well, therefore reducing costs. However, times are changing. For IT and SAP to successfully grow revenue and profitability, a business needs to understand where technology fits into the puzz [...]