SAP Service Delivery versus Value Delivery

By |April 30th, 2012|

In my review of academic literature around SAP or ERP implementations, I find some thought-provoking items. Recently, I reviewed a study that helped me to form a more complete picture of important issues in IT delivery. Even though I have been writing about it for years, I gained a new clarity around evaluating some of the existing delivery models [FN1]. What it comes down to is this question: Are you looking for service delivery or business results for your SAP project? SAP Service Delivery or [...]

Achieving Business Value from SAP Investment

By |February 27th, 2012|

As a follow-up to the previous post on Sustained Business Value from SAP Business Software, I did some research on the study authors and discovered their continued focus on this issue. Recently, Peppard (one of the authors) and a couple of other colleagues provided real business value success findings in an upcoming journal article titled “Factors Affecting the Successful Realization of Benefits from Systems Development Projects: Findings From Three Case Studies” [FN1]. While I read through and [...]

Key Design Considerations for SAP Reimplementation

By |February 6th, 2012|

    Whether you are doing a single instance reimplementation, a system consolidation, or an upgrade rollout, you will to blueprint the differences between your current state and what needs to change for your future state. Depending on your SAP reimplementation approach, you should make several key considerations in the SAP reimplementation blueprint.       All three approaches require a few key steps: Rationalize your landscape, Consolidate your functionality scope, Eva [...]

An SAP ABAP Innovation Revolution Beyond HANA

By |December 12th, 2011|

Some time back, I wrote about Opportunities for SAP Innovation. At the time, I wasn’t really expecting a lot, and I likely did not have much influence. However, I do find it coincidental that many of the suggestions I offered have been adopted. Some of them, such as the switched framework to improve order management processing, are included in ECC 6.0 EhP4. One issue that I have been contemplating for a long time is how to dramatically improve ABAP development and overall application enhancemen [...]

SAP Offshore Development Project Experience

By |September 26th, 2011|

There is a time and a place for everything-- even SAP project offshore activities. Unfortunately, in the quest to save money, the wrong approach can sound good on paper but cost you far more than the sales pitches would lead you to believe. The SAP offshore sales pitch uses enticing rates, such as receiving an offshore developer for about 15-20% the rate of an onshore resource (about 1/5 to 1/7 the price). The initial reaction to all of the sales pitches is “Wow, that will save us a bundle!” Ho [...]

Integrating Business Stakeholders as Part of SAP IT Convergence

By |August 29th, 2011|

A while back, I had a conversation with an IT executive from one of America’s largest companies. I was interested in his perspective as a hard-working senior level IT insider. We started discussing the role of IT and business as well as the future of business and technology. In the process, I relayed my passion for how IT needs to integrate with the business and how the future was going to change significantly (see e.g. What is the Proper Relationship for the CIO, CEO, and CFO?). From that disc [...]