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 [...]

The Real Reason Executive Participation Creates IT Project Success

By |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 [...]

CRM, ERP, BI, and IT Investment — Where Do You Find the Business Benefit?

By |September 19th, 2009|

  Most companies want to use CRM applications to "supercharge" their sales forces. They want higher customer retention and acquisition than their competitors, managing the sales pipeline and having better market insight. But few companies realize these goals. After going through some of the academic studies and literature about CRM implementation, evidence suggests that some companies see limited benefit from their CRM implementations, but they are not happy overall. These anecdotal accoun [...]

Realizing SAP Business Benefit

By |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 [...]