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 [...]

3 Keys to Reduce SAP TCO & Move to SAP ROI

By |June 26th, 2011|

I only have a couple more posts in my series on overcoming vendor sales tactics, so I wanted to provide a brief distraction and look at a few key areas for SAP organizations to move to excellence. This post focuses on some of the considerations for SAP Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and SAP Return on Investment (ROI). One key to achieving SAP ROI is through convergence or integration of the SAP staff into the business. I have started down this path as part of a follow-up to the recent ASUG Atlan [...]

Industry Specific SAP Consulting vs Deep SAP Application Experience

By |March 21st, 2011|

The need for industry-specific SAP experience is probably one of the most overrated ideas in the SAP consulting field. The most successful SAP implementations require integration of the business requirements with application functionality. To do this well requires three separate domains of expertise: industry expertise, application expertise, and consulting skills. One of those domains, consulting skills, is based on skills in change management, communication, process engineering, people skills [...]

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 [...]

Using SAP Solution Composer for SAP Scope – Process Alignment

By |February 28th, 2011|

If you haven’t noticed by now, I have always been a proponent of using the tools and resources SAP already provides. After all, why should you pay for developing things SAP has already invested in? Because of SAP’s huge installed base, lots of customers before you have tried these tools, and SAP has adjusted, changed, corrected, or modified them to improve their use and functionality. On top of that, if you manage to discover a defect or bug, as an SAP customer you can check OSS Notes to see if [...]

FIXING Stupid SAP Vendor – Partner Selection RFI – RFP Processes

By |February 21st, 2011|

I am always amazed at how much time, energy, money, and effort companies spend on the SAP Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) processes. Many companies spend months, and in some cases even years, evaluating, analyzing, and preparing for an RFI or RFP. During the RFI and RFP preparation stage, senior management and staff are involved. At times, a dozen or more employees may be involved. When you add it all up, it can easily cost your company tens of thousands, hundreds o [...]