August 2010 - Innovate. Integrate. Transform. Run.

SAP Reimplementation For Little More Cost than a Technical Upgrade Part 1
SAP Reimplementation For Little More Cost than a Technical Upgrade Part 1

SAP Reimplementation For Little More Cost than a Technical Upgrade Part 1

By Bill Wood|August 30th, 2010|

I previously noted that I would follow up with a post on doing an SAP implementation for only marginally more than a technical upgrade (see Technical SAP Upgrade or SAP Reimplementation). In the process, you should keep a few assumptions and several considerations in mind. If an SAP reimplementation is done well, you can significantly reduce the Total Cost of Ownership. You should also keep in mind that getting closer to standard functionality in non-business critical areas (or what I like to r [...]

Technical SAP Upgrade or SAP Reimplementation
Technical SAP Upgrade or SAP Reimplementation

Technical SAP Upgrade or SAP Reimplementation

By Bill Wood|August 23rd, 2010|

SAP’s application landscape has the depth and breadth of functionality to handle 90% (and usually more) of nearly any business requirement. Regardless of this huge depth and breadth of functionality, many businesses still custom code and redesign the software too much (see e.g. SAP Implementation Focus, Software Engineering or Business Process Engineering?). If you are an SAP shop considering an upgrade, you may need to take a hard look at whether you should do a technical upgrade or a reimplem [...]

SAP Implementation Projects: Still Crazy After All These Years
SAP Implementation Projects: Still Crazy After All These Years

SAP Implementation Projects: Still Crazy After All These Years

By Michael Doane|August 16th, 2010|

Through the good graces of my long-time associate Jon Reed (www.jonerp.com), I recently discovered a blog that covers the life of an SAP project: SAP: Loathe It or Ignore It, You Can’t Like It http://sapmesideways.blogspot.com/.Shortly thereafter, De...

ERP Software Selection: Do you want to be a Guinea Pig?
ERP Software Selection: Do you want to be a Guinea Pig?

ERP Software Selection: Do you want to be a Guinea Pig?

By Steve Phillips|August 9th, 2010|

“If the software functionality does not do what we need it to do, nothing else really matters.” Back in the 1980’s, IT department preferences or mandates for specific proprietary mainframe technologies drove many ERP software decisions. They focused on the technologies the IT department could (or would) support, not the mainframe software that best satisfied business needs. Later in the 1990’s, the mainframe vs. open system (client/server) wars caused many to take a blind leap of faith into ope [...]

Removing SAP Project Barriers to Realize ROI and Business Benefit
Removing SAP Project Barriers to Realize ROI and Business Benefit

Removing SAP Project Barriers to Realize ROI and Business Benefit

By Bill Wood|August 2nd, 2010|

As long as the application consultants’ limited understanding of your business drive your SAP implementation, it will only reflect their SAP capabilities. If you want more, then your project focus must become business driven rather than vendor and consultant driven. Frequently I see or hear SAP consultants, even those who claim to be “Platinum” level consultants, who really do not understand the extent of the capabilities of SAP as a business process and systems platform. Even though these Plat [...]