The Last Mile of Digital Transformation
Over the last two weeks, I have been intrigued by two data points: 1. A recent article by a well-respected colleague about the outdated nature of ERP software, and 2. Work we just started with a new client – a very large US-based manufacturing and distribution company – whose digital initiatives extend well beyond ERP […]
How to Avoid ERP Failure
By Sam Graham Benjamin Franklin once said that in this world only two things are certain; death and taxes. Were he alive today, he would probably have added a third: continuing analysis of ERP project failure. We had hardly moved on from the Anchorage disaster before we read about the National Grid SAP failure, and […]
How to Define the Best Change Management Process for your Digital Transformation
Organizational change management is one of the most misunderstood – and undervalued – aspects of complex ERP implementations and digital transformations. It seems that executives and project teams are constantly trying to figure out how to define the best change management process for their organizations. Each organizational change management engagement that we help our clients […]
Tier I ERP Software: Are You Really That Complex?
In talking with business leaders, we hear quite often how “complex” their businesses are, thinking they absolutely need a Tier I ERP software solution (such as SAP or Oracle) to handle their unique qualifications. So how complex do you really need to be to require a system such as SAP S/4HANA vs. Oracle Cloud ERP? […]
What is the Best SAP S/4HANA Implementation Methodology?
As an independent, technology-agnostic consulting firm, we work with all types of digital transformations. Despite our variety of experience, we are seeing more SAP implementation projects than normal so far this year. Based on this experience, we recently published an eBook to help provide an overview of the best SAP S/4HANA implementation methodology. Traditional SAP […]
Lessons from an SAP Failure at Lidl
By now, you may have heard about Lidl, the German retailer than spent 500M Euros ($580M USD) on their SAP failure. As painful – and unbelievable – as it is to read about, there are some good lessons from SAP failure that we can take away from this story. I generally prefer to focus on […]
Why Your SAP System Integrator Isn’t the Silver Bullet You’re Looking For
Choosing the right SAP system integrator is as important – if not more important – than the choice to deploy S/4HANA in the first place. Unfortunately, the right choice here doesn’t solve all of your problems, either. We work with plenty of clients who spend considerable time evaluating Deloitte vs. Capgemini vs. Accenture and other […]
How to Ensure a Successful SAP S/4HANA Implementation
Like most ERP deployments, a successful SAP S/4HANA implementation requires a great deal of discipline. SAP’s technological advancements make complete business transformation possible, but not without risk. For better or for worse, SAP has a reputation for troubled implementations. Though many have implemented the product successfully, news of challenged implementations among its Fortune 1,000 customer […]
How to Estimate Implementation Time and Cost for SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Cloud ERP, or Microsoft Dynamics 365
Creating an ERP implementation plan and budget is a difficult undertaking. Not many people know how to estimate the implementation time and cost for an SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Cloud ERP, or Microsoft Dynamics 365 project. The Challenge of Estimating Implementation Time and Cost Bias and lack of independence are two the biggest reasons why companies […]
My Life as an SAP Expert Witness
]I’ve been involved with SAP implementations for over 20 years now. In that time, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of these large transformation projects. My experience as an SAP expert witness has taught me a lot. In my experience as an SAP expert witness and SAP implementation consultant, SAP S/4HANA, […]
How to Plan for an SAP S/4HANA Implementation Project
The decision to move forward with an SAP S/4HANA implementation project is a big one. The stakes are high, potential business benefits are even higher, and there are significant risks to be mitigated. One of the biggest challenges with S/4HANA implementations is that they can be expensive. Even more so if you don’t have a […]
How to Ensure SAP S/4HANA Project Quality Assurance – Beyond SAP MaxAttention
SAP S/4HANA implementations are big and complex. With its in-memory architecture and other functionality, the technology can provide potential quantum leap improvements to businesses. But, many companies have trouble stomaching the transformation from their legacy systems to something so robust and complex. Employees resist the massive changes. Customizations break the system to create problems. Business […]