Fatal Flaws in the Digital Transformation and ERP Software Industry
Earlier this week, I met with the CFO of a client that we recently helped select ERP software for and are about to start implementation with. He mentioned that he is generally excited about his upcoming transformation – until he reads one of my blogs or watches one of my videos on my YouTube channel. […]
SAP’s S/4HANA Activate Methodology: The Missing Pieces
Despite improvements over previous methodologies to implement SAP S/4/HANA transformation, the Activate methodology is not a silver bullet that addresses all the needs of your S/4HANA transformation. In fact, blind faith in the SAP Activate methodology is what has led to SAP failures at Revlon, Lidl, and other organizations in recent years. Some challenges that […]
How to Fix a Failing SAP S/4HANA Implementation
Sometimes I get the feeling that people get tired of hearing me talk about some of the recent string of high-profile SAP failures. But then I post another article about the SAP failure at Revlon, Lidl, Haribo, or any of the others, and the article inevitably goes viral. Still, I don’t feel right dissecting these […]
Managing Stress During ERP Implementation
Pretty much anyone who speaks of their past experiences with an ERP implementation jokes about hair loss, weight gain, insomnia, irritability, etc. Essentially, it STRESSED THEM OUT. In fact, this is a key finding from our 2019 ERP Report. My question is, why do we let this happen? We’re not going to answer this question […]
SAP’s 2025 Deadline: Remember Y2K?
SAP recently announced its “2025 Deadline,” suggesting support will end for all legacy products such as ECC and R/3 come December 2025. This has sent a shockwave through the industry and companies are scrambling to take action, and not all in a good way. Y2K Déjà vu We all remember 1999, when the threat of […]
ERP Failure: Is it Time to Take it on the Run?
I have recently been listening to some of the classic hits from REO Speedwagon. As they once said in their heyday, “you’re under the gun, so you take it on the run.” I heard this particular song (“Take it on the Run”) while I was writing my recent blog about Revlon’s SAP failure, so I […]
Lessons from Revlon’s SAP Implementation Disaster
A few weeks ago, Revlon announced that its SAP implementation was a disaster. This came on the heels of delayed financial reporting because of said SAP implementation failure. The company’s stock fell 6.9% within 24 hours of reporting the news, which led to an investor lawsuit against the company. Not good, especially for a publicly-traded […]
Alternatives to the big SAP and Oracle Systems Integrators
“No one ever got fired for hiring [insert big, well-known system integrator here],” or so the saying goes. While I can’t say that I know of anyone that has been fired for this decision, I do know of plenty of organizations that have sued as a result. As a recovering Big 5 SAP consultant, I […]
ERP System Integrator vs. Customer: Who Is Really to Blame for your Implementation Challenges?
Last week, Eric Kimberling published a blog on exposing the big ERP system integrators, highlighting quotes from consultants within some of the larger firms and confirming the concept of being “Accentured” or “Deloitted.” It is a real phenomenon and something to definitely watch for both before and during an implementation. While SIs and VARs (Value […]
SAP S/4HANA Training: Lessons from SAP Boot Camp
Last week we hosted our first SAP S/4HANA Boot Camp training. This small, hands-on workshop featured a number of digital transformation team members attending in person, along with teams attending remotely via web conference. Though I was one of the facilitators of the training, I learn something new every time I conduct workshops like these. […]
ERP Implementation Risk: Key Pitfalls to Avoid
Implementing any new software for your company is always filled with promise and usually provides a positive to your business for the long run. But as we outlined in our 2019 ERP Report, it is important to be aware of ERP implementation risk as well. With an ERP implementation there is a lot of potential […]
ASUG Sapphire 2019: A Mere Speedbump for SAP?
Having attended Sapphire in the past I was prepared for long days, warm weather, fantastic networking and a renewed faith in SAP. I left with all but the latter. Several folks I talked to commented on a “lack of energy” across the conference and a sense of tiredness. Tiredness not from the attendees after long […]