There is No Such Thing as “ERP Failure”
Deep down we all know this, but ERP systems don’t “fail”. They don’t wear out, they don’t miscalculate and they don’t decide one day that they don’t like you or your company. They do what they are programmed to do and that’s it. And that is the problem. Eric Kimberling has been writing about “ERP […]
Signs of an Underperforming ERP Project Manager
When an ERP implementation starts heading south, everyone starts to point fingers in one direction or another, and usually it’s towards the vendor. Core teams march with torches and pitchforks screaming that the vendor is mismanaging their project and nobody internally takes responsibility. In a recent post, we talked about how clients hold ultimate responsibility […]
Beavis and Butt-Head Do ERP Implementations
Beavis and Butt-Head, America’s favorite delinquents, are all grown up now and seem to have found their way into the technology workforce. For anyone unfamiliar with these two, they are the 1990s MTV-era definition of anti-social behavior and generally what not to do. For just a minute, try to imagine an ERP implementation led by […]
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 […]
Snow in Late Spring: The Art of ERP Risk Mitigation
No signs of it a week prior, but sure enough, it snowed in Denver on May 21. We all know it “could” happen, but nobody really expected snow in May. The storm resulted in several records and was the largest May snowfall in 44 years. Worst part was, it also dropped from near 80 degrees […]
Hertz vs. Accenture: How to Avoid Digital Transformation Failure
You’ve probably heard about this latest $32M Hertz vs. Accenture lawsuit by now, where Hertz is suing Accenture for failure to deliver on a digital transformation project involving their website and mobile applications. I’ve personally received hundreds of emails, texts, links and questions on this exciting case. My only response to this point has been […]
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 […]
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 […]
ERP Vendor Negotiations: Can You Negotiate Too Hard?
While not common, we have seen situations where companies implementing ERP software press a little too much. Generally, ERP vendors will walk away when the terms fall out of their favor, but there are times when they may enter into an agreement that they are not fully comfortable with. When negotiating, there are two things […]
Should John Elway Implement ERP Software or Coach Football?
The obvious answer is certainly football, but the real answer may be neither. Similar to hiring an ERP system implementer where there is an urge to go for the big name, call it Accenture, Deloitte, Capgemini, etc., you may be better off with a second or third tier football coach. Before hiring John to coach […]
Should We Upgrade from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA?
This is one of the more common questions across the industry with no clear answer: should we upgrade to SAP S/4HANA?With limited case studies of successful migrations, companies looking to upgrade their SAP ECC platforms have a tough decision to make. With the available speed of HANA and integration of emerging technologies to provide competitive […]