THE SECRETS TO A SUCCESSFUL SAP IMPLEMENTATION

Many wonder what constitutes a successfu SAP I!" e!entation# E$eryone wants to ha$e a %reat success story to ta & a'out( fro! the to" !ana%e!ent to the i!" e!entation consu tant# Success is a re ati$e ter!# )ou wi hear* +Successfu y went i$e on the " anned date and on 'ud%et, )ou shou d as& thou%h whether the initia sco"e was i!" e!ented or did they ha$e to ta&e 'usiness "rocesses out of sco"e in order to !a&e it# )ou shou d a so as& how are thin%s now that you went i$e- Can you shi" to your custo!ers without any "ro' e!s- Is the syste! "erfor!in% we - Are the end users fu y trained and are they doin% their .o' we - /o you sti need consu tin% su""ort to %o throu%h your day0to0day 'usinessOnce you "ut these 1uestions into "ers"ecti$e you can rea y define a successfu SAP I!" e!entation in !any ways and !any e$e s#

Success Factors
Here is a ist of factors that deter!ine the re ati$e success of a "ro.ect as !entioned a'o$e# Co!!unication*

For a successfu SAP "ro.ect i!" e!entation the nu!'er one factor is %ood co!!unication a!on% the "ro.ect tea! !e!'ers# E$ery'ody c ai!s that they are %ood co!!unicators and we sure y ha$e the techno o%y to !aintain constant co!!unication with and0"hones and ce 0"hones and e!ai ( 'ut it is true that they are not used to their !a2i!u! a'i ity# For e2a!" e( when there is an issue( which needs to 'e co!!unicated to !u ti" e "eo" e( usua y one wi e!ai to a nu!'er of "eo" e who shou d rea y 'e in$o $ed# It is e2tre!e y annoyin% and 'ra&es the co!!unication chain when so!e'ody re" ies on y to the sender of the e!ai without inc udin% the rest of the !e!'ers# SAP is such inte%rated software that has constant y touch "oints a!on% the !odu es# As such( constant inte%ration a!on% the tea!s is of "ara!ount i!"ortance# Not on y constant co!!unication is i!"ortant( 'ut 3OO/ co!!unication is i!"ortant# Peo" e !ust 'e $ery c ear a'out what they are ta &in% a'out# There is a itt e "hrase* +Mary had a itt e a!', 4 these fi$e short words can create such confusion and resu t to nu!erous different !eanin%s5 Mary used to ha$e a a!' 'ut does not any!ore Mary had a itt e a!' which now has %rown into a 'i% one Mary +had, 6i#e# ate7 a itt e a!'
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I a! sure you can !a&e a ot of other !eanin%s out of this s!a sentence Now i!a%ine( if this itt e sentence can cause such confusion( what !ess wou d 'e created when dea in% with co!" e2 'usiness "rocesses( s"annin% throu%h se$era de"art!ents within an or%ani8ation and in$o $in% anywhere fro! fifty to thousands of e!" oyees( end users( !ana%ers( consu tants# So the &ey is %ood( accurate( s"ecific and ti!e y co!!unication# C arify thin%s se$era ti!es# E2" ain the! as if you were ta &in% to itt e chi dren# In order to achie$e this ty"e of %ood co!!unication tea! !e!'ers shou d ha$e their wor&" aces "hysica y c ose to%ether# I ha$e seen in !any recent cases where the Consu tin% fir! in order to +!ini!i8e, costs for the c ient( they outsource !uch of the /e$e o"!ent A9AP "ro%ra!!in% wor& outside the USA and in !ost cases to other continents# 9ased on a the thin%s !entioned a'o$e( how can %ood co!!unication 'e achie$ed- It is not "ossi' e to si!" y create a "ro%ra! s"ec with a descri"tion in writin% and e2"ect a "ro%ra!!er ocated on the other side of the " anet to fi%ure out what the 9usiness Process is( and what wou d !a&e the "ro%ra! wor& accordin% to the c ient:s re1uire!ents# So!e consu tin% fir!s that do this "ractice wi ar%ue that +it is "ossi' e and they ha$e success stories to te ,# ;e ( re!e!'er at the 'e%innin% of this artic e what we ta &ed a'out +Success,# ;e ha$e witnessed this ty"e of +success, when we went in to reso $e the issues of such i!" e!entation !ethod# ;e ha$e witnessed the ne$er0endin% consu tin% hours that the c ient has to "ay 'ecause of this i!" e!entation !ethod# Often the c ient is !ade to si%n a contract which says so!ethin% i&e +<when the "ro%ra! is co!" ete 6'ut not rea y wor&in% as "er the c ient:s re1uire!ents 4 this is not stated anywhere7 any chan%e to it wou d 'e considered chan%e of sco"e<,# Such "ractice force the c ient to either a'andon the effort of !a&in% the "ro%ra! wor& 'ecause of the e2tra sco"e0chan%e cost or &ee" "ayin% !ore( in order to try !a&e the "ro%ra! wor&# These tactics are unfair to the c ients and %i$e a 'ad na!e to the Consu tin% industry# The c ient needs to ta&e char%e of these situations# Ma&e the ru es of co!!unication# Ma&e the ru es of the ty"e of consu tants you want to Pro$ide the "hysica and techno o%ica infrastructure for the 'asis of co!!unication# /o not a ow +consu tin%, co!"anies to hide 'ehind a cor"orate na!e# %ood ha$e# %ood +9i%,

C ients deser$e the 'est for the hu%e a!ounts of !oney a SAP I!" e!entation cost# Co!!unicate we ( ta&e contro of your "ro.ect and do not 'e so d on +air0 ta &,#
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Fu Cor"orate Mana%e!ent Su""ort*

Nothin% wi ha""en( nothin% wi !o$e( un ess Mana%e!ent su""orts it# There !ust 'e fu and utter co!!it!ent and su""ort for the "ro.ect# If Mana%e!ent does not show 'oth in words and deeds that the SAP I!" e!entation is i!"ortant than the tea! !e!'ers( end users and so on( wi not 'e on0'oard( wi not 'e dedicated# ;ithout dedication the "ro.ect is 'ound to fai # The ways !ana%e!ent "ro$ides su""ort for the "ro.ect is 'y acti$e y "artici"atin% in the " annin% and !ana%e!ent of the "ro.ect# Proacti$e y %ettin% in$o $ed not on y in the hi%h e$e " ans and decision !a&in%( 'ut a so in the ower e$e and .ust as i!"ortant acti$ities of the day0to0day acti$ities of the "ro.ect# 3et in touch with the "ro.ect tea! !e!'ers( &now and 'e interested a'out their .o' and where they stand# This wi !oti$ate and &ee" "eo" e co!!itted# ;hen !ana%e!ent is in$o $ed then issues %et reso $ed easier( conf ict is o$erco!e faster( 'ecause the !ana%e!ent &now the detai s of what is %oin% on# How is this achie$ed- 9y &ee"in% wee& y status and co!!unication !eetin%s 6re!e!'er co!!unication-7 These !eetin%s are not to .ud%e or interro%ate any'ody# They are done so that a !e!'ers are infor!ed as to what is ha""enin% &ee" the "u se of the "ro.ect# The !ana%e!ent shou d he " the "ro.ect !o$e forward( not hinder it with too !any 'ureaucratic "rocedures# =ee" !eetin%s short and to the "oint# Maintain one status re"ort( not >? different re"orts# Ha$e "rocedures 'ut do not o$erdo it to the "oint where the "ro.ect 'eco!es inf e2i' e and ti!e consu!in% to !a&e a decision or ta&e a correcti$e action# Mana%e the "ro.ect and "ro$ide "eo" e enou%h freedo! to do their wor&# This wi 'e a""reciated# The Pro.ect P an and a Methodo o%y are 3uide ines and he "in% Too s 4 Not Ru ers*

Ma&e a %ood " an# Ma&e a Rea istic " an# Most "ro.ects do not ha$e a rea istic " an# Peo" e thin& e$erythin% can 'e done rea y fast# They do not a ow enou%h ti!e for the unforeseen "arts of the "ro.ects# The $endors de ayin% to de i$er the hardware( runnin% out of dis& s"ace( actua trainin% ti!e ta&es a ot on%er that thou%ht( users need !ore trainin% or they are o$er oaded with their e$ery day .o' that cannot attend trainin% and !uch !ore# The Master /ata are corru"t and we need a new SAP C ient# ;e can !a&e a co"y# ;e " an one day for the co"y( 'ut why is it a ways that a SAP c ient co"y a ways fai s the first ti!e resu tin% ta&in% two or three daysRe!e!'er( if anythin% can %o wron%( it wi %o wron%# A ow enou%h ti!e in your " an for tra$e ti!e( for "u' ic ho idays( for $acation# There are so !any "ro.ect !ana%ers " annin% to %o0 i$e on @anuary > 4 how foo ish( ina""ro"riate and
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disres"ectfu to the wor& and dedication of the "eo" e# As soon as Than&s%i$in% co!es around thin%s s ow down dra!atica y and es"ecia y the ast two wee&s of the years are down to a craw # Ta&e these ti!es of the year into account# If you cannot %o i$e as "er the " an then do NOT %o i$e# It is 'etter( chea"er and safer to de ay the %o0 i$e and 'ein% a' e to ser$e your custo!ers# 9etter than %oin% i$e .ust to !a&e a 'i% cor"orate announce!ent that we went i$e as " anned 'ut then e$ery'ody runs around i&e head ess chic&ens tryin% to fi2 "ro' e!s( he " the users( correct errors( ser$e your custo!ers# A ow ti!e for errors# A ways ha$e contin%ency " ans# ;hat if the %o0 i$e fai s# Ma&e sure you ha$e a way to re%ress to the e%acy syste! to 'e a' e to function "ro"er y as a 'usiness# One of the !ost &nown SAP I!" e!entation Methodo o%y is ASAP or Acce erated SAP# Consu tants shou d 'e Certified 'y SAP# Fo owin% this !ethodo o%y can 'e $ery he "fu and rea y acce eratin% your "rocess# It can a so 'e a inhi'itor and de ayin% factor if it %ets o$erused# ASAP contains a hu%e a!ount of too s( te!" ates and instructions of how to i!" e!ent SAP# Use co!!on sense# There is no reason to try to use one hundred "ercent of the ASAP !ethodo o%y# Use on y the "arts that he " you# There are e2ce ent te!" ates for docu!entation( 9PP docu!ents( Trainin% and testin% docu!ents( which wou d ta&e a ot of ti!e to create fro! scratch# Ma&e a "ro"er Sco"e*

;hich "arts of SAP wi you i!" e!ent# Often tea! !e!'ers %et too e2cited and want to i!" e!ent a hundred "ercent of the "rocesses SAP offers# Not "ossi' e# SAP shou d 'e i!" e!ented accordin% to the 9usiness needs and "rocesses# There was a tea! !e!'er once that wanted to use C assification in the Materia Master at a ti!e that it did not !a&e sense for their 'usiness# There was another tea! !e!'er that wanted to i!" e!ent E$a uated Recei"t Sett e!ent or ERS for Aendor In$oicin% at a ti!e when !ost in$oices did not !uch the Purchase Orders# These !e!'ers were warned that these "rocesses were not a""ro"riate# They did not isten# The "rocess fai ed# 9e rea istic# 9ecause SAP can do a !ost e$erythin% it does not !ean that you shou d i!" e!ent a !ost e$erythin%# )ou !ust !a&e sure that your users are techno o%ica y ad$anced( co!"uter iterate enou%h and that they understand the 'usiness "rocesses( which wi a ow the! to co!"rehend and !ana%e the chan%e that such an i!" e!entation wi 'rin%# Moti$ate( A""reciate( Reward your "eo" e*

It !ay sound a c ichB( 'ut it !ust 'e done# /o not do it .ust to 'e "o itica y correct# /o it 'ecause you !ean it( "ut your sou into it( !a&e it "ersona # This is one of the few thin%s so!eone shou d ta&e "ersona y in 'usinessCC Peo" e wi wor& twice as hard when they are a""reciated# In order to 'e a' e to &now what
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you are rewardin% "eo" e for( you !ust 'e in$o $ed it their day0to0day 'usiness 4 here co!e 'ac& a%ain the Fu Cor"orate Mana%e!ent Su""ort "oint !entioned a'o$e# A +than& you, %oes $ery on% way# Mana%e Chan%e*

One of the !ost i!"ortant factors is how the or%ani8ation hand es chan%es# This is one of the ris&iest "art of this 'usiness# To !a&e your "eo" e understand that chan%e is a %ood thin%# To !a&e the e!'race chan%e and !a&e it ha""en# This cha en%e is acco!" ished with a the a'o$e "oints !entioned( i#e# 0 Fu Cor"orate Mana%e!ent Su""ort 0 Co!!unication 0 The Pro.ect P an and the Methodo o%y 0 A "ro"er Sco"e 0 Moti$ate( A""reciate( Reward your "eo" e If these are fo owed and e2ecuted successfu y( "eo" e wi a""reciate and e!'race the co!in% chan%es# Ad!itted y( $ery( $ery hard thin% to achie$e for !any reasons# Hu!an nature is to a$oid chan%e# Therefore( %oin% a%ainst hu!an nature is startin% off the wron% way# Peo" e are afraid of 'usiness chan%e 'ecause often they are afraid of their .o' security 4 unfortunate y often ri%ht y so# Po itics*

E$ery "ro.ect has the! 6"o itics7 to so!e de%ree# Ma&e sure "o itics and hidden a%endas do not derai your i!" e!entation "rocess# Stay focused and 'rin% out in the o"en differences sooner than ater# /o not a ow "eo" e with hidden a%endas !is ead the "ro.ect to the wron% direction# Sto" this soon and sto" it hard# Po itics shou d not 'e to erated and shou d 'e dea t with fir! y and tactfu y at the sa!e ti!e# Find E2ce ent Resources*

The c ient( the !ana%e!ent( !ust 'e in$o $ed in the consu tin% recruit!ent "rocess# /o not si!" y trust the Consu tin% fir!# Ma&e sure the consu tants &now their stuff# Ma&e sure the consu tants do not ha$e + ayers, of inter!ediaries 'efore they reach you 4 the fina c ient# The !ore ayers( the !ore the Consu tant:s rate is reduced( which in turn it !eans that the consu tant who are wi in% to wor& for the ower rate are usua y the east &now ed%ea' e# In ife you %et what you "ay for 4 and e$en thou%h you as a c ient !i%ht 'e "ayin% dear y for the consu tant( too !any ayers reduce the consu tant:s rate and therefore the 1ua ity#

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9e wary of usin% headhuntersDrecruiters( that do not &now the first thin% a'out SAP( to %o find you a Consu tant# A ow so!eone with "ro.ect &now ed%e fro! within your or%ani8ation to oo& for the Consu tin% resources( inter$iew the! and a""ro$e the!# There are se$era we' sites on the internet where hi%h 1ua ity consu tants with !any years of e2"erience "u' ish their 1ua ifications# ;ithout wantin% to "ro!ote any s"ecific ser$ice( so!e of the! are SAP3enie#co! Monster#co!( Hot@o's#co!( /a$atec#net# Successfu SAP Pro.ect i!" e!entationsC Such a re ati$e ter! considerin% a the a'o$e factors# The ne2t ti!e so!eone says +we had a successfu "ro.ect,( ana y8e the facts first to deter!ine the de%ree of success# So!e consu tin% fir!s 6not to !ention na!es7 when their re ati$e success of a "ro.ect is "retty ow( they +dec are $ictory and ea$e the "ro.ect,CC They announce to the wor d of the +success, of the "ro.ect and then they !o$e on ea$in% the c ient to suffer the conse1uences 'oth in 'usiness and cost ter!s# For !ore infor!ation and he " " ease $isit us at +++.evolutionary.net,irms.com or contact us at +++.evolutionary.net,irms.com-contactus..tm ;e are one of the $ery few true e2"erts with the on%est e2"erience on SAP i!" e!entations in the SAP Mar&et today# ;e are %o$erned 'y Honesty( Ethics( 3ood E C ear Co!!unication with rea istic Tar%ets for tru y successfu "ro.ects# 0 ;e oo& forward ser$in% you#

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