Earlier this year a U.K. court ruled in favor of SAP in the case against Diageo, a British alcohol beverage company, resulting in a US$70 million payout. A week after the ruling, SAP started another dispute, this time against Anheuser-Busch InBev, one of the biggest brewing companies in the world. SAP is claiming use of…
Mastering your ERP Software Demonstrations We can’t stress enough how crucial it is to get the most out of the demos of your shortlisted ERP systems. But how do you navigate vendors who are trying to showcase the best sides of their product, while minimizing product shortcomings? Here is a quick guide to taking control…
5 Questions To Ask Your ERP Vendor Before Going-Live We’ve talked a lot about the stages before an ERP implementation project begins, such as how to plan, assemble the right team, and gather support for the project. Those stages are the groundwork of a successful ERP implementation, but the time before and after the go-live…
5 Questions To Ask Before Starting An ERP Implementation Project After you have chosen a reliable ERP vendor, it might be tempting to jump right into the implementation phase. You selected a trusted project manager who delivered a project plan that seems robust. You might feel ready for the implementation, but there are a few questions…
ERP implementation projects are big and complex, and therefore require diligent project management. A good project manager has to have good leadership and analytical skills, be able to set clear milestones and financial goals for the rest of the team, and be a great communicator. ERP implementation projects are big and complex, and therefore require diligent…
#1: Promising unfinished features Software companies are in constant development. Their existing products get upgraded and new ones are added to the mix. Many are therefore tempted to sell features that are not fully developed yet. This can happen during the sales process or early in the implementation process, and it introduces several issues. First…
ERP system implementation are costly and time consuming projects, and therefore should not be taken upon without planning and diligence. Unfortunately, many companies approach ERP implementations with a “shoot first, ask later” attitude, which results in failed projects that cost millions of dollars or, in worse case, bankruptcy. An ERP implementation seldom fails due to…
Lessons from Forrest Gump for Avoiding a Failed ERP Implementation In 1994, the lovable and surprisingly intelligent Forrest Gump gave us tidbits of life lessons in theatres around the country. The film was critically acclaimed, and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1994, with several other Oscar nominations. As much…
Many companies today employ contract specialists whose core job responsibility is to negotiate and maintain vendor and/or commercial contracts. Often, when an ERP project arises, the company decides to have the contract specialist negotiate the ERP software license and implementation contract. This can be a huge mistake. Having experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts is…