Choosing the right SAP implementation partner is a big game changer in determining if your SAP implementation will be a smooth or difficult implementation which ultimately determines if the outcome will be successful or not. What key things must you consider in determining a good SAP implementation partner?
Total number of years company has been in business
This protects you from going with an opportunistic company that was just created simply to take advantage of your project. While being a new company does not necessarily mean inability to deliver, further information such as quality of management personnel behind the company as well as their track record and successful delivery experience of SAP may mitigate concerns here. Where this is not the case, caution should be exercised as the last thing you want is management personnel that are pure businessmen without the requisite experience to promptly and adequately address your needs
Quality of Management Personnel: Look out for Management Personnel that have successful and verifiable previous track record of successful SAP delivery
Previous Successful Implementations: Does company have a track record of successful implementations? Can they produce a testimonial letter from a “C” Level personnel attesting to the quality of the implementation?
Quality of proposed Staffing and Team Leads: The success of your SAP implementation is a as good as the quality and experience of the Project Team Leads. Team leads must be interviewed and their experienced validated by qualified personnel within your organization. Total number of SAP consultants proposed to be involved in delivering the project as well as their areas of expertise in SAP needs to be requested (Resumes, qualifications and certification (if applicable) of all consultants who would be assigned to the project). Be ready to validate the authenticity of this information.
Industry Experience: Specifically request previous project credentials similar to your company scale, size and industry. This will ensure faster and better understanding of your requirements when the project eventually starts.
Conduct Reference Checks: Conduct reference checks from “claimed” previous successful implementations asking the following critical questions:
REFERENCE CHECK QUESTIONS FOR SAP IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS
- When did the project start and when did it end?
- Was your timeline met or was there an extension? If yes, please tell us why?
- To what extent were your objectives for the project met?
- To what extent did the implementation partner demonstrate the requisite competence and experience in getting the job done?
- Comment on the quality of the resources (people) who worked on the project?
- Comment on the timeliness of the project overall, and for critical stages, including ease/speed of sign-offs by the relevant authority.
- Comment on your experience with the partner in terms of adhering to the contract terms.
- What do you consider to be there greatest strengths?
- What, if anything would you have liked the partner to do differently?
- Were there any cost overruns? If yes, why?
- How easily did you completely adopt the technology, post implementation?
- To what extent do you continue to rely on the partner, post implementation?
- Do you feel they did the job as good as anyone could have done or are the loopholes that remain difficult to fill?
- To what extent are you currently using the technology?
- State your degree of confidence in recommending the implementation partner.
- If you were to do this again, would you chose them or consider a different partner?