Do you Use or Buy SAP?

[Buffy]

Marketing is my business. So sue me.

 

I was perusing the computer science forum just now, and up pops an ad for SAP. Now I actually have used SAP, my company's software talks to it. But it made me wonder, would SAP benefit from placing ads here? Hmmm.

 

So, answer my marketing research poll, please! I will contribute a dollar to one of my favorite charities for each vote!

 

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being best,

Buffy

[Tormod]

Nope. Heard of it. :cup:

[Qfwfq]

Mighty few are those in a position to decide, or participate in the decision, of which of the various ERP products to use or whether to use one. It sure ain't the kind of thing most small firms get an advantage from, but there are certainly large enough companies that don't use them which means they can't stop marketeering quite yet.

 

I think an add of this type appearing elsewhere than in The Economist, Financial Times or Wall Street Journal is just a notoriety strategy, no more. Have all and sundry saying The Name, even if in vain. SAP is often said in lieu of ERP, just like Kleenex or even Windoze, and that's an advantage that they've gotta preserve. What's the term for that effect? Can't remember it...

 

I work for a company of a group that also provides ERP services but I can't remember which one for sure, not that one though, and I was once briefly helping on a project that handled Siebel data, there was a guy from Mumbai, certified in it, with us for support. That's about as close I can claim.

[Pyrotex]

I have a cousin who lives 10 miles away who is an independant SAP consultant and trouble-shooter. He makes 5 times the $ I do. :beer:

 

NASA's Johnson Space Center mandated that they were going to replace their homebrew accounting system with SAP five years ago. The plan was to use both systems in parallel for one year, then shut down the old one. It has been five years. They still use the old one. There have been several attempts to get SAP up and running but then there are mysterious announcements that it needs "tuning up" or "synchronization" or some such and is shut down again. I hear that the accounting budget for the next decade has already been burned up trying to get SAP on line. Very few NASA folks want to talk about it. Very hush hush.

[Buffy]

Mighty few are those in a position to decide, or participate in the decision, of which of the various ERP products to use or whether to use one.

Actually, they've got this thingy called SAPOne that they're trying to push into "small" companies, and there are a bunch of systems integrators who are distributing it now. I'm pretty sure that its a completely separate product from their mainline, big company product and they probably don't even communicate. Of course the ad I saw was just for "SAP" so,

SAP is often said in lieu of ERP, just like Kleenex or even Windoze, and that's an advantage that they've gotta preserve. What's the term for that effect? Can't remember it...

"Genericizing your brand": its a two-edged sword, because you risk *losing* your copyright, which is why Google is running around scolding people, especially about the use of Google as a verb....

I have a cousin who lives 10 miles away who is an independant SAP consultant and trouble-shooter. He makes 5 times the $ I do. :(

Scary, huh?

NASA's Johnson Space Center mandated that they were going to replace their homebrew accounting system with SAP five years ago. ... It has been five years.

Its always been this way. Oracle too. over half of all deployments "fail." OTOH, there's no alternative to slugging away at it until they get it right. The homegrown systems are all about to fall over and die...

 

The bigger problem is that consolidation is destroying competion: Oracle has bought Peoplesoft and Seibel, two really innovative companies, but they're sunsetting those products over the long term: its just a market share purchase! Somehow allowing companies to be "free to innovate by eliminating the competition" is supposed to be good for the economy, but I'm not exactly sure how! :beer:

 

You can have any color you want as long as its black,

Buffy

[Qfwfq]

I agree, M&A ought to be banned. Downright criminal!

[C1ay]

One company I worked for used SAP but it was a very small manufacturer and it was overkill. It did not fit the business well.

 

I evaluated it again when I worked for a slightly larger manufacturer where I ultimately chose Visual Manufacturing by Lilly Software. It turned out to be a good fit. A year later we were bought by a larger manufacturer and I was forced to implement Oracle at our facility as part of a larger effort to deploy it enterprise wide. At 80% to 90% of implementation it was finally decided that it was never going to work. Fortunately I was still running and maintaining Visual in parallel so we never missed a beat at our location.

[InfiniteNow]

Actually, they've got this thingy called SAPOne that they're trying to push into "small" companies, and there are a bunch of systems integrators who are distributing it now.

They're trying to move into new markets, and have a big marketing push right now. I even saw a commericial on tv (cannot recall the network I was watching) where they are directing the ad specifically to small and mid-sized companies. Diversifying their customers will help them as some of the bigger companies with whom they've worked in the past topple...

 

 

Its always been this way. Oracle too. over half of all deployments "fail."

Yes, but much of this comes down to poor planning, improper user testing and guidelines, and just a poor implementation plan. Know what you need it to do, go train on the system, and customize it to your needs. Make sure you have your best and brightest doing it, and you'll tend to come out okay.

 

They have an interesting system and it's pretty robust, but their education and courses are very siloed across the globe. i.e. If I want to train in ERP and HR or PLM in the US, I have to go through one registration route, but if I want the same courses in Europe or Asia, it's an absolutely seperate and distinct process.

 

I suppose one benefit of mergers and acquisitions is global availability of product. :beer:

[Buffy]

Yes, but much of this comes down to poor planning, improper user testing and guidelines, and just a poor implementation plan. Know what you need it to do, go train on the system, and customize it to your needs. Make sure you have your best and brightest doing it, and you'll tend to come out okay.

My how refreshing your positive attitude is sometimes! The ugly reality is that usually IT does not want it because they think their own solution is better and the stupid CFO made the decision to force it down their throats and they'll let SAP succeed over their dead body.

 

Ugly.

 

My own company's system is trivial compared to SAP but we've got one customer where this kind of IT obstruction has delayed implementation for almost 18 months!

I suppose one benefit of mergers and acquisitions is global availability of product. :doh:

Actually I think your example proves otherwise! Its amazing what small vendors can do with the worldwide network of systems integrators out there. Leveraging of resources is heavily compromised in large organizations because of the widely recognized fact that the way to improve overall revenues is to create business units based on geography, because its sales that drives everything. This results in bureaucratic turf issues with each unit saying they "must" have "full control" of all elements of their offering or they won't make their numbers, so things like training and support have to be replicated everywhere (odd fact: call centers being outsourced to India is primarily for US and english speaking countries only! Not many German, French or Spanish speakers in India!!! This is a business unit, not a corporate decision!).

 

There are persistent rumors of course that Oracle is going to buy SAP....

 

Enterprise Resource Pillaging,

Buffy

[InfiniteNow]

The ugly reality is that usually IT does not want it because they think their own solution is better and the stupid CFO made the decision to force it down their throats and they'll let SAP succeed over their dead body.

That's why, prior to beginning the process, you present your proposal for change to the Board of Directors and along with the backing of the CEO and the Board no puny little CFO will get in your way. :doh:

[Buffy]

That's why, prior to beginning the process, you present your proposal for change to the Board of Directors and along with the backing of the CEO and the Board no puny little CFO will get in your way. :D

• When was the last time you saw an IT department put together a "proposal for change?"
  
• The CIO is still in the minority: most IT departments report to the hated CFO....

:doh:

 

Write-Only Database,

Buffy

[Jay-qu]

Eerrr so what is SAP?

[Buffy]

Eerrr so what is SAP?

 

Its a long complicated url, so I'll include it as a link:

 

SAP: http://www.sap.com

 

:doh:

 

Its "Enterprise Software" that does (get ready to choke on your accronyms):

• ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning
  
• CRM: Customer Relationship Management
  
• SCM: Supply Chain Management
  
• PLM: Product Lifecycle Management
  
• AM: Asset Management
  
• HRM: Human Resources Management
  
• AR/P: Accounts Receivable/Payable
  
• ETC: The Kitchen Sink
  

 

Third only to Microsoft and Oracle in size. Came out of Germany (and you though big software only came from the US).

 

TLA,

Buffy

[InfiniteNow]

• When was the last time you saw an IT department put together a "proposal for change?"
  
• The CIO is still in the minority: most IT departments report to the hated CFO....

:evil:

I see, I was thinking company-wide/global systems change, not just Information Technology. If it were IT only, then your point is absolutely spot on. :)

 

 

Its a long complicated url, so I'll include it as a link:

Hold on... what was it again? :cup:

 

S...

 

...A...

 

 

No, hold on. What did you say? Was that dot prom? :lol:

[Jay-qu]

Thanks :ebomb:

[Tormod]

Eerrr so what is SAP?

 

It's a misspelling of "zap", which is the effect implementing SAP has on most companies' budgets.

[CraigD]

But it made me wonder, would SAP benefit from placing ads here?

If you mean SAP as in ASP as in Application Service Provider, I would say no.

 

My impression (which very well could be very wrong) is that most of the IT people at hypography are more technical than senior managerial, so, while likely to work with getting end users and applications to talk to ASPs, are unlikely to have much to do with their selection.

 

I think ASPs get business mostly through increased regulation (I recently replaced a multi-billion $ in-house banking system with a service provided by Verisign, because it was practically impossible to even figure out the project logistics of determining how in-house system was non-compliant with current regulations, how to make it compliant, and how to demonstrate to regulators that, after any changes, it was), and the exchange of senior staff. The latter practice is to some extent illegal, but, in my experience, commonplace: a company with an IT department hires a CIO who was formerly (or even remains) an officer of a service provider, who decides it should partner with his former company; It is done; It is revealed; CIO resigns in (heavily disguised) disgrace, takes job at another vendor; repeat ad-infinitum.

 

Edit: I should have read all the threads before posting – I assumed the question referred to the SAP/ASP concept, not the actual SAP AG company. On the other hand, maybe they’re related. Maybe not. Very confused. B)