When it comes to implementing an SAP landscape for an enterprise, the process is complicated, tedious, and somehow exorbitant considering that it can impact every segment of your business. If not done right, it ends up in the costliest nightmare. Statista reported that 64% of respondents found the duration of their ERP implementation projects had overrun, reason being improper guidance. Moreover, 40% of ERP systems undergo massive operational disruption due to a lack of SAP expertise, insufficient legacy system, process failure, to name a few. There are many similar instances illustrating pitfalls in the existing system and demand the requirement of a quality partner.

Choosing the right SAP implementation partner who can provide valuable guidance and leadership throughout the entire project is imperative to drive business growth. An ideal SAP partner has the relevant skills and experience to build a robust deployment plan, manage the implementation project, and support long-term targets.

How to Choose the Right SAP Implementation Partner?

1. Technical and Functional Expertise

   It’s crucial to have in-depth knowledge of the software. Beside product knowledge, an SAP partner must understand how the new ERP solution will work with existing software and processes.

   You can validate their expertise via certifications, case studies, industry knowledge, awards, and reviews. Moreover, the implementation partner team should also be skilled, certified, and experienced. You will get a good sense of the challenges and success of the project implementation by reviewing your partner's industry expertise in successful software implementation projects.

2. Industry Expertise

   Make sure that the implementation partner has experience in implementing the SAP ecosystems in an industry similar to yours. When planning SAP modules, you may need to customise or add extra features to a module specific to your industry, therefore, your partner must have technical know-how along with prior working experience in related domain.

   Additionally, they should be conversant with industry language to comprehend your team and the industry’s best practices. They should be familiar with industry regulations and compliance requirements. You can ask if they have any other software knowledge that you can integrate with the new ERP system, diversified ERP experience, and how they will use the same for your business.

3. Compatibility with an Ideal Implementation Partner

   Different businesses have different approaches to deal with issues, it’s completely their insights and knowledge to make project successful in best possible ways. An SAP implementation can last from months to years including hundreds of decisions and lots of efforts. Your team must be able to collaborate with implementation partner throughout the process and even after.

   An implementation partner could try to compel you to believe in their technical expertise as well as their work ethic and collaborative behavior. Here you need to analyze that is there a good rapport between your team and the partner, and whether are they reachable. Do they have professionalism, pro-activeness, and a customer-centric approach? You must ensure that your implementation partner will deliver continuous and dependable service for your SAP system.

4. Methodology

   Understanding the implementation partner's methodology is a mandate while implementing an SAP system. This methodology is simply the framework they will follow to complete the project. It's also significant to understand what can influence their approach.

   An implementation methodology should clearly be defined and must demonstrate how they use their own knowledge and understanding to support their approach. Be precise that the methodology shouldn't be SAP ERP vendor's carbon copy or a generalized approach that any implementation partner can use for any SAP solution.

5. Post-Implementation Support

   You need to ensure that your new SAP system operates as expected after installation which supports your business achieve goals. How will you handle any issues that come when you implement SAP software for core business functionalities? As a result, you should determine whether your partner can detect and address new issues and offer further training (or support) if required to keep SAP software functional.

6. Relationship with the Solution Vendor

   An implementation partner must have a strong relationship with solution providers as they act as intermediaries between you and the vendor. Any specific adjustment or request that needs to be done from the vendor side, or any issue that arises with software can be addressed if there is a clear channel of communication between the solution partner and the software vendor. The level of certification (any award or recognition that a vendor can have) is equally important that strengthens their bonding.

Cloud4C: A Right Partner for You

The right implementation partner ensures that the SAP solution functions as required, makes strategies and tactics aimed to make the software run effectively, and well-versed with relevant technologies a business depends to run.

As a trusted and certified SAP partner and one of the trusted global suppliers of SAP HEC, RISE with SAP, and S/4HANA, Cloud4C helps businesses unlock their transformative potential on SAP’s latest offerings and makes them adaptable with rapidly changing business needs and customer expectations. We understand their business goals and offer best SAP ERP solution to transform the business into an Intelligent Enterprise.

We offer a complete SAP offering from business consulting, blueprinting, implementation to migrating and managing the entire SAP ecosystem on any cloud of choice, in a single SLA till application layer followed by proactive support 24/7. With a well architected and automated factory approach, we deliver businesses enterprise-specific solutions to get immediate value to the organization, thereby ensuring SAP adoption’s success. To know more about our SAP implementation strategies, click here.