This is an old story we see all the time. A policeman happens upon a drunk frantically searching for something at the base of a streetlight. “Hello there, looking for something?” The drunk looks up, “Yesh Offisher, I lost my keysh in the park.” “In the park? Then why are you looking on this street corner?” says the confused cop. “The light is better here!” says the drunk.
This is the problem with how EPM projects are governed today, and no, I am not implying drunks are prevalent in EPM! Too often prospects make decisions based solely on price, thinking that value is equivalent across service providers, and net ROI is maximized by selecting the lowest cost implementation proposal. I encourage customers to stop and think about what they get with the low cost provider. A team that doesn’t have the ability to offer the appropriate breadth services that are specifically designed to add value while reducing risk, leave only the lowest common denominator of value in their wake.
Topics:
Best Practices,
Enterprise Performance Management (EPM),
EPM ROI,
Value,
Implementation,
BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)
In the last article we looked at a pragmatic approach to assessing EPM Maturity using a Maturity Matrix. In this article we’ll expand on the matrix and also develop the ideas of what this can be used for in developing an EPM approach in an organization.
Topics:
EPM Maturity,
Enterprise Performance Management (EPM),
Performance,
Roadmap,
Implementation,
BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)
At the Apollo temple in Delphi (Greece), an ancient quote is carved in stone, alternately translated as "Nothing in excess" or "All things in moderation". This is a great credo to live by as we all know what excess can bring, especially if we think about things that may seem to be good at the outset. In life, we can think of things like food, wine, and even work that - when managed in small quantities are indeed good things, but when taken to excess, they can become destructive.
Topics:
Best Practices,
Performance,
Implementation
It seems every day we are always searching for something on the Internet. A good recipe for pea soup, the cheapest hotel in Oakland, California or the difference between an Aardvark and an Armadillo. We are creatures of habit. You most likely get your news or local forecast from the same source on line each morning, the same way you probably go to the same coffee house. Although there are thousands of similar sites, we find a website that provides us with the information we are looking for and we stick with it. I have found over the years that these habits cover not only one’s personal searches but their professional as well.
Topics:
Best Practices,
Performance,
Implementation,
BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)
Many clients want to implement BPC v10 themselves with no input from technical services which affects development time, project time line and overall project success.There is a right and wrong way to implement BPC and ensure overall project success. We want every client to achieve the highest quality installation.
Topics:
Best Practices,
Enterprise Performance Management (EPM),
Performance,
Implementation
Previously I discussed the top five critical success factors for a project. Remember the word of caution mentioned in that blog – “slick, leading-edge technology alone will not guarantee project success.” So what factor from that list must be coupled with the technology to ensure a successful adoption of your EPM or SAP BPC solution? The Human Factor, or quite simply, the people that will be involved in using the system once deployed can make or break your project. I’ll discuss in this blog why Organizational Change Management (OCM) should be one of your Top 5 Critical Success Factors for your EPM or SAP implementation.
Topics:
Enterprise Performance Management (EPM),
Project Management,
Value,
Implementation,
BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)
Do you ever wonder if you are keeping up with the plethora of project management methodologies? Waterfall, Scrum, Agile, Lean, ASAP, Agile Waterfall and Sprints form just a handful of concepts. What is a project management methodology anyway and how do you choose the most appropriate one for your Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Business Planning & Consolidation (BPC) or Business Intelligence (BI) SAP project?
Topics:
Enterprise Performance Management (EPM),
Business Intelligence (BI),
Project Management,
Value,
Implementation,
BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)
In Part 1 of this series, I discussed the differences between installation consultants and technical consultants. In Part 2, we dug into the details of technical landscape design. In this third and final post of the series, I'll outline some of the Column5 Technical Services that can help ensure your project keeps moving forward in the post implementation environment.
Topics:
Process Improvement,
Enterprise Performance Management (EPM),
Performance,
Implementation
In Part 1 of this series, I discussed the differences between installation consultants and technical consultants. In Part 2, let's dig into the details of technical landscape design.
Topics:
Process Improvement,
Enterprise Performance Management (EPM),
Performance,
Implementation,
BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)
Column5 is the premier partner of SAP in the enterprise performance management (EPM) space, and in the Technical Services team, we often come across competitors' proposals and RFPs that refer to installation consultants as distinguished from a technical consultant role.
Topics:
Enterprise Performance Management (EPM),
Project Management,
Performance,
Implementation,
BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)
David Den Boer
Peter Bull
Charles Dagaev
Connie Folk
