Whether you are implementing a new SAP® landscape or planning on upgrading your existing environment, technical SAP projects can get complicated in a hurry. There are best practices to follow, but let’s face it – your business is unique and so are your needs. You are often left with many questions such as, what 3rd party applications are used? Does your hardware and OS support the target environment? An expert IT managed service provider recognizes these exclusive requirements, and by leveraging a streamlined set of technologies and processes, can reduce complexity, increase efficiency, and provide clients with transparency from project kickoff to go-live.
Communication = project success
Often, during project discussions, clients ask what the most critical component in implementing a successful SAP project is. Without a doubt, the most vital success factor is communication. Think about it for a moment – how often have you had to ask for a status update only to receive it hours or even days later. You are at the mercy of the partner, hoping that they meet the deadline – and as it swiftly approaches all you have at your disposal to judge progress are a few vague emails. Meanwhile, you have functional teams, business users, and developers standing at the ready (possibly billing) awaiting the green light to get in the system and test. Should the deadline push – you might only get a few hours advanced notice. Now you must reschedule with all teams – not easy! Having the right partner that maintains frequent communication and collaboration throughout the project can make or break it.
State-of-the-art project management tools – on time and on budget
Communication starts with solid project tracking which is the only way to keep projects on budget and on schedule. It’s 2017 – all managed service providers (MSPs) have the ability to offer a ticketing system. There you can track progress (if updated regularly), request additional tasks, and communicate with the provider. Sure, this technology allows for better tracking – but falls short of collaboration and transparency. MSPs must be able to maintain the highest level of communication with their clients through a much more robust toolset. This means integrating not only a ticketing solution, but including critical components that offer a true client-oriented approach. Imagine an environment that allows for:
- Industry standard ticketing capabilities
- Document storage for important project details
- A project tracking toolset that allows for percentage completion, detailed updates, and can mirror your project plans
- Message board communication that can get teams talking quickly and efficiently – on any device
- 24×7 access for up-to-the-minute information
- Contact and environment information in a single system – partner, client, multi-vendor
When designed with the client in mind, the integration of these tools can deliver a client experience that is unheard of in the industry. These differences could be the reason your next SAP project is a success or not.
Get your next project done right – for more information regarding Managecore’s expert SAP consulting services visit https://managecore.com/sap-consulting-project-services.
