The local rollout of inter-enterprise software leader, SAP's global TeamSAP partner initiatives is proving successful. Partners EDS, CDE and PricewaterhouseCoopers have joined Deloitte Consulting and Spearhead Logistics in working with SAP to ensure customer success during and after project implementation.
According to John Turner, consulting alliance manager for SAP SA, the TeamSAP initiative has seen SAP take responsibility globally for the integration, co-ordination and certification of its partners and third parties, to ensure customer success during and after implementation.
"These companies have met the stringent standards laid down by the TeamSAP initiative, to ensure the necessary implementation skills are involved to the right extent at the correct time," says Turner.
EDS Enterprise Solutions is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) consultancy specialising in business operation improvements using ERP as a tool, where EDS Enterprise Solutions provides operations support to a number of South Africa's leading organisations. Together they have over 100 dedicated SAP professionals in South Africa.
Shaun Schmidt, managing director of EDS Enterprise Solutions, says being a TeamSAP partner adds another dimension to the company's partnership with SAP SA. "Already an SAP Logo Partner, we believe the TeamSAP partner programme offers not only accelerated implementations to our customers, but also creates a firm base of skills for future projects. The partnership highlights the faith EDS and SAP SA have in each others' capabilities.
"The market expects a seamless interface between the software provider and the solution implementer. TeamSAP delivers this. It ensures a common approach and terminology, a focus on deliverables, an added layer of quality assurance and the leveraging of the best skills in both organisations. EDS clients have high expectations - this partnership will help us meet and exceed them," comments Schmidt,
CDE has had a long and effective relationship with SAP Southern Africa, with the TeamSAP partnership a logical extension of this. Says CDE managing director, Ed Gassner: "This continued communication between the two organisations combines the strength of the product and its infrastructure with the experience of successful and innovative implementations."
Gassner believes having this direct link ensures an efficient transfer of information ranging from upcoming product development to valuable experiences, which in turn provides the base for increased optimisation on SAP R/3 projects.
CDE focuses on delivering not only high quality product and business skills to their clients, but also does this within a knowledge management framework. This ensures the goals of continuous optimisation, knowledge transfer and increased profitability are inherent on all projects, and are provided at minimum risk and cost to the client.
Says Gassner: "Team SAP provides the vehicle for the clients' and consultants' requirements to be fed back into the development cycle as well as ensuring the consultants are informed of current trends and detailed developments. Knowing what functionality will be available and when, can have a major impact on the way in which a project is delivered."
Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC), the world's largest professional service organisation, has also had a long and effective relationship with SAP SA and as an extension of this became TeamSAP members.
PWC has a global network of over 7500 SAP professionals with 77 in South Africa. "We have the largest number of successful go live projects and are one of the longest serving business partners of SAP globally," says Rob Dyer, a director at PWC.
"We value the relationship we have developed with SAP both in South Africa and around the world and we welcome the opportunity of becoming a TeamSAP partner to further the relationship and, together with SAP, provide excellent service to our clients.
"We make it our job to know our clients' business as we believe this is the only basis on which a quality long-term relationship can develop. If we are to succeed we need to help our clients succeed," he says.
"To benefit our clients, our philosophy is to hire and train business consultants, not just SAP configurators. Our staff are seasoned project managers and process, industry and technology experts.
"Knowledge transfer, which we view as fundamental to our projects, is a way of life for our project teams," says Dyer.
Although methods and tools play an important part in implementing SAP, they alone do not constitute a successful project - people do. "As people make projects successful, our approach to SAP projects must play a strong role in managing people, knowledge, and facilitating change management as well as people development.
"TeamSAP further extends and enhances the team work we have always practised with our clients and all of our partners," concludes Turner.
Share
