7 Ways to Optimize SAP to Get More Value from your SAP System and Processes

Optimizing SAP to meet demands from major transformation initiatives takes a much broader approach than traditional enhancement projects. No one person can possibly know the breadth and depth of technical options available to optimize SAP and then suggest a sequential order to the recommendations. It takes a methodical approach, by deeply experienced resources, to create a plan that meets immediate demands and moves forward on longer term direction.

I have been in IT leadership positions across multiple industries for over 30 years and it is uncanny how many common issues span across companies and even industries. It may surprise you to learn that you can begin to optimize SAP and deliver “quick win” value to the business consistently while making headway to transforming your business to meet significant industry demands.  I visit every week with IT professionals and companies continuing to struggle with building a transformation roadmap that has the right combination of business expertise and technology product knowledge that will allow them to innovate and realize true value from their SAP application enhancements quickly.

Over the coming weeks, I will be blogging in detail about these 7 ways to optimize SAP to get more value from your SAP systems and processes:

• Identify Manual Processes to Automate by Looking for Productivity Gains
• Transition Tribal Knowledge to Formal Processes and Systems
• Staple Yourself to an Order to Eliminate Blocked Invoices
• Don’t Let the Gravitational Force of Old Processes Prevail
• Don’t Pave a Cow Path, Put in a Highway
• Master Your Data!
• If You Only Have a Hammer, Everything Looks Like a Nail

These 7 initiatives can unlock the hidden potential in your SAP applications and streamline your processes to realize benefits such as:

• Automating manual processes to increase productivity, visibility and eliminate waste
• Manage and limit exposure to risk
• Increase accuracy of analytics throughout the business
• Attract and retain top talent
• Significant cost savings
• Multiple quick improvements that eliminate pain points

Take a look at what just a few of these initiatives did for Exact Sciences.

Progressive organizations need to focus on delivering value consistently by creating detailed roadmaps for enhancements that tightly align with the business.  As you build your technology road map you must balance your immediate initiatives with positioning for future SAP upgrades and investments. Both the business and IT leadership must be involved in this process in order to examine process, data and technology together and ensure success.