Over the years, we’ve helped our clients lead successful engagements with large consulting firms for massive implementations, like SAP. With that in mind, we have compiled a list of the most important questions you should ask in every SAP implementation vendor interview.
1. Detailed and Relevant Project Experience
Tell me a story of a specific SAP integration project you’ve managed where the need was to integrate systems like Salesforce or SharePoint in the telecommunications or utility sectors. Within that project, what was the biggest challenge you faced? What would you do differently if you had the opportunity to do it all over again?
2. Custom Solution Design
How do you approach the development of customized SAP solutions for unique business models like ours, particularly in areas such as specialized contracting and utility services? Can you provide a case study or example?
3. Requirements Approach
How do you approach eliciting requirements for SAP deployments? What methodologies do you use? We have complex groups of stakeholders. Do you recommend small group sessions or workshops?
4. Prioritization Approach
How do you prioritize the requirements for implementation?
5. Value
Based on what we’ve shared and what you’ve experienced with other clients, what do you think our business value from SAP is? How will you use that information throughout the engagement? Tell a story about how you have done this in the past.
6. Detailed ROI Analysis
How have you quantified the return on investment of a previous SAP solution implementation that you’ve deployed for a client like us? Can you provide a detailed breakdown of the cost savings, efficiency gains, and other tangible benefits you facilitated for that client in the form of a case study? What kinds of assumptions would we be making specific to our use case? How would you help us decide if we are making the right decision?
7. SAP Integration Experience
Can you provide an in-depth explanation of how you have historically done integrations? How does that experience translate to enhancing our existing operational processes? For example, tell me about a time you integrated SAP to Salesforce. Do you have any stories about integrating to a content management system that isn’t OpenText?
8. Effort Estimates
Tell us about your approach to forming effort estimates. What assumptions do you use? What are the upsides and downsides to your method and the estimates you come up with?
9. Development Approach
Tell me a story about when you deployed SAP iteratively and one when you did it Big Bang (all at once). Which was more successful? What do you recommend for us?
10. Comprehensive Training and Support Programs
What does your customer training and support look like for work beyond the implementation itself? How do you ensure that a diverse workforce can effectively adapt to and utilize the SAP solution you’ve helped complete? How will you enable us to transition to maintaining and supporting our SAP solution without your involvement?
Our customizable cheat sheet also includes:
- The Top 10 Criteria To Consider
- Specific Questions to Ask
- Tips on What to Listen For
And, it’s designed to be used throughout your vendor RFP process.