For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Looking Beyond Global Providers For SAP Services

Smaller Providers, Regional, And Industry Specialists Offer Strong Options

by Liz Herbert, November 10, 2009

Firms seeking SAP services expertise often ask if smaller, regional providers and industry specialists can fill their needs. Beyond the global multinational consultancies (MNCs) and leading offshore providers featured in The Forrester Wave™: SAP . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

The State Of ERP 2009: Market Forces Drive Specialization, Consolidation, And Innovation

by Paul D. Hamerman, November 2, 2009

As the enterprise resource planning (ERP) software market struggles against an unprecedented tide of economic woes, strategic opportunities are surfacing for customers. Soft market conditions mean fewer deals for vendors and better deals for buyers of . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: Oracle Services Providers, Q4 2009

IBM And Accenture Lead; Infosys, Oracle, and Deloitte Are Strongest In Key Areas

by Liz Herbert, October 30, 2009

In Forrester's 60-criteria evaluation of Oracle services providers, we found that IBM and Accenture led the pack because of the overall breadth and depth of their Oracle services resources across applications and industries, and the breadth of services . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Best Practices For Selecting And Managing Your Oracle Implementation Provider

Lessons Learned From Oracle Implementation Providers' Clients

by Liz Herbert, September 18, 2009

Forrester surveyed 139 Oracle implementation client references and found that Oracle implementation services buyers were most satisfied with technical expertise and pricing transparency, but rated their providers lower on the effectiveness of their methodology . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Untamed Business Processes: When Even The Best Of Intentions Go Awry

by Craig Le Clair, August 21, 2009

A business process — at its highest level — is any activity that helps an enterprise achieve its goals. Packaged and industry-specific applications form the transactional backbone for most critical business processes in enterprises and small and medium-size . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Outsourcing SAP Operations Expands With Economic Uncertainty

by Bill Martorelli, Liz Herbert, August 17, 2009

Continuing economic pressures are contributing to the new popularity of outsourcing services for SAP operational services, complementing the large, well-established market for implementation services. Diverse offerings now coexist within the marketplace, . . .

For CIOs

CIOs: Plan Effectiveness Review To Squeeze More Value From ERP Investments

by George Lawrie, August 11, 2009

Most CIOs have inherited mature enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations. As the years pass, the original implementation team disbands, retires, or dies, and the old use cases and best practices start to brown and curl at the edges like the . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: SAP Implementation Providers, Q3 2009

Accenture and IBM Lead As The Landscape Continues To Evolve

by Liz Herbert, August 10, 2009

In Forrester's 60-criteria evaluation of SAP implementation providers, we found that Accenture and IBM led the pack because of the breadth and depth of their SAP implementation capabilities. Both of these firms are strong across a wide range of industries, . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Market Momentum: Business Application Software, H2 2008

Software Supermajors Set The Trend For Integrated Solutions

by Holger Kisker, Ph.D., July 7, 2009

Various prominent mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in early 2008 significantly changed the face of the business application software market, leading to the rise of the software supermajors. In the second half of 2008, vendor activities focused on product . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Enterprise Software Licensing And Pricing Update, Q2 2009

by R "Ray" Wang, June 1, 2009

Rapidly deteriorating market conditions led to a shift in the major enterprise apps vendors' overall software licensing and pricing strategies. Forrester examined the status and progress of 12 vendors and their responses to client requests and concerns. . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Best Practices For Selecting And Managing Your SAP Implementation Provider

Lessons Learned From Interviewing SAP Client References

by Liz Herbert, May 18, 2009

Forrester surveyed 154 SAP implementation client references and found that they were most satisfied with providers' technical expertise and pricing transparency, but rated them lower on change management, training, and skills transfer. References also . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Microsoft Moves Dynamics Forward With New Releases And Simplified Pricing Strategies

Client Satisfaction Is High, But Future Challenges Still Remain

by R "Ray" Wang, April 17, 2009

At both the November 2008 Microsoft Dynamics analyst event and at Convergence 2009 in March, Microsoft reaffirmed its commitment to innovation and investment in its product road map for all five product families. Microsoft Dynamics enterprise resource . . .

For Enterprise Architecture Professionals

Case Study: How Wyeth Upgraded Its B2B Operations To Support A Global ERP Strategy

by Ken Vollmer, April 17, 2009

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals recently completed a major upgrade to its business-to-business (B2B) capability that supports a global rollout of a single-instance SAP implementation. The upgrade resulted in a more agile B2B operation, labor savings in excess of . . .

For B2B Market Research Professionals

Packaged Applications Implementation And Deployment, Including SaaS, Q4 2008  (426 KB PPT)

by Ellen Daley, April 3, 2009

Firms report on their implementation and deployment of different packaged applications, with a specific focus on software-as-a-service.

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Craft Your Negotiations Strategy To Reflect New Packaged Apps Licensing And Pricing Trends

by R "Ray" Wang, April 3, 2009

Results from Forrester's Enterprise And SMB Software Survey, North America And Europe, Q4 2008 reveal three major trends shaping contract negotiations strategy: 1) declines in software spending; 2) improved negotiating leverage for buyers; and 3) vendor . . .

For CIOs

CIOs: Consider Apps Support Alternatives For Cost Savings

Third-Party Apps Maintenance Is A Viable Option — Particularly In Tough Times

by Sharyn Leaver, March 26, 2009

Paying in advance for rarely used upgrades of applications like enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other software makes little sense in today's economic environment. Representing one-third of IT's software budget, these maintenance fees offer a significant . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

SAP Harmonizes Portfolio With Business Suite 7

But The Value Proposition Will Not Resonate Until The Global Economy Is Back In Tune

by Paul D. Hamerman, R "Ray" Wang, March 17, 2009

From its New York City-based global marketing HQ, SAP publicly launched Business Suite 7 on February 4, 2009. Key elements of the product launch include a synchronized release strategy, value scenarios, lower entry-point pricing, deeper Business Objects . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

TechRadar™ For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals: Software-As-A-Service

CRM And Collaboration Are Growing, And Many New Categories Are On The Horizon, Q1 2009

by Liz Herbert, March 12, 2009

As software-as-a-service (SaaS) becomes increasingly important to firms' application strategies, sourcing and vendor management professionals are taking ownership of the research, purchasing, negotiations, and ongoing vendor relationships for these solutions. . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Third-Party Apps Maintenance Rebounds

Recession Pressures Renew Interest In Support Alternatives

by Paul D. Hamerman, February 18, 2009

As the recession squeezes IT budgets, business process and applications professionals are looking more closely at the value of vendor support contracts and exploring alternatives. One cost-savings alternative is third-party support, where fixes and compliance . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Trends 2009: Enterprise Applications/ERP

Application Strategies Evolve For Leaner Sustainability

by R "Ray" Wang, Paul D. Hamerman, February 13, 2009

The lingering impact of the recession in 2009 will motivate business process and applications professionals to focus on value-based strategies for lower operating costs and smaller projects with quicker returns. As enterprise applications vendors face . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

What Apps Professionals Need To Know About Packaged Apps Software Licensing And Pricing

Apps Professionals Can Apply Client Insights To Shape Their Apps Strategy

by R "Ray" Wang, January 8, 2009

Applications professionals continue to inquire about software licensing and pricing topics for packaged apps. Clients grapple with escalating maintenance fees, complex licensing agreements, and the definition of a fair deal. Topics run the gamut but typically . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Inquiry Spotlight: Enterprise Apps Software Licensing And Pricing

Clients Want Equal Footing At The Negotiation Table

by R "Ray" Wang, Elisse Gaynor, December 8, 2008

In both good and bad economic times, software licensing and pricing is a frequent motif among client inquiries. Clients grapple with escalating maintenance fees, complex licensing agreements, and the definition of a fair deal. Topics run the gamut but . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

European SAP Implementation Providers Are Top Contenders For European Engagements

by Euan Davis, Stephanie Moore, November 26, 2008

Recently, SAP has changed and broadened its product offerings while expanding its relevance to new industries and new buyers. This evolution has fostered increased buyer demand for SAP implementation skills and requirements for more specialized implementation . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Health Check For The Software Industry: Software Market Momentum, H1 2008

Is The Financial Crisis The Dawn Of A Technology Depression?

by Stefan Ried, Ph.D., November 20, 2008

The financial crisis is hitting industries across the globe. As a result, the financial industry and other affected industries will clearly spend less on software licenses in 2009 in most regions. But, is this a technology depression comparable with the . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

What Oracle's And SAP's App Strategies Mean To App Dev Pros

by John R. Rymer, November 14, 2008

As Oracle and SAP consolidate their positions as the top two enterprise applications providers, more and more application development and delivery managers will have to account for these vendors' applications in their architectures and strategies. Both . . .