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I taught enterprise systems for a while and SAP's ethos is very much 'change your business processes to fit SAP, because if they don't fit SAP, they're probably

I taught enterprise systems for a while and SAP's ethos is very much 'change your business processes to fit SAP, because if they don't fit SAP, they're probably wrong'. This is actual advice (in slightly different wording) that comes from their training materials.

threatripper 4y ago
It's probably both. If you fit the standard pattern you'll have an easy time to adopt. But they also support edge cases with extra work. A small company with many non-standard processes will need so much extra work that it's not worth it. Then it is cheaper to redesign the company and reshape the company processes. I find it very difficult to fight for sensible defaults in a company when everybody only sees their area and has a very strong opinion about that. Only a strong force like the SAP transition can break up with those encrusted structures.
- jasamer 4y ago
  Lidl tried to switch to SAP, keeping their own processes and customising SAP to fit their needs. After seven years and 500 million euro spent, the project was cancelled and they went back to using their old inventory system. So, in this case, customising SAP to fit the company's processes wasn't worth it even for a rather large company like Lidl.
  - hef19898 4y ago
    Oh yeah, Lidl is such a great example of what not to do when it comes to ERP systems! If memory serves well, Liqui Molly had similar, but cheaper, experiences with Microsoft.
riedel 4y ago
I mean compliance IMHO is their selling point: If you are working internationally you make sure that you correctly handle taxation/reporting or whatever to the standards. Other even trust you because you run SAP (which must be correct by definition). And because SAP is so big I think a lot of regulation/reporting requirements will be even done a way that it can be done with SAP. We are a university/research center hybrid and use SAP. As a state entity or funds are limited. Being in a 'nieche' with tons of strange accounting requirements, a very heterogeneous IT and without the money to get the reports/etc fixed quickly I can tell you how much hell SAP is on the other hand.

threatripper 4y ago

It's probably both. If you fit the standard pattern you'll have an easy time to adopt. But they also support edge cases with extra work. A small company with many non-standard processes will need so much extra work that it's not worth it. Then it is cheaper to redesign the company and reshape the company processes. I find it very difficult to fight for sensible defaults in a company when everybody only sees their area and has a very strong opinion about that. Only a strong force like the SAP transition can break up with those encrusted structures.

jasamer 4y ago
Lidl tried to switch to SAP, keeping their own processes and customising SAP to fit their needs. After seven years and 500 million euro spent, the project was cancelled and they went back to using their old inventory system. So, in this case, customising SAP to fit the company's processes wasn't worth it even for a rather large company like Lidl.
- hef19898 4y ago
  Oh yeah, Lidl is such a great example of what not to do when it comes to ERP systems! If memory serves well, Liqui Molly had similar, but cheaper, experiences with Microsoft.

riedel 4y ago

I mean compliance IMHO is their selling point: If you are working internationally you make sure that you correctly handle taxation/reporting or whatever to the standards. Other even trust you because you run SAP (which must be correct by definition). And because SAP is so big I think a lot of regulation/reporting requirements will be even done a way that it can be done with SAP. We are a university/research center hybrid and use SAP. As a state entity or funds are limited. Being in a 'nieche' with tons of strange accounting requirements, a very heterogeneous IT and without the money to get the reports/etc fixed quickly I can tell you how much hell SAP is on the other hand.