I get the distinct impression that SAP/Oracle are the darling pair of the
Big Iron Vendors and Consulting Firms, because their implementation requires
Big Iron and generates much revenue in Consulting Fees. They also permit
(encourage?) non IT people to get heavily involved in things IT.

Like all things Dilbertesque, it doesn't really matter whether the final
solution works or not, as long as the Corporate has an "IT policy" that
rolls off tongues at dinners and lunches.

It's a pity real IT never exercised it's right to seize back control of
things IT during those heady days of y2k.

Oh well, maybe next time....:)

Neil


-----Original Message-----
From: Glenn Koster [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2000 10:15 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: OT: SAP


John Pickering asked...

> Isn't HP an SAP customer?

John Burke replied...

> Oh yes it is, though I do not know how much is implemented.

The answer is that it depends a lot on the division.  There are some
divisions (particularly overseas divisions) that have a great deal of their
SAP implementations completed.  There are a number that have yet to really
get started.  Most are somewhere in the middle.

In an earlier post, there was a comment about changing business processes to
match the software.  HP has had enough internal trouble migrating to SAP
(and other "third party" code) that changes to ANY SAP code now require
corporate approval (from the corporate IT folks... no more division or local
changes).  They have been instructed to change the business processes to
meet the needs / requirements of the software.  Rumor has it that once the
software is successfully implemented, a wholesale review of business
practices and processes will be completed to assess a "best practices"
manual that all divisions can draw from.  In my humble opinion, I think it's
a little like putting the cart in front of the horse...

Glenn Koster
[My opinions - not those of my employers ... past or present]