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 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 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 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 Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

The ROI Of Software-As-A-Service

A Total Economic Impact™ Analysis Uncovers Long-Term Value In SaaS

by Liz Herbert, Jon Erickson, July 13, 2009

Firms almost always consider software-as-a-service (SaaS) as a cost-advantage over on-premise in the short run due to its quick implementation times and pay-as-you-go pricing. But many firms question the long-term value of SaaS, wondering if the rent-versus-own . . .

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 Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Inquiry Spotlight: Contract Negotiations

by Liz Herbert, March 17, 2009

In the current economic environment having a solid contract is more important than ever. Forrester clients are recognizing the importance of having meaningful service-level agreements (SLAs) and achieving cost savings through effective contract negotiations. . . .

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 Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

TCO And Security Are Top Concerns For SaaS  (172 KB PPT)

by Liz Herbert, February 27, 2009

This presentation contains data on software-as-a-service (SaaS) implementation and expansion plans at North American and European Enterprises and SMBs, as well as reasons why firms are not interested in SaaS. The data is from Forrester's recently fielded . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Software-As-A-Service Adoption Expands

Sourcing Executives Must Be Ready To Support New SaaS Purchases

by Liz Herbert, February 20, 2009

Forrester recently surveyed 239 application software decision-makers and found that SaaS adoption continued to grow, even in the face of the current bleak economic conditions. Beyond the general increase in SaaS, Forrester also found that SaaS usage is . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

SaaS Contract Negotiation Essentials: What Sourcing Executives Should Know

by Liz Herbert, December 22, 2008

As firms increase their usage of software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications and deploy SaaS for more mission-critical functions, they must be more prudent about what to put in their contracts. Sourcing departments should take the initiative to help with . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Cost Estimator: SaaS Versus On-Premise Software  (44 KB XLS)

by Liz Herbert, December 3, 2008

This tool is intended to help companies evaluate total cost of ownership of a SaaS solution compared with an on-premise solution. To use the tool, firms should adjust the variables on the "Assumptions" tab to match their specific situation. Please note . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Looking Beyond Oracle's Global Partner Network For PeopleSoft Implementation Expertise

by Liz Herbert, October 31, 2008

Many clients ask Forrester to help identify PeopleSoft providers beyond Oracle's Global Partner list for projects ranging from full-scale implementation projects to add-on work, to training, and to upgrades. These other firms demonstrate the ability to . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

RFP Template For Packaged Application Implementation Services  (122 KB XLS)

by Liz Herbert, October 30, 2008

An RFP template, which will be an attached tool for our website.

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Sourcing Executives Should Consider SaaS' Key Role In Their Green Initiatives

by Liz Herbert, September 16, 2008

As firms become increasingly focused on environmentally friendly strategies, sourcing executives should make sure to consider the green value of software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions when considering how IT aligns with corporate agendas on sustainability. . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Successfully Managing ERP Implementation Providers

by Liz Herbert, July 23, 2008

Firms are spending significant services dollars on consulting and systems integration (SI) work, but many firms do not maximize the value that they obtain from implementation providers. Most firms expect that their provider will proactively suggest best . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Firms Can Benefit From SaaS In Times Of Economic Uncertainty

by Liz Herbert, July 1, 2008

As sourcing professionals make purchasing decisions in times of economic slowdown, software-as-a-service (SaaS) can benefit their organizations by offering a deployment model that lowers near-term expenditures, allows buyers to prove the value of a solution . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

SaaS Clients Face Growing Complexity

Large Enterprises Require Due Diligence For Effective SaaS Purchases

by Liz Herbert, Bill Martorelli, April 17, 2008

With adoption of SaaS among both large enterprise and small and medium-size business (SMB) clients on the rise, according to recent data from Forrester's Business Data Services, gone are the days when large corporations could afford to let buyers make . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

What Evolving SaaS Options Mean For Buyers

Understanding New SaaS Variations Is Key In Evaluating Its Fit To Your Needs

by Liz Herbert, April 8, 2008

As software-as-a-service (SaaS) continues to increase in popularity across a growing range of application areas, many firms still wonder what differentiates SaaS from other deployment models like traditional hosting and how to decide whether it will fit . . .

For B2B Market Research Professionals

Competing In The Fast-Growing SaaS Market

by Liz Herbert, March 12, 2008

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) continues its fast-paced growth as buyers seek shorter deployment times, faster ROI, and pay-as-you-go pricing. In a recent survey of 1,017 technology decision-makers, Forrester found that adoption in large enterprises is . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: Oracle Implementation Providers, Q1 2008

Accenture And Deloitte Lead An Extremely Well-Qualified Pack

by Liz Herbert, March 10, 2008

Forrester evaluated major Oracle implementation providers across 107 criteria and found that Accenture and Deloitte lead due to overall strong end-to-end implementation capabilities as well as industry breadth and depth. Oracle and Satyam fare well based . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

CSC Is A Leader In SAP Implementation Services

The Forrester Wave™ Vendor Summary, Q4 2007

by Liz Herbert, December 28, 2007

CSC provides strong value for the technical phases of an SAP implementation, but has less experience and skill in front-end strategy and process consulting. The provider has, however, been building out its strategy and process consulting skills in key . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

IBM Is A Leader In SAP Implementation Services

The Forrester Wave™ Vendor Summary, Q4 2007

by Liz Herbert, December 28, 2007

IBM is one of the top two global SAP consultants in terms of size and overall service capability. The provider has had a strong relationship with SAP for more than 30 years, and was the software provider's first global alliance partner. IBM manages large . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Fujitsu Is A Strong Performer In SAP Implementation Services

The Forrester Wave™ Vendor Summary, Q4 2007

by Liz Herbert, December 28, 2007

Fujitsu has been aggressively ramping up its SAP implementation services business through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions like Rapidigm in the US, TDS in Germany, and Atos Origin's Australia/New Zealand practice. Because strategy, skills, . . .