24 Jul Custom SAP GTS Companies: Implementation Partner Must-Haves
Preparations for a customized SAP GTS implementation can become complex quickly. Going it alone in your implementation is not an option if you want results from your SAP GTS solution. Customized SAP GTS implementations require an experienced partner as a guide.
There are a few must-haves in a project partner, like an ability to navigate the regulatory and business requirements of a project. Let’s look at three to help you select a custom SAP GTS company and get started.
Custom SAP GTS Companies: Investigating Track Records
Your initial step in the examination of a potential partner will be to scrutinize their record of success. Stepping beyond advertised success statistics, you want to understand what metrics are used to define success, and if they align with your definition.You will also want them to provide hard numbers about compliance ROI gains and risk reductions to understand their actual impact. This will help sell the project to business stakeholders.
Obtain permission to freely contact former clients or case study participants. Ask for examples of how they saved a client time and money through improved efficiencies and accuracy. Study detailed reviews of project delays or failures to see how they remedied the problems.
Ask for their experience in leading the SAP GTS implementation charge, especially in your industry. Keep in mind that applications in one industry can translate to the needs of another. That can help you getting stuck on identical experience as a deciding factor. Ideally, a partner should have a variety of implementation experiences.
Can Your Prospective Partner Provide GTCC Consulting to Your Project?
Look for a partner with a global trade compliance consultant (GTCC) on its team. They will collaborate with your business and technical teams to align the SAP GTS solution to your requirements. They will also look at applicable FTAs to weigh the risks of getting involved versus potential increases in trade revenues.
Most importantly, a GTCC will help with compliance. They will apply deep regulatory knowledge to ensure that all SAP GTS functionalities meet your regulatory requirements. This input serves to improve regulatory and audit responsiveness, vastly lowering trade risk while improving success rates. With this level of due diligence, your SAP GTS implementation can be handed off to the technical team, confident that everything that can be addressed has been addressed.
How Does Their Technical Team Stack up Against the Others?
SAP GTS implementations mesh sophisticated technologies and functionalities with business process automation. Your potential partner needs experienced GTS specialists ready to handle it all, and successful integrate software and process flows. Your SAP GTS partner must demonstrate that they can innovate on the fly, and that they can take full advantage of SAP GTS’s scalability and adaptability while maximizing functionalities.
Compare rates of successful implementations without cost or timeline overruns. This must include precise remediation planning for inevitable project issues and roadblocks. Knowing your partner’s technical abilities in design, implementation, and post-project will help you choose the right one. Ultimately, you want a position of flexibility to add functionalities as your business model adapts to global trade trends.
Narrowing the Field of Custom SAP GTS Companies
Your project partner must bring a great record of success across multiple industries. They must demonstrate a talent for architecting innovative solutions that will shoot you past the competition, all while minimizing your overall risk factors. A preferred SAP GTS partner will bring along an experienced GTCC consultant that has deep levels of knowledge and expertise around your import and export functionalities. Lastly, they must exude a presence of professionalism and confidence that signals to your business stakeholders that they are here to make this project and your organization prosper.