SAP Implementation Starting

Question

Hi all
I am heading an SAP implementation for my company .
I want to make sure that the implementing company
delivers a fine and within time and budget solution.
What are the points that are usually written in contracts
to avoid delays / bad solutioning ?Pls give me tips as to
what all I can have as part of the contract .
All suggestions / Inputs welcome.
Thanks

Answer 1

Dear Oops Kooops,
You question is broad in spectrum. To start with you can refer to some good Project Management books in SAP.
These are some of the details you can look for:
Business Goals
Know how your project will benefit the business, and make sure you communicate those benefits to the employees who will use the technology. Poorly defined goals doom a technology project; well-defined goals help keep all project personnel working together. The system with unclear business benefits is one better left unsponsored and undone.
User Involvement
Getting user buy-in requires more than just communicating benefits. It also helps dramatically to enlist users' collaboration in designing or selecting the system.
To convince business line managers to lend their workers to the front end of a project, executives recommend talking to their wallets.
Risk Management
Every I.T. project faces risk, whether it is technical (caused by unproven technology or integration problems) or business risk. Veterans say project sponsors should not only understand the risks but also demand that contingency plans be put in place before the first nail is hammered. But even though risk management is a project management basic, it is easy for executives with little technical knowledge to ignore it because they are intimidated by the technology. Fortunately, they also say technical risk is easier to manage than business risk. If the project hinges on a relatively new technology, it makes sense to build and test a prototype before going whole hog.
Scope Management
Keeping requests for new features from derailing or slowing down a project is a step that should be handled by the project manager, but occasionally the executive sponsor has the clout to say no to a request the IT leaders can't refuse.  Besides inflating costs, scope creep can deflate user enthusiasm as the project's benefits are pushed off. Getting the project done quickly is a good goal for the executive sponsor to champion; bells and whistles can be added later, after the initial rollout. "Vanilla is a very good flavor"
Appropriate Accountability
No accountability, no progress--that's no surprise. The challenge in IT projects is to hold the right people accountable for the right deliverables. The IS department's job is to hand over the specified level of system functionality by the due date. After that, it's up to the business workers to get the specified business benefits out of the system. And the executive sponsor should make sure accountability is in place to enforce that division of labor.
    Non-IT execs have a tendency to exaggerate the role IS workers will play after a system is rolled out. As a result, it is common to point the finger for system failure at IS. That gives the other employees less incentive to make the new system work.
    IS and business line workers develop a lot more synergy when both feel an equal burden of responsibility.
Helpful Hype
Amidst all the spreadsheets, numbers, risk analyses and so forth, remember to add a spoonful of sugar for those who will actually have to use the technology.
Do let me know in case of any queries.
Hope this helps you.
Regards,
Rakesh