Everyone I know thinks of SAP as BIG, expensive, slow, cumbersome but ultimately a safe bet. The company burnishes its solid, Germanic image, focusing on its engineering prowess and attention to detail. All of these are good things but for many SAP has created an image that makes them perceptually hard to do business. There’s no doubt that SAP knows how to play hardball but what is it doing to get people more interested in its products?
Recently it opened up its ByDesign microsite where you can configure a broad set of application requirements and get a costing there and then. I’m on record saying that I like what they’re doing. The other day, I saw they have partnered with Seidor in the UK to provide a configurator for Business All-in-One, one of its mid-market offerings. I tried it out, setting up a 100 person business with 80 users for a service organization. The results are per the snapshot below:
As you configure your way through, there is plenty of help to show you what each module represents.
The ’suggested’ price is £251K, which doesn’t sound bad. Of course it misses out on the the maintenance element that has to be factored in, there’s no direct mention of database and the services element is pure guesswork. But it’s a start and a way of helping you understand the components and their costs for an implementation. You also have to factor in that the suggested solutions are broad brush, vanilla style offerings that don’t take into consideration any customizations or industry specific requirements you might need. Even so, it’s a start and to be welcomed for the effort in price transparency.
The part that’s most impressive though is that unlike the ByDesign microsite, you don’t have to go through a sign up process. You are left with enough to get you going but also enough to tempt you into picking up the phone to Seidor. SAP? I hope you’re listening. Seidor’s approach is better.
Oh – and if you think the price and components need negotiating? I know just the man to help you there. 
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