Selecting the right JD Edwards partner for foreign rollouts (2 of 2)

Part 2: How do you select the right JD Edwards partner?

In Part 1, we discussed whether you should implement a JD Edwards rollout on a foreign site yourself, or whether you should outsource it. In this post, we’ll talk about the process of selecting a partner.

To find the right partner, you must have a clear idea of what you expect from that partner. You can then draw up a longlist that takes the following points into account.

What do you expect from a partner?

It is important to define what you need and what you expect from your potential partner.

• Are you looking for a partner with an international or local team?
• Must the partner have experience with the local language and culture?
• What level of localization is required; will the financial reports for tax payments be required in that particular country, for example?
• Which modules do you want to roll out and what does that mean in terms of the skills of the consultants?
• What is the expected yield and therefore the available budget for the implementation?

The answers to these questions can provide a list of criteria to assess potential partners. Where necessary, you can state what you need in a Request for Information (RFI) that you can send to prospective partners.

Which channels should I use for my longlist?

Now that you have a list of criteria, you can draw up a longlist of potential partners. Needless to say, Google can help with that! But did you know that you could also consult with your current JD Edwards partner or contact Oracle’s JD Edwards team in Denver? They know their partner network through and through and are best placed to advise on suitable candidate partners.

There are also JD Edwards user groups that can help out. Check out Quest (US), OBUG (BeNeLux) and UKOUG (UK) as examples. As soon as you have drawn up the longlist of partners and contact persons, it’s time to reach out or send them your RFI.

What are the points of focus when evaluating the longlist?

For a true and accurate comparison between potential partners, it can help to focus on the following points during the evaluation to avoid any potential for ambiguity.

1. References

Ask for specific references in the countries in which you plan to implement the rollout. Partners may talk about their experiences in a mix of countries but not specifically describe their experience in the specific country where you want to implement the rollout.
In addition, request references for the correct modules and the correct JD Edwards version. Rolling out the financial modules in World is a very different project to rolling out the manufacturing modules in EnterpriseOne 9.2. A thorough review and analysis of the correct references is an important part of the selection procedure.

2. Costs

The daily rate is not the only cost item that you need to consider. Pay particular attention to possible travel and accommodation costs. These may be less relevant in Western Europe, due to the wider availability of JDE consultants, travel distances are often smaller. Outside this region however, it is a good idea to ask in advance whether you will be charged travel and accommodation costs. A consultant who flies back and forth every week and stays 3 nights in a hotel can easily cost an extra 1,000 euros per week. In many countries, that is equivalent to approximately 1 day of consultancy.

3. Availability

If you have visibility of when the project will take place, we recommend that when requesting CVs, you ask the partners to allow for availability. If you know in October that your project is going to take place between March and September of the following year, ask the partner to only send you the CVs of available personnel for that period. This prevents any unpleasant surprises

Determine the right methodology to use

The success or failure of a rollout is largely dependent on the chosen methodology and tools. For a successful implementation, the parties concerned must work with the same Document Management System (DMS), Issue Management System (IMS) and Ticket Registration System (TRS).

If you are working with multiple local partners, the easiest solution is for them to adapt to your internal methodology. It is not advisable to work with a different methodology in each country as it can cause miscommunication and inefficiency.

Summary

So we hope at this stage, that the insights shared in these two articles will help get you on your journey to deciding what type of partner you need, and how to best shortlist suitable organizations. If you are still struggling to determine what type of partner is best suited for your international rollouts, feel free to contact our team and we’ll do our best to guide you down the best pathway.

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Auteur: Bart Dix, Key Account Director Redfaire International