Using the SAP systems to run your business better is probably the best business decision that you could ever make, which is why you should start the SAP procurement process as soon as possible. By moving all aspects of your business to the cloud, you will be able to generate higher revenues while reducing overhead costs. What more could you ask for?
Comprehensive SAP Procurement Process Guide
Identify Your Requirements
Your first step would be to identify your requirements. How many employees do you have? Are you looking to expand your business? What do you need in order to redeploy to the cloud? What is your budget? What kind of supporting hardware and software will you need in order to utilize SAP systems? Can your business accommodate such products?
By identifying your business requirements, you will be able to determine the kind of SAP systems you should employ and to what extent.
Select Vendor
When it comes to the procurement of SAP systems, the only vendor that you can trust is the author of the product. In this case, you have to go straight to SAP SE and contact them about their products. That is the only way that you can be assured that you are getting the genuine cloud based solution for your business.
Ask for Quotation
Because you will be purchasing SAP products, you do not need to ask for multiple estimates. However, you can request the contact person at SAP SE to give you the quotations for different SAP systems that you need to install. You need to ensure that you specify the requirements that you came up with at the beginning of the SAP procurement process. That way, you can get a more accurate picture of how much it will cost you to purchase the products your business needs.
Negotiate
While negotiations are not guaranteed to give you the results that you want, they may result in a price reduction. It never hurts for you to try and negotiate the price downwards once you receive price quotations for the SAP products that you require.
Product Purchase
You will need to place a purchase requisition order, which is an internal way of ordering for SAP products. This will result in creation of forms that outline the kind of products that you need. After that, you can place a more formal purchasing order to your local SAP vendor (SAP SE contact group in your locale). The purchasing order will have details of all the terms of purchase including those of payment and delivery of product.
Product Delivery
Your SAP products will then be delivered after you place the order for their purchase. You can install and implement them on your own or with the help of SAP employees. If some of them are not in working order, you can return them or get a refund. However, with SAP products, this is highly unlikely.
Payment
After you have made sure that your products work, as they should, you can authorize for payments. However, this stage may take place before products have been delivered. If that is the case, you can still take advantage of existing refund policies to get your money back if you are unhappy with the SAP systems you have bought.
Bottom Line
SAP systems will change the way you do business. You should therefore embark on the SAP procurement process in order to obtain the products you require to enhance your business.