Building Super User Programs: Q&A with Doug Whittle (transcript)

I recently moderated a web forum with Managing your SAP Projects 2011 speaker Doug Whittle on building a super user program to drive user adoption and efficiencies. Questions came streaming in on choosing and rewarding your super users, full-time vs. part-time super users, striking the right balance in the relationship between IT, help desk, and super users, and other topics.

For the full Q&A, you can view the questions and Doug’s responses in the Project Management Forum, or read excerpts from the transcript of the Q&A below.

Amy Thistle (moderator): Welcome to today’s Q&A with Doug Whittle on building a super user program!

We invite you to ask Doug your questions — just click on the “Post Reply” button to post your question on super users. Doug has extensive experience as a consultant to many SAP customers as they create or rebuild their super user programs. Doug is also a frequent speaker at SAPinsider events, including our annual Project Management event.

[Editor’s Note:  If you would like to download Doug Whittle’s checklist of questions to ask when planning a super user program, click here to register.
The checklist download link will appear in your confirmation email.]

Thank you, Doug, for joining us today and taking questions over this next hour!

DSL: How does one sustain the super users after go-live? How long? Do you have to?

Have we missed anything because we really don’t have a superuser plan AFTER go-live? It is a great process leading to go-live and the initial go-live support time period.

Doug Whittle: The problem with many SU programs is we don’t see beyond “go live”…and then suddenly at update time, we can’t find our SU’s. So yes…look at a SU program as a program that must be sustained…and that becomes the primary vehicle for supporting end users. I’ll answer a couple of questions in a bit (later in this stream) that will talk briefly about ways to sustain the program.

malinirao: Hi,  I would like to know how do we ensure SAP_ALL access is not provided to unauthorized users? Is it good to have superusers after go-live or the security administrators should also not have super user access during day to day activities after go-live? What is the best strategy for super user program that organizations running on SAP should adopt?

Doug Whittle: There is really no single “best practice” for Super Users. It’s really a matter of figuring how with your business users which “model” or option works best for them, since the business is the group providing the resources as Super Users. As for security, most organizations I know try to limit who has the highest levels of security. Super Users typically are the “gatekeeper” for security permissions…so they can at minimum “authorize” who gets what within their business unit or area.

LoriBushee: What training do you suggest super users have beyond their
basic SAP job training?

JenniferBoudreaux: I am also interested in this question. Our super users are asking for more training, and I can get SMEs to speak to certain topics that are generally well received by those super users they apply to — but is there more?

Doug Whittle: Beyond the SAP technical skills, there are many “soft skills” that I believe SU’s should also have: e.g., customer service skills, support skills, training/presentation skills, problem solving skills, etc. One of the first areas for professional development I would offer my SU’s would be basic skills in helping others solve problems (different from solving the problem FOR the end user). Remember — self sufficiency of end users should be a key goal of a SU program.

OlgaMogensen: Hi Doug, Do you have any experience with full-time and part-time super users?

JonathandeSouza: What is the best practice approach to a super user program, for example is it a full-time role or is it a part-time job, i.e. where the user straddles their functional role and the SAP super user role? What generally is the trend in the industry, and what have you found to be most successful with the building of SAP skills and support in-house?

Should the organization have a full-time dedicated to supporting the SAP application?

Doug Whittle: I am not aware of any “best practices” that have been done & published around Super Users (but it is sorely needed!). Here’s what I know from having worked with these programs for 15+ years:

Part-time vs. full time? It all depends. If you have a group within your org (let’s say supply chain people) who are new to SAP, who require quite a bit of attention and support, it may be worth it (at least temporarily) to assign a few Super Users full-time to take care of this group–to make sure they’re n
ot only up and running, but that they can continue to perform once you take support back to a part-time level.

Remember: The key to being a super user is this is an individual who knows not only SAP but also is very familiar with the business processes he/she is supporting. You don’t want to remove someone totally from the daily working of the business for a long period of time or they will start losing their familiarity and expertise in the business processes.

Also–the credibility of a SU is someone who has the respect of his/her peers because they DO know so much about both the system and the processes. So to maintain that credibility, you want your SUs to be in the trenches–one of the people, so to speak.

To jumpstart a SU program, however, I believe that is a full-time role if you are starting from scratch and you have a large volume of end users to support. You should ALWAYS keep some % of that resource dedicated to maintaining the SU program; in many cases, once you’re in a steady state mode, you can probably go to a 50% resource. Don’t ever assume that the SU program will continue to live on its own. I have yet to see that happen ever!

Always remember–the success of SAP in an organization is, to a large part, how the end users perceive the system and how it helps them do their jobs. Super Users can become a huge piece of that success story. End users gain confidence; they know there are resources available when they need help; they receive support that is timely and accurate; they learn from the SUs. All of these indicators build a positive mindset for the end users–and that translates directly to how end users speak about SAP in their orgs.

OlgaMogensen: Hi Doug! Thank you very much for sharing your experiences with us!

JenniferBoudreaux: Doug, 2 questions:

1. Where should the super users be in the organization for maximum effectiveness – within a COE (Center of Ex
cellence), or in the line of business?

2. How do you see the super user program being administered — is it part of a COE along with SMEs and IT, or what organization oversees the program?

Thanks.

Doug Whittle: If you already have a strong COE program, then I would hinge my SU program somewhere to the idea of a COE. But I’ve also seen very strong SU programs in orgs that don’t use the COE concept.

My preference for placement: the business. After all, SUs are business users who are supporting other business users. If this is perceived as an IT initiative, you will continually find yourself having to justify and fight for SU resources.

See my response to Jonathan Souza for the importance of having someone manage the SU program. I have yet to see a SU program be sustained if there is not SOMEONE at some percentage staying “in charge” of the SU program. Again, my preference would be for this resource to come from the business. But I’ve seen many successful programs in which the “leader” of the SU program comes from IT but maintains very strong relationships with the business. SU programs must be continually maintained, guided, facilitated, and refreshed–which means some “one” must contribute some dedicated time to keeping the program alive and healthy. Start up: I think there’s enough for 100% of a resource. Maintenance: 25-50%–depending upon the size of your organization, the size of your implementation, the nature of your end users, etc.

JS: Hi – a few questions for Doug:

1. Do you have any ideas for keeping momentum going in the program? We host quarterly teleconferences with our Super Users but it’s a struggle to get them to participate or sometimes even to attend. I work with Subject Matter Experts to present interesting topics which are well received, but there isn’t a lot of interaction in the meetings whic
h I would like to encourage.

2. Any non-monetary recognition ideas for participants in the Program? I have a very small budget and am limited to the occasional trinket/certificate.

3. What are some suggestions for dealing with Super Users who are not really Super?

Doug Whittle: RE: maintaining momentum…I would actually ask the SUs what ideas THEY have for keeping the program alive, exciting, and relevant. Perhaps some of your Super Users can give their own brief presentations about ideas that have worked for them. Another idea: have Super Users share their “best practice” tips and hints with one another. Professional development segments are perceived very positively by SU’s. So…maybe a 30-minute presentation on how to handle a difficult user.

I see this happening with all sorts of groups where the “life” seems to be gone from group meetings (both SU’s and other groups). But instead of trying to “guess” what they need/want/would find useful — I have lots of success by asking THEM what ideas they have. You might be surprised by the responses…and likewise…when they come forth with suggestions, this starts becoming THEIR program.

I actually haven’t encountered many SU programs that use reimbursement as a part of their program. I always distinguish between “reward” and “recognition.” Reward carries a connotation of $$.

Recognition can come in many ways — from comments on their performance appraisals (surprising how a few positive sentences can lift the spirits of people); perhaps a day of professional training; I know some organizations who send a couple of SU’s each year to an SAP conference. You could also enroll people in local professional development sessions (area community colleges, day-long seminars, etc.). I’ve never found an employee yet who doesn’t appreciate the chance to take part in quality professional development
— particularly in this tough economy.

Another technique I use: ask each Super User to submit their top three ideas for how he/she would like to be recognized for exceptional performance. It’s amazing how simple many of the answers are…and it personalizes the acknowledgment.

RE: question 3: You have to build in quality standards for your SU program. Otherwise, it will cause frustration for those who are high performers in the SU program — and it will frustrate end users who are at the receiving end of poor service. Every SU should have somewhere in his/her performance plan some line item(s) regarding SU effectiveness, proficiency. On an ongoing basis, provide feedback that is timely and specific. If someone does not meet your standards/expectations once given the chance to improve, then it’s time to replace that SU. This means you need to maintain a close working relationship with each business area that is providing a SU. At the end of the day, this is part of someone’s job description (I hope!)…so therefore, it should be measured as any other performance criteria for that employee.

Pontus Bockman: Hi Doug,

Do you have any thoughts on how to continuously monitor and assess Super User Competence in a post go-live, global enterprise (80+ sites) situation?

Doug Whittle: You may want to include some type of formal feedback from the respective “clients” of each Super User. This would certainly be useful to the Super User as well as the organization in terms of finding suggestions for how to improve (or maintain) a high level of customer satisfaction.

In terms of other competencies, much of this depends upon the skill or attribute you want to measure. My suggestion: once you have identified the core competencies or skills for a SU, take some time to also discuss what types of measures you could incorporate for each of those areas. You may even want to include the SU’s in this discussi
on — that way they will have more buy-in. Think of this in terms of any other employee skill: How does an organization measure those skills so that concrete feedback can be given to the employee? The same standards can be applied to SU skills.

Real Beaulne: Hi Doug,

Is there a kind of template of a business case that we could start with that provides all the benefits of having super users in a company in order for us to have all the right justification to submit the idea to our management?

Doug Whittle: I have some basic questions I use when trying to promote the idea of a SU program. But I encourage every organization to create its own set of benefits it wants to see happen. Facilitate a brainstorming session of key SAP, IT, Help Desk, and OCM people within your organization. What are the key benefits YOU believe this program can bring to the org?

What are key benefits you hope to achieve?

Do you have any current support stats to show that support is, indeed, a big issue in your org? Are there ways that you believe you can minimize some of these issues with knowledgeable, timely support from a SU program?

Find some current pain points around support and training today (Current State) and then identify how your SU program (Future State) will help avoid or minimize these pain points.

AmandaNoll: Doug,

What is the best way to get the business involved? We have IT support of our SU program, but we are having a difficult time getting business buy-in.

Doug Whittle: The SU program should be championed from the business (with IT support). In other words, I want to get business leaders to acknowledge that keeping employees “up-and-running” is a good thing…and that by providing efficient support, we can minimize downtime and mistakes. Find one influential business leader and work with
him/her to get their manager colleagues/peers on board. Perhaps pilot a successful program with a couple of business areas who seem to be on board…track these successes and use them to promote to other areas is one approach.

irmaviera: Hello. I’m currently working on a company where users are not formally involved in any IT process. I know that one of the first steps is to educate them and make them understand the benefits and importance their collaboration has for our IT Department. So, all the information and best practices related to this topic is welcome. But the most important question is, where do we start? Thank you.

Doug Whittle: My over-simplified first step: find the person (or persons) in the business who could be your advocates… a couple of high-level business leaders who DO understand the importance of business involvement. Build a strong relationship with these individuals — and have them HELP you spread the word; have them help influence their business cohorts. IT does not and should not be doing this alone. The business HAS to take on ownership for many of the accountabilities around SAP. This all starts with finding a couple of people who can be your first advocates. This takes patience and time, but don’t give up too soon.

Debra Febles: In your experience what is the best way to select super users?

Doug Whittle: Be prepared with a list of the characteristics you are looking for in the “idea” SU (skills, competencies, knowledge, experience, etc.). If you also have some idea of who some of the candidates should be (some folks are already acting as unofficial SUs…others just gravitate to them when they have questions) go in with a list of those suggestions. Be careful that you don’t take “leftovers” — someone who no one knows what to do with anyway, so let’s just give them a try at this super user stuff.

Also have a clear list of what the rol
es and responsibilities of the SU are and what are your best estimates of the time they will spend on average each month performing these roles.

Be prepared to “sell” this program to business managers as something that brings value to the business users.

In my interviews with business managers, I also like to ask them where their employees get help today with SAP or other systems. This helps illustrate that unofficially, the idea of super user already exists. What we’d like to do now is formalize that support approach–recognizing the individuals who do this work, and helping them get better at doing this role.

MaryHendrickson: We’re 9 months after go live and trying to keep our SU network active and engaged. The networks that are using SAP daily are pretty well developed. But the networks for the more casual users are struggling in some areas. How do you foster a vibrant and effective SU network for users that are only using the system 2-3 times a month for basic reporting needs?

Doug Whittle: I would start with visiting with those SU…ask THEM what would help make their roles more effective? What do they need to provide better service? Sometimes just getting them together for sharing their ideas, solutions, approaches, AND problems makes for great networking.

I often see a group of SUs get together (both physically together in the same location or on a virtual basis) where SU #1 expresses a frustration with a transaction–and SU#2 has an answer or approach. Part of your efforts should be in fostering an environment where the SUs are a support group for one another–among them they seek and share their issues/problems and best practices with one another.

At least twice a year, I would also provide some type of professional development opportunity for the SUs (see some of my other posts in this section for ideas).

Debra Febles: We i
dentified our super users by function, but they get more questions cross-functionally. Is there a better way to organize than by function?

Doug Whittle: I know of some SU programs where they organize by business process–which then goes across transactions and traditional functional groups.

Another possibility: get your super users groups to meet regularly and focus on learning more about the cross-functional questions they are receiving. This helps them develop further within the org…which is always a good competency for employees to have.

When SUs get together, I recommend at least once a quarter, they review as a group the “top 10” questions that seem to come in again and again. Facilitate the group through the process of deciding what they (or the SAP team) need to do to prevent these questions from coming in anymore. In other words, how can we do something different (education, training, system change, etc.) to banish (or at least minimize) the top 10 problems that are driving us crazy! Then, next quarter, hit up whatever the next top 10 are, etc.

ameschmidt: Hi Doug,

Is setting a/several KPIs the appropriate way to keep SU motivated to continue doing a good job?

Doug Whittle: I see this as one possibility. I always want something included in a SU’s job description to describe the role and responsibilities. This way, they also get official feedback at their annual reviews. For the most part, SU’s are usually a pretty self-motivating group IF they know that their roles are valued by the organization and they’re getting something out of it themselves (e.g. professional development opportunities).

We always seem to look at SU programs from the WIIFO (What’s In It For the Organization)…but we also must be able to answer the question from the frame of reference of the SU: WIIFM (What’s In It For Me). If we can’t answer the latter que
stion…then we will most likely have an issue with keeping SUs motivated and engaged.

Debra Febles: Is there a recommended tool or toolset that you would recommend to assist Super Users in collaborating?

Doug Whittle: Unfortunately, I’m not a tools person. For the rest of you who have used this site and submitted questions, what suggestions to you have for Debra? I know there are many choices available, but I simply don’t focus on that aspect of support. Sorry Debra–but I hope some of your colleagues will jump in on this discussion.

Andrew Welch: How do you measure Super User performance when many of the issues they are resolving do not formally get entered into the system by way of help/support tickets?

Many of our Super Users say they have lines out their doors and do not have the time to open a new ticket for each time that they help an end-user. Because of this it appears there are a lower number of Super User Resolved tickets and causes people to believe that more tickets are being solved by higher level support members.

Doug Whittle: Here’s one approach: Is there a way to utilize the Help Desk as the point of entry into your support structure? Calls are filtered through the HD to determine where they go…AND the basic information is entered into the problem tracking system so we have the beginning record set up for each support call. I don’t mean to over-simplify this–there’s a whole lot of potential complexity in building such a process–but if you want to track data (and I believe you should)…this is one option that can, and does work–but requires attention to a lot of organizational issues in the process.

Take a step back. If you had to map the process called “end user support,” what is the current state and what is the desired/future state? Treat this like any other business process–where you map out options and alter
natives, and you redesign how support is offered in your organization. Yes, it will become political–and takes some time–but it’s well worth it once you have a new model in place. I’ve got all sorts of thoughts and ideas on this as well as pretty positive experiences that have resulted…just not time on a site like this to go into detail. If you’re at Projects 2011, look me up!

PraveenParvathipuram: We have a very big super user base and still the issues are logged by end user without contacting super users. What should we do in this situation?

Andrew Welch: We have a situation where higher level support members are getting lots of tickets that deal with how-to questions. Would it make sense to filter all support tickets through the Super Users and let them escalate the tickets that are beyond their expertise to a higher level support member? We have many more super users than we do higher level support members. Therefore, individual bandwidth is at a premium for those higher level support members.

Doug Whittle: Great question. A couple of alternatives:

First — yes, you can use your SU to cull through the questions and encourage them to answer those they can…so they serve as gatekeepers.

The other approach (and I’m a big fan of this)…I like the Help Desk to screen all calls (both SAP and non-SAP). They get the basic problem data recorded in whatever problem tracking system you’re using. Then they feed the problems to the appropriate support channel. Now…this requires some basic training for Help Desk folks…and it requires a lot of good communication across the organization.

One of the key reasons why you want a SU program is to keep “regular” and easier-resolved problems from clogging your SAP technical staff. You may need to actually map out a support process in which everyone on the SAP team is expected to follow. This means that sometimes a SAP technical
person may have to send a call to a Super User rather than be the “hero” that solves the problem.

Don’t forget…the entire support process in your organization should be planned, mapped, AND taught to those in support…but more importantly, to the end users! Think of how confusing it can be for an end user who just wants an answer…and they go to the first source they can. If they get an answer that time, they’ll go back to that source the next time. This can work to your benefit or to your disadvantage, depending on where you are in the overall SAP program hierarchy. Good support requires discipline and some formal channels.

And again…EDUCATE your end users on how to get support. Explain to them WHY you have adopted the structure you have. And be consistent in your expectations that end users follow those procedures. I know I’m over simplifying this right now…but bottom line…support is a business process just like any other process you’ve mapped for SAP.

Debra Febles: Do you feel that a super user network could replace the traditional help desk? If so what do you feel are the key critical success factors?

Doug Whittle: I think the relationship between the traditional Help Desk and the Super Users is part of the overall “support” process that every organization should map–both current state and desired state. I’m a HUGE advocate of a well-run Help Desk–and the two can function well in the same organization…but it all depends on the politics of your organization, the current reputation of each program, etc.

There will also be general desktop support questions: Do you really want your Super Users dealing with some of that stuff when they may already be backlogged with SAP business process questions?

I don’t see this as an either-or situation, but rather, how do we get the two groups to work together as a well-run SUPPORT organization? My last 6 years with a traditional corporation was a classic example of how an absolutely terrific Help Desk played a key role in how we also built an amazing SU program–and together, they represented a model of how end user support can be provided.

Andrew Welch: Are there any knowledge base tools that you have seen other businesses use for their super users and support people to store frequent error resolutions, etc.?

We see a lot of duplicate tickets and would like a way to minimize them by giving end users and super users the ability to search using keywords, etc.

Would you suggest a wiki, blog, or some other tool? Our company uses SharePoint for a lot of things and it’s ok. Although, it can be intimidating to a lot of people and difficult to search for specific things…

Doug Whittle: Andrew, I’m the first to declare myself a “non-techy”…my experience and focus has always been on the organizational impact of initiatives. That being said, I do know from my work with Help Desks that there are a number of great products on the market that can be used to track issues, and be used as knowledge bases.

See if someone from your organization has a membership in Help Desk International. This is the “stuff” around which there’s volumes of information and experience within the membership of this organization.

Perhaps others on this site also have experience with these types of systems?

In terms of a specific product, always go back to usability. How quickly and easily can an end user search for and access the information they need. Likewise, keep in mind that even getting end users to use these tools as part of the self-sufficiency goal is a huge cultural change for many organizations. In other words, if you build it, will they come? If not, what will it take to change that mindset? Tough? yes. Impossible…no!

Dorte Havshoej: Which tasks does the Super User role normally do in an SAP implementation project?

Doug Whittle: The Super User can participate in user testing and usability sessions. Some, if they have the skills in instructional design, can help design end user training materials and content. Establish networks of SU should be a key part of helping relay messages/communication to the end users for upgrades, rollouts, etc.

Good super users are advocates of the system–and help influence/persuade others. Super Users can also be used as end user advocates–they bring BACK to the SAP team the needs and frustrations of the end users in an organized and planned way. They can help the SAP team prioritize system changes, based upon what they’ve seen “in the trenches.”

Debra Febles: Have the super user programs that you have seen included responsibility for formal end user training or just support?

Doug Whittle: I’ve seen both approaches used. My preference: Super Users should provide both support AND training. Much of this “training” will end up being one-on-one coaching and guidance rather than stand-up training (unless you’re at a first go-live a major upgrade). For instance, when a new employee starts…chances are you can “train” this person more informally — a couple of hours today; a couple of hours in a couple of days, etc. That means we can still teach our SU some basic training skills. One of my big soapboxes…Super Users are supposed to help develop self-sufficient end users. In other words, teach them to fish rather than feed them fish.

Debra Febles: Good discussion.  Thank you for your insight.

PraveenParvathipuram: We conduct super user meetings for each process area every week, to talk about the tickets which are logged and discuss the project/business case, but the participation from super use
rs is very minimal.

Can you give us suggestions for how to make effective super user meetings?

What should we discuss in the super user meetings?

Doug Whittle: I posted a reply elsewhere around a similar question, so check that out first.

Then, I also recommend that you review/rewrite the “charter” for the Super Users. Somewhere there needs to be a clear identification of roles and responsibilities. I would want included some level of accountability on the part of Super Users to improve the support process (hence the work you’re doing on reviewing tickets). I would also suggest that you look into including some feedback for Super Users on their performance appraisals (also referenced earlier).

Two things I always do when I’m faced with a group that seems “disinterested”:

1) What can I do to help make those meetings engaging, meaningful, attractive?

2) Ask the members: what do YOU need and what will YOU do to make these meetings engaging, meaningful, attractive (hence the accountability factor)?

PraveenParvathipuram: Thanks Doug.

JMK: Hi Doug- What are some of the most effective strategies/methods you have found to keep the super users involved in the program?

Doug Whittle: Several others have asked questions similar to this…so rather than repeat, you might want to take a look at my responses to Jonathan, Jennifer, and Mary. I’ve given several ideas that may be useful for you to consider.

My bottom line: I always involve the SUs in part of this discussion: “What suggestions do YOU (the super users) have for keeping this program lively, relevant, and useful.” They always have suggestions–and this means they’ve got some “skin in the game” in terms of helping drive the future program.

DSL: How do you keep t
he SUs interested in being a SU? We can’t add $$$ to their salary, the associates still have a full time job outside of SU, it isn’t included in their reviews….what do you do?

Doug Whittle: Why isn’t the SU role included as part of their job description? Think of this from the point of view of a Super User: you’re asking me to provide professional services to my colleagues…but you don’t think it’s important enough to include as a line item (or two) in my job description–which links directly to my performance review–which links directly to my income/salary. That would be my first suggestion–start working with HR to change this piece.

See some of my other posts here about other ways to increase professional development opportunities for your SU. But please–start with the job description and performance appraisal. It will go miles with your SU’s.

Andrew Welch: In a global organization with 20,000+ employees, how do you determine the number of Super Users? Should Super Users be deployed based on region and/or function?

Doug Whittle: Skim through the other posts on this site…I’ve had the question come up several times. One key point to keep in mind: there is no “perfect” ratio of super users to end users. Some areas of your business will need little help/assistance/support while others may be fairly “high maintenance” for a first go-live.

The goal, of course, is to minimize that high-maintenance over time by fostering the concept of self-sufficiency. If there’s an area in the organization where downtime is more detrimental to the operations of your organization, you may ramp up the level of support for those areas. If you have the data available–examine where support needs (of SAP AND other systems) appears high. Start identifying reasons why support is so high here (perhaps it’s a growing segment of the company with lots of new emplo
yees; perhaps there’s a high turnover rate, etc.).

Keep in mind that your ratio of SU to end users can vary within your organization. Perhaps you have a very low ratio for accounting and a very high ratio for supply chain, etc. It has to make sense for YOUR organization, for your respective users, etc. One-size-fits-all is probably not a good way to go for a SU program–particularly with a larger org such as yours.

 Andrew Welch: Thank you, Doug!

 DSL: How do you measure the success rate of the SU program or the success of each individual SU? Do you test their knowledge? Do you survey their user community? Any specific ideas?

Doug Whittle: Start a discussion on what a successful SU does: How would you know one when you see one? What would be signs of a successful SU program? How would you know one when you see one? Some of your answers may fall into the qualitative  (soft) area; others may be able to translate into quantitative measures (we reduce the down time of end users by x%), etc. Testing is something that is usually dependent upon the culture of an org. Some orgs simply don’t “test” anyone. Others are very comfortable with the concept.

By all means, I would want to do some surveys with my end users…these should be quick, simple, etc. But if you never check with your end users, how will you know whether they believe your program works? This is part of a continuous improvement environment.

There is so much to talk about in the measurement/evaluation area–more than what I can squeeze into this site.IF this is a need for you and others, tell the SAPinsider folks, and perhaps they can do some type of webinar on this topic.

Irmaviera: Good questions, good answers, great Forum!

JS: Thanks for your insight, Doug

Amy Thistle (moderator): Thanks to everyone who joined us in a great discussion.

And thanks to Doug Whittle of Whittle Consulting for sharing his advice and expertise.

For more resources, Insider Learning Network’s Project Management Group offers tips and advice for your SAP projects.

You’ll also find updates on the upcoming Managing your SAP Projects 2011 conference, November 2-4 in Las Vegas. I invite you to join us in Las Vegas and introduce yourself to Doug at the event! Doug will be presenting sessions including:

– Practical strategies to improve the way you manage the people piece of project management

– Table talk: Tales of two project managers’ success stories and strategies

– Insider discussion forum: Professional development for project managers

– Conducting a post-mortem evaluation — Project review tools, tips, and templates that support your SAP continuous improvement strategy

Thanks again for participating in today’s Q&A!