Database Reference
In-Depth Information
someone else. top that with the fact that they are usually available at a very reasonable
price. Additionally, they have the skill set needed to run a business, get placed without
the benefit of a dedicated sales group, and keep up to date with the ever-expanding
world of Essbase. Independents tend to be highly motivated professionals. however, the
resource constraints that hold true for the medium size to boutique vendors are even
more restrictive for the individual. If you hired a turkey, there is no salvaging the rela-
tionship, out he goes. Both the boutique vendors and the independents can be found in
all kinds of projects both on their own and as subcontracted resources on a Big Four
(oracle Consulting Services, Ernst & young, Deloitte, and IBm/PWC) project. Large
vendors do not always have the answers, the industry is small, and the resources limited,
so do not be shocked when you see an independent consultant working under the name
of another company.
11.4.2.4 How Do You Choose?
As with any purchase, you have to look beyond the hype.
There are several avenues to help you make your decision:
• The oracle Partner network (oPn) lists and classifies consulting vendors by
specialty and oPn level.
• The oracle Development tools user group (oDtug) kScope conference is
the preeminent global oracle EPm conference. Attend it to see the consulting
presenters in action; even if you cannot go, download the presentations from
their technical reference section in the areas in which you are interested. It
can be an illuminating way to see if technical depth is really there. The urL is
http://www.odtug.com and downloads are free.
• regional seminars, whether sponsored by oDtug, the oracle Applications
user group, or a local consulting company.
unless you have a truly massive global project where only the largest vendors make
sense, it really is a question of balancing your limited resources (time to manage the
project, money to pay the rates) with what the consulting companies offer. keep in mind
the above dictums, but always from the perspective of what a particular project is trying
to accomplish. you might be pleasantly surprised with what you end up with.
11.4.3 Request for Proposal
A request for proposal (rFP) is a formal document that is used by companies when
they need outside services, such as software or consulting services. In the context of
this topic, the request is more likely to be services than sotware. Writing the efective
proposal is a balancing act. on one hand, the author wants to obtain enough detailed
feedback so as to be comfortable with a vendor. on the other hand, the request should
not be so detailed that it cannot be responded to in a reasonable time. There are many
key points to remember in the proposal creation process.
11.4.3.1 Get the Right People Involved
Before arriving at a solution, it is important to
understand the problem. to completely understand the problem, it is important to
involve the necessary resources. For an EPm system, that would include the project spon-
sor, It, the pertinent departmental representatives, subject matter experts, and end users.
11.4.3.2 Define the New System Requirements
Define the requirements in as much detail
as possible. Distinguish between the must have features and those that are not that
