--- title: SAP Project Implementation and Review of How To Measure Anything description: Learn how statistics and SAP Project Management and real world experience can reduce project implementation risks. image: https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/file-16579086-png/images/project_cancellation.png --- ![US Average Project Cancellation Rates vs Manmonths](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/file-16579086-png/images/project_cancellation.png) # SAP Project Implementation and Review of How To Measure Anything Table of Contents ## How to Measure Anything Review Just finished reading a great book, **“How to Measure Anything”,** by Douglas W. Hubbard.  For anyone who is rusty on statistics, but needs useful knowledge now, without taking a bunch of college stat courses, this is a great place to start.  ## Get to Go-Live With Less Risk As a  Senior **[SAP Project Manager](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/choosing-a-sap-services-partner/)**, I am always looking for better ways to get customers to [Go-Live](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/5-things-to-know-about-your-sap-project-manager) quicker, with less [risk.](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/12-risk-management-considerations-to-measure-wricef-a)     As such, and after exploring his great website, I did find one particularly disturbing graph, recreated here:  ![Project Cancellation](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/file-16579086-png/images/project_cancellation.png?width=424&height=266&name=project_cancellation.png) **Total Project Man-Months (please note that a man-month is different than total calendar project duration)**   **Disclosure:** I do have a bit of a stat background (rusty) and know this is just a reasonable guesstimate at the current state of [project cancellations](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/9-reasons-sap-bw-projects-fail-maybe).  But I do think any [SAP project implementation](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/enterprise-services/sap-industry-solutions/sap-project-management) should keep this stat in mind.   ALL of my projects have went live so far, (and that is a bunch of projects, not just SAP), but I know plenty of projects that have not gone live or if they have, they have not realized their [business objectives](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/developing-balanced-scorecards).    ### Lessons Learned from the Ones that Did Not Meet Their Business Objectives:   - The more you stick to standard [**out-of-the-box** functionality](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/8-value-based-questions-for-real-estate-management-software-solutions), the higher the probability of success. - Conversely, the more of a **science fair project your project is**, the more likely you will not finish on time, if ever. - [**De-risking**](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/sap-grants-management) a project sounds good.  In practice, actually taking [risk](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/unleashing-business-success-balanced-scorecard-strategy) out of a project is very difficult. - The PMI Project Methodology states that the doers (usually SMEs or Subject Matter Experts) do the **task estimations**.  Not the Project Manager.  In practice, you better be prepared to wag it.  No [SOW](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/need-help-with-your-rfp) is ever signed (at least a fixed price one) where the tasks have not been estimated based on an assumption by somebody.  These assumptions are subject to wild variations once they meet the reality of a particular project. How much can these [estimates vary](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/how-to-understand-sap-modules-in-5-minutes) from actual results?  I was once [brought into](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/3-multi-channel-marketing-lessons-learned-catching-the-big-one) a project, during the *8th year of a 2 year project*.   While interviewing the CEO, right before he went on TV to announce earnings no less, he told me that he had yet to see ANY **[return](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/net-present-value-npv-template) from the project**.  - If your project does not have a **solid [business case](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/how-to-use-a-project-charter-to-start-a-project)**, you shouldn’t be on that project. - If your project involves a large number of 3rd party solutions, at best, it is challenging.  *At worst, the **[solution architecture](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/10-key-infrastructure-tips-for-sap-implementation-projects)** is improperly defined or understood.*   You might want to take a look at some of my experienced based, Top [SAP Project Management](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/enterprise-services/sap-industry-solutions/sap-project-management) tips to help you avoid some of these issues on your next project.   [![Download Our Top Ten SAP Project Management Tips](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/118735/9203c3f1-ce06-4cbf-b0de-5b4201575e92.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/118735/9203c3f1-ce06-4cbf-b0de-5b4201575e92)   Thanks Topics from this blog: [Insight](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/insight) [Best Practices](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/best-practices) [Project Management](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/project-management) [Solution Manager](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/solution-manager) ### Download SAP BW Mindmap Learn what SAP Business Warehouse is and what it does in under five minutes [![Get this Mindmap](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/118735/8db2ad37-8211-47a3-86ae-09b6b2bb297b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/118735/8db2ad37-8211-47a3-86ae-09b6b2bb297b) [mailto:someone@yoursite.com](mailto:someone@yoursite.com) ### Lonnie D. Ayers, PMP About the Author: Lonnie Ayers is a Hubspot Certified Inbound Marketing consultant, with additional certifications in Hubspot Content Optimization, Hubspot Contextual Marketing, and is a Hubspot Certified Partner. Specialized in demand generation and sales execution, especially in the SAP, Oracle and Microsoft Partner space, he has unique insight into the tough challenges Service Providers face with generating leads and closing sales using the latest digital tools. With 15 years of SAP Program Management experience, and dozens of complex sales engagements under his belt, he helps partners develop and communicate their unique sales proposition. Frequently sought as a public speaker in various events, he is available for both inhouse engagements and ** remote coaching. ** ![Balanced Scorecard Consultant](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hubfs/social-suggested-images/Balanced%20Scorecard%20Certified%20Graduate.jpg) He also recently released a book **"How to Dominate Any Market - Turbocharging Your Digital Marketing and Sales Results",** which is available on [ Amazon.](https://www.amazon.com/Dominate-Turbocharging-Digital-Marketing-Results/dp/1728357950/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1589182458&refinements=p_27%3ALonnie+D.+Ayers&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Lonnie+D.+Ayers)**** [View All Articles by Lonnie D. Ayers, PMP](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/author/lonnie-d-ayers-pmp) ## The SAP Blog Subscribe to our blog and receive SAP BW Updates, demand generation, inbound marketing, sales enablement, technology and revenue generation insights and ideas delivered right to your email. [mailto:someone@yoursite.com](mailto:someone@yoursite.com) ![SAP](https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/viewthroughconversion/960101754/?value=0&guid=ON&script=0) ![](https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=199270410761059&ev=PageView&noscript=1) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/sap-project-implementation-and-review-of-how-to-measure-anything#blogposting", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "about" : [ { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Learning", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Statistics", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistics" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Project management", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Experience", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experience" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Project", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Risk", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk" } ], "author" : { "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/about-lonnie-ayers#person" }, "description" : "Explore the lessons learned from SAP project implementations and a review of 'How to Measure Anything', including the importance of risk management, statistics, and effective project management.", "headline" : "SAP Project Implementation and Review of How to Measure Anything", "inLanguage" : "en", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/sap-project-implementation-and-review-of-how-to-measure-anything" }, "mentions" : [ { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Measurement", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Reading", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Chart", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chart" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Calendar", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Strategic planning", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_planning" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Lesson", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesson" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Probability", "sameAs" : "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probability" } ], "name" : "SAP Project Implementation and Review of How to Measure Anything", "potentialAction" : { "@type" : "ViewAction", "name" : "Download Our Top Ten SAP Project Management Tips", "target" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/top-10-tips-for-effective-sap-project-management" }, "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com#organization" }, "url" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/sap-project-implementation-and-review-of-how-to-measure-anything" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com#website", "@type" : "WebSite", "name" : "SAP BW Consulting, Inc.", "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com#organization" }, "url" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com#organization", "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com#logo" }, "name" : "SAP BW Consulting, Inc.", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/543163/admin/", "https://www.youtube.com/user/SAPBWConsulting/", "https://twitter.com/Lonniea39", "https://www.facebook.com/SAPBWConsulting" ], "url" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com#logo", "@type" : "ImageObject", "caption" : "SAP BW Consulting, Inc. logo", "url" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/sapbw-consulting.png?width=2847&name=sapbw-consulting.png" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/about-lonnie-ayers#person", "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Lonnie D. 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