Consultancy help for SAP in partner quest

ERP vendor SAP has signed up channel consultancy Foster MacCallum to help it in its continuing search for additional partners

ERP vendor SAP has signed up channel consultancy Foster MacCallum to help it in its continuing search for additional partners.

Earlier this year the vendor announced a move to aggressively target SME VARs for its BusinessOne product (CRN, 3 September).

It has so far recruited up to 15 resellers with the help of Foster MacCallum.

“When SAP started its channel team back in January, we quickly recognised that we needed to do something significant to improve both the quantity and quality of our channel partners,” said Martin Stoker, UK head of SAP Business One.

“We needed extra expertise and resources, hence the appointment of Foster MacCallum.”

The channel consultancy firm then advised SAP to draw up a list of criteria and create an ‘ideal partner profile’ before going out to approach any potential channel partners.

George Dziedic, director at Foster MacCallum, said: “The market, especially the channel, is constantly changing. There is continual churn. We take a fresh look at the market so we can advise SAP on the latest VAR updates.”

Stoker said the vendor is looking to sign five to seven VARs before the end of the year, and will look to appoint 40 to 50 in total.

“In January we will also officially launch our Partner Edge programme, although we have already been testing some elements of it in pilot schemes in the UK,” he said.

Stoker added that in January the vendor will also look to appoint more vertical-focused VARs and target the ISV sector.

“We want partners either to integrate their applications with Business One or to design applications around it,” Stoker said.