SAP COMMERCIAL ADVISORY SERVICES
The Time is Now:

Unbiased Support for All Your SAP Sourcing and Negotiation Needs
Whether you are looking to optimize your SAP licensing agreement or negotiate a best-in-class agreement with an SAP implementation, hosting, or support provider, we have what it takes to enable your success. Empowered by a proven set of methodologies and proprietary tools, our dedicated team of SAP experts is well-positioned to support your team from development of your integrated sourcing strategy through execution of your vendor evaluation, selection, and negotiation process
White Paper
SAP S/4HANA Integrated Sourcing Strategy

Considering SAP RISE? Explore our RISE resources
Our Proven Methodology & Approach
Discovery/
Planning
We help you develop integrated sourcing strategies to ensure you have a proper foundation upon which to embark on your transformation journey.
Evaluation &
Selection
Our tools and guidance ensure you solicit comprehensive proposals that align with your expectations to better-inform your partner selection(s).
Negotiation
Preparation
To ensure you are fully aligned and prepared to enter negotiations, we facilitate the normalization of supplier proposals to ensure accurate comparisons.
Negotiation
Execution
Our negotiation experts identify talking points and assist in scripting the negotiation process so you can achieve optimal outcomes in the required timeframe.
Contract
Execution
We validate that the agreement and supporting attachments clearly reflect the negotiated commercial, financial, and project terms.
Project Execution
Advisory Services
Post contract execution support ensures service providers deliver on-time, on-budget, and with quality against your program scope.
Your Unbiased, Buy-Side Advocate From Strategy Through Execution
Software Licensing & Compliance
System Implementation
Application Management
Infrastructure Hosting
SAP Practice by the Numbers
41X Average Return on Investment
>18 Years Of Experience
>500 SAP Transactions
$6B Worth of Project Spend
SAP Software Licensing & Compliance
There are many events that require you to negotiate or reevaluate your SAP software license agreements. Whether you are undergoing a merger or acquisition, SAP ECC to S/4HANA migration, adopting SAP SaaS solutions, or negotiating an Indirect/Digital Access compliance audit, our team is well-positioned to help you achieve best-in-class pricing and commercial terms.
On-Premise
We have extensive experience supporting the negotiation of all SAP On-Premise software, including SAP ECC licensing, S/4HANA licensing, ECC to S/4HANA software license conversions, SAP HANA Runtime, and HANA Enterprise agreements for customers migrating from third-party database solutions.
Cloud
Our expertise includes the negotiation of all SAP Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions designed to support your lines of business including Ariba, Concur, Fieldglass, Hybris, SuccessFactors, and Qualtrics. We also support the negotiation of SAP Cloud Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solutions, including Enterprise Cloud Platform, Analytics Cloud, BusinessObjects, Workflow, and integration solutions.
We Have Answers
- How should we manage SAP executive engagement?
- Do we understand SAP’s pricing and business practices?
- Is our existing agreement market competitive?
- How should we address Indirect/Digital Access?
- Is our S/4HANA/SAP Cloud proposal market competitive
What We Provide
- Comprehensive Baseline Assessment of your existing SAP relationship
- Highly customized and holistic SAP negotiation strategy
- Dedicated support and tailored deliverables throughout the SAP negotiation
- Certification of the market competitiveness of your SAP agreement
Our Tools
- Software License Optimization Assessment Tool
- Indirect/Digital Access Risk Assessment Tool
- On-Premise Contract Terms and Pricing Database
- Cloud Contract Terms, Pricing and Service Level Agreement (SLA) Database
SAP System Implementation
The most critical element of any transformation are the people who make up your team which will most likely be comprised of many partners, including a systems integrator. We understand that development and execution of an effective system implementation partner evaluation, selection and negotiation strategy will materially impact the outcome of your transformation.
Our team of advisors is comprised of former transformation program executives and procurement leaders that understand the journey your organization is embarking on. We assess all aspects of SAP system integrator proposals on an apples-to-apples basis, closing material gaps in scope, assumptions, and resource loading. Our toolset also provides you with a quantitative assessment of financial risk associated with each vendor proposal in comparison to each other and to the market. We provide the SAP benchmarks required to negotiate pricing, financial structures, master agreement terms and statements of work.
We Have Answers
- Are we setting the right expectations for the Board of Directors?
- Do we have a sourcing strategy that will support our decision process and timeline?
- What is the risk profile of each implementation partner proposal?
- Does our team have the capability to develop and execute our plan?
- What actions must we take to mitigate our project and financial risk?
What We Provide
- Sourcing, evaluation, selection, negotiation and contracting plan
- System implementation RFP & estimate worksheet
- Detailed proposal gap readout
- Comparative analysis of your top suppliers
- End-to-end commercial and contract negotiation support
Our Tools
- RFP Template and Estimate Worksheet
- PRIZM – Proprietary Comparative Assessment Tool
- APEX Proprietary Estimate Analyzer and Risk Modeler
- Supplier Intelligence Portal (SIP) Rate Analyzer
- SOW Project Responsibility Matrix
- Consulting Rates and Contract Terms Database
SAP Application Maintenance & Support Services
An essential part of any SAP digital transformation is the establishment of an operational and sourcing strategy that simultaneously supports the existing and newly developed environments. Organizations have an opportunity to leverage the inflection point of a digital transformation to reevaluate their Application Management and Support model. This reevaluation is typically viewed in the context of the overall digital transformation and SAP S/4HANA implementation as certain interdependencies and decisions require thoughtful consideration during the implementation phase.
We collaborate with our clients to formulate an integrated sourcing strategy and effectively execute the vendor evaluation, selection and negotiation process.
We Have Answers
- Will the selected SI provide interim AMS support?
- Should we leverage our existing AMS provider to support the new S/4HANA environment or go out to RFP?
- Which AMS providers should we consider?
- When is the optimal time to go out to RFP?
- Should we issue an integrated AMS and Hosting RFP?
What We Provide
- A holistic view of the market and your sourcing options
- Integrated sourcing and vendor evaluation strategy
- Methods and tools required to appropriately evaluate and select your solution
- Comprehensive and highly customized negotiation advisory support
Our Tools
- AMS Rate & Resource Unit Pricing Database
- AMS Productivity Assessment Tool
- AMS Service Level Agreement Database
- AMS Contract & Commercial Terms Database
SAP Hosting & Hyperscaler Services
Digital transformations are expanding well beyond the business and application landscape. The infrastructure and managed services supporting S/4HANA are also undergoing material change. Selecting the hosting company that is the best fit for your organization is critical for your business operations.
We support the entire sourcing process, from development of a holistic and integrated sourcing strategy that sets your transformation program up for success to the execution of a partner evaluation, selection and negotiation.
Today’s landscape requires an understanding of SAP’s HEC solution, SAP Hyperscaler solutions, and complementary project and managed services offered by many others. With our extensive knowledge of the market and your vendor options, you can rest assured that you made the best choice.
We Have Answers
- Do we understand the SAP Hyperscaler solutions?
- Should we include SAP’s HEC solution in our evaluation process?
- What are the pros and cons of a private managed cloud solution?
- What managed services are required to support our future state environment?
- How do we ensure our agreements are flexible, scalable, and predictable?
What We Provide
- A holistic view of the market and your sourcing options
- Integrated sourcing and vendor evaluation strategy
- Methods and tools required to appropriately evaluate and select your solution
- Comprehensive and highly customized negotiation advisory support
Our Tools
- Service Rate & Resource Unit Pricing Database
- Service Level Agreement Database
- Contract & Commercial Terms Database
On-Demand Webinar
Key Decisions for Your
S/4HANA Journey
Strategy Drives Success
SAP Case Studies
- $15B Freight Transportation Company Achieves 69% Increase in Vendor Investments
- $3B Consumer Products Manufacturer & Retailer Achieves a 44% Fee Reduction ($5.9M) Over 5 Years
- A&D Company Negotiates $4.85M in Savings Over 5 Years in SAP Transformation
- Agricultural Chemical Company Reduces SAP S/4HANA TCO by ˜$8M Over 5 Years
- Chemical Manufacturer & Distributor Saves $3.5M Over 5 Years in SAP S/4HANA Agreement
- Global Plastics & Chemical Client Reduces Implementation Costs by ˜$2.4M in SAP Cloud Transformation
- Global Plastics & Chemical Client Reduces Implementation Costs by ˜$2.4M in SAP Cloud Transformation
- Consumer Electronics Manufacturer Divesting Part of Business Saves $6M Over 5 Years
- Leading Client Divesting Part of Business Extends SAP TSA Rights and Saves $6M Over 5 Years
- Footwear Manufacturer Selects SAP Using UpperEdge Benchmarks to Reduce Capital Outlay and Obtain Scalable Future With Initial Pricing & Discounting
- F500 Electricity & Natural Gas Company Achieves $4M in Savings Over 5 Years for SAP Multi-Year Transformation
- Global Optoelectronics Company Mitigates Risks in SAP ERP Negotiation
- Utility Company Saves $1M in ERP Maintenance Renegotiation
- Life Sciences Manufacturer Saves $7M in ERP Package Selection and Negotiation
- F100 Airline Company Secures a Fixed Fee in SAP HCM Transformation
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7 Predictions for SAP Customers in 2023
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Latest SAP Podcasts

Want an SAP Negotiation Expert on Your Side?
Let us know your situation by contacting us at 617-412-4313 or sending an email to info@upperedge.com. If you would prefer to be contacted, please provide the following information so we can better serve and support your inquiry.