SAP-Centric Projects

a. Middleware, EAI, or Application?  

Be clear about what you are looking for. If you want to resolve one specific business problem, namely the integration between SAP and Primavera, then the solution should be built on as thin a platform as possible. It should NOT consist of what you can call "thick middleware" that requires the installation of a complete platform with features that platform vendors sell (like IBM, SAP or BEA). This is a first indication that the vendor focuses more on the technological aspets of the solution rather than on resolving an immediate business problem.  

A tell-tale sign is when vendors demonstrate solutions by showing off technology instead of addressing the specific business problem. Another one is when they use databases extensively to keep track of core information so that it can be manipulated outside SAP or Primavera.   

b. What about Standards? ABAP, Web technologies, Java, XML?  

Every vendor will tell you about them being web-based and supporting standards like Java and XML. Now you need to dig deeper by asking specific questions. What does "web-based" mean?  What web-application server do you run on? Are you using any proprietary code in your application? Any programming language or tool aside from Java and HTML? Which ones?

c. The Ever-Elusive 'Configuration'

 The first question you should ask yourself is "What does configuration mean?" Sometimes the better term is "tailoring", meaning the application of custom logic as opposed to standard mapping. Whenever a vendor shows pretty mapping screens to indicate "scalability" - beware. This may indeed be an indication that they do not understand the issue.   

d. Build or Buy? Or Having it Built?  

This is an indication of at least two points. First, it means that the focus clearly is on finding a solution for the customer, not something scalable. Second, it also means that the dimension of the task usually is either defined as very small or that it is grossly underestimated what it takes to complete it.