Why SAP Resources Do Not Critique False SAP Sponsored Research

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Executive Summary

SAP sponsors firms like IDC or Forrester to produce false research.
SAP resources, which claim to be data-driven, do not critique this research in public.

Introduction

As stated in the article, IDC Takes Money to Publish SAP Provided Sample on S/4HANA. This is the pattern of sponsored research from SAP. Notice that the sample was rigged for Forrester when they were paid by SAP to minimize S/4HANA implementation costs based upon a sample of three implementations. Described in this link How Accurate Was Forrester’s TCO Research on HANA? The same trick was applied to the ASUG poll where the ASUG numbers were entirely out of line with all other numbers was described in the article, How Accurate Was ASUG on their S/4HANA Poll?

Our References for This Article

If you want to see our references for this article and related Brightwork articles, see this link.

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SAP’s History with Sponsored Research

SAP has a long-term history of feeding sponsored entities with non-representative samples. The entire intention of the sponsorship of the IDC research into S/4HANA was to make S/4HANA uptake look better than it is. When SAP or an SAP-sponsored entity quotes some analysis, that analysis will be distorted.

Notice this explanation of how Hasso Plattner referred to 200 “peer-reviewed” research papers that proved HANA supported the claims in his SAPPHIRE slide. As we cover in the article How Accurate Was Hasso Plattner on the HANA Peer-Reviewed Publications?

SAP Resources are Silent on False Research

IDC can publish this research, and they can be sure that it will not be critiqued and that it will mostly be reshared and repeated. All of the SAP consulting firms will support it, and IT media entities do not critique research. Furthermore, these IT media entities count SAP as a customer for advertising and paid placements, so they know to keep their mouths shut. IDC also owns IDG, which owns 8 of the top 20 media IT brands (CIO, ComputerWorld, etc..) — so they would certainly not critique it. This is in the minds of many the perfect end state. All major IT media and analyst entities are remotely controlled by the largest software vendors and consulting firms. This is referred to as “Synergy,” as we covered it. Can you Trust IDC and Their China Based Owners?

My proposal’s evidence can be found both in looking for articles that critique this study and on the comments that come on this article’s share. There will not be a single individual from an SAP-friendly entity that will agree that the IDC research is rigged or otherwise looks suspicious. The most they will say is that it “could be better.” Watch the comments and see if I am correct.

This is also covered in the following quotation.

“This reminds me of my article about critical thinking and questioning the motive of sources. There is an entire industry around paid advertorial reports and awards that are nothing more than paid advertisements. “ – Jen Underwood

Critical Thinking Skills Are Little Desired in the IT Employment Market

We talk about the importance of teaching critical thinking. Still, my observation of every vendor and consulting company I ever worked for or with is that companies aggressively oppose critical thinking. What they want is people who will do correctly as they are told. When I performed research into topics, if it did not turn out as the entity desired, I was threatened that I would be removed if I did not hide the results. If the official line is that the moon is made of cheese, then this narrative must be repeated, and to not repeat it is to put one’s career at risk. As you know, we frequently discuss “math and science” education, but like IDC, employers in the IT space want people who will falsify the math when they so desire it. So there is a tiny market for honest mathematics of honest statistics.

“I completely concur regarding critical thinking being unwelcome. I’ve experienced my fair share of attacks by cult-like vendor advocates in varied attempts to destroy and silence my fair, valid evaluations. With the tech consolidating and big tech dominating digital communication channels, shadow banning, censoring, etc., honest voices get drowned out.” – Jen Underwood

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Conclusion

The strategy deployed by SAP resources is to ignore and never publicly comment on obviously false research funded by SAP, except sometimes to try to e up with an excuse for the research. This is a type of non-observance, and it is also related to confirmation bias. SAP resources minimize the incorporation of the data point of the fake research item from their observation.