EXPERT RESPONSE
Having worked in the SAP APO/SCM area for the last six years I have only been seeing the solution having matured over the years. But I will try my best to give an unbiased opinion.
What you are talking about was very relevant six years back, but I do not hear much about it from customers nowadays as much.
SAP has been working on various modules in APO and trying to focus on them in each release and at this stage I can say it is being seriously considered as one of the best solutions in the SCM market.
The comparison to the "best of breed" products is a very contentious topic but among the unique selling proposition of APO is the ease of integration to SAP R/3 (or ECC) which is the ERP system of choice in many industries.
While there are various best-of-breed solutions in specific areas and in specific industries, SAP APO in general has emerged a leading solution over time. Also, the much touted service oriented architecture (SOA) is one of the reasons customers look forward to getting more flexible applications.
So, rather than approaching SAP APO as a product, if you approach it as a part of an enterprise wide solution it might make more sense. The market is definitely not slow if you are on the right boat with the right experience. In addition to new installations and there are many clients who have APO installed and yet to realize its full functionalities.
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