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ImplementingSAP|SAPImplementationSuccessFactors
ImplementingSAPpackagecanbeatraumaticaffairforboththecustomerandthevendor.Getit
wrongandthevendormaygetpaidlateorhavetoresorttolawyerstogetpaidandtarnishtheir
reputation.Forthecompanythenewpackagemaynotworkthewaytheyexpected,belateorcosta
morethanbudgetedforandtakemanagementwilltaketheireyeoffrunningtheirbusiness.
RecentlyaclientaskedmewhatIwouldconsidertobethefivemostimportantthingsoneshould
considerbeforeembarkingonanimplementation.Thisisn'tasimplequestion,althoughthereare
manyfactorstothinkaboutaftersomeconsiderationformethetopfivearewayaheadoftheothers.
MytopfivefactorstoconsiderasSAPimplementationsuccessfactorswouldbe:
1.SetupaProjectBoard,
2.Securetheresources,
3.CompletetheGAPAnalysis,
4.HavedetailedCutOverPlans,
5.Traintheusers.
TakingtheSAPimplementationsuccessfactors,eachoneinturn:
TheProjectBoard
ThecorrectsetupandoperationoftheProjectBoardinmyviewismajorfactorinthesuccessfailure
oftheproject.TheProjectBoardwillconsistofthestakeholders,keyusersandthevendor.The
ProjectBoardispartofthegovernanceoftheproject.TheProjectBoardwillmeetregularlyto
ensurethattheprojectplansarecreatedandbeingexecutedasplanned,movesfromstagetostage
withallthedeliverablesbeingsignedoffisresearchedproperly.
TheResources
Threetypesofresourcesareabsolutelynecessaryendusers,changeteamandtechnicians.
Earlyinvolvementbytheendusersisabsolutelynecessary,astheywillbetheoneslivingwiththe
systemforhopefullymanyyearstocome.Theywillwanttofeelinvolvedinitsimplementation.
Buyinfromtheendusersofthesystemisabsolutelyessentialifthesystemistohavealongand
stablelifeinanyorganisation.
TheChangeTeamwillidentifythegapsbetweenthepackageandthebusinessrequirements,re
engineersomeofthebusinessesprocesstocopewiththepackage,traintheuserstoensure
implementationsissmoothaspossibleintothebusiness.
TheTechnicalTeamwillpreparethesystemsenvironmentforthepackage,applyanysoftwarefixes
fromthevendor,implementthesoftwareinthebestwaypossiblefortheorganisationsetupandtune
thesoftwarefortheparticulartechnicalenvironment.
GAPAnalysis
Athroughgapanalysiswillidentifythegapsbetweenhowthebusinessoperatesaditsneedsagainst
whatthepackagecancan'tdo.Foreachgaptherewillbeoneofthreeoutcomeswhichmustbe
recordedandactioned,GAPmustbeclosedandcustomisedsoftwarecanbedevelopedclosethegap,
GAPmustbeclosedbutsoftwarecannotbewrittenthereforeaworkaroundisrequired,GAPdoesnot
needtobeclosed.
Insimpleterms:Gapmeanssmallcracks.InSAPworld.Ininformationtechnology,gapanalysisis
thestudyofthedifferencesbetweentwodifferentinformationsystemsorapplications(exexisting
systemorlegacysystemwithClientandnewisSAP),oftenforthepurposeofdetermininghowtoget
fromonestatetoanewstate.Agapissometimesspokenofas"thespacebetweenwhereweareand
wherewewanttobe."Gapanalysisisundertakenasameansofbridgingthatspace.
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ImplementingSAP|SAPImplementationSuccessFactors
Actualgapanalysisistimeconsuminganditplaysvitalroleinblueprintstage.
CutOverPlans
Detailedplansneedtobedevelopedforcuttingoverfromtheoldsystem(s)tothenew.Parallelruns
ofwhatwillhappenovertheconversionperiodusingtestdata,convertandwatchforaperiodafter
wardstoensurenothingunexpectedhappens.
TrainUsers
Welltraineduserswillsupportanddefendthesystemonsite.Unsupportiveuserswillcontinually
underminethesystemandeventuallyitwillbereplaced.Thereforethemoreeffortyouputinto
helpingtheusersmasterthesystemearlythebetter.
ExplainCutoverActivities/StrategiesinSAPFICOasexample.
CutoverActivitiesorMasterDataUploadingStrategiesDependinguponthewhenwearegoinglive.
Asperthat,youhavetogivetheinformationtoyourcoreteam.Ifyougoingliveatthemiddleyou
havetouploadtheallP&LAccountitemsandB/SItems.Ifyougoingliveatthefinancialyearstart,
youhavetoonlyUploadtheB/SItems.ActivitiesforGolive:
1.G/LMasterUploadthroughBDCorLSMW(TCFs00andextendedonecocodetoanother
companycodeFs01)
2.VendorMasterUploadThruBDCOrLSMW(WillbeTakenCareByMM)
3.CustomerMasterUploadThruBDCorLSMW(WillbeTakenCareBySD)
4.AssetMasterUpload(ThruAs90)
5.CostElementMasterUpload
6.CostCenterMasterUpload
7.ProfitCenterMasterUpload
8.G/LBalancesThruF02
10.VendorBalancesthruF43
11.CustomerBalancesthruF22
12.CustomerAdvancesthruf29
13.VendorAdvancesthruF48
BeforeuploadingVendorBalancesyouhavetotakecareofWHT(TDS)Information.*
Satynarayana
DifferencebetweentheUserExit&Gapanalysis.
Botharequietadifferentandhasasmallrelation.
UserexitsarestandardgatewaysprovidedbySAPtoexitthestandardcodeandwecanwriteour
owncodewiththehelpofABAPworkbench.itsnotnewfunctionalitywhichwearetryingtobuild
insapbutitsslightenhancementwithinthesamecode.
GapanalysisisstartpointofRealizationandonceblueprintisfinishedwehavetofindtherealization
ofsapsystemforclientrequirementandtherewillbecertaingapswhencomparedtosystemfit.
ThosegapscanbeclosedeitherbyreengineeringofbusinessprocesstofitwithSAPorwehaveto
useUSERexitsincaseofsmalldeviationsorcompleteenhancementswiththehelpofABAPtofit
withtheSAPsystem.*V.Sridhar
WhatisrolloutofSAPProject?
Asperdictionary,RolloutmeansInaugurationorinitialexhibitionofanewproduct.
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AsperSAPspecificdefinition,rolloutisthestrategyforinternationalSAPimplementation.Rollout
strategynormallyincludethefollowing
WhethertoimplementSAPsimultaneously(alsoknownasbigbang)inallthecountries,or
Goliveinsequenceofphasedmanner
Ortogoforthecombinationofboth(phasedmannerimplementationforsomeofthecountriesand
bigbangforothers).
RolloutstrategyisthemostimportantdecisionthataclientcanmakeduringSAPimplementation.
Normally,steeringcommitteedecidestherolloutstrategy.
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