Top 50 things that should be considered while implementing SAP (Part-7)

SAP implementation is one of the big milestones for any organization. The project transforms an organization and helps implement best-in-class-accepted business processes for the organization. It requires a thorough understanding and lots of dedication from the management, stakeholders, core team, and partner consultants.

Please refer to my earlier articles in this series to check other critical aspects of SAP implementation that have already been covered. I will cover the following points in this article.

2.?????Understanding the scope of Configuration and Customization

3.?????Unit/Integration Testing Initiation as per the scope of work

1.?????SAP As-Is/To-Be Documentation & Finalization of Design Documentation

Finalizing the exact business requirement while initiating the SAP implementation project is essential. The proper scope of work should be communicated to the partner so that all relevant processes can be established. All core team members (CTM) should provide their best feedback and major system issues to map business processes in SAP correctly. All business processes should be explained, documented, and compared with the legacy ERP System to ensure a smooth transition post-go-live. If any business process is missed during the scope discussion, it may become a show stopper while performing the transactions after going live. The As-Is document is prepared based on understanding the legacy business processes that need to be mapped in SAP.

The CTM should share details of all business scenarios, workflows, SOPs, Policies, MIS requirements, compliances & expectations, etc., with the Partner consultant so that appropriate solutions can be finalized during To-Be documentation. The to-Be document is prepared based on the discussion in the As-Is phase.?

The document is prepared by the consultant to finalize the scope of the project. Since this document becomes the backbone for the implementation, all stakeholders should spare their time and check the business processes documented by the consultant. Then, based on internal discussion of different module consultants and integration/MIS requirements, a final To-Be document is prepared that becomes the base for releasing the final design document.?

SAP provides thousands of functionalities that can be activated using the configuration panel (SPRO Settings). To configure these functionalities in SAP, the consultant needs to activate various fields and map these processes in SAP as per business flow and MIS reporting requirements.

Both documents are signed off by the relevant CTMs and the SAP partner. These documents cover the project scope per department/module in detail and the different business processes/functionalities to be covered in SAP.

Once the scope of the document is finalized, all new functionalities are considered an additional effort. These processes are considered scope creep. A separate change control document is initiated, and respective work efforts & timelines are considered if the partner does not accept changes.

This is a critical exercise, and small changes may impact your budget considerably. Therefore, the organization should be careful while finalizing this scope in the As-Is document. The Partner quotations are obtained based on the scope of work, business functionalities, gaps, and critical solutions to be designed.?

Based on the To-Be Document, cross-functional consultants start a discussion to propose the best design that becomes a guiding principle for SAP Configurations and customization. The design document is prepared based on the functionalities to be implemented, and MIS reports to be fetched from the system. In addition, this document contains all integration parameters that help establish the SAP environment.

2.?????Understanding the scope of Configuration and Customization

When all stakeholders sign off the design document, the consultants initiate configurations in SAP and activate business processes to match the design document. Server readiness is essential at this point. All servers should be ready by this time so the consultants can activate configurations.

Multiple consultants are involved in a project from different modules and start activating relevant parameters in SPRO configurations. SAP provides a specific area (SPRO) where new fields, parameters, and functionalities can easily be activated.

If these settings do not address a specific requirement, SAP provides a customization area where development can be done to bridge the gap using the ABAP language. In addition, any change particular to the organization is done using customization, for example, PO/Invoice layouts, MIS reports, enhancements, controls, checks, etc.

A team of functional and technical consultants is responsible for configurations and customizations. You need to evaluate the work experience of various consultants deployed on your project. The team of experienced persons will help you stabilize the project as per your expectations. Consultants should remain fixed while implementing a project. A new consultant will bring his ideas and understanding that may delay the project timelines.

The functional team remains accountable for establishing all business processes per the To-Be and Design document.

3.?????Unit/Integration Testing Initiation as per the scope of work

After completing the first cut configurations in the SAP environment, Unit and Integration testing are initiated. The Unit testing is performed within the module, and Integration aspects are checked along with the cross-functional consultants. Since all modules are tightly integrated, we need to test all activities in a business process and ensure that cross-functional requirements are matched correctly.

For example, when goods receipt is performed in the SAP, the system increases the Stock Quantity. It generates an accounting document to capture the financial impact of the increase in inventory. Unit and Integration testing is performed to test all positive and negative impacts on that business process.

We will discuss the other aspects in my upcoming articles. Please feel free to give your suggestions if I missed out on anything.

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