SAP Project Management Pitfalls: How to Avoid the Most Common Pitfalls of an SAP Solution

SAP Project Management Pitfalls: How to Avoid the Most Common Pitfalls of an SAP Solution

Released January 2016
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781484213896

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Book description

Master the SAP product ecosystem, the client environment, and the feasibility of implementing critical business process with the required technical and functional configuration. SAP Project Management Pitfalls is the first book to provide you with real examples of the pitfalls that you can avoid, providing you with a road-map to a successful implementation.

Jay Kay, a SAP Program Manager for Capgemini, first takes a deep dive into common pitfalls in implementing SAP ERP projects in a complex IT landscape. You will learn about the potential causes of failures, study a selection of relevant project implementation case studies in the area, and see a range of possible countermeasures. Jay Kay also provides background on each - the significance of each implementation area, its relevance to a service company that implements SAP projects, and the current state of research.

Key highlights of the book:

  • Tools and techniques for project planning and templates for allocating resources
  • Industry standards and innovations in SAP implementation projects in the form of standard solutions aimed at successful implementation
  • Managing SAP system ECC upgrades, EHP updates and project patches
  • Learn effective ways to implement robust SAP release management practices (change management, BAU)

    • Wearing a practitioner’s insight, Jay Kay explores the relevance of each failed implementation scenario and how to support your company or clients to succeed in a SAP implementation. There are many considerations when implementing SAP, but as you will learn, knowledge, insight, and effective tools to mitigate risks can take you to a successful implementation project.

    Table of contents

    1. Cover
    2. Title
    3. Copyright
    4. Dedication
    5. Contents at a Glance
    6. Contents
    7. About the Author
    8. About the Technical Reviewers
    9. Acknowledgments
    10. Introduction
    11. Chapter 1 : Introduction to SAP Enterprise Software
      1. Overview of SAP
        1. SAP Industry-Specific (IS) Solutions
        2. SAP Implementation Partner Expectations
        3. SAP Roadmap
        4. Why Is SAP a Game Changer?
      2. Evolution of the Next Generation ERP Suite
      3. SAP Next Gen Mobility Solutions
        1. Technology Breakthrough
        2. SAP System Architecture
        3. SAP Netweaver Architecture
      4. Why ERP?
        1. Enterprise Planning
        2. Products and Services
        3. Suppliers
        4. Customers
        5. Employees
        6. Finance
        7. Production Planning
        8. Enterprise Structure
      5. Overview of an SAP ERP Solution
        1. SAP INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS (IS-SOLUTIONS)
        2. SAP for Small & Mid-Sized Enterprise (SME)
        3. SAP Cloud Enterprise
        4. Key Business Process
      6. Organization Structure
        1. Client
        2. Company Code
        3. Plant
        4. Storage Location
        5. Purchasing Department
        6. Purchasing Group
      7. Concluding Remarks
      8. Exercise
    12. Chapter 2 : Implementing SAP with ASAP 8 Agile Methodology
      1. SAP ASAP 8.0 Agile Implementation Strategy
      2. Creating Business Value
      3. Overview of Scrum
        1. Why Agile?
        2. SAP ASAP 8 with Scrum
        3. SAP ASAP 8 Blueprint (Scrum Evaluation)
      4. Sprint Planning
        1. SAP Custom Code Development Using Agile
      5. Basic Development Environment
        1. Custom Code Documentation
        2. Recommendation ABAP Doc
        3. Development Workbench/ABAP in Eclipse
    13. Chapter 3 : Implementing SAP using Tools, Methods, and Accelerators
      1. Understanding Project Management
      2. Understanding Solution Manager
      3. Project Management Process
      4. How Do Tools Help in the Project Plan?
      5. SAP Project Management
        1. How Do You Measure a Project's Success?
        2. Defining Project Objectives and Goals
        3. Defining Project Scope
        4. Defining Risk Management
        5. Support and Maintenance Plan
      6. SAP Implementation Tools
        1. Implementation using SolMan 7.1 SP26
        2. Business Process Operations Dashboard
        3. Activities
      7. Concluding Remarks
    14. Chapter 4 : Key SAP Implementation Challenges
      1. Implementation Overview
      2. Global Project Planning
      3. Global Rollout Strategies
      4. Post Go Live Support
      5. Implementation Methodology
      6. SAP Organization Structure
      7. Business Process Integration
      8. System Landscape Design (SLD)
        1. Centralized versus Decentralized Systems
        2. Robust Design
      9. Managing Risks
      10. Concluding Remarks
    15. Chapter 5 : Approach to SAP Testing and QM Best Practices
      1. Testing and QM Overview
      2. SAP Quality Management
        1. Test Planning
        2. Test Execution
      3. Approval Criteria
        1. SAP Testing Automation Framework
        2. Transfer a Business Blueprint
        3. Test Management and Test Execution
      4. Concluding Remarks
    16. Chapter 6 : Approach to Cut Over and Go Live Best Practices
      1. What is Go live?
      2. What Is a Cut Over?
      3. Characteristics of Cut Over?
        1. Phases of Cut Over?
        2. Cut Over Plan
        3. Why Are SAP Cut Overs So Complex?
        4. How Do I Make SAP Cut Overs Easy?
      4. Cut Over Strategy
        1. Cut Over Approach
        2. Preliminary Cut Over Tasks
        3. Cut Over Governance
        4. Key Functional Considerations
        5. Managing Issues During Cut Over
      5. Concluding Remarks
    17. Chapter 7 : Approach to End User Training and Support Best Practices
      1. Key Tenets
      2. Training Approach
        1. Training Scope and Training Plan
        2. Training Content Development
        3. Train the Trainer Approach
        4. End User Training and Documentation Approach
        5. Maximize Value from End User Training
      3. Concluding Remarks
    18. Chapter 8 : Release Management in SAP Using a Structured Approach
      1. Release Management Overview
      2. Key Tenets of Release Management
      3. SAP Release Management Process
        1. Release Management System Architectures
      4. Release Deployment Management Process
        1. Stage: Plan & Design
        2. Activity: Plan Release and Deployment
        3. Stage: Build & Test
        4. Activity: Configure Release
        5. Activity: Release Acceptance
        6. Stage: Deploy & Support
        7. Activity: Deployment Preparation
        8. Activity: Distribution and Installation
      5. Release Governance
        1. Approvals
        2. Communication
        3. Principles
        4. Ownership and Monitoring
        5. Escalation
        6. Tracking
        7. Security
        8. Review and Reporting
      6. Concluding Remarks
    19. Chapter 9 : Effectively Managing SAP Upgrades
      1. Roadmap of SAP Upgrade
      2. Upgrade Overview
        1. Installation
        2. Update
        3. Enhancement
        4. Upgrade
        5. Business Improvements
      3. Critical Success Factors
      4. Implementation Methodology
      5. Concluding Remarks
    20. Chapter 10 : Managing Projects Using SAP Solution Manager
      1. Solution Manager Overview
      2. SolMan Architecture
      3. Solution Manager as a Project Platform
        1. Project Management Methodology
        2. Project Blueprint Repository
        3. Managing and Executing Configuration, Development, and Testing
        4. Planning and Executing Training with the e-Learning Platform
        5. End-to-End Solution Operation
        6. QA Integration
      4. Managing Changes Using SolMan ChaRM
        1. Roles in the ChaRM
        2. Planning and Controlling Projects by Using ChaRM
      5. Concluding Remarks
    21. Chapter 11 : Leveraging SAP Enterprise Portal
      1. What Is an Enterprise Portal?
      2. User Session–Related Issues
      3. Multiuser Logon Issues
      4. Concluding Remarks
    22. Chapter 12 : Industrialized Software Implementation
      1. Industrialized Software Overview
      2. Industrialized Approach
      3. Operational Framework
        1. Work Allocation
        2. Industry Project Organization
      4. Governance
      5. Key Performance Indicators
      6. Key Engagement Rules
      7. Concluding Remarks
    23. Chapter 13 : Accelerate SAP Implementation Using RDS
      1. RDS Overview
      2. AP Finance and Controlling on HANA
        1. Operational Reporting
        2. Implementation Methodology
      3. RDS Baseline Packages
        1. Technical Data
        2. Features
      4. Concluding Remarks
    24. Chapter 14 : Transforming to SAP Enterprise Cloud
      1. SAP Cloud Overview
        1. Enterprise-Class IT in the Cloud
        2. SAP Business One Cloud
        3. End-to-End SAP HANA Cloud Platform
      2. Case Study
      3. Migration to Enterprise Cloud
      4. Background
        1. Implementation Plan
      5. Concluding Remarks
    25. Chapter 15 : SAP HCM Implementation Roadmap
      1. Overview of HCM
      2. SAP HCM Solution
        1. SAP Human Capital Management
        2. Infotype and Actions
        3. SAP HCM Components
      3. Common HCM Pitfalls
      4. Implementation Methodology
        1. Blueprint
        2. Realization
        3. Testing
        4. Go-Live
      5. Concluding Remarks
    26. Chapter 16 : SAP TM: Deliver Fulfillment Across Global Logistics
      1. Key Tenets of SAP TM
      2. Overview of SAP TM
        1. Solution Overview
        2. Order Management
        3. Freight Planning & Tendering Overview
        4. Freight Execution & Monitoring Overview
        5. Freight Settlement Overview
        6. SAP TM Architecture
        7. SAP Master Data
        8. SAP TM Order-Based vs. Delivery-Based Transportation
        9. SAP TM 9.x Implementation Considerations
        10. Container Management
      3. Concluding Remarks
    27. Chapter 17 : Implementing SAP CRM 7
      1. CRM Overview
      2. Channel Architecture
        1. Overview of SAP CRM Architecture
        2. Interaction Center
        3. Mobile Applications
        4. Web Client User Interface
        5. Common CRM Implementation Pitfalls
      3. Evolution of CRM 7
        1. SAP CRM Marketing
        2. SAP CRM Sales
        3. SAP CRM Service
        4. SAP CRM Channels
      4. Implementation Methodology
    28. Chapter 18 : SAP Governance, Risk, and Compliance
      1. SAP GRC Overview
      2. SAP Risk Control
      3. SAP GRC Implementation
        1. High-Level Project Plan
        2. GRC Deliverables and Milestones
      4. Concluding Remarks
    29. Chapter 19 : Introduction to SAP Enterprise Mobility
      1. SAP Fiori Overview
        1. Why Do You Need Fiori?
        2. Architecture
      2. Design Considerations
      3. Implementation Methodology
        1. Prepackaged SAP Fiori Apps
        2. Implementation Planning
        3. Discovering SAP Fiori Apps with Innovation Discovery
        4. Planning the System Landscape with Maintenance Planner
        5. Benefits Summary
      4. Concluding Remarks
    30. Chapter 20 : Implementing SAP Analytics, Powered by HANA
      1. Better Analytics, Smarter Decisions
      2. SAP Analytics Solution
      3. Introduction to SAP BW
        1. Online Data Processing
        2. Standardized Solution
      4. Implementation Methodology
        1. Project Preparation
        2. Business Blueprint
        3. Realization
        4. Final Preparation
        5. Go Live and Support
      5. Best Practices
        1. SAP Recommended Architecture
        2. Layered Scalable Architecture
        3. Open ODS Layer
        4. Corporate Memory
        5. EDW Propagation Layer
        6. Architectured Data Marts
        7. Virtual Data Mart Layer
      6. Roadmap of SAP Analytics on HANA
        1. Agile Data Mart for Analytics
        2. Implementation Guidelines
        3. Operational Data Mart for Analytics
      7. In-Memory Computing
        1. Parallel Processing
        2. Row-Wise Storage
        3. Column-Wise Storage
      8. HANA Data Provisioning
      9. SAP Business Suite on HANA
      10. Concluding Remarks
    31. Chapter 21 : SAP Estimation Best Practices
      1. Project Estimation Overview
      2. Key Steps
      3. Best Practices
      4. Estimation Considering Accelerators
      5. SAP FRICE Estimation
      6. SAP Quick Sizer and Design Guidelines
      7. Concluding Remarks
    32. Chapter 22 : A Day in the Life of an SAP Project Manager
      1. Life of a SAP Project Manager
      2. SAP Project Manager Activities
        1. Project Preparation
        2. Blueprint
        3. Realization
        4. Final Preparation
        5. Go Live Support
        6. Operation
      3. Key PMO Startup Activities
      4. Realization Tasks
      5. Closure
      6. Concluding Remarks
    33. Chapter 23 : Approach to Writing Effective SAP Proposals
      1. Key Tenets
        1. What Is This About?
        2. Solution Approach (How Am I Going to Solve Your Problems?)
        3. Implementation Project Methodology (How? Who? Where?)
        4. Tools, Methods, and Accelerators
      2. Effective Strategy to Win SAP Proposals
      3. Developing a Detailed Solution Approach
      4. Concluding Remarks
    34. Chapter 24 : Enhancing Your Consulting Skills
      1. Building a Rewarding Career
      2. Maintaining Your Skills
      3. Play It Smart, and Work Hard
      4. Top Ten Desirable Traits of an SAP Consultant
      5. Interview Tips
      6. Gaining Skills
      7. Navigating Turbulent Times
      8. Global Behavioral Traits
      9. Concluding Remarks
    35. Index

    Product information

    • Title: SAP Project Management Pitfalls: How to Avoid the Most Common Pitfalls of an SAP Solution
    • Author(s):
    • Release date: January 2016
    • Publisher(s): Apress
    • ISBN: 9781484213896