SAP Implementation Unleashed: A Business and Technical Roadmap to Deploying SAP

887 Pages·2009·10.37 MB·English

by  George Anderson

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George W. Anderson
Charles D. Nilson, Jr.
Tim Rhodes
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SAP
Implementation
U N L E A S H E D
A Business and Technical Roadmap to Deploying SAP
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SAP Implementation Unleashed: A Business and Technical Roadmap Editor-in-Chief
to Deploying SAP Mark Taub
Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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ISBN-13: 978-0-672-33004-9
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Anderson, George W.
SAP implementation unleashed : a business and technical roadmap to deploying SAP Indexer
/ George W. Anderson, Charles D. Nilson, Jr., Tim Rhodes. Ken Johnson
p. cm.
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Includes index.
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ISBN 978-0-672-33004-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. SAP ERP. 2. Integrated software
3. Business—Data processing. I. Nilson, Charles D. II. Rhodes, Tim. III. Title. Technical Editor
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction....................................................................................................1
Part I: Setting the Stage
1 What It Means to Implement SAP................................................................13
2 SAP Projects: Characteristics and Themes....................................................29
3 Business Vision..............................................................................................57
4 ERP Solution Vision ......................................................................................69
5 Financial Impact: Total Cost of Ownership .................................................93
6 Managing Knowledge and the Knowledge Repository ..............................121
Part II: Getting Started
7 Project Management Checkpoint 1: Groundwork.....................................133
8 Building the SAP Project Management Office............................................153
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9 SAP Project Management............................................................................169
10 No Implementation Is an Island: Partners Required .................................185
11 Building the SAP Project Team ...................................................................205
12 Staffing World-Class SAP Project Leadership .............................................227
13 Staffing the SAP Business Teams.................................................................257
14 Staffing the SAP Technical Support Organization......................................269
15 High Availability Considerations and Solutions........................................291
16 Disaster Recovery Considerations and Solutions.......................................317
17 Availability and Recoverability: Organizational Factors ............................341
18 Introduction to SAP Platform Sizing ..........................................................363
19 Conducting the SAP Platform Sizing Process.............................................385
20 Training SAP Staff .......................................................................................407
21 Developing the SAP Data Center................................................................433
Part III: SAP Realization/Functional Development
22 Project Management Checkpoint 2: Revisiting Key Artifacts...................467
23 Preparing for SAP Component Installations .............................................479
24 Installing SAP NetWeaver Components ....................................................509
25 Installing SAP Business Suite Components ...............................................527
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26 Functional Development ............................................................................545
27 Functional Configuration Change Control...............................................565
28 Functional, Integration, and Regression Testing.......................................577
29 Advanced Concepts: Unlocking SAP with SOA and Web Services ............595
Part IV: Planning for Go-Live
30 Project Management Checkpoint 3: Project Team Retention....................611
31 SAP Infrastructure Operational Considerations .........................................625
32 SAP Infrastructure and Platform Testing ....................................................641
33 SAP Load and Stress Testing........................................................................657
34 Technical Change Control..........................................................................687
35 SAP Systems and Operations Management...............................................717
36 Preparing for SAP Go-Live ..........................................................................745
Part V: Appendixes
A Case Study Answers ....................................................................................775
B SAP Acronyms .................................................................................795 Index .
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.....................................................................................................................821
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Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part I: Setting the Stage
1 What It Means to Implement SAP 13
Welcome to SAP Implementation ...............................................................13
The Changing Business and IT Landscape..........................................14
One-Stop SAP Shopping .....................................................................14
An Unbiased View ..............................................................................15
Why Implement SAP: Enabling Innovation ...............................................15
Our Take on “Best Practices”...............................................................17
Common Practices..............................................................................17
The Four Priorities of an SAP Implementation...................................17
A Primer on SAP AG and SAP......................................................................18 ptg6432687
A History Lesson..................................................................................19
SAP Business Suite Components: The Big Picture ..............................20
How to Speak SAP: Terms and Terminology.......................................21
SAP NetWeaver: Enabling Business Solutions.....................................22
SAP Component Naming Conventions ..............................................23
Roadmaps to SAP Implementation..............................................................23
Business Roadmap ...............................................................................23
Technology Roadmap ..........................................................................24
Project Management Roadmap ...........................................................25
Summary .......................................................................................................26
Case Study: Getting on the Same Page ........................................................26
2 SAP Projects: Characteristics and Themes 29
What Does an SAP Implementation Look Like?..........................................29
SAP Implementation: It’s All About the Business ........................................30
Tactical Reasons for Implementing SAP ......................................................32
Strategic Reasons for Implementing SAP.....................................................33
Application Integration .......................................................................33
Improved Operational Reporting ........................................................33
Improved Strategic Reporting..............................................................34
Flexible Business Process Support .......................................................34
How SAP Has Benefited Customers in the Real World ................................35
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vi SAP Implementation Unleashed
Project Management Considerations ..........................................................36
Promoting Buy-in Throughout the Company....................................37
Determining Realistic Service Levels..................................................37
Estimating ROI Early in the Game.....................................................38
The Importance of a Methodology ....................................................39
Pinning Down the Initial Implementation Budget ............................41
Establishing the General Structure and Roles of the Steering
Committee.........................................................................................42
Pushing Business Unit Buy-in .............................................................44
Identifying Major Milestones ..............................................................45
Architecture Considerations ........................................................................47
SAP Enterprise Architecture Framework..............................................47
SAP NetWeaver Platform ....................................................................47
Technical Considerations and Constraints .................................................49
The SAP System Landscape .................................................................49
Giving Attention to Change Control..................................................51
Establishing the SAP Support Organization........................................52
Less Than Successful SAP Implementations................................................52
Summary ......................................................................................................54
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Case Study: Assessing a Project’s Chances for Success.................................55
3 Business Vision 57
Addressing Strategic Business Needs ...........................................................58
Key Business Drivers............................................................................60
Must Haves and More..........................................................................60
Understanding Organizational Change Strategies ......................................61
Lewin’s Unfreeze/Refreeze Change Model ..........................................61
Burke-Litwin Organization Change and Performance Model ............62
Orlikowski and Hofman’s Improvisational Change Model for ERP...63
Addressing Operational Strategy: Guiding Principles .................................64
Access Strategy .....................................................................................65
Capacity or Applications On Demand Strategy..................................65
Data Services Strategy..........................................................................66
Information Technology Location Strategy ........................................66
Tackling Technology Strategy .......................................................................66
Summary ......................................................................................................67
Case Study: A Business Vision Discussion....................................................67
4 ERP Solution Vision 69
What Is an ERP Solution Vision? .................................................................69
Business Impact............................................................................................71
Technology Perspectives ..............................................................................72
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Contents vii
SAP Component and Other Considerations ...............................................74
SAP System Landscape Requirements .................................................74
Business Application Tenets ...............................................................75
Marrying Solutions to Computing Platform Standards ..............................76
SAP System Landscape Dimensions and Characteristics .............................77
Simplifying Your SAP System Landscape ............................................78
High Availability and the SAP System Landscape ..............................79
Disaster Recovery Considerations ......................................................80
Addressing Training Requirements ....................................................80
The Performance-Driven System Landscape......................................81
Driving Scalability into Your System Landscape ...............................82
The TCO-Driven System Landscape...................................................84
Infrastructure Security Considerations...............................................85
Manageability Considerations............................................................85
The System Landscape and Accessibility ...........................................86
ERP Solution Vision and IT Outsourcing ....................................................87
Prerequisites of IT Outsourcing ...........................................................87
Potential Benefits of Outsourcing SAP Infrastructure.........................88
Shortcomings of Outsourcing in the Real World................................89
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Analyzing Outsourcing Versus Doing It Yourself................................90
Hosting Providers for SAP....................................................................91
Summary .......................................................................................................92
Case Study: Developing Your ERP Solution Vision......................................92
5 Financial Impact: Total Cost of Ownership 93
Analyzing Total Cost of Ownership .............................................................94
How Solution Vision Drives TCO................................................................96
The Impact of High Availability Requirements ..................................97
Disaster Recovery Requirements That Drive TCO ..............................98
Performance Requirements and TCO...............................................101
How Scalability Impacts Total Cost..................................................102
Other SAP Solution Vision Drivers...................................................103
Lowering TCO Through the SAP Technology Stack .................................103
Standardization and Total Cost of Ownership .................................104
Server Considerations.......................................................................105
Disk Subsystem Hardware Dimensions............................................106
Operating System TCO.....................................................................107
Relational Database TCO..................................................................108
SAP Application Layer Costs ............................................................109
Upgrading the Technology Stack .....................................................112
Other SAP Technology Stack TCO Considerations...........................112
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viii SAP Implementation Unleashed
Lowering TCO Through People and Processes..........................................113
Attracting and Retaining Support Staff.............................................114
Maintenance Costs ...........................................................................115
Financing Options ............................................................................115
Operations and Systems Management Costs....................................116
TCO Risk Factors...............................................................................117
Summary .....................................................................................................118
Case Study: TCO and Risk Factors..............................................................118
6 Managing Knowledge and the Knowledge Repository 121
Establishing an Initial Knowledge Management Footprint.......................121
Capturing Knowledge: The Knowledge Repository ..................................122
Planning/Project Management Knowledge.......................................123
Staffing Knowledge...........................................................................123
Business Vision, Requirements, and Functionality Knowledge........123
Solution Vision and Application/Business Scenario Knowledge......124
SAP System Landscape Knowledge...................................................124
Installation and Configuration Knowledge .....................................124
Knowledge Repository and Management Tools........................................125
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Using SAP KM and the SAP Knowledge Warehouse .........................125
Using SAP Content Server for Enterprise Knowledge
Management....................................................................................126
Using Third-Party KM Software Applications ...................................126
Using Popular Collaboration Tools ...................................................127
Using Other Legacy KM Approaches ................................................127
Transferring Knowledge Throughout the Project.......................................127
Summary ....................................................................................................128
Case Study: KM Business Case Fundamentals............................................129
Part II: Getting Started
7 Project Management Checkpoint 1: Groundwork 133
Project Management Considerations .........................................................133
Project Management Basics .......................................................................134
Project Management Key Themes.....................................................134
Project Management Process Groups................................................136
Project Environment ........................................................................137
Interpersonal Skills and Business Management Expertise ................139
Initiating Phase: Program Preparation ......................................................140
Choosing the Project Initiator or Sponsor........................................140
Developing a Project Charter ............................................................140
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Contents ix
Developing a Preliminary Scope Statement......................................141
Developing a Preliminary Project Budget ........................................142
Planning Phase: Business Blueprint...........................................................142
Developing the Project Management Plan .......................................143
Addressing Scope Definition and Documentation ...........................144
Creating the Project Schedule ..........................................................144
Establishing Project Standards .........................................................144
Validating the Project Budget...........................................................145
Creating a Communications Plan....................................................145
Creating the Training Plan ...............................................................145
Creating the Data Migration Plan....................................................145
Creating the RICEF Plan...................................................................145
Executing Phase: Realization and Final Preparation.................................146
Managing Deliverables ......................................................................146
Reviewing Requested Changes ..........................................................146
Implementing Change Requests .......................................................147
Performing Corrective and Preventative Actions .............................147
Updating the Risk Management Plan ...............................................147
Gathering Work Performance Information.......................................147
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Issue Management Systems ...............................................................147
Monitoring and Controlling Phase ...........................................................148
Scope Verification and Scope Control ..............................................149
Schedule and Cost Control ..............................................................149
Quality Management........................................................................149
Performance Reporting.....................................................................150
Stakeholder Management.................................................................150
Communication ...............................................................................150
Change Management and Control ..................................................151
Closing Phase: Project Closure ..................................................................151
Summary ....................................................................................................152
Case Study: Project Management Initial Checkpoint ................................152
8 Building the SAP Project Management Office 153
Project Management Office Considerations ..............................................153
Project Management Office Fundamentals ...............................................154
Creating the PMO..............................................................................154
Program Management Elements .......................................................155
Role of the PMO Within the Organization...............................................158
Establishing a PMO Organizational Structure ..................................158
SAP PMO Project Portfolio Projects..................................................161
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