Hi,
For List of Complete T-Codes in Material Management,Go to this link.
http://help.sap.com/printdocu/core/Print46c/en/data/pdf/MYSAP/SR_MM.pdf
<u>ASAP</u>
ASAP stands for Accelerated SAP. Its purpose is to help design SAP implementation in the most efficient
manner possible. Its goal is to effectively optimize time, people, quality and other resources, using a proven
methodology to implementation.
ASAP focuses on tools and training, wrapped up in a five-phase process oriented roadmap for guiding
implementation.
The road map is composed of five well-known consecutive phases:
• Phase 1 Project Preparation
• Phase 2 Business Blueprint
• Phase 3 Realization
• Phase 4 Final Preparation
• Phase 5 Go-Live and support
In today's post we will discuss the first phase.
Phase 1 : Project Preparation
Phase 1 initiates with a retrieval of information and resources. It is an important time to assemble the
necessary components for the implementation. Some important milestones that need to be accomplished
for phase 1 include
• Obtaining senior-level management/stakeholder support
• identifying clear project objectives
• architecting an efficient decision-making process
• creating an environment suitable for change and re-engineering
• building a qualified and capable project team.
Senior level management support:
One of the most important milestones with phase 1 of ASAP is the full agreement and cooperation of the
important company decision-makers - key stakeholders and others. Their backing and support is crucial for a
successful implementation.
Clear project objectives:
be concise in defining what your objectives and expectations are for this venture. Vague or unclear notions of
what you hope to obtain with SAP will handicap the implementation process. Also make sure that your
expectations are reasonable considering your company's resources. It is essential to have clearly defined
ideas, goals and project plans devised before moving forward.
An efficient decision making process:
One obstacle that often stalls implementation is a poorly constructed decision-making process. Before
embarking on this venture, individuals need to be clearly identified. Decide now who is responsible for
different decisions along the way. From day one, the implementation decision makers and project leaders
from each area must be aware of the onus placed on them to return good decisions quickly.
Environment suitable for change and re engineering:
Your team must be willing to accept that, along with new SAP software, things are going to change, the
business will change, and information technology enabling the business will change as well. By
implementing SAP, you will essentially redesign your current practices to model more efficient or predefined
best business practices as espoused by SAP. Resistance to this change will impede the progress of your
implementation.
Building a qualified project team:
Probably the most important milestone early in assembling a project team for the implementation. If you are
implementing the materials management and plant maintenance modules, you need to include people from
both of these departments. The team should also represent management as well as non management or
"functional" personnel. Sometimes management is less aware of the day-to-day functions of an organization,
including how implementing SAP will tactically influence those function
ASAP- Second Phase- Business Blueprint
SAP has defined a business blueprint phase to help extract pertinent information about your company that is
necessary for implementation. These blueprints are in the form of questionnaires that are designed to probe
for information that uncovers how your company does business. As such, they also serve to document the
implementation. Each business blueprint document essentially outlines your future business processes and
business requirements. The kinds of questions asked are germane to the particular business function, as
seen in the following sample questions:
1) What information do you capture on a purchase order?
2) What information is required to complete a purchase order?
Accelerated SAP question and answer database:
The question and answer database (QADB) is a simple although aging tool designed to facilitate the creation
and maintenance of your business blueprint. This database stores the questions and the answers and
serves as the heart of your blue print. Customers are provided with a customer input template for each
application that collects the data. The question and answer format is standard across applications to
facilitate easier use by the project team.
Issues database:
Another tool used in the blueprinting phase is the issues database. This database stores any open concerns
and pending issues that relate to the implementation. Centrally storing this information assists in gathering
and then managing issues to resolution, so that important matters do not fall through the cracks. You can
then track the issues in database, assign them to team members, and update the database accordingly.
ASAP Phase- 3 - Realization:
With the completion of the business in phase 2, "functional" experts are now ready to begin configuring SAP.
The Realization phase is broken in to two parts.
1) Your SAP consulting team helps you configure your baseline system, called the baseline configuration.
2) Your implementation project team fine-tunes that system to meet all your business and process
requirements as part of the fine tuning configuration.
The initial configuration completed during the base line configuration is based on the information that you
provided in your blueprint document. The remaining approximately 20% of your configuration that was not
tackled during the baseline configuration is completed during the fine tuning configuration. Fine tuning
usually deals with the exceptions that are not covered in baseline configuration. This final bit of tweaking
represents the work necessary to fit your special needs.
Configuration Testing:
With the help of your SAP consulting team, you segregate your business processes into cycles of related
business flows. The cycles serve as independent units that enable you to test specific parts of the business
process. You can also work through configuring the SAP implementation guide (IMG). A tool used to assist
you in configuring your SAP system in a step-by-step manner.
Knowledge Transfer:
As the configuration phase comes to a close, it becomes necessary for the Project team to be self-sufficient
in their knowledge of the configuration of your SAP system. Knowledge transfer to the configuration team
tasked with system maintenance (that is, maintenance of the business processes after Go-live) needs to be
completed at this time.
In addition, the end users tasked with actually using the system for day-to-day business purposes must be
trained.
ASAP Methodology - Phase 4 - Final Preparation:
As phase 3 merges into phase 4, you should find yourselves not only in the midst of SAP
training, but also in the midst of rigorous functional and stress testing. Phase 4 also
concentrates on the fine tuning of your configuration before Go-live and more importantly, the
migration of data from your old system or systems to SAP.
Workload testing (including peak volume, daily load, and other forms of stress testing), and
integration or functional testing are conducted to ensure the accuracy of your data and the
stability of your SAP system. Because you should have begun testing back in phase 2, you do
not have too far to go until Go-live. Now is an important time to perform preventative
maintenance checks to ensure optimal performance at your SAP system.
At the conclusion of phase 4, take time to plan and document a Go-live strategy. Preparation for
Go-live means preparing for your end-users questions as they start actively working on the new
SAP system.
ASAP - Phase 5 - Go-live and Support:
The Go-live milestone is itself is easy to achieve; a smooth and uneventful Go-live is another
matter altogether. Preparation is the key, including attention to what-if scenarios related not only
to the individual business processes deployed but also to the functioning of technology
underpinning these business processes and preparation for ongoing support, including
maintenance contracts and documented processes and procedures are essential
You must be a registered user to add a comment. If you've already registered, sign in. Otherwise, register and sign in.