In the ever-evolving world of business transformation in cloud, there has been a lot of talk about the Fit-to-Standard approach. But then, what is the "standard" in Fit-to-Standard?
A more strict definition of "standard" is the best practice process flow with pre-configuration values. The "standard" in Fit-to-Standard refers to a set of predefined system settings, practices, and business processes that have been established as effective and efficient in a given industry or field. These standards may be decided by expert consensus or accumulated data and are designed to maximize productivity, efficiency, and overall success in a business operation. It also refers to the process of aligning a company's business processes with the standard functionalities provided by the software.
SAP Signavio Process Navigator can be used for reviewing these 'standards" with respective country. You can now filter by industry, view activation details and prerequisites under the Additional Information section of the solution processes when applicable.
Benefits of sticking to this "standard" is quite strait forward. Deviation from this "standard" often leads to increased project complexity, longer implementation times, higher costs, and potential issues down the line.
However, going fully 'standard' might not be beneficial or even practical. It is important to note that the standard in fit-to-standard represents one version of the ideal process flow. While it provides a solid foundation, it may not address all the unique requirements of every organization. Therefore, customization and adaptation are often necessary to tailor the standard to specific business needs. The intention is to use the standard as a baseline. It is a starting point. it is one version of the standard. SAP Cloud ERP solution, Public Edition, offers customer adaptation of these "standard" business processes. They are addition to what is pre-configured configuration settings, stored in the customer's tenant.
In Activate methodology, find Fit-to-Standard analysis procedure steps in Conduct Workshop by Business Process Area and a specific example in Finance area.
Therefore, a more extended or elaborated version of the "standard" is the creation of customers' own to-be business processes with their own adaptation of configuration settings. These additional settings enable organizations to fine-tune the system to their specific needs. These adjustments ensure that the software aligns with the unique requirements of the organization, while still leveraging the out of box features and functionalities without writing any own code.
Customers should document their to-be process flows together with these configuration value adjustments. They are customers' "standard" for rolling out the solution to other divisions, regions, and countries. This also lays a solid foundation for future process automation, performance monitoring, etc once live. In Activate methodology, find a template in Document Requirement task.
For customer using Cloud ALM, leverage Processes and Documents app for your fit-to-standard workshops.
Check out Processes and Documents section in Help - SAP Cloud ALM for Implementation for details instructions on how to use these apps.
To conclude, when implementing SAP Cloud ERP solution
• 'standard' is not a one-size-fits-all
• 'standard' isn't rigid but flexible, a set of guidelines meant to assist rather than constrain.
• 'standard' is a launchpad that gives projects momentum and a pre-defined course
