SAP Landscape System

Landscape System Strategy(LSS):

The system landscape is basically the set-up or arrangement of your SAP servers. Ideally, in an SAP environment, a three-system landscape exists. A three-system landscape consists of the Development Server-DEV, Quality Assurance Server-QAS and the Production Server-PROD. This kind of set-up is not primarily designed to serve as server clusters in case of system failure, the objective to enhance "configuration pipeline management". 


A Typical SAP Three-System Landscape.

At this point, it is important to state that a test system - Sandbox can also exit separately. The essence of the sandbox is to test the configuration of the business processes of a company, especially at the inception of the project (before the Business Blue Print is signed). It can also serve as a practice environment, even after go-live. 

Pipeline is the environment where the configuration in the development system is moved to the quality assurance system and finally to the production system. The whole idea is to ensure that the configuration of these systems is in sync at any point in time. Suffice to say that, configuration/changes are first made in the Development system, thoroughly tested in the Quality Assurance system before been loaded into the production (Live) system.

This approach throws up the transport management system concept. Transport management system is the coordination of the movement of objects and configuration changes from the development system to the Quality Assurance system and then to the Production system. At times, this sequence of movement is not possible, especially in cases where an SAP note mandates that changes be made directly on the production system.

In such rare cases, objectively confirm that the change transport cannot be performed. Very likely, your system must have been configured to "not modifiable" (a system locking strategy that enforces the three-system landscape change transport rule); unlock the system by changing the global setting option to "modifiable" using transaction SE03. After you have done that, effect the change(s) on the system. Immediately lock the system back by changing the global setting option to "not modifiable" using transaction SE03. Replicate the changes on the other system. Note that transaction SCC4 can also be used to lock the system so that client dependent and independent configuration changes are not carried out directly on the production system.

Here Client is a independent data unit. Each and every server has 1000 clients (0-999), every client has unique userid and password provided by the Basis team. Choosing a client is client specific.

SAP System Architecture

Many enterprises currently use SAP products to control production planning, purchasing and logistics, warehouse management and inventory management, production, vendor management, customer service, finance, personnel management and other basic business activities. The mySAP Business Suite includes various business modules and numerous sector and cross-sector solutions.
A distributed system of this nature requires a common infrastructure which is provided by SAP Net-Weaver, in particular, by the SAP Web Application Server(Web AS)- the successor to SAP Basis. This type of system architecture is subdivided in to three layers, which make up the basic services of a business application system: the presentation layer, the application layer and the database layer. Each of these layers performs certain functions and constitutes a part of the overall system landscape.


The presentation layer enables the user to interact with the relevant application. This interface is typically called the GUI(Graphical User Interface) and it is used to execute the application logic, utilizing the other layers in the combined infrastructure. Applications are executes in the application layer while the data to be processed is managed by the database layer.

Three Layer System

The distribution of system functions over several layers means that an SAP system is extremely scalable. The separation into layers means that the overall load can be distributed over several servers. The functions of a single layer can also be distributed over multiple servers. This is made possible by, among other things, the network communication of the participating servers.

Types of Projects

Types of Projects

1. Implementation Projects
2. Support and Maintenance
3. Roll out
4. Up-gradation
5. Enhancements

1. Implementation Projects: Customer wants to install SAP/Include different modules of SAP viz. MM/SD/FI/CO/PP etc for the first time.Previously he might be using some legacy system in his orgn. This is implementation project. Here one needs to integrate several modules, migrate data from Legacy system to SAP system. Need to prepare interfaces/RFC's to interact with 3rd party systems.You can either create a new project structure, or base it on one of the following:

• Create one or more user templates 
• An existing project 
• Scenarios and configuration structures delivered by SAP 
• An existing production solution landscape                                                                                           

Most of the company's follow "ASAP methodology" for the Implementation projects

there are 5 stages in the ASAP methodology they are:

      Phase 1:Project Initial Preparation

      Phase 2: Business Blueprint (BBP)

      Phase 3: Realization Phase

      Phase 4: Final Preparation Phase

      Phase 5: Go-live And Post Go-Live Support

Phase 1: Project Initial Preparation: This phase initiates with a retrieval of information and sources. It is important time to assemble the necessary components for the implementation. Some important milestones that needs to be accomplished for phase 1 include

• Obtaining senior-level management/stakeholder support
• Identifying clear project objectives
• Architect 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 stake holders 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.

Phase 2: Business Blue Print (BBP): SAP has defined a business blueprint phase to help extract precise 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 in 2 steps:

 As-Is Blue Print: 

-->Attends a series of meeting with the client - mainly to capture the organizational structure of the company,       the different work schedules, leave types, pay scales, etc. The objective of these meetings is to the gather the existing HR processes and structure of the company

-->Depending on what modules of SAP HR are being implemented, different questions need to be put forward to the client.

-->Prepares the business blue printing (BBP) documents describing the complete AS-IS process

-->Flow charts should be included in the as-is blue print process flow document describing the complete process.

-->Next is the TO-BE process that will be implemented in SAP. This is based on the decision the project group arrives at taking into consideration the existing processes in the company and the functionality that SAP provides. It still awaits approval from the management.

-->After that there will be some things which cannot be implemented in SAP, the gaps are identified. These gaps are to be documented in white paper for the client and would presented to an audience chosen by the project manager.

To-Blue Print:
--> TO BE is a plan SAP consultant will present them which will enable them to improve their service,operations and controlling while keeping the costs to their minimum. (Post Implementation)


GAPS: Gaps are those which are not available in standard SAP. These gaps depends on the client requirement. Before moving to next phase these gaps has to be resolved.
                                                     In other words gap means small cracks. In SAP world. In information technology, gap analysis is the study of the differences between two different information systems or applications like for example difference between  existing system or legacy system with client in SAP, often for the purpose of determining how to get from one state to a new state. A gap is sometimes spoken of as "the space between where we are and where we want to be." Gap analysis is undertaken as a means of bridging that space. There are three ways to resolve these gaps with SAP Provider, ABAP developer(coding according to fill the gaps) or trying for alternatives/go with existing.

Phase 3: Realization Phase: The realization phase is the development stage

-->Plan organizational change management- User roles are defined and assigned to business process, communication strategy for end users is defined.

-->SAP consultant configure and initializes the client system based on the business and process requirements that were captured in blueprint phase. Complete data migration like all relevant item, business pertner and accounting data imported in to SAP system.
--> Conduct change management communication if applicable like roles, tasks and training schedules should be communicated to the end users.
--> Conduct business process and data validation: All processes from the business process master  list have been walked through in the system and have been reviewed. Data imported via data migration has been verified. Changes to setup or scope are documented.
-->The project team will configure (Choosing settings in SAP to customize SAP to the way you are going to use it) depending on the module. During this phase, main focus is on solution design. System configuration, unite test, readiness, data conversion and other end-to-end testing of the SAP system with final acceptance by the business.
Unit Testing: Before handing the software to the client, the functional consultant will perform the unit testing.

For more details please refer this link: http://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/sandbox/Project+Realization+%28Phase+3%29

Phase 4: Final Preparation Phase: The purpose of this phase is to complete the final preparation of the R/3 system for going live. This includes testing, user training, system management and cutover activities, to finalize your readiness to go live.
                               In this phase the R/3 system is handed over to individual departments for productive operation. This includes preparation of end-user documentation and training the end-users. The technical environment is installed on production system & is tested. Project managers prepare plans for going live, transfer of legacy data and support at early stages. 
                                            End-user training is a critical activity for success of the project. User Acceptance Test (UAT) is carried out in Quality server and its performed by the end users and core users by following the test scripts.
--> And also parallel testing or pre-production testing has to be done after UAT before going to go live. This can be done by installing the SAP in end user and calculating the employee pay results with results of the legacy system for the previous months pay results. When the employee pay results are successful then project is Go-Live. Parallel testing is only for the time management and payroll modules.

*Cut over-plan: This also called as "Data migration plan". Uploading the legacy data in to the sap system

Phase 5: Go-Live: Provide on-site support during initial go-live, resolve critical outstanding technical issues.
Following activities are carried out

• Production support facilities are defined.
• Post go-live support
• Validation of business processes and their configuration.
• Conduct project closing meeting
• Follow-up training for users
• Signoffs
• Go-Live checklist has been completed to activate support.

During phase 5, the first EarlyWatch session should be held, where experts from SAP analyze the system’s technical infrastructure. The aim is to ensure the system functions as smooth as possible.
                                                                            Version upgrades should be planned whenever found necessary. Accelerated SAP contains a continuous road-map, with standard activities necessary after implementation. The tasks in that structure provide solutions for all known types of continuous change: Business changes, technology changes or changes in user community.

2. Support and Maintenance: Once SAP project is implemented, that project should be supported by the consultants in day-to-day business. In Support and maintenance projects, the support team helps the customer in day-to-day business.

• Resolving the post implementation tickets(Issues)
• Client company will go to support and maintenance two months before the warranty period

For support and maintenance company the client will provide the documents like As-Is, To-Be, Config. docs, gaps, issue catalog(issues raised in the 6 month period). The mode of communication between client and support company uses tools like SAP CRM, issue tracker, Remedy, Citrix...etc

3. Roll out: Roll out comes into the picture where already SAP has been implementation is already done for  a country for which the roll out is being carried out. A roll-out project takes the main customizing/programs done for a company an adapts it to the new company, working only on the small differences between the companies: eg: printouts, logos, company code....During final preparation there will be one more testing included i.e, regression testing. This will come after the UAT and parallel testing. All these tests will be tested by existing country using the SAP.

4. Up-gradation: A project to upgrade existing systems.

In an upgrade project you can:
                ○ Upgrade customizing: Upgrade existing functions
                ○ and/or
                ○ Delta customizing: Copy additional functions


5. Enhancements: It is like support only but little with new enhancements to the existing functioanlity and with some new developments.

HR submodules

What is SAP HR Module

What is SAP HR Module?

SAP HR is a global Human Resource management system solution is one of the largest modules in the SAP R/3 system, now is is also called as Human Capital Management which consists of many submodules like 

• Organizational Management (OM)
• Personnel Administration (PA)
• Personal Time Management
• Payroll 
• Benefits Administration
• Recruitment
• Personnel Development
• Travel Management
• Personnel Cost Planning
• Compensation Management
• Budget Management 
• Training & Event Management
• Employee self service (ESS) & Managerial self service (MSS)
• SAP E-Recruitment (Talent Management)
• Enterprise Compensation Management (Talent Management)
• Learning Solution (Talent Management)
• Objective Setting Appraisal (Talent Management)

Many of these sub modules are further sub divided into many components for eg Time Management is further divided into Time Administration, Shift Planning,Incentive Wages and Time Sheet.Environment Health & Safety is further divided into Occupational Health & Industrial Hygiene & Safety.

The SAP HR module enables customers to effectively manage information about the people in their organization, and to integrate that information with ''other SAP modules'' and external systems

SAP ERP

SAP ERP is one of five enterprise applications in SAP's Business Suite. The other four applications are:

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – helps companies acquire and retain customers, gain marketing and customer insight
• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) – helps manufacturers with product-related information
• Supply Chain Management (SCM) – helps companies with the process of resourcing its manufacturing and service processes

• Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) – enables companies to procure from suppliers

Complete Modules of SAP ERP

1. Basis
2. ABAP/4 Programming
3. FI (Financial Accounting)
4. CO (Controlling)
5. EC (Enterprise Controlling)
6. IM (Investment Management)
7. HR (Human Resource)
8. SD (Sales and Distribution)
9. Logistics Information System
10. MM (Materials Management)
11. PM (Plant Maintenance)
12. PP (Production Planning)
13. QM (Quality Management)
14. BW (Business Warehousing)
15. IS (Industry Solutions)
16. CS (Customer Service)
17. SCM (Supply Chain Management)
18. SRM (Supplier Relationship Management)
19. CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

Are some of the widely used modules in SAP ERM

SAP

SAP(System Application and Products in Data Processing) is a software company founded in 1972 by five former IBM engineers, headquartered in Waldorf, Germany and has regional operations all around the world. SAP makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations and best known software products are its enterprise resource planning application(SAP ERP).
                                           

SAP AG Headquarters, Walldorf

ERP integrates all departments, functions data and serves the enterprise on a centralized database.

Characteristics of SAP

• Highly integrated solution covering entire business process
• Technically capable of utilizing the network in fast.
• Provides multiple ways of configuring business process
• Open system to ensure freedom to choose
• Solutions in areas where currently no systems
• Workflow enabled business process
• Enable to exploit the power of Internet and Intranet

Objectives of SAP

• Cost control and increased profitability
• Increased productivity of all resources-man, material,money
• Process standardization
• Transparency in operations,  resulting in better communication
• Shift from postmortem to predictive scenario