Project Management

SAP projects require a project organization that involves the participation of all relevant units of the implementing organization. While consultancy is a critical service, it is not possible for an external group to implement a SAP application on its own. Below, a suggested sample project organization is outlined.

The Steering Committee is a board of management for taking decisions beyond the authority of project teams. The Steering Committee is composed of company executives and is convened under the chairmanship of a “Project Sponsor” from the top company executives.

The main responsibility of the Project Manager is to coordinate the project teams and be accountable to the Steering Committee. The Project Manager must be able to dedicate all of their time to project work. The Project Team is responsible for the execution and outcomes of the project. The members of the Project Team should be knowledgeable in their topics and be able to allocate time to the project in a creative way outside of their daily tasks. Project teams should be formed with the participation of at least one person from each unit for each module.

The Information Systems Team is responsible for solving technical issues and providing system support throughout the project. The TeamPro Project Manager coordinates TeamPro’s involvement in the project and the company assists the Project Manager in executing the project according to the SAP methodology.

Project Implementation Methodology: SAP Activate

The main steps of the project will be formed by the Conceptual Design work (Preparation and Design), Prototype and Test (Application) and Go-Live, which is the standard application methodology for SAP projects. This project methodology is compatible with the extensive project management package defined by SAP, formerly known as “ASAP” and now as “SAP Activate”.

Preparation and Design

At this stage, a current state analysis will be done first, then the requirements will be determined. Then, as Conceptual Design, a work to determine the main structure of the target system will be created. This work will be documented by the project team and, preferably, a presentation will be made to obtain the approval of the top management of the relevant companies. Thus, the basis of the SAP application will be created and work on the system will begin.

Application

At this stage, the configuration of the SAP system in accordance with Conceptual Design, preparation of the main data and entry into the system, setting up of new business processes, authorization, reporting and preparation of test and production environments will be included. Preparation of test scenarios, end user training and preparation of documentation will be included in this step. In addition, integration tests will be planned and the simulation of the processes between the related modules will be carried out before going live.

Go Live and Support

Finally, the project will be finalized by creating a transition program to the new system.

SAP’s priority with HANA was to emphasize simplicity, and with the SAP Activate methodology, projects can be more quickly and easily adapted and brought to life.

It is the proven best project implementation methodology developed by SAP.