1.
ASAP –
Methodology
- By Ashraf Afzal
Ashraf.fico@gmail.com

2.
ASAP – Components & Tools
SAP has provided an number of components, tools and
accelerators for supporting ASAP implementations
ASAP components, which can be used in any type of SAP
Projects, include Forms, Questionnaires and Guides
ASAP Tools and Accelerators, which can be used to
streamline and improve implementations
ASAP Components, functions and org structure can be
tailored or deactivated to suit individual requirements

3.
Project Estimator
This is a pre-sales that is used to estimate the
resources, time and cost required to
implement sap at a particular site.
The Project Estimator relies on a series of pre-
defined interview question that are posted to
the company’s senior executives, business and
technical managers, as well as project team
members.

4.
Exceptions
Company Expertise: Strengths and Weakness
Degree of Complexity of Business Processes
Project Scope
Development Time Desired
SAP Team Expertise
Risk Factors
Project Estimator

5.
Implementation Assistant
It serves as a navigation tool for the ASAP
Implementation Roadmap, which provides
guidance during various implementation phases
Project Plan – Which contains the budget,
resource and work plans
Knowledge Corner – Which is a warehouse of
information encompassing configuration,
technical tools, customizing wizards etc

6.
Implementation Assistant
It has the following features:
Include a description for each Roadmap task
Provides guidance through every Roadmap task
Indicates which tasks are to be performed, who need
to be designated to do it, and how long it should take
to finish
Include a detailed “How-To” for each Roadmap task.
It shows how to perform a specific tasks, complete
checklists, check with technical guidelines etc

7.
Linked Documents accessed through the
Roadmap
Includes specific examples, templates, forms
and checklists
Provide hyperlinks from tasks to tools,
templates and documents
Contains extensive testing guide that can help
configure associated business process
Implementation Assistant

8.
This is a tool that is used to gather requirements for
 Business Processes
 Conversions
 Reports
 Interfaces
 Enhancements
 Authorizations
The questions and answers are stored in a database, which
serves as a useful repository for information. This Q & A
are in incorporated in the Business Blue Print Documents
Question & Answer - Database

9.
Issues Database
• This tool is used to document issues and
concerns that arise during Project
Implementations.
• A common and central location ensures that all
identified issues receive high visibility.
• It also ensures easier assignments, monitoring
and updating for the recorded issues

10.
ASAP - Roadmap
This ASAP components defines a systematic
approach and methodology that incorporates a
project plan for an SAP implementations.
 What is to be done ?
 Why it is needed ?
 How it is to be performed ?
 Who should implement it ?

11.
Roadmap of ASAP - Methodology

12.
Roadmap of ASAP
• The Roadmap is a step-by-step guide that is
divided into five phases.
• These are:
 Phase 1 : Project Preparation
 Phase 2 : Business Blueprint
 Phase 3 : Realization (Simulation & Validation)
Phase 4 : Final Preparation
 Phase 5 : Go-Live & Support

13.
Phase 1 :
Project Preparation

14.
Project Implementation
The implementation time required for each phase
depends on the total project implementation time
that, typically ranges between 06 to 18 months for
ASAP projects
Ex. A mid-cap company projects for which the total imp.
Time was one year, the appx. time spent on each
phase as follows
 Project Preparation 1 Month
 Business Blueprint 2 Months
 Realization 6 Months (2 Simulation + 4
Validation)
 Final Preparation 3 Months
 Go-Live & Support

15.
Other Project at a 2 Billion Dollar company,
which lasted 18 months
Project Preparation 1 Month
Business Blueprint 5 Months
Realization 9 Months (4 Simulation +
5 Validation)
Final Preparation 3 Months
Go-Live & Support
Project Implementation

16.
Phase 1 : Project Preparation
 There are many factors that can lead to the
success or failure of an ASAP or any other type
of software projects
 One of the critical factors epically for SAP
projects is organizational readiness and project
preparation, this includes
Project Planning
Project Organization
Determination of Project Standards

17.
Organizational Readiness:
Getting Decision Makers On Board
An ASAP project is doomed to failure if the
organization, where it is to be implemented, is
not ready to implement SAP
One of the first tasks should be to determine if
all the key decision makers are on board for
the implementation team internal and external
members

18.
Management Tasks:
Management and key decision makers, whose
support is critical, should provide a firm
commitment that till increase the profitability of a
successful implementation. They should:
 Provide top management commitment and
support
 Clearly define Project goals and objectives
Agree on the different project steps
Create an environment that is ready for change
Setup a team that is qualified and represents the
various functional areas

19.
Project Planning
Identifying Critical Elements:
These are a number of steps that need to be
taken during the initial (Planning) Phase of the
Project
These are the cornerstones upon which the
success of a project is built
Weakness in any of the area can lay the seed
for problems or even outright failure

20.
Strategic Principles
Strategic Principles becomes easier for the
implementation to achieve its business objectives.
The Following are and example to set:
 Implementation an integrated enterprise system
First phase implementation
 Need not replace all the legacy system
functionality
 Must run the business and built on an expandable
foundation
Buy Not Make, When Possible
Adhere to Open Standards

21.
 Always wear the company hat first, your
functional hat next
 Think globally – enterprise-wide and not just
headquarters
 Core modules must be implemented within a
year
 Have clear signoff criteria
Strategic Principles

22.
Project Business Drivers
These are the business drivers for selecting the ERP
Software for a particular project implementation
Ex. For set of Project, Business Drivers used:
Increase customer loyalty
Improve revenue and earnings growth
Increase profitability growth
Improve performance

23.
The role of the project manager is one of the most
critical roles in the project.
The PM leads the project as both a friendly leader
and also a process manager
PM Recruit project staff and consultants
PM manage co-ordination of the partners and
working groups engaged in project work
PM do detailed project planning and controlling
PM manage project deliverables in line with the
project plan
Project Manager

24.
Project Manager
PM resolves cross-functional issues at Project level
PM manage project issues and escalating where
necessary
PM provides project status report to project sponsor
PM works closely with users to ensure the project
meets business needs
PM handles all work flow diagrams
PM as a leader is responsible for managing and
communicating a clear vision of the project
PM will be motivating the project team to achieve
them

25.
• PM shouldn’t require a strong technical background
but only needs the authority to assign and approve
project activities that will be carried out by the
technical staff.
• PM might facilitate inevitable changes and
processes with well-defined scope management
procedures, and also provide continues leadership
• PM facilitate for the development team and
motivate a productive project environment.
• As a result, the PM needs to be a very good
communicator, an experienced negotiator and also
a perfect leader
Project Manager

26.
Team Membership
SAP Implementations, team membership is split
into the following main group
 Client Personnel
Client Employees
Client Contractors
 Implementation Partner
Employees of the Partner Company
Employees of the Partner Comp Sub-contractors

27.
Team Membership
The Clients team usually consists of 2
types of members
 Core Team Members: 100% of their time
dedicated to project
 Extended Team Members: 20 – 50% of their
time depending on the project phase of the
project

28.
Selecting Consultants
It is important that consultants should be
selected with a great deal of care
Too many issue can arise if consultants are not
properly selected or if they are not adequately
monitored and controlled.
 Knowledge transfer is negatively impacted
Excessive travel bills, overhead expenditure ..

29.
How Teams Are Organized
The Project team is usually organized by modules
or functionality. Ex.
Finance
Logistic
Sales & Distribution
Project System
Basis (Infrastructure and System Admin)
Quality Assurance
Training
Communication

30.
There are 2 common approaches
 First Approach
They are grouped by Functional Module
 Second Approach
All Developers are grouped into a single group
How Teams Are Organized

31.
Team Building
 During the project preparation phase, team
building activates are initiated.
 Get the team together for an offsite meeting
lasting 2 – 3 days.
 During these days team members get to know
each other
 The importance of working as an integrated,
mutually dependent, team is highly stressed during
such meetings

32.
Training For Team Members
 In order to introduce the internal team
members to SAP Functionality and features,
they are put through level 1 training during the
project preparation phase.
 It is recommended that this training starts as
early as possible

33.
Key Deliverable of This Phase
 Project charter (Mission, Business drivers)
Project procedure and standards
Detailed project plan
Technical requirements planning (order pc’s)
Project kickoff
Project team training plan (Level 1 & 2)
Project room set up
Project team structure and roles
Signoff of project preparation phase

34.
Question &
Answer
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