ASAP Methodology

ASAP is SAPs current standard implementation methodology. The word Accelerated refers to the Tools &
Information available in SAP to speed up the process of implementing SAP in an enterprise or organization.
Accelerated SAP and the Business Engineer help you configure R/3 according to your own needs using proven,
industry specific business scenarios and processes.


Benefits of the ASAP Methodology
The ASAP methodology gives you a comprehensive way to streamline the implementation, upgrade, and
enhancement of SAP software. ASAP offers you the following benefits.
Reduced total cost of implementation by embedding the principles of SAP Advanced Delivery Management
into a streamlined and modular implementation road map for ASAP
Choice of Agile or Standard implementation approach of your SAP Solution
Content-rich implementation accelerators, templates, and guides for implementation projects from strategy to
operations
Transparent value delivery through consistent reflection of the business case
Efficient project governance, quality management, and guidance for Agile implementation projects, Business
Process Management, and traditional implementation projects
Approach that combines user centric design, business processes and IT architecture
Coverage of the entire project life-cycle from evaluation through delivery to post project solution
management and operations

Advantages of using ASAP:
Project time cut down in half.
Lower Risk
Reduced Costs.


ASAP Implementation Phases
The individual phases of the ASAP Implementation Methodology are:














Phase 1: Project Preparation
The Project Preparation function enables a project manager to initiate, plan, and prepare for the project. Features
of the project plan are defined here. Project manager draws up a schedule and assemble the project team.
Implementation scope and plan for technical requirements and infrastructure is also defined here. In this phase of
the ASAP Roadmap, decision makers define clear project objectives and an efficient decision making process. A
project charter is issued, an implementation strategy is outlined, and the project team as well as its working
environment is established.
Goal Setting
Implementation Strategy
Implementation Sequence
Team
Sign Off
Goal Setting: Steering committee (sponsors*, SAP consulting manager and project manager) defines the goals
and objectives of the project.
Implementation Strategy: In this step following things are reviewed:
Clarifying of the scope of implementation.
Establish the project organization and relevant committees and assign resources.
Project location.
Departments involved.
Hardware and software to be used.
Implementation Sequence: Define sequence in project has to be executed
Phase
Parallel
Pilot
Big-bang
Team: Core team + Project team + Consultant team. Identifying team members and developing strategy as how
to go.
Sign Off: At the end of every phase, above step will be documented and will be signed off with client. It is
required to get the confirmation from the users that all deliverable were completed and accurate.

During this phase the team goes through initial planning and preparation for SAP project. This phase provides
initial planning and preparation for the project. Although each project has its own unique objectives, scope, and
priorities, the deliverables outlined assist in completing the initiation and planning steps in an efficient and
effective manner.



Phase 2: Business Blueprint:
It is a detailed documentation of the company's requirements in written format. Application consultants and the
Business Process Teams achieve a common understanding of how the enterprise intends to run its business within
the R/3 System, by carrying out requirements gathering workshops.
The purpose of the Business Blueprint phase is to outline the current situation as defined in workshops so you can
compile a Business Blueprint documenting the target state of the solution being implemented and the resultant
requirements. The conceptual design draw up by the project team members therefore describes how the
enterprise wants to map its business processes using SAP and non-SAP systems.
Business blueprint is nothing but the documentation of your companys requirements mapped in R/3.

Scope Document
As Is
To Be
GAP Analysis
Sign Off

Scope document: This document consists the questionnaire of all business process. It tells that what is to be
implemented i.e. which sub modules are to be implemented for example some clients may not require credit
management.
As Is: Here you understand the existing business process of the client. Understanding the business process from
the core team. Based on the input AS IS document has to be created according to module wise.

To Be: Parallels map TO BE processes to SAP. Processes that you are not sure of as to whether they are present
in SAP or not you try to do a configuration of those processes, and along with the BPO (Business process
owner he is the clients employee who knows about the clients business processes probably a middle management
guy, they can be more than one), BPO involvement is required as he may be able to tell you his requirements
better. Once you do the business modeling you will also be made aware of the gaps between as-is and to-be, here
decisions have to be made as to whether a ABAP development/system modification is required or not and so on.
Involve the BPO as much as possible and document everything and create a TO BE document.

Gap Analysis: The gap between AS IS and TO BE process is called GAP Analysis i.e., the inputs or the business
process, which cant map into standard SAP will be analyzed here. GAP Document has to be created. GAP will be
archive by RICEFW

RICEFW stands for Reports, Interfaces, Conversions, Enhancements, Forms & Workflow
R - Reports
R refers report programming. Of course, firstly classical report programming, WRITE statement; then it
means ALV programming with either ALV function modules or ABAP objects.

I - Interfaces
Interfaces are ALE / IDOC developments. Not only development, ABAP programming for IDOCs, also
IDOC customization, management. I think it might refers EDI too.

C - Conversion
I think conversions means BDC programming, batch input function modules, BDCDATA structure, CALL
TRANSACTION. Maybe conversion specifically refers conversion programs for standard batch input
programs. Even we can say it refers LSMW.

E - Enhancements
Enhancements are user-exits and the object oriented model of user-exits that is BADIs.

F - Forms
Forms are SAP script forms, SAP script print programs, and Smart Forms

W- Workflow


Sign Off: At the end of phase every above step will be documented and will be signed off with client. It is required
to get the confirmation from the users that all deliverables were completed and accurate.

Business blueprint will be a master plan for implementation and serves a basis for organization, configuration and
if necessary in developments. The Business Blueprint ensures that everybody has an accurate understanding of
the final scope of the project regarding business processes, organizational structure, system environment and
project standards. Issues regarding changes in scope, impact on budget and resource planning must be
addressed.

















Phase 3: Realization:
The purpose of this phase is to implement the entire business process requirement based on the business
blueprint. Configuration should be done in this process in development server. Master data format should be
decided here so that Business Process Owner can go collect the master data. You should give ABAP specifications
for forms, reports etc, system modifications etc. (Here ABAPer comes into picture if standard codes are not able to
produce the required functionality).

The system configuration is provided in 2 work packages:
1. Baseline (major Scope)
2. Final configuration (remaining scope)

Base Line
Final Configuration
Sign Off

Base Line: The Baseline configuration is designed to configure about 80% of your daily business transactions and
all of your master data, and organizational structure.

Final Configuration: Final configuration will build upon the Baseline. This configuration is performed by the
business process teams. Each configuration core business process is divided into cycles of related business process
flows. These can be configured in parallel, for which reports, user procedures, testing scenarios and security
profiles need to be developed. This approach provides immediate feedback as well as involves the entire
organization in the project. This coordinates the configuration with the business processes and the result is
completely configured system on the business requirements and the system prepared for testing.

Sign Off: In this phase also we have to create documentation for the configuration implemented and it has to be
taken sign off from client.


Phase 4: Final Preparation:
The main objective of this phase is to identify required system tests before cutover, here we can resolve critical
open issues after successfully completing this phase it is assumed that product is ready to go live.
In this phase end users go through comprehensive training. The last step will be to migrate data to the new
system. On successful completion of this phase, you are ready to run your business in your productive R/3
system.

This phase shortly includes the following things:

User training
System management
User manual and support
Data transfer
Final integration and system tests

Unit Testing
Integration Testing
User Training
Cut over Strategy
Sign Off

Unit Testing and Integration Testing: Already explained.

User Training: The purpose of this activity is to train all the end users before go live date. End users of each
module will be provided training by corresponding module consultant. End user training document and training
manuals has to be prepared. This documents has to be taken sign off from the client.


Cut Over Strategy: Before Go live phase there will cut over period for business process is carried. During cut over
period the master data and transaction data from legacy system will be migrated to SAP system. There are various
tools available for this purpose e.g. LSMW, BDC.


Signoff: After completion of this phase take sign off from the client.


Going live checklist:

End user training is completed
System administration is ready
Stress test is completed
Conversion and business process in production system have been checked
Perform internal quality check
Final preparation review.



Phase 5: Go Live & Support:
The purpose of this phase is to move from pre-production environment to live production environment.
The most important elements include setting up production support, monitoring system performance and
optimizing overall performance. After go live system is kept under support for some period.

During the first few days of go-live you should execute your production support plan properly and resolve the
issues as soon as possible. After first few days of production operations, we have to find out the long-term
solutions for the issues occurred at go-live. This is the last phase of the project.

Production Support
Monitor System Transaction
Optimize Performance
Sign Off

Production support: Support is what product manufacturers do to keep the product running as advertised. User
forums, email support for installation assistance, remote access troubleshooting, answering general how-to
questions regarding core functionality, software updates without breaking already works are the examples of
support.
SAP provides support through: OSS: Online SAP Service, Remote Consulting etc.

Monitor system transaction: Validation of business processes and their configuration.

Optimize performance: Aim of optimizing the performance is to make the system functions as smooth as possible.
Optimization is a process of making something (as a design, system, or decision) as fully perfect, functional, or
effective as possible.

Sign off: At the end of every phase, above step will be documented and will be signed off with client. It is required
to get the confirmation from the users that all deliverables were completed and accurate.



Phase 6: Operate
The primary goal of this phase is to ensure the operability of the solution.
Each phase has a set of deliverables that are produced during the duration of the phase and serve as the input to
follow-up phases. Each deliverable provides list of Outputs it consist of and Methods that are used to produce the
deliverable.
Solution operations are initially set up during the implementation project. The primary goal of this phase is to
further optimize and automate the operability of the solution. Operability is the ability to maintain IT systems in a
functioning and operating condition, guaranteeing systems availability and required performance levels to support
the execution of the enterprises business operations