https://archive.sap.

com/discussions/thread/857190

SAP Blueprint Workshop

Hi,

I am working on my first implementation project and have a question. My question is - Can someone tell
me the activities that are carried out in a "Business Blueprint Workshop". I would really appriciate if
some one could help me with the answer.

Thanks

Shashank

shashank Malik

May 09, 2008 at 23:23 PM

2 Likes

Helpful Answer

by

 Alpesh Patel

Not what you were looking for? View more on this topic or Ask a question

3 replies

Helpful Answer

Alpesh Patel replied

May 09, 2008 at 22:50 PM

The road map is composed of five well-known consecutive phases:

• Phase 1 Project Preparation

• Phase 2 Business Blueprint

• Phase 3 Realization

• Phase 4 Final Preparation

• Phase 5 Go-Live and support

In today's post we will discuss the first phase.

Phase 1 : Project Preparation

Phase 1 initiates with a retrieval of information and resources. It is an important time to assemble the

necessary components for the implementation. Some important milestones that need to be accomplished

for phase 1 include

• Obtaining senior-level management/stakeholder support

• identifying clear project objectives

• architecting 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 stakeholders 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.

Building a qualified project team:

Probably the most important milestone early in assembling a project team for the implementation. If you
are

implementing the materials management and plant maintenance modules, you need to include people
from

both of these departments. The team should also represent management as well as non management or

"functional" personnel. Sometimes management is less aware of the day-to-day functions of an

organization,

including how implementing SAP will tactically influence those function

ASAP- Second Phase- Business Blueprint

SAP has defined a business blueprint phase to help extract pertinent 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. The kinds of questions asked are germane to the particular business function, as

seen in the following sample questions:

1) What information do you capture on a purchase order?

2) What information is required to complete a purchase order?

Accelerated SAP question and answer database:

The question and answer database (QADB) is a simple although aging tool designed to facilitate the
creation

and maintenance of your business blueprint. This database stores the questions and the answers and

serves as the heart of your blue print. Customers are provided with a customer input template for each

application that collects the data. The question and answer format is standard across applications to

facilitate easier use by the project team.

Issues database:

Another tool used in the blueprinting phase is the issues database. This database stores any open concerns

and pending issues that relate to the implementation. Centrally storing this information assists in
gathering

and then managing issues to resolution, so that important matters do not fall through the cracks. You can

then track the issues in database, assign them to team members, and update the database accordingly.

ASAP Phase- 3 - Realization:

With the completion of the business in phase 2, "functional" experts are now ready to begin configuring
SAP.

The Realization phase is broken in to two parts.

1) Your SAP consulting team helps you configure your baseline system, called the baseline configuration.

2) Your implementation project team fine-tunes that system to meet all your business and process

requirements as part of the fine tuning configuration.

The initial configuration completed during the base line configuration is based on the information that
you

provided in your blueprint document. The remaining approximately 20% of your configuration that was
not

tackled during the baseline configuration is completed during the fine tuning configuration. Fine tuning

usually deals with the exceptions that are not covered in baseline configuration. This final bit of tweaking

represents the work necessary to fit your special needs.

Configuration Testing:

With the help of your SAP consulting team, you segregate your business processes into cycles of related

business flows. The cycles serve as independent units that enable you to test specific parts of the business

process. You can also work through configuring the SAP implementation guide (IMG). A tool used to
assist

you in configuring your SAP system in a step-by-step manner.

Knowledge Transfer:

As the configuration phase comes to a close, it becomes necessary for the Project team to be self-
sufficient

in their knowledge of the configuration of your SAP system. Knowledge transfer to the configuration
team

tasked with system maintenance (that is, maintenance of the business processes after Go-live) needs to be

completed at this time.

In addition, the end users tasked with actually using the system for day-to-day business purposes must be

trained.

ASAP Methodology - Phase 4 - Final Preparation:

As phase 3 merges into phase 4, you should find yourselves not only in the midst of SAP

training, but also in the midst of rigorous functional and stress testing. Phase 4 also

concentrates on the fine tuning of your configuration before Go-live and more importantly, the

migration of data from your old system or systems to SAP.

Workload testing (including peak volume, daily load, and other forms of stress testing), and

integration or functional testing are conducted to ensure the accuracy of your data and the

stability of your SAP system. Because you should have begun testing back in phase 2, you do

not have too far to go until Go-live. Now is an important time to perform preventative

maintenance checks to ensure optimal performance at your SAP system.

At the conclusion of phase 4, take time to plan and document a Go-live strategy. Preparation for

Go-live means preparing for your end-users questions as they start actively working on the new

SAP system.
ASAP - Phase 5 - Go-live and Support:

The Go-live milestone is itself is easy to achieve; a smooth and uneventful Go-live is another

matter altogether. Preparation is the key, including attention to what-if scenarios related not only

to the individual business processes deployed but also to the functioning of technology

underpinning these business processes and preparation for ongoing support, including

maintenance contracts and documented processes and procedures are essential

3 likes

shashank Malik replied

May 09, 2008 at 23:15 PM

Thanks for the detailed response. But I am specificaly looking for the activities that are performed in the
"Business Blueprint Workshops". Do we first explain the SAP Org structures to the client / Do we carry
out presentations on Org structure / Who are the participants of the workshop. I need some more
information around the workshops

Thanks

Shashank

0 likes

Alpesh Patel replied

May 09, 2008 at 23:23 PM

you have to comp with the real org sturcture going to be based on the requirements

and then module wise

like how many diff PO order type will be there

what all diff mateiral type you are going to use

You need to represent to the Client project CORE team

Plus the one main bussiness scenario - how you going to handle in the SAP end to end process
0