Business Analysis for SAP Projects Content Details

Defining Business Analysis: Challenges & Critical Skills

Overview of requirements analysis activities

The need for Business Analysis
Requirements definition challenges
BA knowledge areas and competencies
Workshop: Travel Management Case Study

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Requirements Management in SAP: The Big Picture

o Recognize how and where projects originate

o Understand how to frame problems and opportunities
o Describe techniques for performing root cause analysis
and initial scoping
o Define the contents of a Project Decision Package (aka
Vision / Scope document)
o Describe the steps involved in performing analysis
activities
o Phases of SAP enabled change
o Elements of a business case
o Workshop: Develop a Scoping Diagram

Requirements Classification

o Define a requirement;
o Explain the various types of requirements
o Understand the linkage between requirements and
business needs
o Distinguish a requirement from a specification
o Workshop: Requirements Classification

Defining (and Managing) Stakeholder Expectations

o How cross-functional process integration can lead to

conflict
o Stakeholder mapping techniques using SAM and SRM
o Understanding your stakeholders frame of reference
o Establishing a subject matter expert advisory committee
o How to use a RACI chart to assign roles and
responsibilities
o Workshop: Developing SAM and SRM

COTS The Ideal Situation

o Implementing COTs products has implementation

challenges that can be successfully managed
o What is the best manner in which to use external SAP
consultants
o Implementation pitfalls to avoid
o SAP is a marriage
o Workshop: Discussion

SAP Resources for the Business Analyst

o Understanding the SAP Business Process hierarchy

o How requirements fit into the overall ASAP methodology
o Solution Manager: what it is, how it can support business
analysis

o Review the ASAP methodology, accelerators, tools and

techniques;
o Workshop: ASAP Accelerators, Tools and Techniques

Requirements Elicitation

o Explain the iterative nature of the requirements

elicitation process
o Select and apply the appropriate requirements and
elicitation techniques to varying project situations
o Define elicitation keys to success
o Dealing with barriers to effective elicitation
o Workshops vs. Meetings.
o Workshop planning checklist
o Workshop facilitation
o Workshop: Travel Management Case Study

Requirements Documentation

o Apply standard principles and techniques of technical

writing to requirements documentation
o Describe how the requirements analysis process feeds
the Business Blueprint phase
o Documenting the To-Be business model
o Documenting system behavior
o Recording actor actions and system responses;
o Documenting operational specifications or use cases
o Workshop: Travel management Case Study

Value Engineering

The definition of Value

Requirements engineering and Value engineering
How SAP defines value
The benefits/characteristics of value management
Three components of SAP Value Management
Understand Value Maps
Workshop: Develop a Outcomes Realization Plan

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Develop Business Blueprint Deliverables

o Explain the iterative nature of developing business

requirements in the business blueprint phase:
o Business Scenario;
o Business Process;
o Process Steps/Activity
o Develop Business Process documents to gather
requirements
o Validate the business process diagram by asking 5
questions
o Decompose high-level process diagram to more detail
business process steps diagrams
o Transition from business process to system behavior

Fit Gap Analysis

o Customization can have significant current and ongoing

costs
o Business re-engineering versus system re-engineering

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That RICEFW objects represent customization in SAP

What is involved in conducting fit/gap analysis
Why it is important to conduct fit/gap analysis
Gap decisions impact project scope
Customization is often used to address functional gaps
Workshop: Travel Management Case Study