SAP ASAP Methodology 1

Evolution of SAP:
SAP has broken the limitations of its past via its innovation based digital core
product-SAP S/4HANA. On 3rd February 2015, SAP announced its new business suite fully
built on SAP HANA called SAP S/4HANA meaning SAP Business Suite 4 SAP HANA. This is
considered to be the new product and biggest innovation of SAP since R/3 System.

SAP was founded by a number of ex-IBM employees in the early 1970s. Their first
system was called RF (real-time financials), and was later re-named as R/1. A Software
mainly consists of three layers — Presentation Layer, Application Layer and Database Layer

• Provides Graphical Screens to users.

• User enter data on screens
Presentation
• Shows processed data to user
Layer

• Process data using application logic

• Communicate with both layers
Application
Layer • Read/Write from database

Database • Management, Storage and retrieval of data.

Layer

SAP R/1 system:

SAP R/1 is the first ever product of the Software Giant — SAP stands for Systems,
Applications and Products in Data Processing. As the name suggests, SAP R/1 is the system
with one tier architecture. ‘R’ stands for real time data processing. In one-tier architecture
(SAP R/1), all these three layers were installed in one server. The first module developed was
Financial Accounting System. It was introduced in the year 1973.

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 SAP ASAP Methodology 2

SAP R/2 system:

SAP R/2 is the SAP’s mainframe product and also the first ever compact software package
for the end-to-end business applications. It was introduced in the year 1979. SAP R/2 runs
on mainframes such as IBM, Siemens, Amdahl etc., The last version of R/2 System is 6.1. R/2
System is two-tier architecture-based product. Presentation layer is on one server while the
application and database layers are present in another server. The mainframe solution is
not open. But with the help of ALE (Application Link Enabled) Technology, R/2 can be linked
to system and share online data.

SAP R/3 System:

SAP R/3 is SAP’s integrated software solution for client/server and distributed open systems
and introduced in 1992. SAP R/3 has many modules such as HR, Finance, MM covering all
enterprise.
The SAP R/3 System working process is described as follows:
• All requests that come in from presentation server are directed first to the dispatcher.
• The dispatcher writes them first to the dispatcher queue.
• The dispatcher pulls the requests from the queue on a first-in, first-out basis.
• Each request is then allocated to the first available work process. A work process
handles one process at a time.

SAP HANA:
SAP HANA (High-performance ANalytic Appliance) is a multi-model database that stores
data in its memory instead of keeping it on a disk. The column-oriented in-memory database
design allows you to run advanced analytics alongside high-speed transactions – in a single
system. Why is this so important? Because it lets companies process massive amounts of

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 SAP ASAP Methodology 3

data with near-zero latency, query data in an instant, and become truly data-driven. By
storing data in column-based tables in main memory and bringing online analytical
processing (OLAP) and online transactional processing (OLTP) together, SAP HANA is
unique – and significantly faster than other database management systems (DBMS) on the
market today.

Launched in 2010, SAP HANA is a modern and mature solution used by tens of thousands of
customers around the world. But SAP HANA is much more than a database. In addition to
acting as a database server, storing and retrieving data requested by applications, SAP
HANA offers advanced search, analytics, and data integration capabilities for all types of
data – structured and unstructured. It also functions as an application server and helps
companies build smart, insight-driven applications based on real-time data, in-memory
computing, and machine learning technology. These capabilities are available both in the
cloud, and on-premise.

By combining multiple data management capabilities – and making all types of data
instantly available from a single system – SAP HANA simplifies IT, helps businesses innovate,
and knocks down barriers to digital transformation.

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 SAP ASAP Methodology 4

What is ASAP Methodology:

ASAP Methodology is a standard SAP-related Project preparation and implementation
method. This methodology is developed and updated by the consultants who are involved in
implementing SAP software products. This methodology is also equally useful for the project
managers and other individuals who are into implementing systems that cater to business
support processes.
Using this process, i.e., ASAP methodology, project management provides a roadmap for
effectively optimizing the implementation of SAP systems in the business processes. The
solution that is developed will guarantee successful project solutions without compromising
on the budget and on-time delivery.
ASAP Framework mainly consists of five different phases of implementation. Each phase of
execution focuses on documentation, recommendations, and implementations of SAP
systems. After each and every phase executed successfully quality check is carried out that
will help the monitor to deliverables and also focus on vital factors which are crucial for
success.

Phases of ASAP Methodology:

All the five different phases of ASAP methodology are listed below within a detailed
explanation below:
o Project Preparation
o Business Blueprint
o Realization
o Final Preparation
o Go-Live and Support

Project Preparation:

This is more related to gathering information and required resources. This is a very crucial
time where all the necessary components for implementation are gathered together. Some
of the vital milestones that needed to be completed in the project preparation phase are:

• Get approval and support from Stakeholder

• Seek Senior level management approval
• Identify and define clear project objectives
• Work on an efficient decision-making process
• Work in an environment that is robust and it is suitable for change and re-engineering
• Last but not least, work on building a qualified and smart project team.
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 SAP ASAP Methodology 5

Business Blueprint:
Within this phase, according to the SAP methodology, all suitable information on the
company is gathered so that based on the necessary information gathered, the
implementation process will be designed. Most of the time, these blueprints are in the form
of surveys and questionnaires which will yield information about how the company does
business in general.

In addition to this, they also document this process. The Business Blueprint documentation
outlines the future business processes and the business requirements. These questions are
categorized by only one business function.

Realization:
This is the third phase of the process.
After successfully completing phase 1 and phase 2, “functional” experts will be available and
start configuring SAP systems.
This phase is broken into two parts:
1) The SAP consulting team will help you to configure a baseline system, which is
officially called a Baseline Configuration.
2) As per the standard process, the implementation team will start fine-tuning the
existing baseline configurations and make sure all the business needs and
requirements are a part of the fine-tuning process.
As per the requirement provided in the Business Blueprint phase, baseline configuration is
provided as per the Blueprint document. Further, the remaining 20% approximately is
corrected within the fine-tuning configuration.
Most of the time Fine-tuning cannot be covered with the help of Baseline Configuration.
Users have to make sure all of the remaining fine-tuning processes.

Configuration Testing:
With the help of an experienced SAP consulting team, you can separate the business process
into several cycles of related business flows. In turn, these cycles are referred to as
independent units which can be used to test specific parts of the business process.
In the process, you can also follow the standards mentioned in the SAP implementation
guide (IMG). This is a tool that can be used to assist while configuring your SAP system in a
step-by-step manner.

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 SAP ASAP Methodology 6

Knowledge Transfer:
Once the configuration phases come to an end, it is vital for the business or the project team
to be self-sufficient in terms of the configuration knowledge of the SAP system.
In order to get proper effective knowledge transfer, the configuration team should be tasked
with the system maintenance team (i.e. post-production team that is allocated to Go-Live
condition) needs to be completed at this point in time.
In addition, end-user training should also be scheduled so that they will be productive for
day-to-day business purposes.

Final Preparation:
This is a crucial part of the overall implementation.
As the project team has gone through configuration steps and also the knowledge transfers
phases, it is vital for the team to concentrate on the SAP training and should be involved in
rigorous functional and stress testing. It should include both positive and negative process
flow testing. This will help them to go through the entire functional flow of the product and
at the same time they will be building up confidence over the tool.
As the team is involved in testing, it will be a stage where a lot of last minutes of fine-tuning
will be designated and the configuration will be changed according to the needs. All this will
happen before Go-live and more importantly, data migration is also another important task
that one has to give importance to. Data migration from the old system to the SAP should
be done effectively without any latency.
Once the data is loaded it is vital for the team to conduct stress testing with actual valid
data. Testing with peak volume data, daily load, and other forms of stress testing is very
important and is recommended. The integration and stress testing are important because
they will validate the stability of the new system and also make sure that the data flow is
also accurate.
After all the data migrations and last-minute fine tunings, it is time for preventive
maintenance checks this will help the team to make sure that the SAP system is configured
for optimum performance. After this activity, it is all about documenting the Go-Live
strategy. At this point, it is more about preparing yourself to answer most of the questions
from end-users who are actively using the SAP system.

Go-Live:
Go-Live activity will be smooth and breeze if all the previous phases have been executed
under a strict monitoring process. If all the previous phases are not dealt with the way they
were supposed to be then it is altogether a different ball game.

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 SAP ASAP Methodology 7

Introducing a new system or tool or service to entirely different individuals, in this case,
preparation is the key. Within this preparation, one has to make sure that they have
answered all the What If scenarios within the business processes and how is the tool or
system is capable of answering or supporting in those situations.
Further, processing maintenance contracts and documenting the overall Go-live process is
vital in this phase.

Hyper-case:
After go live support to client for specific time duration to run the process smoothly. In this
phase consultant should be support on priority basis work and implement them in system to
run the process.

Support:
After hyper case client required support for their own customization or any other
requirement, they get support from SAP implementation Partner to support their business.

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