SAP Activate: What, Why, How & Where?
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sap-activate-what-why-how-where-asha-basavanthappa
As part of partner Customer and
Partner Testing Services held in SAP Walldrof, SAP presented the SAP Activate
Methodology. This document is an extract of contents of that presentation and
represented in a method which is easy to understand.
High level description: What is SAP
Activate?
SAP Activate is a methodology used
in S/4 HANA and is a unique combination of SAP Best Practices, Methodology, and
SAP Guided Configuration delivered with a reference solution. It enables
customers to start fast, build smart, and run simple while continuously
innovating in the cloud and anywhere.
SAP Activate is a successor of the
ASAP and SAP Launch methodology. SAP introduced SAP Launch methodology one year
ago for SAP cloud based solutions. Now, these 2 methodologies are not the SAP
suggested methodologies. In other words, SAP Activate Methodology is designed
to support a broad coverage of SAP solutions starting with SAP S/4HANA. The
methodology also enables co-innovation with customers and is accessible for
partners like us.
Deep dive information: 3 key
elements
SAP Activate, which is a combination
of SAP Best Practices, guided configuration, and methodology optimized for
S/4HANA. Let's deep dive into these 3 key elements of SAP Activate.
1. SAP Best Practices: SAP Best Practices baseline for
SAP S/4HANA contain complete and consistent configuration settings and assets
to use as enablement and accelerators in your implementation projects. So what
does it include?
Business Process Structure with technical steps that include finance
and logistical areas.
Accelerators for your implementation project.
Integration information with other cloud solutions, such as Success
Factors Employee Central or Ariba Network.
Migration documents which help to migrate either from Non SAP systems
or from legacy SAP systems.
Graphical representation of all the business processes.
Pre-defined test scripts
Testing automation process available in S\4 HANA.
2. Guided Configuration: It is a set of tools,
assets and accelerators which assist the implementation of SAP S\4 HANA. This
will help right from the initial setup all through after go live support. This
guided approach helps to bridge the gap between business and IT groups to have
a successful implementation. The entire process of collaboration will be
recorded, thus supplying a configuration history.
3. One Methodology: SAP Activate Methodology is the
used for initiating any implementation of SAP S/4HANA. It is the successor of
the ASAP methodology and SAP Launch methodologies, and caters to the usage of
SAP’s premium engagements, etc.
Why is SAP Activate needed?
As explained SAP is succeeding all
variants of ASAP 8 methodology and SAP Launch.
ASAP 8 will be replaced with SAP Activate methodology for on premise
edition. This will be supported in SAP S/4 HANA and SAP Business Suite
(ERP, CRM, SRM,…)
SAP Launch will be replaced with SAP ACTIVATE methodology for cloud
enterprise edition and SAP Activate methodology for project services
edition. This will support implementations in SAP S/4 HANA, cloud editions
(currently excluding Cloud marketing edition) and in H2 2015 will be
transitioned for SFSF, C4C and Ariba.
Now, it is better to understand what
the difference between these with SAP Activate is. Compared to ASAP and Launch,
SAP activate has improvements in the below areas:
Based on use of SAP Best Practices
Reduced project lifecycle – only 4 phases
Up to 10 key deliverables per phase, thus easier access to key guides
and accelerators
Blueprint activities replaced with solution validation
Agile implementation as a default
SAP will continue to provide access
to the last version of ASAP 8 methodology in SAP Service Marketplace for
project teams that are using it today. There will be no further content
enhancements made to ASAP 8 going forward as all the new implementation
methodology assets will be made available through SAP Activate framework.
How does SAP Activate be deployed?
The Roadmap to get to SAP S/4HANA in
order to maximize benefits will vary according to different business and IT
drivers. E.g. client may already use SAP Business Suite on SAP HANA today,
client could be new to SAP, or client may have a mature SAP landscape that you
plan to simplify and transform. In order to support the different starting
points there are three main adoption roadmaps.
New Implementation: In this scenario you are
installing a new SAP S/4HANA system and migrate your data. Clients will
benefit from new implementation of industry-leading Business Suite and
Reengineering and process simplification based on ready-to-run business
processes and reference solution delivered with the product.
System Conversion: In this scenario you are
already using SAP Business Suite on SAP HANA or any database, and want to
convert your current system into a SAP S/4HANA system. They can leverage
RDS [Rapid Deployment Solution] and benefit from migration without
reimplementation, no disruption for existing business processes,
re-evaluation of customization and existing process flows and
transformation over time.
Landscape transformation: in this scenario you might
have more complex requirements. You may want to use SAP S/4HANA as your
central finance system or move selected applications to SAP S/4HANA. Or
you might want to simplify your system landscape by consolidating multiple
business units into one new SAP S/4HANA instance. This would be similar to
RDS approach however the upgrade to the latest enhancement package and the
migration to SAP HANA are supported by services based on SAP Landscape
Transformation Replication Server. This also have few benefits like, they
would stay with current business processes and move gradually to S/4HANA
innovations, harmonized business processes and shared master data through
consolidation, carve out of single entities of the company to SAP S/4HANA
and leverage process simplification.
For each of the above scenarios,
will go through the 4 phases
Prepare: Start with Best Practices by re-using knowledge
assets and prebuild content
Explore: Moving into pre assembly, rapid prototyping,
solution validation workshops and delta backlog.
Realize: In this phase iterative delta scope implementation
and E2E integration testing
Deploy: This is the final phased where the roll out is
done
Where to find SAP Activate
methodology content?
Assets / accelerators are linked to
different phases of the methodology. They are freely accessible:
SAP Best Practices assets and accelerators are directly accessible
through the “Manage Your Solution” Fiori application of SAP S/4HANA.
Additionally these assets are available through Solution Manager templates
and online on SAP Service Marketplace
SAP Activate Methodology assets are available through standard
documentation of the implementation methodologies.
In addition, SAP Activate
Methodology project management accelerators are made available through SAP JAM.
The complete documentation of SAP Best Practices through Solution Manager
Templates and online on SAP Service Marketplace will be made available.
Request Access - http://bit.ly/SAPActivate
Public Access - http://sap.com/activate
Conclusion: SAP Activate
In short, SAP Activate is a
combination of SAP Best Practices, guided configuration, and methodology which
allows building smart and running simple. SAP Activate gives the freedom to run
fast with Fiori UX and with a lower TCO and continuous innovation with built-in
extensibility to fit different needs.
The key take away will be that SAP
Activate is one methodology for any deployment mode – cloud, hybrid, on
premise, or mobile for S\4 HANA.