Database Reference
In-Depth Information
aspects of company operations, SAP permits the rationalizing of many processes. This could be
in terms of eliminating sequential wait periods for approvals, acknowledgments prior to further
processing, collating status updates from various departments before compiling the latest posi-
tions on inventory, and so on.
In enterprise-wide integrated packages like SAP, many of these facilities and features become
available automatically as a part of the architecture of the system. Thus, such process steps could
be eliminated entirely from the business processes.
12.10.2.3 Standardization of Processes
Every plant or office site of a company develops its own character and culture, which is a result
of the company's recommended corporate environment blending with the local situations. Such
local practices have strong adherents and generate loyalty and pride. These factors often harm the
progress of implementing a fairly uniform system, even if it's a computerized system like SAP,
across the organization at all of its sites and offices.
The CPO must take ample measures to ensure the broad acceptance within the organization
of standardized implementation. This can be ensured by
◾
The rapid implementation at the pilot site
◾
The rapid rollout of SAP at other company sites and offices
◾
The deputation of key personnel from all sites for the teams at the pilot sites, even at the risk
of overstaffing these teams
◾
The judicious selection and documentation of functionalities for implementation at the pilot
sites
◾
The democratic and transparent process of standardization based on the predefined criteria
of value addition in terms of customer friendliness, quality, timeliness, costs, and so on
◾
Configuring and customizing the maximum possible functionality at the pilot site, keeping
in view the businesses and practices prevalent at all other sites and offices
12.10.3 Centralized Base Reference Configuration
A company can experience the real payoff of implementing an ERP like SAP only when it has
implemented SAP at all of its plants, facilities, and offices. Traditional computerized systems have
a much more difficult time implementing standardized processes across all locations of their orga-
nizations. Since a SAP project entails implementing both best-of-business and standardized pro-
cesses, it leads to fairly standard implementation solutions across all of its sites.
A company should plan to implement a fairly comprehensive functionality at its pilot site. This
is termed as the centralized base reference configuration (CBRC). This can simply be transplanted
at each of the rollout sites in the subsequent stages of the project. Such an approach engenders
faster customization, training, integration testing, and, finally, go-live stages.
12.10.4 AcceleratedSAP (ASAP) Methodology
The AcceleratedSAP (ASAP) implementation methodology is the latest tool introduced by SAP for
rapid implementation of the SAP system within an organization. ASAP is a structured implemen-
tation approach and can help you achieve a faster implementation with quicker user acceptance,
well-defined roadmaps, and efficient documentation at various stages.
