Database Reference
In-Depth Information
The key phases of ASAP methodology are
1. Project preparation
2. Business blueprint
3. Realization
4. Final preparation
5. Go live and support
By promoting the best-of-business practices for implementation, SAP does away with the
time-consuming and tedious steps of requirements capture and analysis mentioned previously.
The popularity, effectiveness, and reliability of such an approach were established by the great
success achieved by a similar methodology adopted for the traditional software application devel-
opment in the 1980s. The Structured Systems Analysis and Design (SSAD) methodology intro-
duced by Gane and Sarson essentially skipped the then-popular practice of first analyzing the
existing system and went directly to perform the analysis of the proposed system. The design of
the proposed system was therefore a radically different interpretation of the future requirements
of a company without being encumbered by the constraints, practices, and prejudices of the past
systems and procedures prevalent within the organization.
With SAP, as explained, this process is taken a step further by optimizing the traditional
design and development stages of the project life cycle by utilizing a library of best-of-business,
preimplemented processes for any industry. We will be discussing all these phases of ASAP in
detail later in Chapter 13 of this topic.
12.11 Change Management in a SAP Project
Initiating change and confronting change are the two most important issues facing companies
today. The ability to change business processes contributes directly to your
innovation
bottom
line. The traditional concept of change management is understood generally as a one-time
event, but if an organization is looking for the ability to not only handle change management,
but the management of changes on a continual basis, then SAP is a must. SAP provides a plat-
form for such ongoing changes in the processes that are so critical to the success of a company's
business.
As we have stated earlier, business processes that reside or are internalized within the minds
of an organizations' employees are difficult to change, simply because we naturally find change
difficult. However, processes that reside or are internalized within computerized systems are easy
to change. Thus, SAP-supported processes are much more easier to change and execute than the
conventional computerized system, because SAP implements a model of the enterprise that is
comprehensive and consistent.
Change management is essential and employees are apprehensive because of
◾
Fear of job reductions
◾
Fear of losing responsibility and control
◾
Anxiety arising out of a perceived inadequacy of their background
◾
Fear of failure
◾
Loss in the sense of ownership
◾
Sheer inertia for changing and learning new systems
