Global SAP Templates are never the end - they mark the beginning of the solution lifecycle. Can global templates and their rollouts be managed more effectively ? Can change control move beyond signing off documents ? Can the systems which get impacted by changes provide a feedback to the change control process ? This presentation provides an innovative way of deploying SAP Solution Manager to manage a global SAP template.

1. Effectively Manage Global
SAP Templates
The Change Management Engine
Author: Subodh Jambhekar / Nov 15th, 2012

2. Difficulties in managing global templates of SAP
 Multiple solution components and platforms are integrated with each
other at various levels
 Implementation cycles of such solution components coincide or
overlap, creating variable dependencies
 Long-drawn rollouts of a global template require that the template
remains relevant with external and internal triggers of change
 Innumerous sources of change, such as on-going production
support, newer projects, technology improvements, organizational
structure changes etc must coexist with minimal conflict
 Multiple system landscapes across projects and production support
delivering changes to a common production system
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3. Consequent Challenges (1)
 Requirements signed off through various sources of change may
create technical conflicts that cannot be determined during design
phase but reveal themselves later in the build phase
 What is comprehensively tested and validated may not be truly
tested and validated as what may appear to be comprehensive
functionally may not be technically complete
 Mutual impact of changes initiated by production support activities
and by projects may not become evident until the conflicting
changes reach the production systems leading to further issues that
impact business as usual
 Inability to ensure that the baseline template is in synchronization
with localized configurations of each rollout
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4. Consequent Challenges (2)
 Waste generated through point-in-time workarounds which will
create downstream rework to themselves or elsewhere
 Valuable project effort wasted in fire-fighting than being utilized the
real project deliverable
 Expensive inconsistencies introduced by imperfect sequencing of
changes which can happen due to a faulty design or mere human
error
 Adoption of newer technologies and support packages during a
project becomes more and more difficult as assessing the impact
across projects becomes seemingly impossible
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5. What is the Change Management Engine ?
 Establishes a robust change management mechanism to support
ERP projects as well as continuous improvements and release
management after go-live
- Ensures that ERP projects do not just create a single system but a continuously
evolving template
- Enables easy integration of new functionalities in an existing SAP landscape
- Addresses long-term release management and rollout requirements as part of
ERP transformation at no extra cost
- Uses an intelligent configuration of SAP Solution Manager as the Change
Management Engine
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6. A Closed Loop Change Control System
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7. Technical Architecture
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8. Detection of Gaps and Conflicts
 Gaps and Conflicts
- If a rule detects a missing link in the end-to-end traceability of a change from the
business process to the deployment it will be flagged as a gap
- If a rule detects any rule being violated, it will detect it as a conflict
- Gaps and conflicts are evaluated at the rule-set level
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9. Implementation Approach
 Phase# 1 Enable the Change Management Engine
- Configure Solution Manager as the Change Management Engine
- Enable monitoring and controlling
- Enable Data Suppliers and Controls for processes and associated rules
- Typical Timelines: 3 to 4 months
 Phase# 2 Initial Program Data Set-up
- Scope
- Upload initial data for processes, configurations, objects and program artifacts
- Establish cross-references, reporting structures and alert monitoring infrastructure
- Activate process controls for the target landscape components
- Typical Timelines: Overlaps with Phase# 1; ca. 3 months
 Phase# 3 Change Management as a Service (ongoing)
- Scope
- Ensure change management as a service integrated into the PMO operations
- Monitoring, controlling and reporting
- Change management analytics with compliance reporting
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10. Do You Have
Any Questions?
Reach Subodh Jambhekar at:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/subodhj/
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