Reversed SAP Analysis

Reversed SAP Analysis, a fast and cost-efficient audit of a productive SAP system. Executed through a fully automated SAP-certified workbench, a Reversed SAP Analysis (RSA) quickly finds the optimisation opportunities within any SAP landscape. Through comparison of a SAP system’s organisational set up, its configuration data, master data, and recent transaction data, the workbench pinpoints apparent inconsistencies in a SAP system. These inconsistencies can be a result of incorrect system use, incomplete or outdated business processes or workflows, or a sub-optimal system configuration. Regardless of the cause, through an automated analysis that is based on actual system data, IMS Asia advises its SAP clients on the potential system risks, and the most effective and efficient way to resolve the identified issues.

Approach

Completed within a maximum of three months time, this analysis is executed in three subsequent stages:

• During Preparation, the work schedule is agreed with the customer, after which organisational and system status, main areas of concern, analysis goals, etc. are reviewed. The customer’s system administrators are made familiar with the upcoming activities, and the RSA process is explained in detailed and technical terms.
  
  
• During Extraction, an ABAP program is loaded into the productive SAP system(s) which over a period of two months generates a data extract of organisational, master, customisation, and transaction data. Guaranteed by SAP Waldorf, this program has no further impact on the working of the SAP systems in use.
  
  
• During Data Analysis, the generated data extract is uploaded into HRW System Analyzer, an automated workbench that executes over 39,000 checks while comparing the SAP system’s organisational, master and configuration data with the transaction data as derived from the system logs.
  
  
• During Evaluation, the results are presented to the customer, together with our recommendations related to aspects such as: system inconsistencies, unnecessary or abnormal use of standard SAP functionality, and actual utilisation of modified SAP system components or custom-built functionality. In addition, the analysis modeled output can be uploaded into the SAP system’s Solution Manager, greatly simplifying its subsequent use for process optimisation efforts.

The information derived from the RSA Analysis enables our customers to save substantial costs and efforts during the planning and execution of critical activities, such as, software release upgrades, documentation, system tuning, or system comparisons in preparation of consolidation. Additionally, the Reversed SAP Analysis output includes a process model of the analysed system that can be uploaded into the system’s Solution Manager.

Tasks

A Reversed SAP Analysis executes the following tasks:

• Identifies the level of customization and use of SAP standard and custom-built functionality. Results can be used for comparison between different SAP systems in order to reduce Upgrade Costs dramatically.

• Allows to analyse the object inventory and to identify obsolete developments and inconsistencies.

• Checks the authorizations and segregation of duties (SOD) and identifies unused authorisations and inactive users.

• Helps to reclassify the user licenses in order to save license costs.

• Is the basis for SAP system improvements and cost savings opportunities based on benchmarks for over 1,200 Reversed SAP Analysis engagements.

• Enables the generation of process models in modeling tools like ARIS or Visio and SAP Solution Manager based on the transaction use and the custom settings. The Solution Manager processes are further used for blue-printing and testing of SAP systems (e.g. for upgrade or integration).

Scenarios

A Reversed SAP Analysis supports the following scenarios:

Benefits

A Reversed SAP Analysis typically brings the following benefits:

• Cost savings
  Reduction of unused customizations (transactions, reports, customizing settings / document types, temporary objects) leads to:
  • ­ re-enforcement of standard functionality implementation
  • ­ reduction in maintenance costs
  • ­ reduction in time and effort for upgrade

• System security
  Check on the authorizations and comparison with system use leads to:
  • ­ secure authorizations
  • ­ identifications of violations
  • ­ check on the system compliance and risk reduction

• Cleaned object inventory
  Reduction of technical inconsistencies leads to:
  • ­ higher system performance and security
  • ­ reduction of issues with the system execution

• Fast creation of a customer process model as business blueprint
  Reduction of manual process design leads to:
  • ­ cost reduction in the re-documentation
  • ­ cost reduction in the design of test cases

• Process/Usability Improvement Opportunities
  Benchmarking with leading SAP installations leads to:
  • • ­ significant system improvements
  • Identification of used / unused functionality leads to:
    • ­ higher system/functionality adoption
  • Reduction of dialogue steps (user interaction) in relation to number of transaction updates (press the save button) leads to:
    • ­ more efficient processes and higher user productivity
  • Identification of changes/maintenance to existing records leads to:
    • ­ improved processes
  • Identification and validation of user accesses, user rights and segregation of duties leads to:
    • ­ Improved authorization and compliance.

• Support of Business Transformation Project
  • Identification of blueprint relevant processes (impact assessment)

For detailed info on the Reversed SAP Analysis, please email info@imsasia.com