Implement Self-Service Procurement in an accelerated mode with SAP SRM Rapid Deployment Solution: Work Smart not Hard

[tridip_chakraborthy]

I still remember that day when my first ever similar project on SAP SRM went live, it was implemented in the following mode.

Project Size: 3 Consultants (lights on and Lights off mode)

Business Scenario: Self Service Procurement with Punch-Out catalogs for Indirect Goods

Time from installation to Go-live: 8-12 weeks)

No of End-users rolled out to: 500+

No of Suppliers On-boarded: 50

Result: Successful implementation, but a complete burn-out to the SAP Procurement / BASIS / ABAP Consultant

What could have made our lives easier: the SAP SRM Rapid Deployment solution offering from SAP Procurement Solution portfolio

Image Ref: http://rfried.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/work-smarter.jpg 

These days, the following pointers are like a given when dealing with Customers with great asking rates:

1)      Trying to execute almost all projects in the enterprise to be delivered in the Rapid Agile deployment mode delving away from the traditional Waterfall project scenario.

2)      upto 12 weeks to stand-up the system that can be thrown into a set of power users in the business enterprise that can help decide the fate of the future state Big-bang roll-outs that follow the initial implementation

3)      Template based approach to ensure the concept of “Re-usable Artifacts” for faster realization and rapid time to value/market.

4)      Evaluate up-front for the deployment options of the product (On-demand / On-premise)

Gone are the lavish days of doing things the traditional way and then coming to a point, where the customer realized that they could have done better with a different product or solution.

The customers have jumped the curve and have already done their homework that precedes an implementation.

Initiatives like Process Transformation, Application Portfolio rationalization and also Business Process Re-engineering are completed much in advance, with an in-depth package evaluation carried out and narrowing down on a platform that would  be considered for SAP Rapid Deployment Solutions

Having given you the DNA of where the customers are hedged today from a competition and a know-how perspective, all that’s left for the Solution provider or the system integrator is the element called “the fastest way to deploy SAP solutions and realize ROI”.

This brings us to the message of our blog today, that helps an SAP Procurement Customer / Partner or an aficionado to deep dive and understand how to position and make the most out of the SAP Supplier Relationship Management Rapid Deployment

In this blog, we will try and provide you as much information that you require to make a judgmental decision to invest in the SAP SRM RDS Solution & evaluate it for your enterprise. 

Most customers look at SAP SRM for the Self Service Procurement scenario and in a traditional waterfall mode, this typically takes about 9+ months to go-live with 2-3 Punch-out catalogs, the power of the SAP SRM RDS solution has the best approach to stand this up in approximately 10-12 Weeks End to End.

1.0  What are your typical Operational Procurement challenges

• Compliant Procurement operations?
• Automating compliance?
• Efficiency driven savings through integrated processes?

   

2.0  How will SAP SRM RDS solution help?

• Tightly integrate SAP SRM functionality in your existing SAP ERP central component (SAP ECC) based on the proven SRM 7.01 solution
• The SAP SRM RDS package guarantees a quick, cost-effective deployment with an attractive package price for content, scope and highly-sophisticated services.

 

3.0  What are the Various deployment options?

• SRM Single-Client in Classic scenario
• SRM Multiple-Client in Classic & Extended Classic scenarios.

 

(Note: The connection is to one ERP back-end)

4.0  What does the Self-Service Procurement scenario look like from a process stand-point?

1.0  What’s included in the box of goodies?

• Full project support including      going live with an optional Phase 2 scoping workshop if the customer isn’t      ready to go-live with the Phase 1 activities 

• Pre-configured Shopping Cart      functionality including:
  •  
      
    • 2 External Catalogs (OCI        compliant suppliers)
      
    • Internal Goods/Services        (material and service masters) without service hierarchies
      
    • Free-Text
      
    • Indirect (Non-Stock)        materials
     
     
  
• Different deployment modes and      one backend connection
• Standard SAP Process      Controlled Workflow (optional 4 levels of approval in Service part of RDS)
• Replication of Product      Categories, Materials, Services, UoM, & Suppliers from ECC- Backend      system (Depending upon scenario) 
• PO Output via Email and Print      from ECC using Pre-existing ECC Format (Depending upon scenario)
• SAP offers 12 service-related      enhancements to improve the usability and deployment of the solution.  For example, tax calc in extended      classic for US and CAN customers; extended classic BADI, catalog transfer      BADI, etc.

2.0  What are the tangible business benefits?

SAP SRM Rapid-Deployment Solution for Self-Service Procurement helps you to:

• increased efficiency and      effectiveness with centralized and automated process execution across the      enterprise
• let users purchase goods and      services for categories through an user-friendly and catalog-based      requisitioning platform
• establish an application that      supports automated (spend) policy and contract compliance through      catalog-driven pricing, contract logic, and the approval workflow for      shopping carts
• process visibility via      procurement automation
• bring higher standardization      into the purchasing organization
• Help Lower your TCO and quick      value return

Further this will help in a tangible way by

 - Freeing up time and resources so that they concentrate more on the core job

 - Improving operational execution and savings realization

 - Closing the loop with suppliers, users and finance

 7.0  What Software do I need to help run SAP SRM RDS?

• Single backend: SAP ECC 6.0 EHP5
• Multiple backend: ECC minimum 4.7
• SAP SRM: Release 7.0 Enhancement Package 1                    
• SAP NetWeaver: Release 7.0, Enhancement Package 1 (Business Client and Portal deployment options)   
• SAP Solution Manager system (7.0 or higher) – for RDS implementation 

       

8.0   Wrap-up on the media snippets for SAP SRM RDS

Check-out Sanjay Poonen’s views on RDS solutions and the key take-aways for SAP Procurement customers

Sanjay’s views (follow Sanjay on twitter @spoonen)…stop at these areas of the video to highlight

0:12      A 12 moth deployment can be cut to 6-10 weeks with Pre-configured content

0:36      Take about a 40-50% cost on implementation

1:25      Its definitely a game changer

2:20      Reduce the TCO with the best practice content

3:10      This can also be deployed in hosted mode further reducing TCO

4:21      Demonstrate to the customer about moving from a months to days and see the effect

4:35     Help the customer free-up licenses from the shelf

4:55     Make customers aware of Content Services and Best practices configured via templates to help significantly reduce TCO

Read more about the SAP SRM RDS Solution at https://websmp106.sap-ag.de/~form/sapnet?_SHORTKEY=01100035870000742415&.

9.0 SAP Procurement : The Social Outreach

And as always, here’s leaving you on a sign-off note to be tuned in Socially into our SAP Procurement timeline

Please follow @SAP_Procurement on twitter for the latest trends from the SAP Procurement portfolio of solutions, you can also follow my handle @tridipchakra for a dope of procurement xChanges in the SAP world (articles, blogs, whitepapers).

Focused hash-tags for SAP Procurement: #SRMRDS #SupplierInfoNet #SAPSRM #SAPSourcing #SAPCLM #procurement #SAPSLM and there will be more in the making.