Book: SAP - A Map of The Minefield

Published by Authorhouse. First edition 2005. ISBN 1-4208-7387-3 (sc), 242 pages.

Author Stephen Birchall is a SAP expert. He has more than 25 years of experience with designing and implementing integrated business system solutions, and experience with using SAP for the last 15 years. His focus is on SAP Logistics.

The book does not go into technical details and is easy to read. It gives an insight in what’s involved with introducing a SAP solution into a business, based on Stephen Birchall’s vast experience in the field. Stephen Birchall is known for his common sense and radical methods resulting in simple solutions.

From SAP user training viewpoint this book is interesting because it places training in the context of a SAP implementation and also here some radical approaches are discussed.

Intended audience is anyone wondering “where to start” and what to watch out for. Management, and also a broader audience like project team members, persons contemplating a SAP career, and anyone wanting to learn more about how to avoid pitfalls when getting involved with SAP.

Content

The first 6 sections (41 pages) discuss what SAP is about:

• An overview of SAP R/3
• Is SAP the ideal system for your business?
• Has SAP R/3 changed the way that systems are implemented?
• Is SAP the best system available?
• Why the “horror stories”?
• Is SAP suitable for the small to medium size business?

These questions are answered in general. Explained is how robust the SAP system is with complex integration of its many modules. And that there are several right and wrong ways to implement it. Obviously the wrong implementations leading to the “horror stories”. Birchall describes numerous practical examples, and what are the right approaches to the proven thousands of successful SAP implementations. SAP for small to medium size business is very briefly discussed. In the meantime (2008) SAP has much more solutions for this area.

The next 6 sections (91 pages) focus on how to get it right with new or more SAP systems.

• How to get it right
• A new SAP implementation? Some points to consider
• Existing implementations
• What if the implementation of SAP was seen as a disaster, what are the options?
• How to get more from an existing SAP implementation
• The Competency Centre

Practical topics are covered like what’s important when changing automation systems and business organizations, which people to use and project team structure, role of people within the business, big-bang or phased implementation, what to do with old (legacy systems), offshore or not, to which extent modify/use ABAP , training approach, how much documentation, support structures during and after go-live

The last 5 sections (108 pages) are actually separate topics

• Is SAP right for you?
  What are the benefits of a SAP solution for the CEO, the finance director, the IS director, senior business managers. What’s important if you are a SAP project/implementation manager

• SAP training
  Examples and pitfalls of several training approaches

• Recruitment
  What to watch out for when getting SAP experts through agencies. Use undependent consultants or not?

• The SAP certification, is it important?
  Throughout the book hints are given for people wanting to work as a SAP professional. This chapter discusses certification exams and how it works.

• Common issues and areas of confusion
  This is more technical than the previous sections. It covers mapping the organisation structure to SAP concepts as Clients, Company Codes, Plants and Storage locations, etc.
  It further explains terms and concepts in Birchall’s SAP Logistics area of expertise: Material Master management and control/catalogue approaches, functional design topics with invoice verification, MRP - Material Requirements Planning, MRP II, inter-company transfers, and finally a brief description of some of SAP R/3’s major modules: FI, CO, SD, MM, PM.

Where to order
You can get this book at Amazon for $17.50 new, or used in the range of $11. You might want to check out your local Amazon store to save shipping costs

Conclusion
Although this book is from 2005 and SAP has continued moving forward conquering the market, many of the potential pitfalls described are still valid. Concepts like SAP Netweaver, SAP Enterprise SOA, SAP Business by Design etc, are not mentioned but that’s not the point. And don’t expect all ins and outs of a successful SAP implementation in 242 pages - it is already an achievement to convey so much useful information in such a short space. It is perhaps even more important to have the approach right when introducing or expanding SAP solutions in a business. And that’s exactly where Stephen Birchall offers no-nonsense advice from his decades of practical experience. If you’re involved with implementing or expanding SAP in your organisation, this book is worth it’s price many times over.

Posted: 07|9|08 at 12:26 pm. Filed under: SAP career building.
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