Georg Simon

The evolution of SAP implementation environments: A case study from a complex public sector project

Purpose – This paper seeks to describe the evolution of SAP implementation methodologies and tools, in particular, Value SAP, with a focus on the Accelerated SAP (ASAP) implementation methodology and its evolution as a part of SAPs new Solution Manager tool.Design/methodology/approach – The general approach is more focused on monitoring and managing an ongoing SAP implementation project using an enterprise solution architecture. Three options are explored.Findings – Finds that one option supports end‐to‐end business process management – other options can be managed, but with cost and risk.Originality/value – This paper has reviewed the latest developments in SAP implementation methodologies from a management orientation. The issues in this paper are often taken for granted by researchers, so it is hoped that the focus on these issues will elevate interests in pursuing some of the unanswered questions.

Aligning mySAP.com with the future logistics enterprise

The US Department of Defense (DoD) is engaged in a multi‐year transformation of logistics planning and execution, known as the Future Logistics Enterprise (FLE). It is currently being defined in policy documents and an implementation plan known as the Future Logistics Architecture (FLA). The systems strategy for the FLE is still emerging, but it is anticipated that commercial standard software will play a significant role in the enablement of the new logistics business processes. A number of products are available for implementation, but this paper focuses on mySAP.com from SAP AG. We show the strategy for aligning the SAP reference hierarchy and the associated reference business process models with the FLA. The result of the mapping and associated analysis is an SAP reference model for the FLE, which can be used as a guide for the software vendor for future product development strategies. This paper reports on the development of the FLA, its alignment with mySAP.com and the development of the SAP reference model.

Analyzing convergence alternatives across existing SAP solutions

Further data are presented on the efficacy of our SAP process‐oriented research methodology, which focuses on analyzing collaboration across multiple overlapping SAP solutions. Looks at three SAP projects currently being implemented in the US Navy. The projects focus on aviation weapon system program management, aviation supply and maintenance, and naval maritime maintenance. Collaboration was complex and difficult to achieve, given the scope of the project but desirable if it was cost‐effective. The research hypothesis was that development and execution of a methodology for analyzing the gaps and overlaps across multiple SAP software instances to assess collaboration or convergence potential were possible. It was concluded that collaboration was not cost‐effective, and that the three projects should be merged into two SAP solutions (both solutions were version 4.6c of the R/3 software). Results did not provide a general approach for merging SAP projects, but an analytical approach that could be used to analyze convergence possibilities for stand‐alone SAP solutions is provided. It is not believed that a general approach is achievable. There are millions of configuration possibilities and many unique project characteristics. Hence the analytical approach is somewhat general but general convergence principles are beyond the scope of this research.

The US Navy enterprise resource planning architecture

This paper presents the design of the US Navys enterprise resource planning (ERP) architecture, which takes the as-configured baseline across multiple ERP projects, and transforms it into a converged to-be integrated solution. The result is an architecture-based instance consolidation that is unique; for the Navy solution is the first architecture-driven instance consolidation.

Using ARIS to Manage SAP Interoperability

SMART and SIGMA are projects that were initiated in 1999 under the Navy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) pilot program. The project boundaries were delineated in 1998, and the software solutions were selected as SAP R/3 in 2000. The project teams are now approaching critical milestones, and it is timely to revisit interoperability issues. While many aspects of the current projects can proceed independently, certain business processes that are shared by the tow projects require additional attention. At the request of the Program Director, we focused on understanding, documenting, and analyzing the SMART and SIGMA solutions as the SAP software enables them. This paper demonstrates how we used the ARIS methodology to analyze inter-project interoperability.

Innovation and transformation using product lifecycle management enabled by NetWeaver

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is a critical value chain in the US Armys logistics strategy, known as the Single Army Logistics Enterprise (SALE). To enable SALE business processes, the US Army selected the SAP Enterprise Suite. To that end, the SALE vision must be aligned with US Army business processes in order to provide the planning and control mechanisms for successfully deploying such a system. We demonstrate how critical PLM components were designed for organisational innovation and business transformation using SAP NetWeaver technologies. Our main contribution is demonstrating the importance of designing integrated versus best-of-breed solutions when implementing complex solutions.

Automatisierung von Logistikprozessen bei der U.S. Army auf Grundlage von SAP NetWeaver

Das Logistiksystem der U.S. Army besteht aus einer komplexen Abfolge von Prozessen, Organisationen, Doktrinen, Verfahren und automatisierten Systemen. Historisch gesehen ist das System in zwei Verwaltungsebenen unterteilt: Die Wholesale-Ebene (Zwischenhandlerebene) umfasst normalerweise Army Materiel Command (AMC), Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) sowie die betriebliche Grundlage; die Retail-Ebene (Endhandlerebene) enthalt samtliche Kundenorganisationen bis zur Einsatzebene und darunter. Doktrinar hingegen lasst sich das System in eine strategische, eine betriebliche und eine taktische Ebene unterteilen. Seit einigen Jahren wird der Ansatz verfolgt, diese Bereich so einzurichten, dass weitestgehend kommerzielle Standardsoftware eingesetzt werden kann. In diesem Beitrag wird der architektonische Planungsansatz zur Konzeption einer Standardsoftwarelosung beschrieben, die die beiden logistischen Verwaltungsebenen der U.S. Army vereint.

U.S. Army Logistics Process Automation Based on SAP NetWeaver Technology

The Army logistics system is a complex series of processes, organizations, doctrines, procedures and automated systems. Historically, the system has been separated into two management levels: wholesale, which typically includes Army Materiel Command (AMC), Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), and the industrial base; and retail, which includes all customer organizations at theater and below. Doctrinally, however, the system is segregated into three levels: strategic, operational, and tactical. In recent years, decisions have been made to enable these domains using commercial standard software whenever appropriate. This paper describes an architectural planning approach for designing a standard software solution that combines the two management levels of Army logistics.

Using ARIS to Design the Future Logistics Enterprise

The US Department of Defense (DoD) is engaged in a multi-year transformation of logistics planning and execution to support the objectives of Focused Logistics1, which are integral to achieving the goals of Joint Vision 2020. The Deputy Undersecretary for Defense — Logistics and Material Readiness (DUSD-L&MR) has established a multi-disciplinary, government, industry, and academic team to create an operational architecture to help guide the multi-year transformation from the current DoD logistics environment to the Future Logistics Enterprise (FLE.) This framework, known as the Future Logistics Enterprise Operational Architecture (FLE OA), provides a common language and common structures for articulating requirements, policies, processes, and infrastructure needed to establish the FLE. This chapter describes the use of the ARIS methodology for the development of the FLE OA.

Gestaltung des Future Logistics Enterprise unter Verwendung von ARIS

Das US-Verteidigungsministerium (US Department of Defense, DoD) fuhrt derzeit eine mehrere Jahre dauernde Umwandlung im Bereich Logistikplanung und - ausfuhrung durch, um die Zielsetzungen des Konzepts „Focused Logistics“ (bedarfsorientierte logistische Fahigkeiten) zu realisieren, die von wesentlicher Bedeutung fur die Durchsetzung der Ziele der „Joint Vision 2020“ des US-Verteidigungsministeriums sind. Der fur Logistik- und Materialbereitschaft zustandige stellvertretende Unterstaatssekretar fur Verteidigung (Deputy Undersecretary for Defense — Logistics and Material Readiness, DUSD-L&MR) hat ein multidisziplinares Team aus Vertretern der Regierung, Industrie und Wissenschaft zur Entwicklung einer operativen Struktur zusammengestellt, die richtungsweisend fur die mehrjahrige Umwandlung des derzeitigen Logistiksystems des DoD hin zum Logistikunternehmen der Zukunft (Future Logistics Enterprise, FLE) sein soll.1 Dieses unter dem Namen „Future Logistics Enterprise Operational Architecture“ (FLE OA) bekannte Rahmenwerk bietet eine gemeinsame Sprache und gemeinsame Strukturen zur Formulierung von Anforderungen, Vorgehensweisen, Prozessen und der Infrastruktur, die fur die Einrichtung des FLE erforderlich sind. In diesem Kapitel wird die Verwendung der ARIS Methodik bei der Entwicklung der FLE OA beschrieben.