SAP Activate Methodology Objectives

Introduction to SAP Activate

• SAP Activate is a methodology for cloud implementations that helps customers deploy new capabilities to achieve a sustained competitive advantage.
• It is an implementation framework centered on SAP Activate methodology, ready-to-run business processes, and powerful integrated tools and applications.

Business Expectations

• Business expectations have changed, with a push to reduce implementation costs and accelerate return on investment through shorter deployment times.
• Customers want to roll out functionality in phases, managing changes by region or department instead of all at once.

SAP Activate Methodology

• SAP Activate offers a structured project management approach with built-in quality checks designed to identify risks early.
• It provides a common approach for on-premise, hybrid, and cloud implementations, and can be used for customer-managed, partner-managed, or SAP-managed projects.
• The methodology is based on an Agile approach, emphasizing sprints for configurations with walkthroughs, based on a release approach with multiple go-lives.

Key Elements of SAP Activate

• SAP Activate consists of three key elements: SAP Best Practices, the SAP Activate Methodology, and powerful integrated tools for configuration, deployment, and run stages.
• SAP Best Practices include rich business process scenarios and content, a reference solution in the cloud for a quick start, and a set of solution-specific best practices and user stories that evolve over time.
• The SAP Activate Methodology provides full support for initial deployments, as well as continuous business adoption and innovation with a harmonized implementation approach for cloud, on-premise, and hybrid deployments.

Benefits of SAP Activate Methodology

• Consistent project delivery: SAP Activate reduces complexity and increases quality by applying a common framework and language for all SAP projects.
• Broad coverage: SAP Activate supports all transition scenarios for SAP S/4HANA and other solution lines such as SAP Ariba and SAP SuccessFactors.
• Scalability: SAP Activate supports projects of all sizes, from small and fast cloud deployments to comprehensive global deployments in on-premise and hybrid environments.
• Accelerated delivery: SAP Activate enables rapid deployment through SAP Best Practices, fit-gap analysis workshops, application visualizations, Cloud technology, and a structured project management approach.
• Alignment: SAP Activate Methodology is founded on proven Project Management Institute practices, like formal Quality, Risk, and Issues Management.

Governance, Roles, and Responsibilities

• Governance, roles, and responsibilities are critical components of SAP Activate, ensuring that the right levels of skills and decision-makers are involved in each project.### SAP Activate Framework

• SAP Activate Methodology is divided into several phases that split projects into stages of delivery.

• The phases of SAP Activate Methodology are:

  • Discover: Align desired business outcomes with solution(s) to implement, and prepare the project for execution.
  • Explore: Guide the Customer through a series of workshops on SAP Best Practices and user stories.
  • Realize: Complete configuration, migration, interface setup, and end-to-end solution testing.
  • Deploy: Ensure processes and resources are in place to support the application after Go-Live, and verify that the customer is ready to move to production.
  • Run: Ensure sustainability and maintenance, and guide the Customer on the art of possibilities for further innovation and transformation.

SAP Activate Methodology Taxonomy

• The SAP Activate Methodology taxonomy consists of:
  • Phases: Stages of the project, each with a quality gate at the end to verify completion of all deliverables.
  • Workstreams: A collection of related deliverables that show time relationships within a project and among other workstreams.
  • Deliverables: An outcome delivered during the project, broken down into tasks.
  • Tasks: The work or activities that the project team performs to complete a deliverable.
  • Accelerators: A document, template, or link to tools and other assets that help project teams complete work faster by providing clear guidance or a starting point for producing an outcome.

Key Activities Across SAP Activate Phases

• Although each solution varies, there is significant overlap in the activities that occur during each project phase.
• The key activities across SAP Activate phases are:
  • Discover: Establish business case, conduct Value and Impact Analysis, define overall Customer transformation strategy, and develop implementation strategy.
  • Prepare: Define project goals, identify and quantify business value objectives, secure executive sponsorship, and establish project standards and governance.
  • Explore: Perform fit-gap analysis, refine business requirements, and identify master data and organizational requirements.
  • Realize: Establish the solution landscape, implement the solution in the customer's realm, and conduct overall, end-to-end solution testing.
  • Deploy: Set up production environment, resolve all critical open issues, and execute transition and cutover plans.
  • Run: Run the new system, customer leverages SAP standard support mechanisms for sustainability and maintenance.

SAP Activate Workstreams

• SAP Activate project workstreams are optimized to align with various SAP Cloud implementation scenarios.
• The workstreams are:
  • Project Management: Project planning, scheduling, and governance.
  • Application: Design and Configuration: Validate scope, identify detailed business process requirements, and conduct fit-gap analysis.
  • Custom Code Extensions: Design, development, and deployment of system functions that cannot be provided by the standard product.
  • Application: Testing: Testing strategy and planning, test case development, and execution of system integration and user acceptance testing.
  • Application: Integration: Identify integration requirements, set up integration environment, and execute integration.
  • Application: Solution Adoption: Conduct adoption activities that enable the Customer to use the solution in their daily work.
  • Application: Customer Team Enablement: Enable the customer project team to work on the project effectively.
  • System and Data Migration: Planning and execution of moving legacy data to the new system and archiving of legacy data.
  • Transition to Operations: Establish and implement processes, such as helpdesk and incident management, post go-live change management, and user-related operations standards.

Flexible Methodology

• SAP Activate Methodology is flexible and can be scaled to fit the needs of the project.
• There are two scaling techniques: Deliverable Scaling within a Workstream, or Scaling by additional workstreams.### SAP Activate Methodology Structure
• SAP Activate methodology can be scaled up or down depending on project size and complexity
• It can be mixed and matched with content from different project types (e.g., hybrid implementations combining on-premise and Cloud implementations)

Accelerators in SAP Activate

• Accelerators are documents, templates, or links to tools and assets that help project teams complete work faster
• They provide clear guidance or a starting point for producing an outcome (deliverable)
• Examples of accelerators include:
  • Delivery Supplement
  • Solution Scope Document
  • Software and Delivery Requirements
  • Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Schedule, and Effort Estimation
  • Project Management and Governance Plans

Prepare Phase Accelerators

• Prepare phase accelerators support initial planning and preparation for the project
• Examples include:
  • Delivery Supplement
  • Solution Scope Document
  • Software and Delivery Requirements
  • Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Schedule, and Effort Estimation
  • Project Management and Governance Plans

Explore Phase Accelerators

• Explore phase accelerators support fit-gap analysis and validation of standard solution functions
• Examples include:
  • Customer Presentation
  • Master Data Overview
  • Master and Organizational Data Template
  • Process Diagrams
  • SAP Solutions Manager Template
  • Project Backlog Template

Realize Phase Accelerators

• Realize phase accelerators support incremental build and testing of business scenarios and process requirements
• Examples include:
  • Configuration Guides
  • Test Scripts or Cases
  • Agile Approach Guides
  • Cutover Plan
  • Agile Build Iterations with Incremental Configurations

Deploy Phase Accelerators

• Deploy phase accelerators support production system setup, customer readiness, and business operations switch to the new system
• Examples include:
  • Operations Setup Guide

Total Quality Approach in SAP Activate

• 10 quality principles ensure successful customer implementations
• Quality Gate process is a formal way to specify and record transitions between critical project lifecycle phases
• Quality Gate objectives include:
  • Assuring quality at project milestones
  • Minimizing project risk exposure
  • Enhancing project quality
  • Managing expectations and monitoring customer satisfaction

Project Quality Gates

• Four mandatory Quality Gates occur after Prepare, Explore, Realize, and Deploy phases
• Quality Gate preview and review processes ensure necessary standards and project approach are established

SAP Best Practices

• SAP Best Practices offer fast time to value, predictable results, and simple on-boarding to the cloud
• Benefits include:
  • Fast time to value through accelerated project timelines
  • Predictable results through tested and proven methodology
  • Simple on-boarding to the cloud through preconfigured business content
• SAP Best Practices portfolio includes ready-to-run business processes easily integrated with solutions, integration, and master data
• SAP Best Practices content is available in three layers: Solution Package, Scope Items, and Foundations