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More than often, the business processes that we use for our project implementation provide little scope for reusability. This simply increases the implementation time and cost and gives rise to greater risks.

With tighter schedules and shorter deadlines, very few of us will ever have the patience to deal with the situation and conjure up a solution that enables fast and easy implementation. This is where we begin to realize the importance of a proven implementation strategy for quick and effective deployment.

If that seems like serious business talk to you and if you, as a developer feel that you can do little to help, well, think again. Ever heard of SAP Best Practices ? Sounds familiar, isn’t it? Now here’s the blog that will provide a deeper insight into the subject.

Preface
Cost effective, faster and predictable solutions are what SAP aims at providing its customers and partners. But the question is “how does one get his solutions up and running quickly”? The answer is simple - with SAP Best Practices.

The best business practices that SAP has developed over a period of three decades, with its most successful partners and customers, SAP Best Practices help demonstrate solutions that are easy to identify with, easy to implement and easy to adapt to specific requirements.


Fig:Time and effort savings with SAP Best Practices

Why SAP Best Practices for Enterprise Portal?
Two reasons:

1. SAP has listed SAP Best Practices for Enterprise Portal as one of its Generic Business Coverage.
2. The second and more important reason is that owing to its rich functionality and standard SAP Business Content, getting started with Enterprise Portal implementation can seem a little overwhelming.

Drawn from the experience and feedback of SAP’s engagements with customers and partners, SAP Best Practices for Enterprise Portal provides delivers the following benefits.


  • Provides a single face to applications, content and processes
  • Identifies the most relevant business packages available on the Portal Content portfolio and provides instructions on downloading and installing them
  • Enables remote access and streamlined interface
  • Provides an additional and optional role-based Enterprise Portal Content that integrates the most commonly used processes delivered as cost saving self services
  • Opens up new convenient channels for communication and transaction with other valuable SAP Portal knowledge resources

The Building Block Methodology
Building blocks are reusable units of preconfiguration or documentation that can be combined to install an SAP Business Scenario. They provide users with small, flexible and transparent pieces of functionality such as a specific scenario that can be implemented like an add-on to an existing solution. In order to set up an SAP Best Practice Scenario, a number of building blocks have to be installed in a predefined sequence.

The building blocks delivered for SAP Best Practices for Enterprise Portal include Documentation and Business Packages. Business Packages (delivered through EPA files) contain preconfigured content and can be imported into the Portal.

Implementation based on a scenario
For those who were curious enough to reach this point (having spared enough time going through the all those details), here’s something that relates to the kind of work that many of us would be interested in; the step by step account of how to implement Enterprise Portal content based on a scenario.

Note that the implementation is a generic one and not restricted to any one business scenario.

1. Installing the Portal
The first step in an Enterprise Portal implementation, the installation of Portal can be carried out with the help of SAP Best Practices documentation.

2. Configuration of basic settings
Upon completing the installation the following tasks should be carried out in order to configure the Portal for use.

  • Creating new users for the project team
  • Refining the look and feel via Theme Editor
  • Gaining familiarity with basic portal functionalities
3. Establishing connectivity with systems
In order to access source systems from the Portal, the following activities must be carried out.
  • Connection to backend systems like SAP R/3, SAP BW, etc.
  • Mapping users to the source system
4. Importing scenario Portal content
  • Importing Best Practices Content
  • Importing Business Packages
5. Assigning roles to the users


With all the above tasks accomplished, you can now start using the system. But then, there are again a few activities that you are expected to follow while using the Portal for the first time which are

  • Test driving the scenario by reviewing Business Process and Procedure in the Scenario Installation Guide
  • Working with project team and user community to define delta requirements or prototype review
  • .

It would definitely help to keep those points in mind the next time you implement an EP project. Because with SAP Best Practices you not only enjoy the benefit of achieving predicted results but also avoiding common beginner’s mistakes.

References
All information related to implementation of Enterprise Portal content can be found on the SAP Best practices for Enterprise Portal site

FAQs on SAP Best Practices can be found on the service marketplace

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