Looking for PCM demos, customer references, roadmaps, performance and sizing information, training, documentation or tips & tricks?

After the successful blog about BPC demos, references, roadmaps etc (see Looking for BPC demos, customer references, roadmaps, performance and sizing information, training, documentation or tips & tricks?),  Jeremie Brunet from PCM Solution Management and I decided: it’s time to post a similar blog for Profitability and Cost Management (PCM).

Note: there is also a similar blog for SAP Mobile now.

There are plenty of resources out there about PCM 10.0 and older releases and this blog aims to bring the most important sources of information together. We will cover where to find coveted items such as

• EPM roadmap
• Ramp-up end dates for EPM 10.0 (see direct links to the PAM)
• Customer references and video testimonials
• Demos including PCM
• Performance and sizing
• Documentation, How-to Guides, Tips & Tricks
• Training

EPM and PCM Roadmap

For the first time ever the EPM roadmap can be found online at http://service.sap.com/roadmap. The roadmap contains forward looking statements on what’s to come in EPM.

SAP EPM roadmap on the Service Market Place

You can influence the roadmap by submitting development suggestions at SAP’s Idea Place https://cw.sdn.sap.com/cw/community/ideas or by rating ideas already submitted by others.

Customer references and video testimonials

You can find many PCM customer case studies and references online.

Also, make sure to check out the PCM YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSAPPCM.

This includes the Kuwait Oil video testimony which explains how they’ve reach 400% of ROI thanks to the implementation of PCM!

Customer video testimonial by Q8 Oil

This also includes the latest Case Study at Danone and how they use PCM and FIM to measure the Carbon footprint for 35,000 products:

Check out this blog by Richard Barrett on this topic: Raise a glass to Danone for pioneering carbon footprint measurement and reduction

A great way to meet with customers in person and to hear their stories, is to attend a conference. The ASUG customer conference (http://www.asug.com/) is a great conference to do so. The ASUG local chapter meetings near your, are a great and cost-effective alternative. SAP SAPPHIRENOW (http://www.sapphirenow.com/) and SAP TechEd (http://www.sapteched.com) are great options as well.

Also SAPinsider has a lot of customers presenting at their conferences. The schedule of upcoming conferences can be found at http://www.wispubs.com/sap/conferences.html

PCM Demos

I would highly recommend the SAP website http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/large/enterprise-performance-management/profitability-cost-management/demos/index.epx

Performance and sizing information

Information on performance and sizing are two of the most requested items. Here is an overview of useful material.

General Sizing information and guides can be found at http://service.sap.com/sizing

SAP PCM sizing guidance information. While the document is being reviewed for external publication, it is available for SAP employees here.

The PCM sizing guides for is located here as well: https://service.sap.com/sizing > Hardware Sizing > Sizing Guidelines > Solutions & Platform – New Structure > SAP BusinessObjects

Documentation, How-to Guides, Tips & Tricks

There are many sources for documentation so in the SAP BusinessObjects PCM 10.0 documentation help portal

This includes:

• What’s New – Release Notes
• Installation and Upgrade Information
• Security Information
• System Administration and Maintenance Information
• Application Help
• Additional Information such as Product Availability Matrix

In addition, some very helpful links to Documents, Blogs and How-to Guides:

PCM homepage on SDN

How To bring SAP BusinessObjects Profitability and Cost Management (PCM) Result Table Data to SAP NetWeaver BW using DB Connect

How to Generate Product and Customer Data Views using Planning and Consolidation, Profitability and Cost Management, and Financial Information Management

• Integrating PCM and BW – Part 1: Setting up a Link ID
• Integrating PCM and BW – Part 2: Using DataBridge to Load Master Data from BW to PCM

Installation and operation guides can be found at service.sap.com/instguidesepm-bpc (yes, for some reason, “-BPC” is what gets you also the the PCM guides).

PCM 10.0 ramp up knowledge transfer materials (ramp-up participants only) can be accessed at service.sap.com/rkt-epm. The material contains demos, guides, and detailed instructions about what’s new in PCM 10.0:

• Release Overview
• Bill of Material Costing
• Functional Enhancements
• Technical
• Education Game

Ramp-Up Knowledge Transfer – RKT material with demos and detailed instructions

Another great source of information are the official release notes for PCM 10.0

For questions around how long a product is supported you should consult the Product Availability Matrix (PAM) at http://service.sap.com/pam. The PAM will also tell you when ramp-up is scheduled to end. The direct links is PAM – PCM 10.0

Other useful links PCM links

• SAP Partner Playbook for SAP BusinessObjects EPM Solutions

• CSA know-how calls (on PCM and other topics)

Any product issues can be raised at http://service.sap.com/message. Information about the process and for setting up an S-user see http://service.sap.com/oss.

You can also call the Global Support Customer Interaction (GSCI). Phone (USA): +1 866-890-7686 Phone (Canada): +1 800-887-2340.

Training

SAP Education offers training and official certifications. See https://training.sap.com/us/en/curriculum/bobj_pcm_vxir2_us-sap-businessobjects-profitability-cost-management-us/ for details.

Official SAP Education training website for EPM and BPC

In addition to that you can check Profitability and Cost Management (PCM) 10.0 Elite Partner Enablement in Palo Alto, June 20-24, 2011 to see if there are any hands-on “Elite” trainings scheduled.

Also you can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/jenskoerner. I tweet about upcoming events and seminars.