1.  Summary

This blog provides an approach for setting up BPMON solution in Solution Manager, and will be useful for SAP functional and Technical consultants(Basis) as well as project managers while planning for a BPMON project.

2. Introduction to Business Process Monitoring using Solution Manager

Business Process Monitoring (BPMon) is used for the proactive and process-oriented monitoring of a company’s core business processes. Business Process Monitoring is intended to detect problem situations as early aspossible in order to solve them as fast as possible, before they become critical for the business.

BPMon is an out-of-the-box solution offered by SAP, using Solution Manager as the monitoring system. Solution Manager has the capability to continuously track activities in the monitored applications/systems. Based on extensive research and client feedback, SAP has provided standard Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the Business Processes. During the solution set up, users can select the required KPIs, and enter the input selection parameters for the
selected KPIs. Based on the parameters entered in the BPMon solution, it can trigger alerts when the upper or lower thresholds are exceeded.

3.    BPMON Solution set-up approach

3.1.     Check for minimum system requirements

• Check the development systems (both SOLMAN as well as managed ECC system) for minimum system requirements of components as well as patch levels. System requirements will be specified in link http://service.sap.com/bpm SAP recommends using SOLMAN 7.1 EHP 5 version of Solution Manager for setting up BPMon solutions.
• If the systems are not at the required patch levels, they will need to be upgraded to required patch levels, to be done by Basis.  Check if recommended SAP notes have been implemented. Recommended SAP notes will be available in the BPMON setup guide.
• The set up guide from SAP is available in the link http://service.sap.com/bpmFirst start and Complete the Basis setup as per the setup guide.

3.2.    Setting up Pilot solution in development system for unit testing

• Identify the process area and the KPIs for which pilot BPMON solution must be created. The Solution can be set-up for one Business Process for the pilot (e.g. O2C, P2P etc.). The Business users/BPAs should be involved in identifying the KPIs. The BPMON solutions can then be rolled out to other Business Processes in the production system once the pilot testing is completed.
• The BPMon Solution must be done by the relevant functional consultant by using the BPMON setup roadmap available at http://service.sap.com/bpm. The required authorizations must be provided the Functional Consultants. The BPMon solution can be created for a few standard KPIs for testing purpose.
• After setting up, activate the BPMon solution. The ECC system being monitored must have data for the KPIs being monitored. After activating the solution check that the data collection is happening.
• If any issues are faced, check for available SAP notes to fix the issue. If no resolution is found, OSS messages will be required to be raised to SAP for fixing the issues. In some cases SAP will ask for opening the connections to the systems, this must be done as per instructions from SAP.
• Once the Pilot BPMON solution is up and running in the Development system create unit test scripts for testing the BPMON  functionalities. Test for the following functionalities: BPMon Analytics and E-mail trigger bases on the set thresholds. This completes the unit testing in the Development systems.

3.3.     Setting up Pilot solution between SOLMAN Development and ECC Quality system for UAT testing

• If any notes were implemented in the ECC development system (Managed system), transport them to the ECC UAT system.  Check the Basis setup between SOLMAN DEV and ECC UAT systems and update the setup as required. This will be a Basis activity.
• The Pilot solution for UAT testing can be set up between SOLMAN development and ECC UAT systems. This solution will be made available to business for UAT testing. This solution can contain a few KPIs for testing purpose. The solution can contain standard as well as Custom KPIs.
• Guide for setting up custom KPIs is available at the link http://service.sap.com/bpm. If Custom KPIs are needed to be set up, related set up must be created and transported to the UAT system, and also maintained in the BPMON solution.
• Functional consultant can then set up Pilot solution between SOLMAN DEV-ECC UAT systems. Once solution set-up is complete for all KPIs make the systems available to UAT for testing. Testing will be similar to the testing done in the development system.
• UAT should be carried out by the Business Process users or the Business Process Analysts. Required Training and
  Authorizations must be provided to the concerned users.

3.4.     Setting up BPMon solution in production system

• After UAT testing is completed, solution can be set up between SOLMAN PROD – ECC PROD systems. Before setting up the solution in production system, it is required to move the TRs created in SOLMAN Development and ECC UAT systems to the respective production systems.
• Basis team should check that the required connectivity is available between the SOLMAN and ECC Production systems.
• Once TR movement is completed the BPMON solutions can be set up in the production system. The solutions templates can be imported out of UAT systems and imported into the production systems, but from our experience, we recommend creating a new solution in Production system. This can then be copied and re-used to create any new solutions as required.
• Once the BPMon solutions have been set up, they can be used by Business users/BPAs for monitoring the required KPIs.

3.5.     Roll out to other Business Processes

• The BPMon solution can now be easily rolled out to the other Business Process Areas by selecting the relevant Business Process node, since SAP provides many KPIs as standard. This completes the setting up of BPMon solution.

3.6.     BPO Dashboards

• BPO Dashboards: Once the BPMon solution is up and running in production system, it is possible to build BPO dashboards , which is the graphical representation of the data collected for the BPMON KPIs. This can be used for management reporting.

References

• http://service.sap.com/bpm