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Former Member

The All New ASAP 8 Methodology

Enterprise IT solutions provide distinguished capabilities to a company in running their day-to-day business operations literally changing the dynamics of relations and interactions within as well as outside the organization. Implementing such enterprise solutions calls for a disciplined and completely well-defined approach right from solution assessments to realizations so much so that the means-to-realizations are as much important as the fulfillment of the desired outcome.

The newest and impeccably comprehensive implementation methodology ASAP 8 provides the most all-inclusive strategies, step-by-step processes, procedures and recommendations across the life-cycle of a project. Because of the comprehensiveness of the methodology the implementing team will need to fine-tune and adjust the relevancy of the methodology to suite client-specific projects. Here is a precisely summarized description of the as-is ASAP 8 Methodology for the benefit of all the SCN community.

Composition of the ASAP Methodology

SAP leverages a core set of methodologies and tools designed to deliver rapid, reliable results, and to help our customers get the most from their solutions. These include the ASAP Methodology for Implementation (content the project team follows to implement SAP software efficiently), and the SAP Solution Manager Application management suite.

ASAP methodology for implementation v8 delivers structured methodology content — processes, procedures, accelerators, checklists, links to standard SAP documentation, etc. necessary for the implementation of SAP solutions.

The ASAP methodology for implementation v8 builds on solid foundation from ASAP 7 that includes transparency of value realization through consistent business case reflection. Efficient guidance for SOA, BPM and traditional implementation projects through the entire project life-cycle — from evaluation through delivery to post project solution management and operations. And it delivers revised content in all the traditional areas needed for efficient project teams — project management, solution management, organizational change management, training, blueprinting, configuration, testing, cutover planning and execution, and others.

ASAP 8 add prescriptive guidance to the methodology through detailed description of tasks including accountability for their completion. This harmonized structure enables both project leaders and project teams to focus on information that is highly relevant for their role. ASAP 8 contain comprehensive description of deliverable and associated tasks, thus connecting the project management view with subject matter expert needs.

ASAP 8 Standard takes a disciplined approach to project management, organizational change management, solution management, and other disciplines applied in the implementation of SAP solutions. The ASAP 8 is built around the SAP Advanced Delivery Management model and supports project teams with templates, tools, questionnaires, and checklists, including guidebooks and accelerators. ASAP 8 empower companies to exploit the power of the accelerated features and tools already built into SAP solutions.


Target Audience

The ASAP Methodology for implementation is relevant to the following roles:

  • Project manager and project leadership
  • Project team members
  • Application and technology consultants
  • Solution and Application Architects
  • Business Process owners
  • IT organization leaders
  • SAP partners

Benefits of the ASAP Methodology

The ASAP methodology gives you a comprehensive way to streamline the implementation, upgrade, and enhancement of SAP software. ASAP offers you the following benefits.

  • Reduced total cost of implementation by embedding the principles of SAP Advanced Delivery Management into a streamlined and modular implementation road map for ASAP
  • Choice of Agile or Standard implementation approach of your SAP Solution
  • Content-rich implementation accelerators, templates, and guides for implementation projects from strategy to operations
  • Transparent value delivery through consistent reflection of the business case
  • Efficient project governance, quality management, and guidance for Agile implementation projects, Business Process Management, and traditional implementation projects
  • Approach that combines user centric design, business processes and IT architecture
  • Coverage of the entire project life-cycle – from evaluation through delivery to post project solution management and operations

ASAP Implementation Phases

The individual phases of the ASAP Implementation Methodology are:

Phase 1: Project Preparation

During this phase the team goes through initial planning and preparation for SAP project. This phase provides initial planning and preparation for the project. Although each project has its own unique objectives, scope, and priorities, the deliverables outlined assist in completing the initiation and planning steps in an efficient and effective manner.

Phase 2: Business Blueprint

The purpose of this phase is to achieve a common understanding of how the company intends to run SAP to support their business. In Standard ASAP 8 the result is the Business Blueprint, a detailed documentation of the results gathered during requirements workshops. In Agile ASAP 8 the result is a Baseline Build and Project Backlog reflecting the solution requirements prioritized by business value.

The business blueprint is a detailed process-oriented and technical documentation of the results gathered during requirements and design workshops or based on validation of predefined solution or service description. A blueprint consists of multiple documents illustrating how the company intends to run its business using SAP solutions.

Phase 3: Realization

The purpose of this phase is to implement all the business process requirements based on the Business Blueprint or Project Backlog. The system configuration in Standard ASAP is done in two work packages: Baseline configuration (major scope); and Final configuration (remaining scope). In Agile ASAP project team splits Realization phase into multiple releases with number of time-boxed iterations focused on building up the functionality.

Objectives of this phase include:


  • Establishment of the solution landscape
  • Implementation of the final solution in the development environment
  • Overall testing of the solution within the quality environment
  • Release of the solution for production (live) operations
  • Delivery of training materials
  • Preparation for data migration and data archiving
  • Identification of value delivery concepts
  • Performance testing


Phase 4: Final Preparation

The purpose of this phase is to complete the final preparation (including testing, end user training, system management and cutover activities) to finalize your readiness to go live. The Final Preparation phase also serves to resolve all critical open issues. On successful completion of this phase, you are ready to run your business in your live SAP System.

This phase includes, but is not limited to, system tests, end-user training, system management, and cutover activities (including data migration). The phase deliverables also serve to enable the resolution of all crucial open issues. On successful completion of this phase, the business is ready to run the live SAP software system.

Phase 5: Go Live Support

The purpose of this phase is to move from a project-oriented, pre-production environment tolive production operation.

Support for the solution during the period immediately following production cutover. Exceptional items such as additional production support, exceptional business monitoring processes, and extraordinary technical support are planned and executed in this phase. At the end of the designated extra-care period, sustaining production support processes planned in final preparation and executed as part of go-live support become the core support for continuous improvement in the on-going solution.

Phase 6: Operate

The primary goal of this phase is to ensure the operability of the solution.

Each phase has a set of deliverables that are produced during the duration of the phase and serve as the input to follow-up phases. Each deliverable provides list of Outputs it consist of and Methods that are used to produce the deliverable.

Solution operations are initially set up during the implementation project. The primary goal of this phase is to further optimize and automate the operability of the solution. Operability is the ability to maintain IT systems in a functioning and operating condition, guaranteeing systems availability and required performance levels to support the execution of the enterprise’s business operations.

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