Solution Manager 7.2 - How to build up your documentation faster than light (for ERP ECC 6.0, HCM, etc.)

[sabatale]

Asking yourself about ALM and how it can help your SAP COE in 2019?

UPDATE 2019: Files are available here: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/softwarecenter/template/products/_APP=00200682500000001943&_EVEN...

Let's say you have implemented Solution Documentation 7.2, and you really like it. Now is the time to start documenting your Solution, but building it up from scratch is difficult and time-consuming. Besides you never know how "good" your processes are compared to your industry. You can generate executables and custom objects automatically in your Libraries, but the Reverse Business Process Documentation capability is gone. There is no way to do it in the 7.2 version.

Oh wait, there is. If you are among the customers using S4/HANA, then you can leverage the "Best Practices Packages" feature and import pre-documented processes, including diagrams, fiori apps and configuration units assigned at the right level, in Solution Documentation 7.2. It is really something. But hey, what if you have not migrated to S4 yet?!

Well, have a look at SAP Note 2418929. Not many know about it, but this makes pre-7.2 RDS content available for the new 7.2 version of Solution Manager. For starters, here are the two (2) options that were available to you in the past, but since have been replaced by SAP Best Practices Explorer:

1. SAP Best Practices RDS Packages: Based on successful software deployments, these solution packages cover the entire SAP portfolio and offer best practices for a wide range of processes and topics. This helps customers to standardize implementation projects (ie. functionality specific to your line of business), and reduce go-live risks and costs.


2. Business Process Repository: This is an old functionality within Solution Manager 7.1. It provides a central overview of the available Reference Content structured both by organization areas and available solutions respective applications and underneath by business scenarios, business processes and process steps.

Now, back to SAP Note 2418929 (SAP Solution Manager 7.2: Get SAP Best Practices RDS Packages and content from Business Process Repository (BPR)). The note provides you with a list of all RDS packages and BPR content that have been converted to .JSON format so far. This is the only format supported by Solution Manager 7.2 when it comes to content import.

Here, you can see an example of ERP7 ECC 6.0 RDS packages, including regional releases. You also have Best Practices for other products (CRM, SRM..), and even business specific packages (Payroll Processing, SuccessFactors Compensation..).

SAP ERP607 for Baseline Germany (DE) V3	https://support.sap.com/content/dam/SAAP/Sol_Pack/Library/JSON/ERP607_DE.zip
SAP ERP607 for Baseline United States (US) V3	https://support.sap.com/content/dam/SAAP/Sol_Pack/Library/JSON/ERP607_US.zip
SAP ERP607 for Baseline China (CN) V3	https://support.sap.com/content/dam/SAAP/Sol_Pack/Library/JSON/ERP607_CN.zip
SAP ERP607 for Baseline India (IN) V3	https://support.sap.com/content/dam/SAAP/Sol_Pack/Library/JSON/ERP607_IN.zip
SAP ERP607 for Baseline Brazil (BR) V3	https://support.sap.com/content/dam/SAAP/Sol_Pack/Library/JSON/ERP607_BR.zip
SAP ERP607 for Baseline Canada (CA) V3	https://support.sap.com/content/dam/SAAP/Sol_Pack/Library/JSON/ERP607_CA.zip

Once the content imported to your Solution Manager (follow the steps in the SAP Note), you will have pre-documented SAP standard processes (FI, SD, MM, etc.) for the target product. This includes, for example:

• Business Processes


• Process Steps (incl. in the Library)


• Process diagrams


• Configuration Units


• Standard Transactions


• Best Practices URL documents

Have a look at the "Make-to-Stock Production (Discrete)" process for ERP ECC 6.0:







So, you have these brand-new SAP processes documented in your Solution, what now? I highly recommend you to follow the SAP Activate guidelines. RDS content is an accelerator, not the end result. The next steps could be organizing validation workshops, adapting some processes, building custom ones, etc.



The work begins!