SAP S/4 HANA for Dummies <Series Part 1>

With the proliferation of digital transformation and all of its associated  technologies such as RPA, cloud, AI etc. software vendors are swiftly adapting their current product offerings to meet the new wave of business demands. SAP, the behemoth in the ERP space is no exemption.   SAP’s core ERP product has always been ECC but over the years the software giant has invested in developing an intelligent ERP system. This new system is not an upgrade to its core ECC but a complete new business suite with a simplified core, an in-memory database designed by SAP, a grade-A role based user experience called Fiori, and additional flexibility to integrate and extend intelligent solutions in the cloud with SAP S/4HANA cloud platform. It is called S/4 HANA. Each new version has a simplification list. Simply type **** (product version e.g. 1909) SAP S4HANA SIMPLIFICATION LIST online to get the information. The most updated is 1909. See here

Below I take you through a quick snippet of everything you need to know

Benefits of SAP HANA database for S/4 HANA

• In-memory database that improves speed and flexibility
• Random access
• Data stores in rows and now columns
• Parallel processing is possible
• Overall system improvement up to factor of 10-20
• Data footprint reduced up to the factor of 40
• Migrate to HANA DB in one step: Update and migrate in one step to reduce downtime and guarantee a seamless migration
• OLTP and OLAP in the same SAP system: No latency, no aggregation, single source of truth

Methodology

ASAP Methodology 8X:

ACTIVATE Methodology:

1. SAP best practices – ACTIVATE best practice based on scope, saves time from blue-printing activity
2. Guided config – Rapid Deployment Solution(RDS) ,  self-service configuration
3. Methodology- Consistent quality delivery, prescriptive and accelerate product delivery

Agile Projects

• Agile project have small teams of 7+/- 2 with sprints to deliver between 2-4 weeks
• Team includes:  functional resource, technical resource, test resource, product owner, security resource, business resource
• Solution manager, Mira and IBM Jest used to for ticketing system and change request
• To enhance design thinking SAP utilizes IRISE and SAP BUILD for interactive prototype

SAP S/4 HANA Migration and Deployment Options

Migration options

1. Greenfield: From non-SAP/SAP  to S/4HANA

• Install SAP S/4HANA using the Software Provision Manager
• Initial data load from source system using Migration  cockpit / Data-Services / Advanced Data Management by Syniti

2. System conversion (Brown Field):  No guided configuration

• Use software update manager (SUM)
• The source system does not have to be on an HANA DB
• ECC must be Unicode- SAP ECC6 EHP 7

3. Landscape transformation

Deployment Options

1. On-Premise
2. Cloud: The following cloud options exist

• SAP S/4HANA cloud: SAAS model, updates are quarterly, and no room for customization
• SAP S/4HANA cloud, Single tenant edition: SAAS model, updates twice a year, and ability to customize
• SAP S/4HANA Managed by SAP Enterprise Cloud: IAAS model, annual updates, extensive customization (not recommended) permitted.

The role of SAP Solution Manager (SOLMAN) 7.2 in S/4 HANA

Benefits of solution Manger for SAP S/4 HANA

• All methodology, accelerators and tools to customer in one area
• Modern Fiori interface- track the  build process, build cycles etc.
• Tools for best practice (test scripts, process diagrams, config documents etc.)
• SOLMAN helps to keep track of changes. It is a single source of truth for the project
• Reporting:  In project SOLMAN has a solution readiness dashboard to track team member activities

S/4 HANA FIORI UX

Details on ACTIVATE Methodology Phases:

Discover:

Prepare:

1. Readiness Check  2.0 (tool)

• Can be executed on SOLMAN or not
• Displays simplification items that pertain to your solution
• Verify all system requirement

2. Pre-Checks

• System sizing: HANA Sizing estimate- Use SAP Quick sizer in marketplace to get the correct sizing. Corrects CPU, DISK etc.
• Custom Code Worklist: By readiness assessment or through ABAP Test Cockpit
• Data Volume Management-DVM
• Fiori -apps recommendation based on current transaction landscape. See S/4 HANA FIORI UX section above
• Simplication item check – Notes to be implemented e.g.  Business Partner (BP)conversion

3. Maintenance planner (MP tool)

• It checks add-ons, business functions, industry solutions
• Generates XML stack
• Stops upgrade, implementation or conversion if no path exist

Explore:

• Fit-Gap analysis: Organize value identification workshop to determine the key business scenarios and define the roadmap to SAP S/4HANA
• Process extension: Document and modify best practice graphics and see the configuration areas.
• Testing: Identify test cases (all types of test), supports a great testing environment and test suite
• Config (New implementation): Guided config and implementation cockpit, solution designed template, requirement capture and gap, process re-engineering, best-practice workshop

Realize:

• Configure in sprints based on requirements identified in EXPLORE phase (new implementation)
• Utilize transaction SPDD, SPAU like in typical upgrade projects etc. for conversion migration object to ensure data elements and dictionary, reports, programs, FM and screens are in sync. SAP will identify changes and provide recommendations on how to proceed (conversion).
• Data migration (for ECC there is pre-designed mapping for non-sap there is a canonical format). Migration cockpit (LTMC), data services, SAP SLT are tools that can be leveraged. LSMW is not recommended.
• Data conversion: Data migration and conversion happens in downtime, system update can happen in the uptime
• Custom Code Adaptation- Find issues using ABAP Test Cockpit
• Software Update Manager (SUM) – Uses the XML stack generated by MP tool. This is the actual migration stage
• Utilize a distributed system

Figure 1. The use of distributed system for SAP S/4 HANA conversion

• Run conversion in this step (the Software Update Manager -SUM)
• Output control: Using background RFC connection – BRFplus, Adobe Document Services
• PFCG backend role adaptation and integration to fiori catalogs for front -end
• Application specific follow-on activities
• Cross application follow-on activities

Deploy:

Run:

Other tools for implementation

Best Practice Explorer:

Roadmap Viewer:

SAP Transformation Navigator:

SAP Innovation and Optimization Pathfinder; Business Scenario Recommendation report:

Others:

1. SAP S/4 HANA Adoption Starter- https://support.sap.com/en/tools/upgrade-transformation-tools/s4hana-adoption-starter.html
2. S/4 HANA Movement-  https://www.sap.com/products/s4hana-movement.html

Simplification examples in Logistics

1. MRP- Fast real time MRP run
2. Inventory management – simplified data model
3. Order mgt – end to end monitoring
4. FICO – use of universal journal entry as opposed to FI and CO document separately
5. Simplification item BP for all core modules
6. Table – BUT00 stores data for BP and distribute to all old vendor and customer master table as various roles are extended.

Steps to Configure BP

1. Define BP role
2. Configure number grouping which is similar to account group ECC
3. Configure number range
4. Configure BP Category
5. New functionality- status mgt for BP
6. Map A/C group- Z001 with Role- FLCU00

Material Master

• 40 character length
• No foreign trade data
• SERV material type
• MRP Fields

Credit Mgt

• Moved from SD to FSCM ( Financial supply chain Mgt)
• Credit control area is replaced with segments and global segments
• External credit rating through external feed

Output Determination

1. Open tcode BRF+
2. Check note 2248229
3. Make sure BRF+ is in EXPERT mode. Go to tools and choose XML Export.
4. Functional consultant uses transaction OPD- To maintain condition records

Pricing

• KONV replaced with PRCD _ELEMENTS
• Limit to condition table has increased from 99 to 999
• customer and document pricing procedure now has two digit as opposed to  0-9 or a-z
• PRC_MIG_POST_PROCESSING (SE38) – a program that should be run after ECC to HANA conversion.

Rebate-VBOX (index table changed)

ATP and TOR

• No more cumulative requirement table – VBBS. S/4 now uses only VBBE
• As a migratory step, in OVZ2 -Availability requirement check make sure you change from B-Cumulative to A.

Inventory Management

• MKPF (Header) and (MSEG) item is condensed in MATDOC
• Material ledger becomes mandatory in S/4HANA to help valuate in multiple currency and also sync costing between Balance sheet and P&L.