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1 SAP Post Implementation Audit and Strategic Assessment Services

1.1.1 SAP Implementation Audit – Why?

Frequently, a successful implementation is seen as an end rather than a milestone.

The newly implemented SAP system may, indeed do everything and more than those it
replaced. In some cases, however, it falls short of the claims made by the sales team
and consultants responsible.

To ensure that best value for money is obtained, shortly after implementation the
delivered system must be compared with the original business objectives and
specifications agreed at the initial project stages:

ö The As-is-to-be analysis and

ö The system blueprint.

Even being satisfied that the original claims and specifications have been met, once the
new system has passed the go-live stage and following a period of consolidation, there
may be many advantages yet to be realized. These further benefits are only likely to be
identified and obtained through a formal 'optimization' process. What are to be
optimized, what are the current lacunae in the system, what are the day-to-day pain
points expressed by the users – these are issues which clearly get analyzed and
recorded in an SAP enterprise wide implementation audit.

1.1.2 Objectives of the audit

To determine the objectives of such an audit, Mascon poses these vital

questions/perspectives to Customers/Prospects:

The successful completion of your SAP implementation is the first step of many
towards critical business process improvements. While your system may be running
smoothly and the stakeholders are receiving returns on their investments, the fact of the
matter is: there is more road to cover to better utilize your dollars and resource hours
effectively. And if you believe you have not yet achieved your ROI due to incorrect
implementation or incorrect use of implementation, it is desirable to undertake an
Enterprise wide Post Implementation Audit.

The objectives of the audit can be depicted by these typical questions

ö Is your “Implementation of SAP” aligned to your business strategy?

ö Are your users well trained?
 ö Have you “Optimized your system” to improve the performance?
ö Can “Archiving your old data” lead to increased performance?
ö How can “Performance measurement and data analysis” help you with or without
external Business Intelligence tools?

The end result of which, allows upgrades to the system to be implemented with more
ease and Speed, thus optimizing the investment in your SAP ERP system.

ö And if you have already stabilized your current SAP system, have you planned your
future initiatives? – Like
ö Would you want to know more about how a “Supply Chain Solution” can help you in
improving your value chain?
ö Do you want to talk to some one who can explain all you want to know about “CRM
solutions”? And get the big benefits thereof?
ö Are you confused with the thousands of jargons and ever-changing technology that
can take your business to a real-time “E-Business” world?

1.1.3 Process Description

The audit would be a study, which would typically last between 3 to 4 weeks. The
essential ingredients of such a study would take into account

Enterprise Platform Architecture analysis

This is also predominantly a BASIS audit with support from in-house administrator and
also supported by a Senior ABAPer. The BASIS admin person and the ABAPer would
do remote analysis. The features of this analysis are as follows:

ö Configuration - Enterprise Platform (SAP instances, Patch levels, OSS notes

applied, analysis of various clients)
ö Platform Deployment
ö Network Connections
ö Deployment Site - Production
ö Test Environment

Application Architecture Study

This is essentially a Functional Audit, which would be done by a Senior SAP FI/CO
consultant and a senior Logistics consultant (MM, PP, QM etc.)

The analysis would involve -

ö Study of Modules implemented

ö Business Processes Mapped in each module (enhancements made if any,
enhancements required to suit certain business processes)
ö Multi location implementation considerations
ö Localization considerations
ö Transaction analysis
ö Interfaces to external systems in each module and across modules
ö Batch data loading, batch processing, analysis of scheduled jobs
ö Analysis of user exits if any for special processing purposes
ö Gap analysis

Mascon finds that when doing a post implementation audit, there could be gaps in an
implementation due to a number of reasons.

For example, here is the summary of such a study:

1. Due to heavy customization in a specific module in a specific region, certain features

or configuration is not done.

2. In some cases, certain modules are implemented and then suspended due to the
need for substantial customization, which was not originally thought of. In these cases,
customers resort to going back to the old system, which they originally used, and then
interface the outbound or inbound data with SAP. This happens a lot in regional rollouts
and cannot be managed in a vanilla rollout situation.

Mascon in these situations understands the gaps and then recommends optimal
customization or configuration changes to address these gaps. Some of these
customizations can also be done cost effectively using the offshore model.

Besides auditing existing modules, which are implemented, the business process and
existing blue prints would be studies so as to examine the feasibility of the following

Implementation of newer modules to harness the power of SAP enterprise wide

Study of four other locations for determining an SAP multi location implementation
strategy and its cost benefits. Total cost of ownership would be determined and based
on this strategic decisions can be made to determine whether SAP is to be
implemented multi locations or other options are to be explored.

Business Transaction Volumes

ö Analysis of transaction volumes

ö Archiving strategies
 ö Performance analysis – for key transactions, understanding bottlenecks

Application Security Audit

ö Understanding current security landscape (by looking at BASIS logs)

ö Analysis of security needs (User profiles, roles and responsibilities)
ö Gap analysis (What are the gaps in security – roles and responsibilities, gaps in
authorization, workflow, remote access etc.)

Enterprise Platform Sizing

ö Analysis of current SAP hardware/Software landscape

ö Study of existing SAP processes for development, testing and production Clients
ö Process improvements
ö ABAP coding standardization and recommendations

Strategic Study with Users

ö What are the pain points of users in each module?

ö What are the lacunae in the current configuration in each module implemented?
ö Study of wish list of new reports, customizations etc., which the users have already
compiled (if any)
ö What the executive Management’s thinking or directional mile stones with respect to
–
¡ E-business and web enabling of transactions with customers and
suppliers
¡ Business intelligence
¡ Portals
¡ Supply Chain Management etc.

1.1.4 How Mascon will assist in meeting CUSTOMER expectations

Need for generating a comprehensive audit report

Mascon believes that the extensive discussions must be held with the CUSTOMER in
the form of User Interviews at various levels –

At departmental users level

ö SAP implementation group (I.T group – Functional, Technical and BASIS
personnel)
ö Executive Management

The study would be formally presented to the Customer’s Management Team and
consists of:

Set of steps would be for Mascon in helping the Customer to building a business case
for implementing the recommendations in the Audit Report. Set the foundations for a
robust SAP infrastructure, which is scaleable and repeatable across multiple locations
and easily maintainable.

Should the Customer desire for Mascon to implement these recommendations then
Mascon would be able to deliver the same by bringing down the total cost of ownership
through its global outsourced delivery model.

Transforming SAP implementation Management to deliver Customer’s business

strategy -

The Audit Report would make recommendations, which would attempt to shed the
administrative legacy associated with an SAP infrastructure, which was set up which
was saddled with problems.

Instead Mascon would attempt transform this organization to deliver the Customer’s
business strategy by exploiting the powerful features available in SAP.

Global Model for routine SAP maintenance outsourcing taking into account the
following points –

The discussions after the audit report is presented would also help the Customer in

ö Defining a plan for tackling ongoing maintenance and support, should the customer
require it.

ö Defining a plan for Organizational Structure, Processes, Culture and

Communications required for this phased out global outsourcing initiative for
maintenance and support
ö Defining the Training needs for such an initiative

Transformation Management

Should the customer desire Mascon to assist them in carrying out key
recommendations made in the audit report, then Mascon would also help define
Transformation Management, which ensures a seamless movement from the "as is"
situation to the "to be" situation, as new strategies are implemented. This involves
identifying problem areas, tackling bottlenecks, building relationships of trust and
implementing action plans