How to Build Your SAP Project Dream Teamhis guest post is written by contributor David HannonMention “team building” at your next business meeting and you’ll likely catch some eyes rolling or hear sarcastic comments about “warm fuzzies” and “kids playing nice.” But when it comes to SAP implementations, having a competent project team firing on all cylinders can be the difference between an SAP project coming in on-time and on-budget, and, well, not.In this context, “team building” goes from “warm fuzzies” to “hard dollars on the bottom line.”Creating a successful SAP project team can be particularly challenging—a single team should blend both technical and business-side employees and often includes outside consultants. The mix of personalities, skill sets and deadlines can be more than the average team can withstand. To pull off a truly successful implementation you need an SAP project Dream Team.It’s an issue that SAP consultant Yosh Eisbart, a founding principal at NIMBL who has nearly 20 years of SAP experience, feels really doesn’t get the amount of attention it deserves. “Having the right team can impact actual project performance dramatically,” he says. “It’s critical to the success of the project. There needs to be a true sense of ‘we all sink or swim together,’ whether the team is all internal or a mix of internal and external consultants.”Eisbart provides three key strategies to help instill that true team attitude: Executive sponsorship. Nothing sets the tone for a project like a CEO or CIO

showing up at the kickoff meeting and emphasizing the importance of the project to the company as a whole while meeting individual team members face-to-face.

Team-building exercises. Don’t roll your eyes. They can be as formal as attending technical training together or as informal as going bowling after work. The key is for the team to spend time together on both project-related and non-project related activities.

An organizational structure that fosters collaboration. For example, if there is a mix of business and technical professionals on the team, a dual-headed structure with two project leaders can illustrate the team-based mentality. Physically locating team members together whenever possible is also key to building a team-focused mentality.

Building the right project team, in fact, is one of the top three factors to project success, according to Matt McBryan, associate principal at SAP consulting firm Answerthink, a division of The Hackett Group. McBryan spends a lot of his time with midmarket clients helping them scope projects and design the right team for a given project. McBryan has three strategies to develop the right project team: A team should have business people as well as technical people. SAP is a

business solution and, while you need technical people on the team, having the right business people on the team may have an even greater impact on the project’s outcome.

Team members need to be open to new ideas. At its heart, an SAP project is usually about process change. So selecting team members based solely on company longevity and expertise isn’t always the right strategy.

A team must be motivated as a team, not as individuals. Compensation and bonuses should be based on completing project milestones—not individual performance. This can be complicated if team members are only working on a project part-time, in addition to their existing responsibilities.

Bringing In Outside HelpAt many companies, an ERP project team is a combination of both internal and external resources. And getting those two groups to collaborate effectively on a team can be more difficult than managing solely internal teams. Let’s face it—no one likes to see an outside expert come into your department and start making decisions that you used to make.Eisbart says it takes a certain level of professional maturity to accept that outside consultant as a team member, and that should be a consideration in selecting the individual players. The only path to success in this scenario, he says, is to treat the external consultant like a member of the team and not like an outside hired gun.McBryan points out that having outside consultants involved from the beginning of a project provides a major advantage in integrating them to the team. “They should be there at the kickoff meeting so everyone gets to meet each other and understand who is in which role and what the reporting lines are,” he says. “When a project is going well, you shouldn’t be able to distinguish who’s an external consultant and who’s an internal project team member. It should look just like a team working together.”The Bad AppleJust as with any team, an ERP project team can be virtually destroyed by a single person with an overly negative attitude—the cancer in the clubhouse, to borrow a sports metaphor. Eisbart recalls a project team he worked on early in his career that included an extremely talented technical programmer who refused to adopt a team mentality.“He was absolutely toxic to the project,” he says. “And a bad apple can become so bad that other team players begin trying to sabotage them, and that just turns everything on its head. So we gave this person a warning and a chance to change his stripes and he didn’t, so we told him his time was up. No one is irreplaceable.”Identifying the bad apple early on can save a lot of headaches down the road, McBryan says. The more investment a project team has in its members, the harder it is to remove the person from the team. But, he agrees with Eisbart, that when the time comes, the team has to be prepared to cut the bad apple loose.Whatever approach you take, make no mistake: There is strategic value in creating the right project team. Team-building for IT projects is not just about improving working conditions and playing nice. It is about executing successful projects that bring bottom-line value to your organization.David Hannon is the Features Editor at SAPinsider and insiderPROFILES magazines. He also serves as a contributing editor to Project Expert and is a featured blogger on Insider Learning Network. A business-to-business editor since 1995, Hannon served as an editor at Purchasing Magazine and Purchasing.com for 10 years prior to joining Wellesley Information Services.

Steps for Implementing a SAP Center of Excellencehttp://it.toolbox.com/blogs/sap-support/steps-for-implementing-a-sap-center-of-excellence-10988Now that I have outlined some background and objectives of the COE, it's time to put a plan in motion to set up the SAP-COE. Overall, the difficulty in implementing a COE will probably reside in how committed your organization is to its successful deployment - from a budgetary, resource, and process perspective.

That's why I believe Step 1 - realigning Business and IT is crucial to success. If you don't do step 1 right, you will be fighting an uphill battle the rest of the way. If realignment has resistance, or more generally, management is not committed, I would suggest putting together a strong business case, highlighting the benefits and cost justification. Strong project sponsorship is absolutely key.

Just to reiterate, without a SAP COE, you will lack the necessary support ecosystem - including resources, funding funnel, and governance body - and more importantly, the strategy and roadmap that are required to launch and sustain a successful support organization.

Let's explore the 7 steps to build a COE.

7 Steps for Establishing a COE

Step 1: Realign Business & IT After an SAP Implementation

In many companies, business and IT go their separate ways once the implementation project is "complete." This is a mistake. To get enduring results, the Business must drive the ongoing improvements needed for the SAP platform. It is the Business - supported by IT - that needs to identify the process changes, reporting for decision-making and end-user needs on an ongoing basis. 

To that end, you need to re-examine the current mix of your post-implementation support team. COE's must include a mix of Process Owners - the "super-users" within the business community, functional application experts and technical experts for configuration and reporting. In addition, the team needs to include people focused on new initiatives, whether for additional rollouts or new modules, which will be inevitable, as business needs change.

Overall, The COE needs to be designed to break down the walls between IT and the business community, and establish a new way to provide sustainable support that remains business focused. 

Step 2: Set up Governance 

One of the most critical steps for COE set-up is establishing Governance for the support organization. The goal of governance is to provide strategic direction, as well as accountability, for all SAP initiatives. Governance also provides a framework for the Business Units to work collaboratively, and in unison with IT, enabling process standardization and business alignment across the enterprise. 

Step 3: Define Functions and Organize the COE 

No generic formula exists for the functions and roles that should be encompassed with the COE. At a minimum, you will need to map out the roles and responsibilities of The Executive Steering Team, PMO Group (Program Management), Support Services Team, and the SAP Power Users. 

Some of the key roles and functions of the COE:

• Business Support - Business Analysts are part of the teams that form the COE, working together with the Applications teams to support the users

•Project & Implementations - Business Analysts are part of the COE organization, working side-by-side with the Applications teams to roll out new functionality

•Internal Marketing - COE coordinates participation in benchmark studies and other forums, whose results are used to drive the COE image internally

•Coordination of Development Requirements - All Development Requests are coordinated through the COE, as well as all messages to SAP

•Technical Support - Provided in conjunction with SAP Basis and Global IT Operations.

•Training - To transfer SAP knowledge to the user base

•Contract Management - Usually provided in conjunction with IT Global Operations

•Support Desk - COE interfaces directly with users and super users and to provide SAP support based on agreed upon service levels, which may vary by functional area and geography

•Information Management - COE is the central contact point for SAP related information, enhancements and new developments

Step 4: Implement Post Go-Live Process Analysis & Optimization as the Foundation for Continuous Improvement

Reclaim ownership of your SAP business processes. Too often, the "to-be" vision turns out to be a one time exercise done early in the implementation process and then is cast aside post-live. This needs to be re-visited as streamlined business processes are as important in the post-live COE as it was in implementation.

The COE should perform or coordinate a review of what is working and what is not. Typically, the 5 areas that companies should address are:

•Broken or flawed business processes•Deficient system design and configuration •Inability or unwillingness to use system - Manual work-arounds present•Insufficient training•Data Management issues

Step 5: Mobilize for Post Go-Live Organizational Change

The business should have a regular stream of improvement requests to support operational changes. Inability to deliver this will create frustration and a sense of stalling in the improvement process.

Your COE should provide guidance on how best to manage change within the context of your SAP platform. An effective COE has the appropriate knowledge, skill and time to evaluate alternatives and implications, estimate the level of effort required and provide the necessary testing, training and documentation. Changes must be made in a controlled way to ensure that the live environment is not put at risk -and implemented effectively to exploit the business benefits of the improvements. 

And don't forget about the IT organization when addressing change management. The shift of "ownership" to the business has a dramatic impact on the role and function of your IT group.

Step 6: Marketing the COE

One of the most forgotten aspects of setting up a COE is the marketing effort to publicize and promote the services offered. Only after users are aware of processes and services available, can widespread adoption of the COE occur within the organization.

It would be a mistake not to expend the effort to launch an internal marketing campaign. The lifeblood and longevity of the COE depends on the perception and service it provides to its internal customers.

Step 7: Getting Started with Setting-Up Your SAP Center of Excellence

Where to begin? Ideally, planning for your COE begins before you go live with your SAP business platform. This way, continuity is ensured and the likelihood of matching your ROI expectations is increased. 

If you are in the initial stages, budget for it now - it's a question of pay for it now, or pay for it later - and later has higher costs. If you are in the midst of implementation, raise the flag now and address it. But if you are already live, it's not too late. Take it step-by-step to identify and prioritize the areas to address.

Closing Thoughts

If you are an IT Director or CIO, I hope this two part series has stimulated the thought process for kick-starting your COE plans. 

If you are an end user or power user feeling frustrated by the lack of support, or if you are a support analyst and feeling overworked or frustrated by lack of productivity, you need to take action now. You can start by forwarding this blog to your manager and getting his/her thoughts for taking the next step. 

Note: Some of the aforementioned steps were developed by my employer, Diagonal Consulting. They have built a methodology, including tools and workshop courses for implementing a COE. Obviously, this blog has only scratched the surface. If you are interested in obtaining more in-depth information or require assistance on the COE front, I can put you in contact with Diagonal's COE expert. 

Building an SAP/Microsoft Interoperability Teamhttp://blogs.technet.com/b/lobapps/archive/2010/09/18/building-an-sap-microsoft-interoperability-practice.aspxI am passionate about the opportunities that are available to develop interoperability scenarios between SAP and the Microsoft platform. The ability to bring Line-of-business (LoB) data into a central portal location can improve usability and provide a better return on your technology investment. You can also improve the user experience, especially a casual SAP user, by bringing their data and enabling

business processes in a familiar tool like SharePoint. When you couple this with the ability to develop custom frontend UI’s to simplify complex SAP screens, you can easily see that this could add tremendous value to your environment.Before becoming a Microsoft employee, I was a customer who was headed down this path. One of the questions I always asked myself was how were we going to build an interoperability practice within my company. After attending SAP Interop training this past week, those thoughts crept back into my mind. Although I am no longer responsible for doing that, I think I now have a grasp on what this means and what it would take. I am hopeful this blog entry turns into a discussion on how to make this happen and it will enable customers to start to undertake this task.

Build a SAP Interoperability LabIf at all possible, you need to establish a SAP Interoperability lab environment. This is necessary to test things like Single Sign On, enablement of SAP Enterprises services within SharePoint, development of custom UI’s to SAP business processes and so on. By building a lab, you can isolate this work to ensure it does not affect your development, test or production environments. It provides a place for you to do a proof of concept before moving forward in a development system.What would be needed in this environment?        SharePoint System        SAP ECC System        Active Directory SystemThis would be the minimum setup. But if you have BI, CRM, SRM and other SAP applications running in your environment, you might consider adding these systems to your lab. In addition, if you are using BizTalk or SAP XI/PI as your Enterprise Architecture Integration (EAI) tool, you would need to add these systems to the environment.All of these systems can be setup in a virtual environment, thus limiting the cost of this step.

Determine a Proof of Concept Business ProcessThe next decision I think that needs to be made is what business process you want to enable in an interoperability scenario. This could be a FI, SD, MM, PP or any other business process you currently run in SAP today. The process itself is not the concern as much as identifying the appropriate functional person to work on the Interoperability Team. This person will be key in helping bridge the gap for the developers.Does it matter which process you pick? Not really, but if I were involved in picking the process, I would pick one that was complex and the typical user of this process is not an experienced SAP User. Vendor Create could be a potential process. In many companies, the people who create vendors may only do this occasionally. If so, remembering how to navigate the SAP process can be difficult and by moving to a SharePoint or .Net solution, you should be able to greatly reduce the complexity. This will bring an immediate efficiency improvement and adding value to your company.

Build Your Interoperability TeamWho should be on your Interoperability Team? Let me suggest the following individuals:        SAP Functional        ABAP Developer        SAP Basis Administrator

        .NET Developer/SharePoint Developer/Administrator        SharePoint AdministratorThe SAP Functional person is important to be able to communicate and help everyone understand exactly what the business process does, what information should be displayed and what information is required. They bring their functional experience to the table and they will be able to help with testing the new solution.The ABAP developer will be able to determine what the best way is to access this data. They can help determine if there is an existing BAPI or Enterprise Service to call or a BSP that can be accessed. They can also look at the functional modules that exist for this process. It will be key that the ABAP Developer and the .NET/SharePoint Developer can communicate in terms that each understand. I will address this point later.SAP Basis Administrator will be needed to help with establishing the appropriate access whether it is setting up and configuring RFC connections, establishing trusts between SAP systems and so on. The time that they will have to spend on the project is minimal, but extremely important. In some SAP environments, this role may be filled by the SAP Security Administrator and not a SAP Basis Administrator.Depending on which technology is being used for the User Interface, you will either need a .NET Developer or a SharePoint Developer/Administrator or both. This person will be responsible for the development work that needs to be done on the Microsoft platform.If Single Sign-On (SSO) is needed and Active Directory (AD) is used within this environment, an Active Directory Administrator will need to be allocated to the project to help ensure security is addressed correctly.

Cross Train DevelopersOne suggestion I would have would be to cross-train your development staff. Send your ABAP developer to a C# programming class and send your .NET developer to an ABAP development class. This will help both of them to speak the same language and help them work together to build a solid solution. I realize training classes are not cheap, but maybe you could utilize your Software Assurance training vouchers for the C# class. I think the money will be well spent because it will accelerate the development efforts. I think you will quickly realize a return on your training investment through improving your time to market and the efficiency and effectiveness of your interoperability solution.

SAP Interoperability TrainingAnother suggestion is to schedule SAP Interoperability Training for your entire team. This training can be scheduled to be brought onsite at your company. The training is provided by Microsoft for a fixed fee and is quite affordable for onsite training. After this class, everyone who attends will have a good overall understanding of what the possible interoperability scenarios are and will better understand the plusses and minuses of each interoperability solution.

Determine ArchitectureThis next step in the process is to determine your key architecture strategies.SecurityHow will you handle security? Will you utilize one of the single sign on technologies like SPnego or Secure Store? This is a discussion the team will need to have together. Determine the strategy and put together a plan to set this up and test it.

SAP ArchitectureWhat will be your method of extracting/updating data in SAP? Will you only be reading data or will you then need to update the data? This will help determine which methods you will deploy within SAP. Once you have determined the approach, you can start working on identifying and documenting the SAP components that will be used in your solution. SharePoint/.NET ArchitectureThe discussion around the data (read or modify) will help determine what your options are in the SharePoint/.NET world. Once this is determined, then development or configuration on the Microsoft side can begin. You will want to document your approach.

POC DevelopmentFinally you can start to develop and test your process. Hopefully during the preceding steps you will start to develop some patterns and practices that can be applied to building reference architectures for your environment. For example, you may decide that if there is an Enterprise Service in SAP available, that should always be the preferred method, followed by BAPIs and then by calling specific function modules. On the SharePoint side, you may decide that you want to always utilize the Business Connectivity Services component and if possible, you always want to expose that data using a custom webpart within a SharePoint Iframe. Whatever your decisions are, you should document them and publish them so that your start building all of your interoperability scenarios following a standard process and within your architectural guidelines.Well there you have it, my ideas for establishing a SAP Interoperability Practice. I know it isn’t perfect and I have only spent a few days thinking about this. I would be very interested to hear what you think. Please provide feedback in the comments section below. If you have questions or comments for me, please send them to

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