SAP Activate

Project Management for SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP S/4HANA

Book Information

• Publisher: SAP PRESS
• Authors: Sven Denecken, Jan Musil, Srivatsan Santhanam
• Year: 2025
• Edition: 3
• Pages: 571
• Language: English

Description

Gearing up for SAP S/4HANA? Pave the way for a successful implementation project with SAP Activate! This handbook guides you through the SAP Activate methodology for agile project planning and delivery. Walk through your new implementation—public cloud, private cloud, or on-premise—or your system conversion project. See how to deploy a hybrid system landscape using a two-tier ERP setup. Get your SAP S/4HANA project right, from planning to go-live!

• Manage your cloud or on-premise SAP S/4HANA project
• Discover tools for configuration, data migration, extensibility, integration, business AI, and testing
• Explore hybrid scenarios across key lines of business

Key Highlights

• Cloud and on-premise
• New implementation
• System conversion
• Selective data transition
• Business AI
• Hybrid landscapes
• Agile project delivery
• Business-driven configuration
• SAP Best Practices
• Extensibility
• Integration
• Organizational change management

You'll learn about

• Methodology Basics:
  Get up to speed with SAP Activate! Learn the phases for project management and the golden rules for your SAP S/4HANA implementation. Explore core processes, from configuration to testing, and discover agile project delivery with SAFe.
• Tools and Services:
  Work with solutions that support your implementation project. Access SAP Activate using SAP Signavio Process Navigator and SAP Cloud ALM, and then use SAP Best Practices and the enterprise management layer for SAP S/4HANA to set up a working system.
• Deployment:
  Whether you’re deploying SAP S/4HANA in the cloud or on-premise, follow instructions to plan, prepare for, and execute your deployment. Learn the ins and outs of a successful new implementation or system conversion, and then see how to create a two-tier ERP setup.

Table of Contents

• Foreword by Jan Gilg

• Foreword by Sven Denecken

• Preface
• The Objective of This Book
• Who This Book Is For
• How This Book Is Organized
• Acknowledgments

• 1 SAP S/4HANA Fundamentals
• 1.1 Transition into an Intelligent, Sustainable Enterprise
• 1.1.1 What Makes an Enterprise Intelligent and Sustainable?
• 1.1.2 Preparing Businesses for a Fast-Changing Future
• 1.1.3 Achieving More across the Value Chain
• 1.1.4 Sustainability at the Core of Your Organization
• 1.1.5 RISE with SAP and GROW with SAP
• 1.2 Key Technologies
• 1.2.1 SAP S/4HANA Cloud
• 1.2.2 SAP Business Technology Platform
• 1.2.3 SAP Business AI
• 1.2.4 SAP HANA
• 1.2.5 SAP Fiori
• 1.3 Deployment and Operating Models
• 1.3.1 Cloud
• 1.3.2 On-Premise
• 1.3.3 Hybrid
• 1.3.4 Deployment Considerations for SAP S/4HANA
• 1.4 Deployment Approaches
• 1.5 Summary

• 2 Introduction to SAP Activate
• 2.1 SAP Activate Key Concepts
• 2.2 Components of SAP Activate
• 2.2.1 Ready-to-Run Business Processes
• 2.2.2 Methodology
• 2.2.3 Tools for Adoption and Extensibility
• 2.3 SAP Activate Phases and Project Management
• 2.3.1 Discover
• 2.3.2 Prepare
• 2.3.3 Explore
• 2.3.4 Realize
• 2.3.5 Deploy
• 2.3.6 Run
• 2.3.7 Project Management
• 2.4 Clean Core Strategy
• 2.5 Golden Rules for Implementing SAP S/4HANA Cloud
• 2.5.1 Golden Rules and Benefits
• 2.5.2 Rule 1
• 2.5.3 Rule 2
• 2.5.4 Rule 3
• 2.5.5 Rule 4
• 2.5.6 Rule 5
• 2.5.7 Governance to Keep the Core Clean
• 2.6 SAP Activate Methodology Taxonomy
• 2.6.1 Workstreams
• 2.6.2 Deliverables
• 2.6.3 Tasks
• 2.6.4 Accelerators
• 2.7 SAP Activate Community
• 2.7.1 Register and Access the SAP Activate Community
• 2.7.2 Find Your Way in the SAP Activate Community
• 2.7.3 Ask Questions and Find Answers
• 2.7.4 How to Contribute Blog Posts
• 2.8 SAP Activate Training and Certification
• 2.9 Summary

• 3 Accessing SAP Activate
• 3.1 SAP Activate Roadmap Viewer
• 3.2 SAP Signavio Process Navigator
• 3.2.1 Solution Scenario Information
• 3.2.2 Solution Process Information
• 3.3 SAP Cloud ALM
• 3.3.1 SAP Cloud ALM for Implementation
• 3.3.2 SAP Cloud ALM for Operations
• 3.3.3 Transition from SAP Solution Manager to SAP Cloud ALM
• 3.4 Summary

• 4 Starting with a Working System
• 4.1 SAP Best Practices for SAP S/4HANA
• 4.1.1 SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition
• 4.1.2 SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition
• 4.2 Enterprise Management Layer for SAP S/4HANA
• 4.2.1 Structure of Content
• 4.2.2 Updates
• 4.2.3 Deployment Options
• 4.3 Summary

• 5 Implementation Activities
• 5.1 Business-Driven Configuration
• 5.1.1 Preparation for Configuration
• 5.1.2 Planning of Configuration
• 5.1.3 Execution of Configuration
• 5.1.4 SAP Central Business Configuration
• 5.2 Data Migration
• 5.2.1 Data Migration Preparation
• 5.2.2 Data Migration Execution with Staging Tables
• 5.2.3 Data Migration Execution Using Direct Transfer
• 5.2.4 Enhancing the Migration Objects Using the Migration Object Modeler
• 5.3 Extensibility
• 5.3.1 Key User Extensibility
• 5.3.2 Developer Extensibility
• 5.3.3 Side-by-Side Extensibility
• 5.3.4 Tools and Implementation
• 5.4 Integration
• 5.4.1 Prepare
• 5.4.2 Explore
• 5.4.3 Realize
• 5.5 SAP Business AI
• 5.5.1 Foundational Elements for Leveraging SAP Business AI
• 5.5.2 Lessons Learned from Integrating SAP Business AI
• 5.5.3 The Future of SAP Business AI
• 5.6 Testing
• 5.6.1 SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition
• 5.6.2 SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition
• 5.6.3 SAP S/4HANA
• 5.7 Summary

• 6 Agile Project Delivery
• 6.1 Roles, Responsibilities, and Governance
• 6.1.1 Roles
• 6.1.2 Events
• 6.1.3 Artifacts
• 6.2 Creating and Managing the Backlog
• 6.3 Agile Realization
• 6.3.1 Defining Release and Sprint
• 6.3.2 Anatomy of a Sprint
• 6.4 Definition of Ready and Done
• 6.5 Putting It All Together
• 6.6 SAP Activate in a Scaled Agile Environment
• 6.6.1 Common Principles in SAFe and SAP Activate
• 6.6.2 Alignment Points for Each Configuration of SAFe
• 6.7 Summary

• 7 New Implementation of SAP S/4HANA
• 7.1 New Implementation of SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition
• 7.1.1 Deployment Approach Overview
• 7.1.2 Discover Your Solution
• 7.1.3 Prepare Your Project
• 7.1.4 Explore the Solution
• 7.1.5 Realize Your Requirements
• 7.1.6 Deploy Your Solution
• 7.1.7 Run Your Solution
• 7.2 New Implementation of SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition
• 7.2.1 Deployment Approach Overview
• 7.2.2 Discover Your Solution
• 7.2.3 Prepare Your Project
• 7.2.4 Explore the Solution
• 7.2.5 Realize Your Requirements
• 7.2.6 Deploy Your Solution
• 7.2.7 Run Your Solution
• 7.3 New Implementation of SAP S/4HANA
• 7.3.1 Deployment Approach Overview
• 7.3.2 Discover Your Solution
• 7.3.3 Prepare Your Project
• 7.3.4 Explore the Solution
• 7.3.5 Realize Your Requirements
• 7.3.6 Deploy Your Solution
• 7.3.7 Run Your Solution
• 7.4 Summary

• 8 System Conversion and Selective Data Transition to SAP S/4HANA
• 8.1 Deployment Project Overview
• 8.2 Discover Your Solution
• 8.2.1 Strategic Planning
• 8.2.2 Trial System Provisioning
• 8.2.3 Application Value and Scoping
• 8.2.4 Conversion Readiness Assessment
• 8.3 System Conversion
• 8.3.1 Prepare Your Project
• 8.3.2 Explore the Solution
• 8.3.3 Realize Your Requirements
• 8.3.4 Deploy Your Solution
• 8.3.5 Run Your Solution
• 8.4 Selective Data Transition
• 8.5 Summary

• 9 Deploying Hybrid System Landscapes
• 9.1 What Is a Two-Tier ERP Setup?
• 9.1.1 Corporate Headquarters and Subsidiary Setup
• 9.1.2 Central Services Setup
• 9.1.3 Supply Chain Ecosystem
• 9.2 Move Options
• 9.3 Master Data
• 9.3.1 Data Replication Framework
• 9.3.2 API-Based Replication
• 9.4 Finance
• 9.4.1 Financial Planning
• 9.4.2 Advanced Financial Closing
• 9.4.3 Intercompany Reconciliation Automation
• 9.4.4 Financial Consolidation
• 9.4.5 Cash Visibility of Subsidiary at Headquarters
• 9.5 Sales
• 9.5.1 Subsidiary as a Local Sales Office
• 9.5.2 Drop-Shipping
• 9.5.3 Returns Handling
• 9.6 Services
• 9.6.1 Service Order Management
• 9.6.2 Repair Order Integration
• 9.6.3 Sales and Installation
• 9.6.4 Warranty Claim Process
• 9.7 Procurement
• 9.7.1 Procurement Handled Directly by Subsidiary
• 9.7.2 Centralized Procurement at Headquarters
• 9.7.3 Centralized Contracting from Headquarters
• 9.7.4 Centralized Scheduling Agreements from Headquarters
• 9.8 Manufacturing
• 9.8.1 Production at Subsidiaries
• 9.8.2 Assembly at Subsidiaries with Components Provided by Headquarters
• 9.8.3 Integration with Manufacturing Execution Systems
• 9.8.4 Predictive Material and Resource Planning with Scheduling Agreements
• 9.8.5 MRP Visibility Scenarios
• 9.9 Integration
• 9.10 Analytics and Reporting
• 9.11 Summary

• 10 Organizational Change Management
• 10.1 Organizational Change Management
• 10.1.1 The People Side of Digital Transformation
• 10.1.2 OCM Framework
• 10.1.3 OCM in SAP Activate
• 10.1.4 Learning and Enablement
• 10.1.5 OCM in the Cloud Context
• 10.1.6 Scoping OCM for an SAP Project
• 10.2 Transition to the Customer Center of Expertise
• 10.2.1 Organizational Readiness in the Customer Center of Expertise
• 10.2.2 Capability Framework
• 10.2.3 Roadmap for Organizational Readiness
• 10.2.4 New Roles with SAP S/4HANA Cloud
• 10.3 Summary

• 11 SAP Activate for Other SAP Products
• 11.1 SAP Activate for SAP SuccessFactors
• 11.2 SAP Activate for the Intelligent Enterprise
• 11.3 SAP Activate for SAP Business Technology Platform
• 11.4 SAP Activate for Two- to Three-System Landscape Conversions
• 11.5 SAP Activate Methodology for SAP S/4HANA Upgrades
• 11.6 Additional SAP Activate Methodology Roadmaps
• 11.7 Summary

• A SAP Activate Certification Preparation
• A.1 Exam Structure
• A.2 Practice Questions
• A.2.1 SAP Activate Overview
• A.2.2 SAP Activate Elements
• A.2.3 Workstreams Overview
• A.2.4 Transition Path “New Implementation SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition”
• A.2.5 Transition Path “New Implementation SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition”
• A.2.6 Agile Project Planning
• A.2.7 Agile Project Delivery
• A.2.8 System Conversion to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition
• A.2.9 Selective Data Transition to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition
• A.3 Practice Question Answers and Explanations
• A.3.1 SAP Activate Overview
• A.3.2 SAP Activate Elements
• A.3.3 Workstreams Overview
• A.3.4 Transition Path “New Implementation SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition”
• A.3.5 Transition Path “New Implementation SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition”
• A.3.6 Agile Project Planning
• A.3.7 Agile Project Delivery
• A.3.8 System Conversion to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition
• A.3.9 Selective Data Transition to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition

• B The Authors
• B.1 Contributors

• Index

Disclaimer

SAP, other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. Our Company is not affiliated to SAP SE or any of its affiliated companies including but not limited to: Sybase, Business Objects, Hybris, Ariba and SuccessFactors. All other names, brands, logos, etc. are registered trade or service marks of their respective owners.