Since the official announcement of the deadline for SAP R/3 (2025), most of the IT leaders started migrating to the next generation business suite –SAP S/4HANA and most of those businesses, who are using SAP ‘s Enterprise Resource Planning software are already in the process of upgrading. The new suite is built on in-memory platform SAP HANA & designed with the SAP Fiori user interface. The new sap product (SAP S/4HANA) deployed on On-Premise, Cloud and Hybrid configuration.
Coming to implementation, SAP Activate is the latest implementation methodology recommended by sap. With the advent of enhanced business functions, faster deployment, exceptional in-memory platform SAP HANA, SAP Activate is the preferred implementation methodology (Agile method) rather than the ASAP methodology (waterfall method) of software implementation.
What is SAP Activate?
SAP Activate is an implementation methodology used in SAP S/4HANA and unique combination of 3 core pillars, SAP Guided configuration, SAP Best Practices & Methodology. It is the quickest way till date, to simplify and streamline your business operations with SAP S/4HANA.This methodology enables customers to build smart, run and start faster in their respective landscape. It is a successor to Accelerated SAP (ASAP) and SAP launch methodology. It also provides complete content and guidance to each team of your project.
There are 2 variants of SAP Activate Implementation Methodology
1)SAP Activate Methodology for On-Premise solutions.
2)SAP Activate Methodology for Cloud solution.
1)The methodology for On-Premise solutions is designed to support the new sap implementation in on-premise configurations for each and every team of your project.
2)The methodology for Cloud solutions provides Software as a Services, where the new system installation & management occur outside of the project.
3 Focus Elements of SAP Activate: –
SAP Activate Methodology is a combination of SAP Best Practices, Guided configurations, and Methodology optimized for S/4HANA.
1)SAP Best Practices: –
SAP Activate contains complete and consistent pre-configured best practice scenarios and functionalities, which speed up the migration path.
The Best Practices includes the following
- Business process Structure with technical steps.
- Accelerates your project implementation.
- Integrated Information with other Cloud solutions, such as Ariba Network, SuccessFactors Employee Central.
- Migration documents, which help to migrate your SAP or Non-SAP systems.
- Graphical representation of all the business process.
- Test Automation process in SAP S/4HANA.
- Pre-defined test scripts.
2)Guided Configuration: –
It is a set of tools, accelerators, and assets, which helps the implementation of SAP S/4HANA. Depending upon your landscape (On-Premise or Cloud), there are a different set of tools.
Cloud Edition: –
Self-service configuration user interface’s & expert configuration allows best practice processes to be altered, while expert configuration allows new process to add to the existing set.
On-Premise Edition: –
SAP implementation guide and Solution Manager provides configuration activities to do in-depth custom configuration. SAP best practices provide a set of rules and best practices for the efficient and effective data migration and integration to SAP S/4HANA along with many other best ways to configure your own sap standard processes. The approach fills the gap between IT group and business for successful S/4HANA implementation.
3)SAP Activate Methodology: –
Above two elements provide real value to your business. In my opinion, Methodology is the key component for initiating any SAP S/4HANA implementation.
Why SAP Activate?
Being the successors of all variants of ASAP and SAP launch methodology
For On-Premise Edition: –
The ASAP 8 methodology is replaced with the new SAP Activate methodology & supported for SAP Business suite & S/4HANA.
For Cloud Edition: –
The SAP Launch methodology is replaced with the new SAP Activate methodology for both cloud edition and project services edition. It supports implementation in SAP S/4HANA, Cloud editions.
Compared to ASAP & SAP Launch, SAP Activate has the following improvements in the following areas.
*Based on the use of SAP Best Practices.
*Only-4 phases – Reduced project lifecycle.
*Not more than 10 key deliverables per phase.
*Replace Blueprint activities with solution validation.
*Agile as a default implementation methodology.
Moving forward there will be no further content enhancements made to Accelerated SAP 8 as all the new implementation assets will be made available through SAP Activate framework.
How SAP Activate Methodology deployed?
According to different IT leaders and businesses, the roadmap to get to SAP S/4HANA varies in order to maximize benefits. For example, the client may be new to SAP, or already using SAP legacy system, or may have a mature SAP landscape that you have to plan to simplify and transform.
There are 3 main adoption roadmaps at these different starting points.
1)New Implementation: –
In this situation, you are installing a completely new S/4HANA system and migrate your data. Most of the clients will benefit from the new implementation of Industry-leading Business Suite and process simplification based on ready-to-run business processes.
2)System Conversion: –
In this situation, you may already use SAP Business Suite on in-memory platform SAP HANA and wants to convert your existing system into a S/4HANA system. Clients can leverage Rapid Deployment Solution and benefit from migration without any disruption and reimplementation for existing business processes, re-evaluation of existing business process and customization over time.
3)Landscape Transformation: –
In this situation, we may want to use S/4HANA as your central finance system or move an application to S/4HANA, or you might want to simplify your existing system landscape by integrating multiple business processes into one new S/4HANA instance. Based on your SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server, upgrading to latest enhancement package and the migration to SAP HANA are supported by services. It has many other advantages as they would gradually move to S/4HANA with the existing business processes, can also carve out of single entities of the company to S/4HANA & simplifies the process.
How to use SAP Activate for your SAP S/4HANA Roadmap?
For each of the above situation, we will take 4 phases of the project lifecycle
*Prepare: – Start with SAP Best Practices.
*Explore: – Move into preassembly, solution validation workshops, rapid prototyping, and delta backlog.
*Realize: – Iterate delta scope implementation & E2E integration testing.
*Deploy: -Finally phase of project lifecycle where the rollout is done.
Where to find SAP Activate Methodology Content?
Tools, Assets, and Accelerators are freely accessible, which are linked to different phases of the implementation methodology.
- SAP Best Practices assets and accelerators are directly accessible through Fiori application of SAP S/4HANA. Additionally, they are also accessible through online and solution manager templates on SAP Service Marketplace.
- Methodology assets are available through standard documentation of the implementation methodologies. In addition to these assets, SAP Activate Methodology project management accelerators are made available through SAP JAM.
Conclusion: –
SAP Activate Methodology allows businesses to build smart and run simply through the 3 key elements (Best Practices, Guided Configuration, and Methodology). Its superseded ASAP and SAP Launch methodologies & is one methodology for any deployment option (On-Premise, Cloud & Hybrid) for SAP S/4HANA. It provides the freedom to run fast with SAP Fiori UX, with a lower TCO and built-in extensibility to fit unique needs.