ACCT 3322 Test 2 Evolution of Accounting Information Systems / System Development Lifecycle

PADIO

5 major phases of the system development life cycle

“P” in PADIO

System Planning

“A” in PADIO

System Analysis

“D” in PADIO

System Design

“I” in PADIO

System Implementation

“O” in PADIO

System Operation

ASAP Methodology

“Accelerated SAP” to help organizations implement SAP systems efficiently and effectively

ASAP Methodology Phase 1

Preparation (Planning):

• Obtaining senior-level management/stakeholder support

• Identifying clear project objectives

• Architecting an efficient decision-making process

• Creating an environment suitable for change and re-engineering

  • Building a qualified and capable Project Team

ASAP Methodology Phase 2

Business Blueprint (Analysis):

• What information do you capture on a purchase order?

• What information is required to complete a purchase order?

  • Accelerated SAP Q&A Database

ASAP Methodology Phase 3

Realization (Design):

• Baseline Configuration

• Fine Tuning Configuration

• Configuration Testing

• Knowledge Transfer

ASAP Methodology Phase 4

Final Preparation (Implementation):

• SAP Training

• Functional and Stress Testing

• Fine Tuning

• Migration of data

• Plan and document

ASAP Methodology Phase 5

Go-Live and Support (Operation):

• Attention to what-if scenarios

• Preparation of ongoing support

• Maintenance contracts

• Documentation of processes and procedures

Project Sponsor, Project Management, Executive Steering Committee, Systems Analyst, Database Administrator (DBA)

Who are all the people on the development team?

Project Sponsor

Plays a key role in …..

§  Initially guiding the Steering Committee

§  Building momentum

§  Gaining buy-in and “talking up”

§  Working with various business units

Project Management

§  Responsible for overall management of SAP implementation

§  Responsible for coordinating a cooperative environment between different team members

§  Responsible for communicating to the audience

§  Aware of the politics surrounding the various organizations

Executive Steering Committee

·         Identifying and approving the scope of project

·         Setting priorities

·         Setting disputes

·         Committing resources to the project

·         Monitoring the progress and impact of the implementation

·     Empowering the team to make decisions

Executive Steering Committee Key members

·         The project sponsor: Often a senior executive tasked with making SAP a reality

·         A high level representative of each functional area for which SAP will be deployed (i.e., financial department, HR, sales, etc.)

·         A senior representative of the Company’s Chief Information Officer

·         The Project Sponsor

·         The Company Project Manager

·         The Manager/Director of Enterprise Computing System

·         A Senior Level SAP Solution Architect (SA)

Systems Analyst

• Studies business processes and identifies system requirements.

• Designs solutions to meet user needs and prepares system specifications.

• Serves as the link between users and technical staff

Database Administrator (DBA)

§  Designs, implements, and manages the system’s database.

§  Ensures data integrity, security, and efficient performance.

What are some of the major problems with system implementations?

o   Failing to “lock down” the production system represents major
shortcoming of implementation

o   Failing to load test is a key factor in missing performance

o   typically fall in the Final Preparation stage of the ASAP Methodology

o   Poor planning and project management

o   Insufficient user involvement

o   Inadequate training and support

o   Data conversion and integration issues

o   Technical problems and bugs

o   Resistance to change

Implementing SAP

§  Assembling a first-rate Project Team

§  Addressing SAP training

§  Identifying members of a successful Steering Committee

Who implements SAP?

Project Management Support, SAP Consulting and Support Professionals, SAP Alliance Partners, Team Leaders, Functional Analysts, Technical Analysts, System Administrators

Implementation Tools

§  Reviewing Implementation options

§  Learning about the ASAP roadmap

§  Reviewing role of SAP Solution Manager

§  Viewing the SAP procedure model

§  Tracking tasks in the IMG

Implementation Lessons

§  Discover strategic business–oriented lessons learned

§  Discover end-user best practices

§  Learn how technology challenges impact implementations

§  Uncover implementation process lessons learned