For more than a decade, technology has advanced rapidly in digitalization, cloud deployments, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other areas. The distinction is not only limited to how technology has revolutionized but also to customers in terms of cost/performance ratio, product expectations, faster business operations, high demand, and so on.
These rapid changes laid the groundwork for SAP, the ERP behemoth, to devise an approach called Activate that would revolutionize the initial S/4HANA project implementation, ongoing business innovations, and deployments with a simple, flexible, modular, and agile methodology (formerly SAP methodology). The Activate methodology combines Best Practices, guided configuration, and agile methods to simplify SAP project implementation.
What is SAP Activate Methodology?
SAP Activate Methodology is a project-implementation methodology for planning and implementing complex SAP solutions. It is intended to improve the quality and success of any SAP project as part of the SAP Activate framework. Project managers can implement SAP solutions more easily if they follow the methodology’s roadmap. SAP Activate methodology is a component of the SAP Activate framework. This framework comprises three key pillars that will assist project managers in using the SAP solution to achieve business objectives. The three pillars are SAP Activate Methodology, SAP Best Practices, and Guided Configuration.
SAP Best Practices
SAP has developed the knowledge and experience as an enterprise software leader to deliver ready-to-run business processes optimized to run on SAP S/HANA. The SAP Activate framework’s first pillar is this. Consultants and customers can use the SAP Best Practices Explorer to access all of the SAP standard business processes flows, roles, responsibilities, test scripts, and so on that can be integrated alongside the customer’s unique processes.
Guided Configurations
Guided configurations simplify the configuration of SAP systems for consultants and customers. SAP is constantly developing standard configurations that can be used to run business processes to globalize and standardize best practices across industries.
SAP Activate Methodology
Finally, the SAP Activate Methodology is the most recently developed project implementation methodology for delivering SAP updates and solutions. The methodology is then designed to use one of 15 solution-specific roadmaps to continuously enhance the project quality and success of your SAP projects and migrations.
What are the different phases of SAP Activate Methodology?
The following phases comprise the Activate implementation methodology:
Discovery phase
The first phase of the Activate methodology assists you in developing a roadmap and implementation strategies. SAP provides a free trial with preconfigured best practices scenarios for cloud and on-premise deployments. During this phase, business users investigate S/4HANA on-premise (30-day trial) and cloud (14-day trial) options to assess various business processes across enterprise functions. It also allows users to create a business case for S/4 HANA adoption.
Prepare phase
During the Prepare phase, the project team conducts the initial planning and preparation activities to start the project. During this phase, the team establishes project objectives, scope, and a project plan. The project team’s roles and responsibilities are also described. This phase also includes establishing project standards, organization, and governance, customer team assessment, project management, tracking and reporting mechanisms for delivery, team orientation, and system access.
Explore phase
During the Explore phase, the project team ensures that business requirements can be met within the constraints of the solution and project scope. A preconfigured SAP best practice solution with a customer solution scope is used to facilitate this phase, and solution validation workshops are held. The integration with legacy systems begins with activities such as reviewing data requirements, cleansing data, defining configuration values, and identifying the master data and organizational setup requirements.
Realize phase
The project team uses iterations in the Realize phase to create and test the system environment and complete business based on the inputs from your previous steps. The business user conducts extensive end-to-end solution testing and makes a cutover plan. They also walk stakeholders through the solution processes. This phase also includes activities such as solution configuration, change management preparation, and end-user training. During this phase, the project team also completed Data Volume Management (DVM), data migration and verification, security implementation, IT infrastructure setup, sizing, and scalability verification.
Deploy phase
The Deploy phase is critical in the Activate methodology. The project team develops and executes the system for production release during this phase (Go-Live). The group manages the cutover plan, moves business operations to the new system, and transitions from implementation to production support. The team performs the final dress rehearsal and production cutover as planned earlier in the phase to ensure a smooth transition. This phase concludes with hyper-care activity following the system’s release.
Run phase
The Run phase concludes the Activate methodology. During this phase, the project team completes all activities and transfers all details to the support team. The team was also involved in the system’s last-minute bug or error fixes. This phase concludes the integration with the SAP Solution Manager for operations, monitoring, and support. The project team completes and distributes all relevant documents to the business owners.
Features of SAP Activate Methodology
This reference solution provides ready-to-run business processes optimized for SAP S/4HANA.
It includes tools for aided implementation that cover everything from project inception to running in a production environment and beyond.
It expedites SAP S/4HANA implementation and is intended for continuous innovation.
It combines SAP best practices, tools for assisted implementation, and an agile methodology to make SAP S/4HANA adaptation easier.
It enables customers to migrate to S/4HANA at various stages, including new implementation, system conversion, and landscape transformation.
It employs a single methodology for all deployment modes, including cloud, on-premise, and hybrid.
What are SAP Activate Methodology roadmaps?
Project managers must determine which SAP Activate roadmap is required based on the SAP solution before implementing the SAP Activate methodology. The SAP roadmap viewer offers 15 different roadmap options for general and solution-specific implementation. Depending on whether an enterprise uses the Greenfield, Brownfield, or Hybrid implementation conversion approach, the methodologies for migrating to SAP S/4HANA may differ significantly.
General:
SAP Activate Methodology for New Cloud Implementations: This methodology is intended for SAP cloud solutions that lack solution-specific roadmaps. The goal is to walk the implementation team through the process of general cloud implementation.
SAP Activate for Business Suite and On-Premises- Agile and Waterfall: Assists the implementation team with On-Premises implementation using Agile Methodologies.
Solution Specific:
SAP S/4HANA Cloud Activation Methodology: Designed to assist the SAP team in implementing S/4HANA Cloud.
SAP Activate RISE Methodology for SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition: This will guide the implementation team through the implementation of SAP RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud, a private edition.
An extended edition of the SAP Activate Methodology for SAP S/4HANA Cloud: This document will guide the SAP S/4HANA Cloud extended edition implementation team.
SAP SuccessFactors Activate Methodology: This roadmap guides teams through the SAP SuccessFactors implementation process.
SAP Activate Methodology Roadmap for SAP Service Cloud: This implementation roadmap walks teams through the SAP Service Cloud implementation process to connect the customer service operations to the value chain.
SAP Activate for SAP Data Warehouse Cloud: The implementation roadmap for SAP Data Warehouse Cloud for data warehouse-as-a-service solutions.
SAP Activate for Intelligent Spend Management Roadmap: The Intelligent Spend Management implementation roadmap.
SAP Activate for SAP Analytics Cloud: The implementation roadmap for SAP Analytics Cloud.
SAP Activate Methodology for the Intelligent Enterprise: Helps project teams implement business scenarios enabled by two or more SAP products and integrated into an Intelligent Enterprise.
SAP Activate Roadmap for SAP Sales Cloud: Teams are guided through the Sales product portfolio. Cloud for Sales or Agent Performance Management is all possibilities.
SAP Activate Methodology for SAP S/4HANA Transition: Guides the implementation process through the on-premise transition to SAP S/4 HANA.
SAP Activate for Transition to SAP BW/4HANA: The implementation roadmap for the SAP BW/4HANA Transition.
Upgrade and Product Integration Roadmap for SAP S/4HANA: Customers who migrated to S/4 HANA need to use the Upgrade and the Product Integration Roadmap to plan and execute necessary upgrade projects.
S/4HANA Central Finance SAP Activate Methodology: The roadmap provides end-to-end visibility and everything you need to know before starting the S/4 HANA Central Finance Project Implementation.
What is the future of SAP Activate Methodology?
The Activate methodology is an iterative process with frequent and incremental validation. This next-generation agile methodology makes it easier for customers to implement S/4HANA in their organizations. It makes SAP innovations fast, flexible, and simple by leveraging preconfigured business solutions with SAP best practices. Additionally, faster deployments, a lower cost-to-effort ratio, reduced risk through re-use, pre-built, tested solutions, and a choice of deployments encourage organizations to choose to Activate as their S/4HANA implementation approach. Activate is the best implementation method for businesses that want to stay ahead of the technological curve by simplifying their business processes. This methodology will remain in the coming years, thanks to rapid innovation.
Final thoughts
The SAP Activate methodology was created to assist customers in implementing and upgrading critical business software. It has evolved into a significant methodology for SAP S/4HANA implementation and other conversion projects. Do you wish to learn more about SAP’s new implementation method? The SAP Activate Methodology Course at Tekskilled is the best place to begin your Activate journey.
