Introduction:
The idea for this blog, comes from what I preach to young ERP professionals in my organization. I am a functional person and my module is Plant Maintenance. We have been there since procurement of SAP software to Go-live and then issue resolutions all these several years. Most of the issues are related to non availability of required reports in standard. Many times they are Enhancements related.
All these are technical requirements and hence solutions were depending on Technical resource (an ABAPer). Based on the degree of integration levels, often my module could not attract priority to get an ABAPer timely.
The Experience:
And, whenever we got a technical person to work on specific report needs, a big communication gap in Functional Specifications used to occur. The situation was just like communication between two persons, each of whom does not know the other’s language. Though the jobs could complete, the amount of time consumed was enormous.
Because of these multiple difficulties amid pressing needs, we have started entering into table knowledge, and started developing reports with Quick-viewer. Months passed on. Very useful reports started coming out from our team through Infoset Queries.
Then the limitations of report developing through these tools started surfacing. This forced us to enter into ABAP field for report development. There were several failed attempts. But one fine day the first report based on ABAP code has seen light. After sometime Smartforms and then Enhancements etc. Now there are 100+ reports to the credit of our functional team made by themselves.
Now we are self-sufficient for all development needs and definitely different from other modules.
During complex needs, we are able to very easily communicate about the requirements, to the expert ABAPers or to SCN discussions.
One thing we wouldn’t miss to mention that the teacher who stood by us 24X7X365, has been the SCN.
Now we feel like complete SAP professionals. And often recall the state when we used to be only Functional people.
This reminds us a saying often heard in the name of a Great Scientist:
'I am thankful to all those who said no. It's because of them, I did it myself ’
Also we strongly believe that:
Functional + Technical = Complete SAPien
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