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SAP Solution Manager 4.0 Project Management - Business Blueprint Phase (Part III)

Former Member
‎06-28-2007 2:58 AM
The part I of the SAP Solution Manager 4.0 series of weblogs targets on the functionality of SAP Solution Manager - Roadmaps Introduction (Part I). The Part II of the weblog series targets on Project Administration. In Part III, the Business Blueprint Phase is explained in detail. In subsequent parts, other features of Solution Manager will be explained.
What is SAP Solution Manager:
SAP Solution Manager is a tool, which assists in application management as per ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) environment. The tool supports the entire lifecycle of solutions mainly having six phases – Requirements, Design, Build, Deploy, Operate & Optimize as per ITIL standard.
It runs in a separate central system to which all the other SAP systems are connected. These other systems are called as Satellite Systems.
Latest Version:
SAP Solution Manager 4.0.
Features of SAP Solution Manager:
  • Solution Manager helps in all types of project management like Implementation, Upgrade, Maintenance, Rollout etc. by providing the project specific template.
  • It is in line with SAP’s AcceleratedSAP. And provide Roadmaps for the different types of projects.
  • It has Business Process Repository, which talks about SAP’s best practice of running the business.
  • It has eLearning feature, which offers the training along with feedback over web.
  • It has test management feature, which offers the central storage repository for storing the automated eCATT scripts along with manual scripts. The results of testing are centrally stored and always available.
  • It has its own standard Helpdesk feature, which is both SAPGUI based and web based.
  • The Helpdesk feature is totally linked with Change Request Management, which helps in transport for changes required in production issues.
  • It has Solution Monitoring as well as Diagnostic feature, which helps in Operation Phase of project.
  • Solution Manager has lots of inbuilt reports, which server the different areas of it.
  • It is linked with SAP Service Market Place.
  • It can generate Installation/Upgrade key.
  • It has its own Knowledge Warehouse for central documentation storage.
  • It can integrate with ARIS, a detailed graphical business process modeling tool
  • It can also integrate with Mercury tools like QTP for testing in web based environment.
Phases of Project Management As per AcceleratedSAP (ASAP) Model:
  • Project Preparation Phase
  • Business Blueprint Phase
  • Realization Phase
  • Testing Phase
  • Final Preparation for Cutover Phase
  • Production Go Live Phase
  • Support Phase
What is Business Blueprint Phase:
In any SAP Project, first the project is planned out in terms of scope, roles, resources, landscape, time line, documentation templates, quality processes to be followed etc. Once the initial administration happens, the details of the business is planned and worked out in the Business Blueprint phase. All the business scenarios related documentation also happens in this phase following quality standards and templates. The complete documentation is placed on central file server for further reference. Once the scope is designed and frizzed, Business Blueprint document is prepared finally and signed off from the client. The Microsoft Project will be then designed depending on the outcome of this phase, which will be used in the further phases. Business Blueprint acts as a prerequisite for Realization & Testing Phase. This is classical way of doing Business Blueprint if no Solution Manager is in picture.
Above activates are now available in Solution Manager with all the required features of Business Blueprinting in advanced way along with lots of other key utilities.
Transaction for Business Blueprint Phase:
SOLAR01
Menu Path for Business Blueprint Phase:
SAP Menu -> Tools -> SAP Solution Manager -> SOLAR01 – Business Blueprint
Prerequisite of using Business Blueprint in Solution Manager:
Project created in Solution Manager using SOLAR_PROJECT_ADMIN transaction in the Project Administration phase.
Key Features of Business Blueprint Phase in Solution Manager:
  • In Business Blueprint phase of Solman, following items can be organized in hierarchical structure –
    • Organization Units
    • Master Data
    • Business Scenarios
    • Business Processes
    • Process Steps
  • In the Business Blueprint, the Business Scenarios/Processes structure can be planned out referring the standard SAP’s Business Process Repository (BPR).
  • Business Process Repository (BPR): Standard SAP’s Business Process Repository is a repository of reusable predefined business scenarios/processes. The contents are Industry specific Best Practices for the given landscape. Landscape is available from Project Preparation Phase. BPR also includes Scenario Documentation, Transaction assignments, IMG Assignments, Configuration Guides, and Preconfigured Process delivered through BC Sets, Predefined Test Cases. Latest content of BPR can be downloaded from SAP’s Service Market Place from www.service.sap.com/solutionmanager
  • The business scenarios can also be taken from other existing solution manager project and/or from existing Solution Directory.
  • Also, the Business Scenarios/Processes will be automatically available if any template (custom or standard) is selected during Project Administration phase.
  • In this phase, the integration of ARIS can be done with Solution Manager for getting the detailed business process modeling done out of ARIS. And further the Solman Business Blueprint features can be used.
  • Custom Business Scenarios/Processes can be added & positioned as per requirement.
  • Graphically the business scenarios are available.
  • Maximum of three level hierarchies of the business scenarios/processes can be inserted into Solman.
  • Project specific documents can be created here specific to business scenarios/processes.
  • The documentation is stored in the central Knowledge Warehouse of Solman.
  • Support Desk messages can be created.
  • Transaction specific to the given scenario/process can be launched in the satellite system via Business Blueprint.
  • Automatic generation of Business Blueprint Document is featured.
  • Automatic generation of MS Project is also featured.
  • User specific settings can be done in terms of visibility of tabs, sequencing of tabs etc.
  • Translation of project specific documents, URLs, knowledge warehouse documents, project structure can be done depending on the target language. If the standard documents are not available in the target language than they are displayed in the original language.
  • Document Management, which is one of the key features of Solution Manager, can be implemented here in Business Blueprint Phase.
  • Lots of standard reports are available for Business Blueprint Phase.
Business Blueprint in Detail:
  • Log in to Solution Manager with a user ID having authorization of SOLAR01 transaction.
  • Goto transaction SOLAR01.
  • The Business Blueprint transaction will open with the last worked project in change mode.
  • Click on Other Project ..(Shift+F5) button from the application toolbar.
  • From the list of projects displayed, select the required project. And click on Select Project (Enter) button at the bottom.
  • The selected project will open in change mode. There are different tabs in the Business Blueprint like Structure, Gen. Documentation, Proj. Documentation, Transactions, Messages, Graphics & End User Roles on right side. On the left side, the hierarchy of Organization Units, Master Data & Business Scenarios appear. The Business Scenarios will further drill to Business Process & actual steps (i.e. transaction in SAP).
  • Structure Tab:
    • In the Organization Units, Structure tab helps to add Organization Area/Unit from the BPR below a business scenario. In case of Master Data, Structure tab helps to add Master Data Records from BPR below a business scenario. The Organization Units/Master Data Records are only used if they are exclusively relevant to the Business Scenarios/Processes.
    • Select the Business Scenarios option from the left side, click on Structure tab on the right side.
    • From the Source dropdown, select Business Process Repository.
    • Now, click on the Search Help (F4 Help) of Scenario Name.
    • The search helps shows, industry specific details mapping to the logical component of the current project. Select SAP for Retail -> Instore Customer Relationship Management & click on Continue (Enter).
    • This will add the selected Business Scenario along with all the underlying processes into it in the Structure tab.
    • Click on Save button from the standard SAP toolbar to save the project.
    • Now drill down the Business Scenario node on the left side, it will show the underlying Business Processes.
    • The level of hierarchy of Business Scenarios/Processes is restricted to level 3 on left side. After third level, system doesn’t allow to add any more structure elements. And system shows a message in the Structure tab as you cannot maintain any more structure node below this hierarchy level.
    • The execution icon before the business process on the left side indicates that there is a standard SAP transaction in the Transactions tab to carry out that step.
    • One can add custom business scenarios in the Structure tab. Also the standard SAP Scenarios can be deleted. The sequence of business scenarios/processes can be planned as per requirement of project.
    • Select the Business Scenarios at the top level on the left side. On the right side in the Structure tab, add custom business scenario as per requirement.
    • After adding the custom scenarios, click on Save button from the standard SAP toolbar.
    • The Business Scenarios can be moved up/down depending on the required sequence of scenarios in Structure tab. Select the Custom Scenario 2 in the Structure tab and click on Move Up button.
    • The scenario will be moved one position up in the tab. Click on Save button from the standard SAP toolbar.
    • The History of the Structure tab is also available here.
    • At the Business Processes level, the name of the standard process can be changed and if needed adjusted back to original.
  • Gen. Documentation Tab:
    • General Documentation tab contains the standard SAP delivered documents if the business scenario is selected from BPR.
    • It also contains the documents from the template project.
    • For the business scenarios, which are not taken from standard SAP BPR, won’t have any documentation in this tab. Their documentation need to be created in Proj. Documentation tab.
    • No document can be added or deleted in this tab. Also the feature of Changing the document, Check In/Check Out etc. are not available in this tab. Only documents can be opened in display mode in this tab.
    • Features of Where Used List, Export, Attributes etc are available.
    • There is feature of copying document to Proj. Documentation tab. This is useful in case if the document needs any changes. For this, first change the project in Display mode. Now, select the document & click on Copy Link-> Copy to Proj. Documentation Tab button.
    • A popup appears for Documentation Type to be used for the new copied document in the Proj. Documentation tab. Select the appropriate type from the search help & click on Copy button at the bottom.
    • The document gets copied into the Proj. Documentation tab.
    • Also, user specific settings are available here to open document in the Gen. Documentation tab or in separate window. Refer the Menu Settings -> User Specific -> General Settings.
    • The Gen. Documentation tab documentation is stored in the Solution Manager Knowledge Warehouse.
  • Proj. Documentation Tab:
    • Proj. Documentation tab is used to store the documentation for the current project specific to business scenario/process on the left side.
    • The documentation is stored in the Context of Knowledge Warehouse, which is specified in the Project Administration phase.
    • In case of Template project, the documentation specified in the Proj. Documentation tab doesn’t appear in the rolled out implementation project.
    • The document can be created using the template following all the required quality standards. These are the different templates like functional specification template, technical specification template etc. It also has lots of standard SAP delivered templates.
    • The document can be either created or copied to existing Solman document or linked to existing Solman document or uploaded from desk or linked to web link.
    • The documents added here can be made Business Blueprint Relevant. This means that the contents of the documents will be taken while generating the Business Blueprint Document in the sequence in which they are added.
    • To add a document, select the business scenario/process on the left side & click on Insert Document button on the right side in Proj. Documentation tab.
    • In the Add Document popup, give the Title for the document; select the Documentation Type as Customer Input Template (standard SAP template) from the dropdown. This dropdown will contain the custom documentation templates added during Project Administration phase. Click on Enter to continue.
    • The document will open using the template of the specified document type in the tab itself. Edit the document as per requirement and click on Close.
    • Click on Yes to save the changes in the document.
    • The document will be saved in the Proj. Documentation tab.
    • The document can also be created by uploading it from desk. For this, select the business scenario/process on left side & click on Insert Document button in the Proj. Documentation tab on right side.
    • In the Add Document popup, give Title as Demo for Documentation – Upload File, select the Upload File radio button and click on Ok (Enter) to continue.
    • Select the Document from the Desktop & click on Open button to upload it in Solman.
    • The document gets stored in the Solution Manager under Proj. Documentation tab. Further the document can be viewed/changed as per the requirement.
    • The document can also be linked to any existing Solman document. For this, select the business scenario/process on the left side & click on Insert Document button.
    • In the Add Document popup, select the radio button for Link to a Solution Manager Document. And click on Ok (Enter) button.
    • Give the project name whose the document needs to be linked & click on Execute button.
    • From the displayed documents, select the required document for linking and click on Ok (Enter).
    • The document gets linked to the business scenario/process in Proj. Documentation tab.
    • During the documentation, lots of changes happen to the document and different versions are maintained normally. These different versions are placed on the centralized file server. During these modifications by multiple people, multiple copies are made. This results in duplication of documents for the same scenario. Also the integrity of the document is also lost. To overcome such classical situation, there is feature given in Solution Manager for Document Check In/Out. If any document is checked out for modification then for other users that document is available only for display. The document needs to be checked in again so that it can be made available to other for editing.
    • For Checking out a document for modification, select the document from the Proj. Documentation tab, click on button Check Document Out/In & select the option Check Document Out from the dropdown.
    • Give the path on local desk to save the file. Click on Save button.
    • Message is displayed at the bottom in the project as File Demo for Documentation – Upload File.txt has been checked out.
    • Now, try to modify the same document in Solman, which was just checked out. Select the document and click on Change button.
    • System prompts a message saying The document is locked by user SAPNA. The document is opened in display mode. This means the document is not available for editing if it is checkedout by somebody. Click on Cancel.
    • Do the necessary modification in the document on desk and then check it again in the Solman. For this, select the document in Solman first & then click on button Check Document Out/In & select the option Check Document In from the dropdown.
    • Give the path & click on Open button to get the document back into Solman.
    • The document gets checked in the system and message is displayed at the bottom in the Solman project as File Demo for Documentation – Upload File.txt has been checked in.
    • Now, the document is available for others to edit. To do so, select the same document & click on Change button.
    • The document will be opened in change mode. Do the necessary modification & click on Close. The document status is shown as Copy Editing here. This status is part of document attribute.
    • Click on Yes to save the changes to document.
    • There are attributes associated with each document. A document status schema can be configured for the planned life cycle of document.
      E.g. this means first the document may have some default status linked say Copy Editing. A Solman consultant responsible say Mr. A can be given for this status. The Solman consultant Mr. A can draw a report for getting the work to be done by him. He will then edit the document as per requirement. Now the next document status will be available like In Process, Review. He will set the document to In Process and will put another person say Mr. B responsible for this status. Mr. B will do the further changes in the document and will set the status next available. This way the document will flow and complete its life cycle till it reaches to a status where the document is locked for editing.
      This status flow can be configured in document status schema.
    • To view the attribute of document, select any document & click on Attribute button.
    • The Maintain Attribute window has four tabs – General, Comments, Link & History. Comments can be maintained in the Comments tab. The History tab shows the history of changes on the document.
      In the General tab, select the Document Status as In Process from dropdown. Click on Check & then Save button at the bottom.

      Here Priority, Person Responsible, Business Blueprint Relevant checkbox, Keywords etc can also be maintained. Here a URL link can also be generated by Generate button at the bottom and this when executed in browser opens the document on web.
    • The status is reflected back in the Proj. Documentation tab.
  • Transaction Tab:
    • Transaction tab is used to assign transaction or programs or URL etc to the business scenario/process. These programs, transactions can be executed in the satellite system from Solman directly provided System Landscape with logical components is defined in Project Administration phase.
    • When executed, the transaction or program or URL will result into the desired functionality of that process step.
    • If the business scenarios/processes are taken from BPR then Transaction tab may contain the relevant transaction or program etc to carry out that process step.
    • Each individual transaction will be taken as unit test case, when test plan will be generated from this project.
    • Select any of the business process taken from BPR on left side having execution icon along with it & click on Transactions tab on the right side.
    • Here the Transactions tab contains the standard SAP transactions to carry out the selected business process on left side i.e. Billing in ERP. The Logical Component is automatically selected when the process is inserted from BPR. To execute the transaction in the satellite system, select the transaction & click on Start Transaction execute button.
    • The system will prompt for the user Id & password of satellite system. Give the necessary details.
    • Now, the transaction VF01, which was selected in the Solman Transactions tab, is opened in the Satellite System having Logical Component Z_FOX in Solman. Work with the transaction as per requirement & click on Back till Solman is reached.
    • If nothing is specified in the Transactions tab for scenarios/processes which are either from BPR or custom, one can manually add the required transaction or program etc. For this, select any process on left side not having execution icon along with it & click on Transactions tab on the right side.
    • Select Transactions from the Type dropdown, ZFOX from Logical Component dropdown, select the checkbox of In Scope for making the transaction in the current project scope; select the radio button of Standard option. And now click on search help icon of Object to select a transaction.
    • Select VA01 transaction from the search help. And click on Save button from application toolbar for saving the project. Now an execution icon will come beside the business Scenario Custom Scenario 2.
    • In the above case, even if the transaction or program etc. won’t exist in the satellite system, system will just prompt that information and will allow for adding it in Solman.
    • The radio button for Standard option in the Transactions tab is used for identifying the transaction, which will first execute among all the transactions for that scenario/process. This will happen when the execution icon present beside the scenario/process is clicked.
  • Messages Tab:
    • In the Messages tab, helpdesk message can be created in case of any issue occurred during Business Blueprint phase. These messages can be monitored and addressed by helpdesk team. Effective reports are preset for messages monitoring.
    • To create a message, select the business scenario/process on left side against whom the issue will be logged & click on Create button.
    • Give the necessary details like System/Base number, Component, Short Text, Long Text, Attachment if any in the popup Create Support Message and click on Save button at the bottom.
    • A unique message number will be generated and the message will be stored in Solman.
  • Graphic Tab:
    • The Graphic tab displays the hierarchy of business scenarios/processes, logical component, transaction assignment, documentation etc. graphically. It makes simple to understand the complete business scope graphically. Smooth navigation is possible between the process steps, processes & scenarios.
    • The prerequisite of using Graphic tab is availability of Internet Explorer 5.5 or more, active activex controls in the browser, settings from the Menu Settings-> User Specific for viewing the transaction, documentation etc. in the graphics. Also, changes to graphic is only possible in Business Blueprint phase & is available in display mode in Realization phase as we can not change the business scope in Realization phase.
    • To view graphic, select any business scenario/process on the left side and click on Graphic tab on right side.
    • Click on any of the displayed graphics, it will drill down to the lower level steps.
    • Different features are available like exporting graphic to MS Word or MS PowerPoint, font change for look & feel, zoom up/out, print etc.
  • End User Roles Tab:
    The End User Roles tab has significance for assigning the roles to end users, which will be used in filtering the training material in eLearning phase of project. This will be covered in Realization phase of project management.
Generating Business Blueprint Document:
  • Business Blueprint document can be generated in this phase after completing all the activities.
  • This can be done from the Menu Business Blueprint -> Generate Blueprint Document
  • Select the checkboxes for Graphics & click on Execute icon at the bottom.
  • The system will show the message for downloading the file at the path specified. Click on Continue to download the file.
  • Then system will show that the download is complete and execute a Macro SAP_BUSINESS_BLUEPRINT in the downloaded MS Word file. Click on Ok to continue.
  • Execute the Macro in the MS Word file from the menu Tools -> Macro -> Macros -> SAP_BUSINESS_BLUERPINT. It will automatically generate the blueprint document.
Generating Microsoft Project:
  • Similar to Blueprint document, Microsoft Project can be generated from the menu Business Blueprint -> MS Project Download..
  • Select the appropriate path on desk to store the MS Projct. Click on Save button.
  • System shows the Path at which the file is downloaded. Click on Continue to open the MS Project.
  • The MS Project opens with all the details about Project Administration in terms of date etc along with the business scenarios/processes details.
  • Now this can be used ahead for the entire project related activates.
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