on 08-21-2014 2:44 PM
Hi Experts, Could you please give some inputs on how to implement SAP SD for a Publishing Company who publishes Magazines and books? What standard SD business processes can be configured? Awaiting your response...
In continuation to the suggestion already given, if your client are going to implement IS-Media in full swing, better check with SAP whether to go with that functionality. SAP will validate the Business Process and accordingly recommend whether to go with IS-Media or not. There are similar firms who are into media industry but only partially implemented.
G. Lakshmipathi
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Thank you Mr Lakshmipathi and Mr Sandip for your valuable inputs.
My query is if client does not want to go with industry specific solution and expects standard SAP ECC to be implemented, can we fulfill the whole requirement and configure their business in SAP ECC (i.e. through non IS solution)? If yes kindly provide some inputs on how to implement in SAP ECC...
Thanks for your time...
Atleast for Master Data, you need to implement IS Media as transaction codes are different for Media Product, Media Product Family and Media Product Issue which is not possible in normal SD process. Also there would be Shipping Planning process which is also little bit different from the normal SD process.
G. Lakshmipathi
Dear sir,
Thanks for your reply.. Actually this is my only 2nd e2e implementation project and i would be responsible solely for SD module. If you don't mind could you please elaborate this topic in details? I don't wanna lose this opportunity to successfully implement for this client. I need more explanation regarding for which topics i will need IS solution and which topics i can implement through standard SAP ECC, why i need IS package for Master Data etc?
Your inputs and advice are very much appreciated.
Hi Sudhir
let me explain you how material master data is maintained and used in the Media / Publishing company.
As mentioned in previous post by Laxmi material master data is maintained in following 3 level.
1. Media Product Family (JP21, JP22 and JP23) : This is the first hierarchy of material master data, which stores information i.e. Brand, Brand Manager, Marketing Manager etc. Lets take an example of ' Magazine' which is a Media Productly Family.
2. Media Product (JP24, JP25, JP26) : This is the second hierarchy in the material master data, which contains information i.e. Media Product Family (i.e. Magazine), Content Category (i.e. Sport magazine or Automobile Magazine), Publication Frequency (i.e. Weekly or Monthly), Media Type (i.e. Online Publication, or Printed etc). The most important things is each media product has a unique relation to its media product family. So most of the data is copied directly from Media product Family.
3. Media Issue (JP27, JP28, JP29): This is the third hierarchy in the material master data, which contains information most similar information as of normal SAP material. Media issues are only relevant for delivery. Example can be lets take a Media Product as Sport Magazine which is published every calender month so the Jan Issue or Feb issue are nothing but the media issue.
See below diagram to understand the relation between three of them
Just from outside, I cannot guide you whether to go with IS-Media fully or not. Because, one can decise purely based on business process. Perhaps, what you can do is go to IMG screen where at the bottom, you can see this menu "SAP Media". Just explore there so that you will have some idea. Whatever I suggested are all only based on certain assumptions.
G. Lakshmipathi
Dear Mr Sandip,
Thank you so much for your inputs. Now i am getting much clear idea about master data in media sector. I will explore the forum and will try to get more info on IS media sector.
In case i need more clarification i will get back to you.. Hope you wont mind addressing my queries.
Thank you so much for your efforts and guidance.
Dear Mr Sandip,
This is what i wanted to know. Unfortunately there is no IS media in our system. So i cant see it now.
I am getting much clear idea about this IS solution. Lastly i need answers to below mentioned 3 questions:
1. Does it mean i can implement WHOLE SAP SD module with IS package ONLY and NOT with standard SAP ECC?
2. Do we need to advice client to go for IS media package?
3. Please guide me for which topics in SD (like master data) i need IS package and which topics can be configured with standard SAP ECC?
Please advice me on above 3 questions.
Thank you so much for your efforts and time.
Hi Sudhir
Here what can I suggest to you.
1. You can still work with standard SAP SD but you might need to have a Z development specially for Master data in abscence of IS Media. I can not judge how much Z development you need, thats basically depends on the business nature, business transaction and most importantly how complex is the business. As per my understanding the most important aspect for any media company is to have a such a IT landscape which supports their sales and marketing team to reach out to the customer in more efficient.
2. I think better is to have an overview of SAP IS Media from an expert along with your business persons and then think about going ahead with SAP IS media
3. As I said most of the SAP SD configurations remains same for Media company. There are only few additional settings which you need to make in IS Media to fine tune it. i.e. for example when a customer opt for a subscription we create a contract for that subscribed item. To create a contract from a sales order we need to define which contract type you are going to use this is done under IS media but the copy controll from sales order to contract or vice versa is same as standard SAP SD copy control etc.
There are many such small configurations are needed to suport the business process of media company.
For all your queries, as I suggested in my initial post, you can very well check with SAP who will guide whether to go fully with IS Media or not based on the business process your client would share to them. This is the best approach I would say if your Project Manager is not confident in this. Why I am specifically telling is that the business process would warrant certain controls from Media perspective and your client would expect SAP to function in that manner. So unless you explore the configuration part in IS Media, it will be very difficult to decide.
G. Lakshmipathi
First try in your existing system couple of transaction codes for material master already mentioned above. I don't think, system will process successfuly these tcodes without activating IS-Media. Atleast for master data maintenance and shipping planning via JKSE01, you need to have IS-Media. Once this is done, you can carry out the sales activities as like normal sales. Only thing here is, you need to go for Periodic Billing Plan with Monthly, Quarterly, Half-yearly and Yearly Billing Plans depending upon the business requirement.
G. Lakshmipathi
Hi Sudhir,
In addition to all already said, you need to see what IS-Media can give and what you can get on ECC. As you mention, the company has decided to bring everything to ECC, it is ok but it can involve a lot of development and maybe at the end it could be more expensive (in cost and time) because you are doing all from scratch.
The advantage of IS-Media is that it is supported and tested by SAP and some processes are already developed.
In our case, the decision to use IS-Media was not so much by processes covered, but it was by the customer/material masters records, the integration and reporting data and brings the solution, for example the use of ISBN (check the new fields on master data: Media Product - Media Product Master - SAP Library). Also this is necessary to consider that some IS-Media processes require CRM system, for example, the intellectual property and royalties (check this link: Integration of SD Product Sales With IPM - Intellectual Property Management (IPM) Integration - SAP ...)
As well Sandip says, would be ideal to have an overview of IS-Media, I would recommend talking to SAP, in our case they were interested in selling this solution and helped us show IS-Media demos to the customer.
Hope this helps!
Regards.
Hello Sudhir,
As ours colleagues say IS-Media not necessary cover all the business process.
I worked on media distribution company, we activated IS-Media but, for example, all the return process aren't covered by this industry solution. And there were other process not covered.
You need to check all the requirements before and evaluate pro/cons of using IS-Media.
Hope this helps!
Regards.
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Hi Sudhir
Following important things comes to my mind when I think about a Media / Publishing company.
1. The most important business process for any media/publishing company is the `Subscription Business`
i.e. Customer buys a weekly magazine/news paper and opt for a 1 year of subscription.
2. Second most important business process is subcontracting, as most of the Publishing companies don't produce or print the goods.
3. Apart from standard SD you should have a SAP IS media. As the material master data for such companies manitained at 3 diff. levels.
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