Global SAP S/4HANA Project Update
Explore
As part of the first phase of work, the SAP team has been focused on designing the global framework and learning about local requirements. The team has completed localization sessions for North America, Latin America, and Europe and will be conducting the final localization session in APAC through November 8. As we complete the Explore Phase, we will move on to the Realize Phase of the project.
Realize
The Realize phase is the longest phase of the project, stretching until the end of 2020. It includes two significant SAP project objectives: Build and Test. Over the next year, the team will configure the new system according to the design decisions and then execute several levels of testing (e.g. Model Office, SIT, and UAT) to ensure it works as designed. A big part of the process is data migration. SAP S/4HANA projects require data migration from the legacy system to the new system so that business processes run smoothly with high-quality, consistent, non-redundant data.
Agile Development
In preparation for the Realize Phase of the project, the project team underwent Agile training to learn about practices such as stand up meetings, sprint planning, backlogs, and retrospectives. Sprint planning is when we determine the complexity of each PDD (process design document) and when it should be completed. The team will build the new SAP system in focused three-to four-week sprint cycles and demonstrate capabilities at the end of each sprint.
Change Management
At the beginning of October, we hosted the Change Leader Network kickoff with Regional Transition Leads from Finance and Site Implementation Leads from MQ&S. Change Leaders are the main source of SAP project information, provide feedback to the project team, and serve as the first line of contact for employees. These leaders will become advocates for the SAP project and be able to answer questions like, “How does it impact me?”.
**Change Leaders have one goal: getting end users ready for go live**
As the project team wraps up the Explore phase, they will complete the change impacts that accompany the PDDs. In November, we will collect, validate and finalize the change impacts that will help us prepare the network of change leaders and develop communications and training materials to prepare end users for the upcoming changes.
New Project Team Location
In November, the entire SAP project team will move to a new office location two miles down State Road 9 on Muskegon Drive. The move will allow the team to work more collaboratively and effectively as well as free up space at headquarters. It’s about a 7-minute drive between offices, there is ample parking, badge access will be required and there will be lots of open work space.