Abstract: This blog post provides guidance on how to map S/4HANA best practice processes to the Business Process Master List (BPML) to achieve effective business process documentation in SAP projects.
As already mentioned in the previous introductory article, we have mapped in our BPML which processes, process groups and process steps we support today in our SAP R/3 ERP system or subsystems to be replaced and which of these steps we also want to map in the new S/4HANA system. In this article I explain how BPML should be structured and perhaps the easiest way to get to the content.
To the basic structure of the BPML
In the lines of the lower area we find the processes that are supported in today’s systems and are to be mapped in S/4HANA – grouped by end-to-end test areas (end-to-end test areas, e.g. Procure-To-Pay, are defined in such a way that the individual processes can also be tested later in different variations stand-alone, since there is a clearly defined initial event and final result (You can purchase and download the Excel version of the BPML via this link in Digistore24). Tip: these processes are often documented by a last integration or regression test, e.g. as part of the last R/3 release upgrade, and can be easily transferred from there to the BPML.
In the third column, the S/4HANA Best Practice Process is assigned, with which the current process is to be mapped in the future. (In our BPML example, the S/4HANA 1909 Best-Practice processes are stored for validation.)
In the columns in the second line from above, the end-to-end processes that are to be mapped in the S/4HANA – always starting from the customer action – are mapped.
In the first line, for each of the end-to-end processes, a typical representative data example from today is given – preferably directly with the customer number and (sales) material number in today’s system. All other data necessary for a continuous test of the end-to-end process can then be derived in today’s system in order to work with a real data example. In the data area of the BPML the respective processes are marked, which are gone through in the e2e process.
See also our explainer videos “BPML SAP Best Practice Mapping Explanation” and “Testscript Creation facilitating the S/4HANA Best Practice Process Steps Explanation” on YouTube.
Test scripts and evolutionary prototyping of the new processes
If the mapping S/4HANA best practice processes for all processes for which it is possible has been completed, the BPML thus documents a situation in which it is shown with which data per e2e process (from the first line) the future processes (derived from the S/4HANA best practice processes) in the new S/4HANA system can be directly integratively end-to-end processed and validated in the new S/4HANA system. Since the S/4HANA best practice processes that must be run through one after the other for each end-to-end process are now identified, the individual steps for each mapped process can be transferred from BP_OP_ENTPR_S4HANA2020_07_Process-Steps_EN_DE.xls to the test scripts to be created initially for each end-to-end process (see also overview in BLOG article 10). These are thus an ideal starting point for an evolutionary prototyping of the new processes based on real data examples from today’s system – and are also an ideal starting point for key users to identify themselves with the processes in the new system in the best possible way right from the start and to validate them accordingly. (You can purchase and download the comprehensive Excel list of SAP Business Process Steps via this link in Digistore24.)
For more in-depth reading and guidance on creating the BPML, I would also like to refer you to the book “Modelling Business Processes in a Practical Way, Manual for Reducing Complexity” by my esteemed consulting colleague Dr. Lothar Schwarz, which can be ordered at the following link: http://www.springer.com/de/book/9783662542118.
The next article deals with the setup of the project organization.
Here you will find an overview of our tools, which you can purchase and download at Digistore24 and use for your project.