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SAP Business Process Management (Blueprinting)

Business Process Management (Overview):

The efficiency of business processes is crucial for the long-term success of a company. In a fast-moving and changing business environment, the adaptability of business processes is a key factor for corporate success.

Business Process Management with SAP NetWeaver and ARIS for SAP NetWeaver provides procedure models, methods, technologies and reference content for modeling, configuring, executing and monitoring these business processes.

Process Modeling

A process model is an abstraction of a process and describes all the aspects of the process:

●      Activities: steps that are executed within the process

●      Roles: users or systems that execute the activities

●      Artifacts: objects, such as business documents, for example, that are processed by the process

Processes within a company can be modeled on multiple abstraction levels and from numerous different viewpoints. To implement and utilize innovative processes and strategies successfully, you must convert business process views into technical views and relate both views. Typically, different individuals or departments within a company are responsible for modeling processes from the business and technical perspectives. A deciding factor for the success of business process modeling is, therefore, that all those involved have a common understanding of the business processes and “speak the same language”.

Process Configuration

It is vital that processes can be adapted to current situations and requirements in a quick and efficient manner. In doing so, it is important that changes or adjustments can be both documented and traced. This will enable those involved in later project phases or different projects to access and reuse process knowledge. Changes and adjustments must not lead to a discrepancy between the business view and the actual technical implementation.

Process Execution

Often, a variety of applications and systems need to be integrated within a company. Inflexible integration of individual systems generally leads to a large number of individual processes, each of which demands both time-consuming and costly maintenance and further development.

Monitoring

In today’s competitive business environment, business processes are often complex and extensive. Control and management of these business processes must incorporate both business and technical aspects. 

Business Process Management in SAP NetWeaver

SAP NetWeaver offers users numerous advantages for all aspects of Business Process Management, and supports the entire life cycle of business processes – from planning, implementation, and monitoring, right up to optimization.

Common Methodology

Business Process Management in SAP NetWeaver provides a common methodology for all levels of process modeling. This common methodology forms a common reference framework for all project participants and links models for multiple abstraction levels:

●      Business process models describe the process map and process architecture of a company – from value chain diagrams and event-driven process chains, right up to end-to-end processes.

●      Process configuration models support the process-driven configuration and implementation of processes.

●      Process execution models support service-based process execution.

Synchronization

By synchronizing business models, configuration models and technical process models, you can relate business engineering, software implementation and process execution with one another, and navigate between process model and process configuration.

Reference Models

You can use reference models for all levels of modeling. Reference models provide predefined, adaptable content that you can tailor according to the requirements of your company. This enables you to access and reuse existing process knowledge, and to realize projects faster.

Process Documentation

Using a common reference framework to model and configure processes enables you to document implementation projects using a process-oriented approach. You can document all adjustments and configuration steps in a transparent and traceable manner.

Integration

Business Process Management in SAP NetWeaver supports the integration of application-embedded processes and unbounded processes. You can relate both application-specific settings, such as SAP implementation guide settings, and central integration settings, such as interface mappings, to the model information. Predefined integration scenarios and process patterns enable you to develop and adapt your integration processes quickly and safely.

Monitoring

Monitoring enables you to monitor the business objects of your applications and also to technically monitor message processing.

Detailed Business BluePrint:-

 Business Blueprint finalization:

Business Blueprint Key Deliverables:

 

 Business Blueprint Approach:-

SAP’s Blueprint Approach is based on the following proven methodologies

• Value Realization, which creates the framework for scope and delivery of expected benefits.
• Quality Review by: Value maps, drivers and enablers, Value based scope management, Industry Benchmarks, Value Audits .
• Business Process Management Methodology (BPMM), which provides the framework for
  process decomposition.
• Quality Review by: BPMM, SOA, Field Service, Modeling Handbook.
• Agile Acceleration Techniques at SAP, that support the speed to market; they incorporate
  visualizations, iterative feedback loops and frequent control points.
• Quality Review by: Solution Demo & Visualization, Best Practices and Preconfigured Solutions, Build Cycles, Value Prototyping.

Business Process Modeling (Blueprinting):-

 Blueprint Approach with Key Deliverables:-

ASAP Methodology Roadmaps and Phases

( SAP Community: http://scn.sap.com/community/asap-methodology)

ASAP Methodology Framework

SAP leverages a core set of methodologies and tools designed to deliver rapid, reliable results, and to help customers get the most from their solutions. These include the ASAP Methodology framework (content the project team follows to implement SAP software efficiently), and the SAP Solution Manager application management suite.

ASAP methodology framework v8 delivers structured methodology content — processes, procedures, accelerators, checklists, links to standard SAP documentation, etc. necessary for the implementation of SAP solutions. It delivers revised content in all the traditional areas needed for efficient project teams — project management, solution management, organizational change management, training, blueprinting, configuration, testing, cutover planning and execution, and others.

ASAP methodology framework v8 adds prescriptive guidance to the methodology through detailed description of tasks including accountability for their completion. This harmonized structure enables both project leaders and project teams to focus on information that is highly relevant for their role. ASAP methodology framework v8 contains comprehensive description of deliverables and associated tasks, thus connecting the project management view with subject matter expert needs.

The ASAP methodology provides users with structured, repeatable and prescriptive way to implement SAP solutions. The methodology is structured around key project phases each containing list of deliverables and supporting tasks for implementation. Along the hierarchy users can find accelerators, templates and samples to support their implementation project 

ASAP 8 is offered in two versions for design-based projects - the Agile ASAP 8 for project teams using SCRUM based, time-boxed, iterative delivery approach and Standard ASAP 8 for projects following traditional SAP deployment approach.  

Activities:-

Summary of all of the activities that form the SAP implementation process.

(A) Project Preparation:-

Sub Activities:-

1. Craft solution vision: Refine and communicate a SOLUTION VISION of the future-state of the SAP solution, to sketch a design that meets both business and financial requirements. The focus should be on the company’s core business and how the SAP solution will better enable that core business to be successful. Some of the guidance and key requirements for how to put together an ERP and SAP business case for ROI, business benefit, and success includes focusing on competitive pressures, value propositions, and how the solution enables success.

2. Design and initially staff the SAP TSO: Design and staff the key positions of the SAP Technical Support Organization (TSO), the organization that is charged with addressing, designing, implementing and supporting the SAP solution.

(B) Sizing and blueprinting:-

Sub Activities:-

 1. Perform cost of ownership analysis: Perform a COST OF OWNERSHIP ANALYSIS to determine how to get the best business solution for the least money i.e. to determine where and when the costs are incurred within the context of the SAP solution stack.

2. Identify high availability and disaster recovery requirements: Determine all HIGH AVAILABILITY and DISASTER RECOVERY REQUIREMENTS, to plan what to do with later downtime of the SAP system.

3. Engage SAP solution stack vendors: Select the best SAP hardware and software technology partners for all layers and components of the SAP SOLUTION STACK, based on a side-by-side sizing comparison.

4. Staff TSO: Staff the bulk of the TSO, i.e. fill the positions that directly support the near-term objectives of the implementation, which are to develop and begin installation/implementation of the SAP data center.

5. Execute training: Train the various members of the SAP TSO, like data center specialists, high availability specialist and network specialists and train the end-users to give all the required SAP knowledge and skills. 

6. Setup SAP DATA CENTER: Build a new SAP DATA CENTER facility or transform the current data center into a foundation capable of supporting the SAP SOLUTION STACK.

7. Perform installations: Install the (My)SAP components and technological foundations like a web application server or enterprise portal.

8.  Round out support for SAP:
Identify and staff the remaining TSO roles, e.g. roles that relate to help desk work and other such support providing work.

(C) SAP functional development (Realization):-

 Sub Activities:-

 1. Address Change Management: Develop a planned approach to the changes in the organization. The objective is to maximize the collective efforts of all people involved in the change and minimize the risk of failure of implementing the changes related to the SAP implementation.

2. Address SAP systems and operations management: Create a foundation for the SAP systems management and SAP computer operations, by creating a SAP OPERATIONS MANUAL and by evaluating SAP management applications.

3. Perform functional, integration and regression tests: Test the SAP business processes, by executing functional tests to ensure that business processes work, integration tests to ensure that the organization’s business processes work together with other business processes and regression tests to prove that a specific set of data and processes yield consistent and repeatable results.

(D) Final Preparation:-

Sub Activities:-

1. Perform systems and stress tests: Plan, script, execute and monitor SAP STRESS TESTS, to see if the expectations of the end users, defined in service level agreements, will be met.

2. Prepare for cutover: Plan, prepare and execute the CUTOVER, by creating a CUTOVER PLAN that describes all cutover tasks that have to be performed before the actual go-live.

(E) GO-Live & Support:-

Turn on the SAP system for the end-users & Troubleshooting of day-to-day business activities & job logs.

Methodology Benefits

• Enables consistency, reduces complexity and increases quality by creating and delivering services on one common platform.
• Scalable -- ASAP has been re-designed to support all types of services delivery from RDS deployments to large scale implementations
• Prescriptive and Comprehensive -- guided work procedures for project team, deliverables for project managers and accelerators for all users
• Innovative -- Agile Deployment, Application Visualization, Cloud-based Deployment
• Sound Practices -- Project Quality Gates for traditional and RDS projects
• Knowledge Capture and Re-use -- leverage knowledge from thousands of implementations of SAP solutions

Highlights of ASAP 8 Methodology

• ASAP 8 is built on solid foundation of ASAP 7 methodology that delivers holistic approach to SAP implementation focused on Business Process Management, Application Lifecycle Management, Project Management and Value Management
• ASAP 8 combines the strenght of ASAP with the innovations from SAP Rapid Deployment Solutions Delivery Methodology and ASAP Focus Methodology
• Over 180 SAP Services and RDS use ASAP 8 WBS
• ASAP 8 helps accelerate time to value with new content for Agile implementation and Application Visualization (with SAP Application Visualization by iRise) that are now built into the methodology
• ASAP 8 helps establish solid governance and quality in project with tools like Quality Gate Checklist for traditional and RDS projects
• ASAP 8 delivers value added accelerators like templates, samples and white papers
• ASAP 8 provides comprehensive deliverable descriptions including task list with accountable roles

Simplified Rapid Deployment Solution Experience / Assemble to Order Project

 The success of your SAP solution is to a large degree determined by the speed and the effectiveness of the software implementation to add value to your organization. That is why SAP has introduced the Simplified Rapid-deployment Solution Experience. It combines the ability to explore SAP solution capabilities, select the appropriate pre-assembled RDS as a starting point for your project, and implement the solution in your business with the help of structured implementation approach - ASAP 8 Methodology for Simplified Rapid-deployment Solution and integrated operation supported by SAP Solution Manager.

 

Simplified Rapid Deployment Solution Experience / Assemble-to-Order Project Methodology Phases - 

1. Project preparation - This phase provides initial planning and preparation for the project. Each project has its own unique objectives, scope, and priorities. The deliverables described in this phase assist in completing the initiation and planning steps in an efficient and effective manner – like setup of project governance, project plan and project schedule are prepared at this stage.
2. Scope validation - The purpose of this phase is to achieve a common understanding of how the company intends to run SAP to support their business. It focuses on the rapid setup of environment that is available for validation workshop with business users to confirm scope and determine delta requirements that will be realized in the next phase to enhance the baseline provided by pre-assembled RDS.
3. Realization - The purpose of this phase is to implement all the business process delta requirements defined during the Scope Validation phase. The team configures, develops, tests and documents the solution in series of time-boxed iterations. Before the solution is released to next phase it is fully end-to-end integration tested and accepted by end users.
4. Final preparation - The purpose of this phase is to complete the cutover activities (including technical and load testing, end user training, system management and cutover rehearsal activities) to finalize your readiness to go live. The Final Preparation phase also serves to resolve all remaining critical issues. On successful completion of this phase, you are ready to run your business in your live SAP System.
5. Go-live support - The purpose of this phase is to move from a project-oriented, pre-production environment to live production operation and provide sustained support to business users to aid their transition into the new environment.
6. Operate - The purpose of this phase is to fine-tune the application lifecycle standards, processes and procedures established during the project and align them with operation needs. The central operation platform is SAP Solution Manager, which leverages the documented solution for system operations.

Standard ASAP 8 Methodology

 Standard ASAP 8 Methodology takes a disciplined approach to project management, organizational change management, solution management, application life-cycle management and other disciplines applied in the implementation of SAP solutions. The Standard ASAP 8 Methodology is built around the SAP Advanced Delivery Management model and supports project teams with templates, tools, questionnaires, and checklists, including guidebooks and accelerators. Standard ASAP 8 Methodology empowers companies to exploit the power of the accelerated features and tools already built into SAP solutions.

 Standard ASAP 8 Methodology Phases --

1. Project preparation - During this phase the team goes through initial planning and preparation for SAP project.
2. Business blueprint - The purpose of this phase is to achieve a common understanding of how the company intends to run SAP to support their business. In Standard ASAP 8 Methodology the result is the Business Blueprint, a detailed documentation of the results gathered during requirements workshops
3. Realization - The purpose of this phase is to implement all the business process requirements based on the Business Blueprint. The system configuration in Standard ASAP 8 Methodology is done in two work packages: Baseline configuration (major scope); and Final configuration (remaining scope). During this phase the solution is also tested.
4. Final preparation - The purpose of this phase is to complete the final preparation (including technical testing, end user training, system management and cutover activities) to finalize your readiness to go live. The Final Preparation phase also serves to resolve all critical open issues. On successful completion of this phase, you are ready to run your business in your live SAP System.
5. Go-live support - The purpose of this phase is to move from a project-oriented, pre-production environment to live production operation.
6. Operate - During this phase the system is operated with the help of the central operation platform, SAP Solution Manager, with the documented solution based on the transferred project documentation.

 Each phase has a set of deliverables that are produced during the duration of the phase and serve as the input to follow-up phases. Each deliverable provides list of outputs it consist of and methods that are used to produce the deliverable.

Work Streams

The ASAP 8 Methodology is structured around the key project work streams that are outlined in the picture below. For each work stream, the methodology provides the number of deliverables that are to be produced in each phase of the project. 

Implementation Process Acceleration:-

• Acceleration is based on sustainable assets and the re-usable content, as well as tools and technology that provide a structure for re-use.
• Acceleration can be accomplished through the elimination of unnecessary work steps within the implementation life cycle.
• Acceleration of implementation and lowering of overall cost can often best be realized through getting it right the first time, eliminating the need for rework and associated delays.
• Acceleration can be achieved through compression techniques such as parallelization of activities and new work shop approaches.

Major Acceleration Techniques:-

(Post Ref:- www.scn.sap.com)

SAP Implementation - Overview

Overview:-

SAP implementation is the whole of processes that defines a complete method to implement the SAP ERP enterprise resource planning software in an organization. The SAP implementation method described in this entry is a generic method and not a specific implementation method as such. It is based on best practices and case studies from various literature sources and presents a collection of processes and products that make up a complete implementation method to allow any organization to plan and execute the implementation of SAP software.

The implementation of SAP software, such as SAP R/3 is almost always a massive operation that brings a lot of changes in the organization. The whole process can take up to several months to years. Virtually every person in the organization is involved, whether they are part of the SAP technical support organization (TSO) or the actual end-users of the SAP software. The resulting changes that the implementation of SAP generates are intended to reach high level goals, such as improved communication and increased return on information. It is therefore very important that the implementation process is planned and executed with the usage of a solid method. There are various SAP implementation methods. Designing IT architecture is very critical in SAP implementation practices.

 

Various Terms Used in SAP Implementation:-

CHANGE MANAGEMENT:-  Activities involved in-

(1) defining and installing new values, attitudes, norms, and behaviors within an organization that support new ways of doing work and overcome resistance to change.
(2) building consensus among customers and stakeholders on specific changes designed to better meet their needs.
(3) planning, testing, and implementing all aspects of the transition from one organizational structure or business process to another.


CHANGE MANAGEMENT DOCUMENTATION:-  All documentation that is required and being delivered whilst performing change management, e.g. the functional test cases and all the other documents a new end-user of SAP requires and the various tools and approaches used to manage change by the TSO.

COST OF OWNERSHIP ANALYSIS:- Determination of where and when the costs are inquired within the context of the SAP solution stack and ongoing operations. The analysis addresses all internal and external costs, both one-time as well as recurring

CUTOVER:- The process of transitioning from one system to a new one.

DATA CENTER:- A data center is a facility used for housing a large amount of electronic equipment, typically computers and communications equipment as well as for data storage.

 DATA CENTER REQUIREMENT:- A requirement for the SAP data center, i.e. a physical requirement like power requirements, a rack requirement, a network infrastructure requirement or a requirement to the network server.

 DISASTER RECOVERY (DR) REQUIREMENT:- Requirement that focuses on downtime that lasts many hours to days or even weeks.

FUNCTIONAL TEST CASE:- A set of conditions or variables under which a tester will determine if a certain business process works or not.

HIGH AVAILABILITY (HA) REQUIREMENT:- Requirements that describes the amount of time that the system needs to be available to satisfy the needs of the users.

 INSTALLATION DOCUMENTATION:- All documentation related to the installation of an end-to-end SAP solution.

OPERATIONS MANUAL:- The collection of current state system documentation, day-to-day and other regularly scheduled operations tasks, various installation and operations checklists and how-to process documents.

SAP:- SAP AG is the name of the biggest European software company. The head office is in Walldorf, Germany. SAP was founded in 1972 as Systemanalyse and Programmentwicklung ("Systems Analysis and Product") by five former IBM employees in Mannheim, Germany.

 SAP IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT PLAN:- A comprehensive project plan that contains all products that are delivered whilst performing an SAP implementation project.

SOLUTION STACK:- Set of software subsystems or components needed to deliver a fully functional solution, e.g. a product or service.

 SOLUTION STACK PARTNERS LIST:- A list of all vendors that deliver the products that make up the SAP solution stack.

SOLUTION VISION:- A vision of the future-state of the SAP solution.

 STRESS TEST PLAN:- A test plan that is focused at determining the stability of a given system or entity. It involves testing beyond normal operational capacity, often to a breaking point, in order to observe the results.

TEST PLAN:- A detail of how the test will proceed, who will do the testing, what will be tested, in how much time the test will take place, and to what quality level the test will be performed.

 TRAINING:- The acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relates to specific useful skills.

TRAINING PLAN:- Consisting of training units, a training plan is the result of hierarchical decompositions of a training goal, tailored according to the learning preferences and prior knowledge of the trainee. A plan is the means by which the trainee satisfies the goal.

TSO:- Technical Support Organization. The people that are committed to implementation and management of SAP.

TSO CHART:- A chart that depicts the structure of the TSO.

 Critical success factors

In order to successfully implement SAP in an organization, there are several things that are of great importance:

1) Choose the correct SAP Consultants to have the correct blueprint: A SAP Consultant is a professional who has the skills to speak to the managers of a company and help them creating the blueprint. For this the SAP Consultant has the business skills of the business area he/she is working with, and also masters this area on SAP.
2) SAP R/3 implementation is not an IT project: It is an Organization Project impacting all levels of a company. So it is very important to get the support from all the people that are involved in implementing SAP, but more important the participation and commitment of all levels, specially managers, of the company.
3) The Blueprint is the keystone: Used as the lighthouse who must guide the whole project. A blueprint should never be a merely mapping of IT systems. In fact a blueprint is bringing the strategy of a company into execution through defining its processes across all business areas. Many projects have failed because the focus was on having people with SAP knowledge, but with no business skills and so defining something that works...wrongly.
4) Always consider changing the way things have been done before implementing SAP: "This has always been done like this and the Consultant should replicate it on SAP" is the start of a big problem. SAP many times could save you time and money as it allows your organization to automate many processes.
5) Test the SAP hardware and software rigorously by testing your business processes, and to ensure that the end-users are ready to use SAP before going live, because there are many known projects that failed because of a lack of support and SAP knowledge.
6) Design and execute a Change Management Program by communicating as early as needed all the information that end users should have to accept the new technology and designing and executing a training plan in order to reassure a knowledge base within the organizations.

Types of SAP Projects: 

The project types delivered with the SAP Solution Manager allow you to differentiate between different types of projects. You can use the SAP Solution Manager to create the following projects:

1. Implementation Project

Project to implement business processes in an SAP landscape.

Create a project structure from the business processes. You can either create a new project structure, or base it on one of the following:

...

○       One or more user or partner templates

○       An existing project

○       Scenarios and configuration structures delivered by SAP  

○       An existing production solution landscape

2. Template Project

A project to create a template.

A template makes your project structure, or parts of it, with its assigned objects (documentation, test cases, IMG activities), available to other projects.

You can lock templates, completely or partially, against changes when they are used in other projects. To use templates in other systems, transport them.

Template projects are especially suited to SAP partner solutions or global rollout.

3. Upgrade Project

A project to upgrade existing systems.

In an upgrade project you can:

○       Upgrade customizing: Upgrade existing functions

○       and/or

○       Delta customizing: Copy additional functions

4. Optimization project

A project to optimize the flow of business processes, or the use of a software solution.

You can use optimization projects, for example, in SAP Services.

5. Safeguarding project

A project to resolve a critical situation in the implementation or use of an SAP solution.

Safeguarding projects show the reasons for a critical situation and coordinate the steps required to resolve the problems.

6. Maintenance project

A project to maintain a solution

...

○       in Change Request Management. The project contains all maintenance activities and urgent corrections of a solution.

○       in Check-In/Check-Out Business Processes from the Solution Directory

 7. Support Project

Customer has already installed SAP & wants to give the work of maintaining those systems. This is support project. There are no phases in it. Just receive the tickets, solve and send back to client.

 8. Rollouts

Customer has upgraded his version & wants to rollout country specific changes.
This is rollout project

9. Development project

New Project from Scratch 

10. Enhancement project

Customer Needs More

Implemenattion Phases:

1. Project and Program Management (Project Preparation)

In this phase you plan your project and lay the foundations for successful implementation. It is at this stage that you make the strategic decisions crucial to your project:

• Define your project goals and objectives
• Clarify the scope of your implementation
• Define your project schedule, budget plan, and implementation sequence
• Establish the project organization and relevant committees and assign resources

 Activities:-
•     Global rollout planning
•     Detailed implementation planning to task level
•     Resource planning (including multinational projects)
•     Risk management and troubleshooting
•     Mentoring
•     Quality assurance reviews
•     Data conversion, interface and reporting strategies

2. Analysis and Design — "Business Blueprinting" 

 In this phase you create a blueprint using the Question & Answer database (Q&Adb), which documents your enterprise’s requirements and establishes how your business processes and organizational structure are to be represented in the SAP System. You also refine the original project goals and objectives and revise the overall project schedule in this phase.

Activities:- 
 •     Documentation of current business practices
•     Process redesign to incorporate SAP best practice
•     Design of client specific solutions using prototyping techniques

3. Realization 

In this phase, you configure the requirements contained in the Business Blueprint. Baseline configuration (major scope) is followed by final configuration (remaining scope), which can consist of up to four cycles. Other key focal areas of this phase are conducting integration tests and drawing up end user documentation.

Activities:-
•     System configuration
•     Report specification and build
•     Interface specification and build
•     Conversion specification and build 
•     Enhancement specification and build
•     Quality assurance testing

4. Final Preparation

In this phase you complete your preparations, including testing, end user training, system management, and cutover activities. You also need to resolve all open issues in this phase. At this stage you need to ensure that all the prerequisites for your system to go live have been fulfilled.

Activities:-
•     Technical and performance testing
•     Conversion strategy and program development
•     End user training preparation and delivery 
•     Final cutover and transition planning and execution
•     Help desk support planning

5. Go-Live and Support

In this phase you move from a pre-production environment to the live system. The most important elements include setting up production support, monitoring system transactions, and optimizing overall system performance.

•     Validate live business processes
•     On going production support
•     Post go-live end user training

These phases are the main milestones for your SAP System implementation project. 

Each phase has:
- Work packages, which consist of activities, for which project teams are responsible.
- Activities, which consist of tasks, which are processed by one or more team members.
- Tasks, which are carried out by a project team member. You can also access the How-to sections and accelerators at this level.

(These phases are discussed in details in next posts)

PRINCE2 Processes

PRINCE2 is a process-based approach for project management providing an easily tailored, and scaleable method for the management of all types of projects. Each process is defined with its key inputs and outputs together with the specific objectives to be achieved and activities to be carried out.

Directing a Project:-

Directing a Project runs from the start-up of the project until its closure. This process is aimed at the Project Board. The Project Board manages and monitors via reports and controls through a number of decision points.
The key processes for the Project Board break into four main areas:

• Initiation (starting the project off on the right foot)
• Stage boundaries (commitment of more resources after checking results so far)
• Ad hoc direction (monitoring progress, providing advice and guidance, reacting to exception situations)
• Project closure (confirming the project outcome and controlled close).
• This process does not cover the day-to-day activities of the Project Manager.

Starting up a Project:-

This is the first process in PRINCE2. It is a pre-project process, designed to ensure that the pre-requisites for initiating the project are in place.
The process expects the existence of a Project Mandate which defines in high level terms the reason for the project and what outcome is sought. Starting up a Project should be very short.
The work of the process is built around the production of three elements:

• Ensuring that the information required for the project team is available
• Designing and appointing the Project Management Team
• Creating the Initiation Stage Plan.

Initiating a Project:-

The objectives of Initiating a Project are to:

• Agree whether or not there is sufficient justification to proceed with the project
• Establish a stable management basis on which to proceed
• Document and confirm that an acceptable Business Case exists for the project
• Ensure a firm and accepted Foundation to the project prior to commencement of the work
• Agree to the commitment of resources for the first stage of the project
• Enable and encourage the Project Board to take ownership of the project
• Provide the baseline for the decision-making processes required during the project’s life
• Ensure that the investment of time and effort required by the project is made wisely, taking account of the risks to the project.

Managing Stage Boundaries:-

This process provides the Project Board with key decision points on whether to continue with the project or not.
The objectives of the process are to:

• Assure the Project Board that all deliverables planned in the current Stage Plan have been completed as defined
• Provide the information needed for the Project Board to assess the continuing viability of the project
• Provide the Project Board with information needed to approve the current stage’s completion and authorise the start of the next stage, together with its delegated tolerance level
• Record any measurements or lessons which can help later stages of this project and/or other projects.

Controlling a Stage:-

This process describes the monitoring and control activities of the Project Manager involved in ensuring that a stage stays on course and reacts to unexpected events. The process forms the core of the Project Manager’s effort on the project, being the process which handles day-to-day management of the project.
Throughout a stage there will be a cycle consisting of:

• Authorising work to be done
• Gathering progress information about that work
• Watching for changes
• Reviewing the situation
• Reporting
• Taking any necessary corrective action.

This process covers these activities, together with the on-going work of risk management and change control.

Managing Product Delivery:-

The objective of this process is to ensure that planned products are created and delivered by:

• Making certain that work on products allocated to the team is effectively authorised and agreed accepting and checking Work Packages
• Ensuring that work conforms to the requirements of interfaces identified in the Work Package
• Ensuring that the work is done
• Assessing work progress and forecasts regularly
• Ensuring that completed products meet quality criteria
• Obtaining approval for the completed products.

Closing a Project:-

The purpose of this process is to execute a controlled close to the project. The process covers the Project Manager’s work to wrap up the project either at its end or at premature close. Most of the work is to prepare input to the Project Board to obtain its confirmation that the project may close.
The objectives of Closing a Project are therefore to:

• Check the extent to which the objectives or aims set out in the Project Initiation Document (PID) have been met
• Confirm the extent of the fulfilment of the Project Initiation Document (PID) and the Customer’s satisfaction with the deliverables
• Obtain formal acceptance of the deliverables
• Ensure to what extent all expected products have been handed over and accepted by the Customer
• Confirm that maintenance and operation arrangements are in place (where appropriate)
• Make any recommendations for follow-on actions
• Capture lessons resulting from the project and complete the Lessons Learned Report
• Prepare an End Project Report
• Notify the host organisation of the intention to disband the project organisation and resources.

Planning:-

PRINCE2 recommends three levels of plan to reflect the needs of the different management levels involved in the project, stage and team.
Planning is a repeatable process and its activities are included within the seven main PRINCE2 processes, as appropriate. Information about plans and how to plan can be found in the Plans Theme section of the PRINCE2 Manual.
The activities of planning are :-

• Design the plan
• Define and analyse the products
• Identify the activities and dependencies
• Prepare estimates
• Prepare the schedule
• Analyse the risks
• Document the plan

PRINCE2 uses a technique known as ‘Product based planning’ which requires four activities :-

• Write the Project Product Description
• Create the product breakdown structure
• Write the product descriptions
• Create the product flow diagram

These four activities are performed within the ‘Define and analyse the products’ activity above.

PRINCE2 Methodology

PRINCE2 – A Structured Project Management Methodology:

PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a process-based method for effective project management. PRINCE2 is a de facto standard used extensively by the UK Government and is widely recognised and used in the private sector, both in the UK and internationally.

Whenever we decide we want to do something, go somewhere, build something, or achieve something, we need to know the answer to some questions:

• What are we trying to do?
• When will we start?
• What do we need?
• Can we do it alone, or do we need help?
• How long will it take?
• How much will it cost?

These are the usual questions asked at the start of any project, and the answers are the building blocks of project management – defining what we want to do and working out the best way we can do it.
Structured project management means managing the project in a logical, organised way, following defined steps. A structured project management method like PRINCE2 is the written description of this logical, organised approach

The PRINCE2 Methodology says that a project should have:

• An organised and controlled start ie. organise and plan things properly before leaping in
• An organised and controlled middle ie. when the project has started, make sure it continues to be organised and controlled
• An organised and controlled end ie. when you’ve got what you want and the project has finished, tidy up the loose ends.

In order to describe what a project should do and when, PRINCE2 has a series of processes which cover all the activities needed on a project, from starting up to closing down.

PRINCE2 Project Management Roles:-

Project Manager:-

Organising and controlling a project means that we need to have someone responsible for doing the organising and controlling. This person is called the Project Manager.
The Project Manager will select people to do the work on the project and will be responsible for making sure the work is done properly and on time.
The Project Manager draws up the project plans that describe what the project team will actually be doing and when they expect to finish

Customer, user and supplier:-

The person who is paying for the project is called the customer or executive.
The person who is going to use the results or outcome of the project, or who will be impacted by the outcome of a project, is called the user.
On some projects, the customer and user may be the same person. The person who provides the expertise to do the actual work on the project (ie. will be designing and building the outcome) is called the supplier or specialist.
All of these people need to be organised and co-ordinated so that the project delivers the required outcome within budget, on time and to the appropriate quality.

Project board:-

Each PRINCE2 project will have a project board made up of the customer (or executive), someone representing the user side, and someone representing the supplier or specialist input.
In PRINCE2, these people are called customer, senior user and senior supplier respectively.
The Project Manager reports regularly to the project board, keeping them informed of progress and highlighting any problems he/she can foresee.
The project board is responsible for providing the Project Manager with the necessary decisions for the project to proceed and to overcome any problems.

PRINCE2 Project Management Techniques:-

Project assurance:-

Providing an independent view of how the project is progressing is the job of project assurance. In PRINCE2, there are three views of assurance:business, user and specialist. Each view reflects the interests of the three project board members.
Assurance is about checking that the project remains viable in terms of costs and benefits (business assurance), checking that the users’ requirements are being met (user assurance), and that the project is delivering a suitable solution (specialist or technical assurance). On some projects, the assurance is done by a separate team of people called the project assurance team, but the assurance job can be done by the individual members of the project board themselves.

Project support:-

On most projects there is a lot of administrative work needed: keeping everyone informed, arranging meetings, keeping plans up-to-date, chasing things up, keeping files, etc. Project Managers often do all this work themselves, particularly on smaller projects, but if there are a number of projects going on at the same time a Project Support Office can be setup to help the Project Managers with this work.

PRINCE2 Scope:-

In today’s projects, there are often different groups of people involved, including the customer, one or more suppliers, and of course the user. PRINCE2 is designed to provide a common language across all the interested parties. Bringing customers and suppliers together generally involves contracts and contract management. Although these aspects are outside of PRINCE2, the method recognises the need to provide projects with the necessary controls and breakpoints to work successfully within a contractual framework.

Controlling Change:-

Apart from describing the different people involved on a PRINCE2 project, and what they are each responsible for, the method also explains how to manage risk, how to manage quality, and how to control change on the project. Risk management is about working out what could go wrong and planning what to do if it does. Quality Management is about checking the quality of work done on the project, either by testing it or reviewing the work in some way.
There are always lots of changes during the life of a project, people change their minds, other things happen which affect what the project is doing. PRINCE2 has a technique of controlling the way changes impact the project in order to prevent the project going off in the wrong direction.
So, PRINCE2 is a method for managing projects. It helps you work out who should be involved and what they will be responsible for. It gives you a set of processes to work through and explains what information you should be gathering along the way. But PRINCE2 doesn’t do the work for you, it cannot guarantee that your projects will be successful. Good projects, which deliver quality results, on-time and within budget are dependent on the quality of people involved from Project Board down to individual team members.

PRINCE2 Overview

PRINCE2 Definition:-

PRINCE2 (an acronym for PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a de facto process-based method for effective project management. Used extensively by the UK Government, PRINCE2 is also widely recognised and used in the private sector, both in the UK and internationally. The PRINCE2 method is in the public domain, and offers non-proprietorial best practice guidance on project management.

Key features of PRINCE2:

• Focus on business justification
• Defined organisation structure for the project management team
• Product-based planning approach
• Emphasis on dividing the project into manageable and controllable stages
• Flexibility that can be applied at a level appropriate to the project.

PRINCE2 History:-

PRINCE was established in 1989 by CCTA (the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency), since renamed the OGC (the Office of Government Commerce). In June 2010, the Office of Government Commerce Best Practice Management functions moved into the Cabinet Office.
PRINCE was originally based on PROMPT, a project management method created by Simpact Systems Ltd in 1975, and adopted by CCTA in 1979 as the standard to be used for all Government information system projects.
When PRINCE was launched in 1989, it effectively superseded PROMPT within Government projects. PRINCE remains in the public domain and copyright is retained by the Crown. PRINCE2 was published in 1996, having been contributed to by a consortium of some 150 European organisations.

How PRINCE2 Can Benefit You or Your Organisation:-

Using PRINCE2 provides you with greater control of resources, and the ability to manage business and project risk more effectively. This will benefit:

• Individuals seeking leading project management skills and greater employment prospects
• Project managers
• Directors/executives (senior responsible owners) of projects, and
• Organisations.

For organisations, PRINCE2′s formal recognition of responsibilities within a project, together with its focus on what a project is to deliver (the why, when and for whom) provides your organisation’s projects with:

• A common, consistent approach
• A controlled and organised start, middle and end
• Regular reviews of progress against plan
• Assurance that the project continues to have a business justification