SolMan implementation and standards, templates, doc storage best practices

[CG_NR]

Hello,

We are in the blueprint phase of our project implementation.

Currently using ARIS toolset to capture business process modeling.

ARIS is connected to SAP SolMan (4.0) and we sync them up regularly so that the business processes are updated in the SolMan process repository.

As we enter the project realization phase, the project team is planning to store the project documentation e.g. BPPs, config guides/docs, functional & technical specs for development objects, etc in SolMan.

I am looking for some guidance based on your experience with Solution Manager implementation, as well as any documentation available regarding the following topics -

1) Naming conventions, standards, templates to be used while storing the above mentioned project docs in SolMan.

2) How to setup documentation storage structures (we are not using the KM functionality)

3) Things to consider for doing searches and using the reporting features of the stored documentation in SolMan, etc.

4) As we move into maintenance should we setup new projects or does it make sense to rather organize the content based on business processes under a single SolMan project, etc..

Thanks,

[Former Member]

Hi Nitin,

My recommendations would be as follows:

(1) Circulate a template within the Project Team to enlist most commonly used Key Words and assign them religiously to structure nodes on 'Admin' tab [after setting them up in Project Standards]

(2) Ensure that a given document is loaded only once, in the whole structure [be it at Scenario, Process or Process Step level] and any other occurence of it, please try to 'refer' the first/original occurence than make a copy of it. This will ensure that ALL changes that have to happen to a given document always updates that single occurence.

(3) From what I have seen in standard SAP documents (including a SAP Tutor file called "Handover Projects into Operations Mode" from SAP website), also from a personal preference point of view, I would say it's better to start a new Maintenance Project and 'inherit' the Business Scenarios that they have to support

(4) As with Searches of documents, the standard reporting functionality of SolMan must be good enough - the project team will somehow have to live with the standard function. To develop any custom reporting is very difficult unless committed ABAP resources are put in place. The way documents are stored within KW of SolMan is not easy to detect and bring out. So, you'd be better advised to make best of Key Words, Person Responsible and Doc. Status etc. as parameters for searching, among others.

Cheers,

Srini

[Former Member]

Hello Nitin,

I recently worked on an implementation project and their is an SAP naming conventions and standards document available in the project preration phase if not there it's in the blueprint section of the roadmap. It is very useful.

For number two: store your documents if you are making changes to accoutns payable store related documents there. We stored the majority of our documents at the scenario level. Process documents at that level and so on.

Use keywords for searches, very useful...we started the project with 50, and more can be added at any point.

Keep the project you are working on in its own structure, and then build new ones as you move along, remembering that a future project can always pull out what you've done with this project.

[Former Member]

Hi Nitin, did you have any luck with this? if yes, would you please share those with me? thanks