SAP Business Software?

[Cygnus X1]

Does anyone have any experience with this?
My company is getting ready to implement it, and I've been assigned as a Super User. I have gotten some glances at it...and it looks like a nightmare in the making.

Does anyone here use this system in their companies?
Any advise to make things easier?

[Stinkbug]

I have used versions of it. However, they were heavily modified so I can't be too sure what native SAP is like. It is a monster and becoming a super user is quite a task.

My advice for implementing is to use as much native code as you can. The more you modify the bigger the pain will be down the line. People often try to automate their crappy processes and thus make faster crappy processes that require lots of SAP consultant time to create.

Depending on the size of the company and how much you plan to infect you company with that stuff the implementations can take many years to complete.

The bright side for you is that there is a good degree of job security!

[Newc]

My employer uses it. It's a drastic change from the AS400 we were using, and those of us who need things on the spur of the moment are at the mercy of a system that basically acts like a committee. NOTHING happens unless "the committee" approves it.

I've seen a decrease in production because of its faults, however, no one from the actual workfloor was asked for any input on the system such as things to make our jobs easier.

As I understand it, SAP can be tailored for each business, so what's true for us may not be true for you. Still, I'd get with anyone who will be directly affected (system users) and those immediately below that mark (supervisors, material handlers, etc) that will also have access to, need of, and who will rely on quick action from the system and see what they would want in it.

It's a blank canvas going in, and they give you a very rough sketch to work with and build on. You really have to know what you want in the system, and what sort of pages/forms you want it to output to screen or printer.


Ours should be set up so that you do the majority of your tasks in one screen, but instead you have 6 pages or more open and there's tons of blank space on each screen.

We have Production Tickets for each part in the production schedule, and it states what fittings to use on those parts, as well as lookup numbers for those fittings. However, there's no diagram of the part, so we have to refer to a book. However, the book is not updated as quickly as it should be, primarily because Engineering will make a change and not tell the person who keeps those books updated until after the parts have been built and shipped incorrectly.

I keep those books updated, by the way, so I catch all the flack about the errors. I do however throw it back on them, saying they know better than to put out a change without notifying the supervisors and operators.

Had they asked me what I wanted in SAP, I would have asked for all production-related databases to be linked so that when the scheduling manager adds a part # to a schedule, the system automatically checks with engineering to pull up the pierce pattern/diagram of the part as well as what fittings it takes, and checks with inventory control to see if those fittings are in stock. If they're not in stock, the system generates an alert which the scheduling manager must address to check if these fittings are en route or if they won't be available during that production run. If they're not going to be available, she'll have to tell the system whether the parts will be run for later assembly or removed from the schedule, and that will be automatically printed on the schedule.

This way, the operator comes in, looks at his schedule, and knows what to run, and how to run it. As it is now, we get surprises daily because it's one big clusterfu*k.

As well, we have people who are not computer-savvy using the system. Lastly, because we're Global, all the international systems are connected, so the system can drag very often.

[audiophile]

First question comes to mind is are you in IT (thus being the support for it) or a user (waiting on it to do job)

SAP capability and complexity depends on the size of the business. And moreso on the investment expense including initial migration and support

My experience is at John Deere who you can imagine have the complete enterprise package. Impressive capability since it's been at Deere many years and had time to mature tho.

I am however, just a user, and have an account they see fit to my job requirements.
Couldn't tell you what to expect as a super-user, whether that is from an admin/support perspective or just a user, with rights to grant/deny information to sub-users in your team.

Actually wrote a paper last semester on SAP for Supply Management features in business class. Blech...

[Cygnus X1]

Well, today will be my first full day with it.
Our company has already implemented in one of our rolling mills (800 employees)
so changing things for our facility is probably not an option.
The overall size of the co. was 8,000 before SAP, now it's at 11.5K. And we're only 1/3 of the way into it!
Thanks, guys.

[DonP]

Sorry, I'm a JDEdwards AS/400 coder. Can't help with SAP

[Cygnus X1]

Sorry, I'm a JDEdwards AS/400 coder. Can't help with SAP

Yes, we have many systems for tracking our business transactions.
That is the selling point of SAP.
...Ostensibly to pull it all together (actually replace those systems).