Product Description

This book has been written as a practical manual for anyone who is involved in managing projects using SAP R/3, covering general management functions, data processing and customization of the application. The book covers the practical and theoretical aspects of project management and project control and the specifics of the PS project management module of SAP R/3. The book utilises worked examples throughout to familiarise the reader with the project management functions of the system, and introduces practical tips on customizing the system to meet the requirements of a company.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1371665 in Books
• Published on: 2000-02-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Language Notes
Text: English
Introduction: German

From the Inside Flap
Project management without the support of special software seems hardly conceivable today. Several companies offer software programs to meet this need. The SAP R/3 System has proven itself a winner in the battle for market share among business software products. The success of this industry-neutral system rests primarily upon its performance. The SAP R/3 System offers an individual component for every area of business activity. At the same time, the components (Human Resources, Logistics and Accounting, and so on) offer complete mutual integration. Such integration provides a unified system that supports all business tasks.
The success of the SAP R/3 System has given its integrated Project System (PS) component a special place in the market for project software. Precisely the integration of the PS component with related business areas offers obvious advantages.
This book focuses on the PS component contained in the SAP R/3 System (release 3.0F) and its support of project planning, execution and control. The book presents the application areas and performance characteristics of the component. As it introduces the various functions of the component, it also explains the basic terminology and procedures of project management. It then builds upon these explanations to present a strategy that can support the introduction of the SAP R/3 System and project management.
The consistently practical orientation of the book helps both the SAP novice and the experienced user who now wish to work more intensely with the PS component. The presentation of the most important procedures and methods of project management makes the book equally suitable for the following audiences:
l management holding responsibility for projects;
l experienced project leaders interested in SAP-supported projects control;
l inexperienced beginners in project management.
The structure of the chapters allows readers to examine the material in separate sections. Experienced project leaders can skip the introductory chapter on project management and move directly to sections of particular interest.
The individual chapters cover the following material.
Chapter 1 offers a detailed introduction to the topics of project management and project controling. It introduces and explains the most significant terms. The reader becomes familiar with various types of projects, each of which demands special procedures and management methods. It uses the various phases of a project to introduce methods of project management and project controling. The chapter provides the reader with an understanding of the most important demands of leading a project and enables the reader to use methods of project management and project controling.
Chapter 2 provides an introduction to the SAP R/3 System. It covers the most significant performance characteristics of the PS component for project management and project controling. It first treats the integration of the PS component in the complete SAP R/3 System and then discusses the advantages of the integrated model. To conclude, it introduces the organizational structure of the component and explains the terminology of the PS component.
Chapter 3 (which, along with Chapter 4, forms the heart of the book) treats the use of the PS component with the example of a concrete case. Step-by-step, the chapter leads the reader from defining a project to planning its structure and managing its status. The chapter provides the reader with the information needed to use the PS component independently. It covers various options, including cost planning and scheduling. After it describes the execution of a project, the chapter shows how users can apply project reporting and the variety of reports available in the R/3 System to enable effective project controling. A specific section covers change management, an issue that plays an important role in the day-to-day life of a project. This section also covers project control using the functions of the graphical project planning board.
Chapter 4 presents the customizing settings used in the practical example given in Chapter 3. Based upon the example case, the chapter explains step-by-step how to use Customizing to tailor the PS component to individual projects. It begins by introducing the topic of customization to illustrate how managers can use other components for project control and what settings they must make in the other components. It then presents the Customizing settings in the PS component. Given the alignment of the example case in this chapter, the reader can transfer settings directly into an actual system.
Chapter 5 describes how to introduce standard software and the issues managers must observe during operational conversion of project management. The chapter also answers specific questions on the introduction of the PS component as a project management tool. It considers the environment of enterprises and determines the concerns that arise when replacing existing information processing systems using the SAP R/3 System, and introducing project management as a part of the future enterprise organization. In this context, the chapter develops strategies for the introduction of project management as a management tool and for the introduction of the SAP R/3 System. In conclusion, the chapter presents a strategy for the introduction of the PS component as a project management tool. A specific section on communications strategy explains how to use communications to increase internal acceptance of projects.
Chapter 6 summarizes the book, offers a short overview of its contents and looks at future functions in the SAP R/3 System.
Graphical representations and symbols lead the user through the book and the menus of the R/3 System. They clarify the narrative descriptions and enable the reader to work with the book more easily.
The checkered flag appears next to material describing the result of the procedures that follow.
The road describes the menu path in the R/3 System that the reader must follow to achieve the results noted above.
The start arrow identifies the menu or mask from which the path described above begins.
The info flag identifies text of particular interest.
Several colleagues at DaimlerChrysler AG contributed to the success of this book. I wish to express my sincere thanks to them. I especially wish to thank the employees of the competence center for SAP R/3 in the IT department at plant 096 and my colleagues in FTK (Business Administration/Controling) in the Research and Technology Department of DaimlerChrysler AG. I wish to thank personally GŸnter Hšnes, director of FTK; Detlev Knobloch, the director of FTK/P (Project Controling/Process Design); Thiemo Walter, PS component expert Peter Schumann, the director of IT; Agnes Hampel, PS component expert; and all those responsible for release management in the competence center for SAP R/3 at IO/F.

0201398354P04062001

From the Back Cover
applications - a multilingual, multinational client/server technology that meets all business requirements for scalability, portability, openness and high performance - and there is an increasing need for clear information on its implementation and use. This book is a practical guide for anyone who is involved in managing projects using SAP R/3, specifically its integrated Project System (PS) module, whether they are an SAP novice, or an experienced user wanting to explore the full potential of this particular component.

This book introduces the practical and theoretical aspects of project management

and project control, explaining the terminology and procedures of project management

and the SAP R/3 system, and will enable you to meet the most important demands

of leading a project. It examines, in detail, the application areas, performance

characteristics and functions of the PS module, through the use of an extensive

case study, and then goes on to give hands-on tips on how to customize the system

to meet the real-life requirements of your company. Worked examples are utilized

throughout to familiarize you with the project management functions of the system

and detail the processes of data administration, evaluation and analysis.

The book is divided into sections which can be read as a whole or explored

individually as a useful reference:

· Section 1 gives a detailed introduction to project management and

control, explaining the key terms, types of projects and methods
· Section 2 fully introduces the SAP R/3 system, in particular the PS

component and its integration
· Section 3 provides a step-by-step guide through a real-life example

of a project from start to finish, including a specific part on change management

· Section 4 which presents the customizing settings for the practical

example, showing how to tailor the PS component to individual systems
· The final sections cover issues for managers during operational conversion

e.g. strategies for the introduction of the PS component as a management tool

and communications strategy; plus a short overview of future functions in the

SAP R/3 system.

Features:
* step-by-step guide through a case study of the PS-insertion process
* wealth of tips and advice drawn from practical experience, to aid understanding

and implementation
* self-contained chapters for flexible access to the subject, whatever your

technical level or particular area of interest
* graphical representations and symbols enable easy work with the book and lead

you through the menus of the R/3 system

0201398354B04062001