IBM Information Server Ready to Launch for SAP Applications Drive greater business value and help reduce risk for SAP consolidations Highlights Provides a complete solution that couples data migration best practices with software and services from a leading global SAP implementer Helps reduce the risk around SAP implementations through a proven methodology and automation of manual processes Enhances scalability by supporting the design of flexible and standardized data-centric processes Improves business process execution by increasing information accuracy Delivers a repeatable and reusable infrastructure that can be leveraged for multiple SAP rollouts and for ongoing enterprise integration, quality and governance For many companies, SAP applications are mission-critical, operating many of the processes that keep the business running. Migration and consolidation projects driven by implementations, system upgrades, mergers and acquisitions and cost-saving initiatives to consolidate legacy applications (both SAP and non-sap) to fewer instances of SAP often require moving large volumes and varieties of data from a range of systems that span multiple business functions. Typically, data is dealt with late in the project in a reactive approach that causes it to become critical path, delay the project and drive cost overruns, and ultimately results in poor-quality data being loaded into the new SAP system. These challenges may lead to rework, additional costs and delays: according to Forbes Insights, data-related problems cost more than USD5 million annually for a majority of companies, while one-fifth estimated losses in excess of USD20 million per year. 1 The successful adoption of any SAP initiative depends on the ability of the organization to reliably deliver high-quality data to feed and inform the new system. To support these efforts IBM created IBM Information Server Ready to Launch for SAP Applications ( Information Server Ready to Launch), based on years of experience with migrating data to new SAP implementations.
Streamlining data migration with Information Server Ready to Launch Information Server Ready to Launch provides a complete, scalable, repeatable and reusable SAP-specific data migration solution. Built on IBM Information Server technology, it consists of a comprehensive, documented data migration methodology that is specific to SAP migrations and consolidations, plus a set of data migration accelerators. The solution is backed by a services team with years of experience migrating data to SAP. Information Server Ready to Launch leverages IBM knowledge capital built over its decades-long alliance with SAP as well as more than 4,000 SAP implementations to help reduce the risk and time of SAP migrations and consolidations. The solution helps accelerate the time to production by using an industrialized approach that relies on repeatable data integration capabilities and reusable assets to drive a high degree of efficiency across multiple waves of deployments. About IBM Information Server Information Server provides a comprehensive, robust, scalable integration solution designed to be the cornerstone of enterprise integration for any company. With its broad spectrum of data integration capabilities and metadata-driven design, Information Server is an important foundation for delivering the range of connectivity and high performance necessary for SAP migration and consolidation projects. To learn more about Information Server, visit ibm.com/software/data/integration/info_server IBM s extensive deployment experience and significant investment in automating the process through assets and accelerators designed to help enterprises proactively deal with data provide unique value to organizations that are making high-profile, business-critical investments in SAP. Information Server is the underlying technology for Information Server Ready to Launch. 2
Aligning the IBM Ready to Launch approach with SAP ASAP methodology The Information Server Ready to Launch software uses a data migration methodology that is aligned with SAP ASAP methodology, as shown in Figure 1, but it also addresses several critical steps that are required to cleanse and validate data prior to loading into the SAP system (the ASAP methodology leaves these steps out). The IBM methodology comprehends the roles required for a data migration project such as the data lead, functional data analysts and developers and aligns each role with responsibilities and tasks. At the beginning of any data migration project using Information Server Ready to Launch, IBM conducts a workshop to ensure that all participating members of the migration team understand the approach and know how the accelerator assets and software technology will be used to deliver clean, highquality, SAP-ready data for loading into the target SAP system(s). Project preparation Blueprint Realization Final preparation before going live Sustain Business data assessment Data alignment Data harmonization Data loading, monitoring and interfaces Identify business process data requirements Discover and assess data readiness Build glossary Identify gaps Extract data Validate business rules Source cleansing Source-to-target mappings Harmonize and consolidated cleansing Enhance data if necessary Gold copy data Optimize data for loading Create data load jobs Run data loads Validate results Deploy data quality module as firewall Monitor data quality Reuse conversion rules and data quality for ongoing interfaces Gap analysis reporting Figure 1. The Information Server Ready to Launch migration framework is closely aligned with SAP ASAP methodology. 3
For example, the data lead may use the Business Data Roadmap accelerator to blueprint the data as the business processes are designed in the blueprint workshop, which helps keep the data team in step with the business process teams. Additionally, the output from the Business Data Roadmap can be fed into the Source-to-Target mapping component (IBM FastTrack) of the underlying Information Server technology to capture mapping specifications and generate corresponding extract, transform and load (ETL) jobs. Information Server Ready to Launch architects will use the Rapid Modeler and Rapid Generator features within Information Server Ready to Launch to automate creation of the conversion environment (Staging, Alignment and Preload). They can also use those features to dynamically generate SAP extraction and load jobs that are based on the target configuration rather than generic templates that must be understood and modified before they will support the target configuration. Data analysts will then conduct a thorough analysis of the source data to understand both its initial quality and its quality relative to the SAP target requirements. This helps the project team accurately understand the scope of work required to prepare the data for loading to the SAP target and identify the work streams necessary for cleansing and preparing the data (see Figure 2). In addition, gap reports will be used by many roles to quickly and easily visualize the outcome of cleansing activities, determine the readiness of the data for loading and assess performance against the project timeline. Information gaps and governance visualization Business Glossary Data content, exceptions and data quality metrics Transformation Staging area and data quality metrics database Migration ETL Extraction Load Load Legacy data sources DataStage DataStage QualityStage FastTrack Data analysis Information Analyzer Migration framework staging Cleanse, validate, reconcile Business data roadmap Levels 1-3 business process data requirements Configuration data Lookups, valid values and business rules that drive SAP processing Shared common metadata Figure 2. Information Server Ready to Launch leverages underlying Information Server components including Business Glossary (optional), Information Analyzer, FastTrack, IBM DataStage, IBM QualityStage, SAP Packs and accelerators. 4
Speeding migration through automation with SAP Accelerators Accelerators for SAP applications extensions of existing software that are designed to address recurring SAP-specific challenges help speed the execution of SAP migrations. These accelerators have been developed and refined over numerous implementations and can significantly reduce the effort required to use off-the-shelf data integration tooling. Information Server Ready to Launch includes the following accelerators: Business Data Roadmap: A data analyst tool for process data requirements identification and management. Rapid Modeler for SAP: An Data Architect plug-in that automates the discovery and modeling of SAP data objects and extracts relevant metadata. Rapid Generator for SAP: Automates generation of SAP Extract (from legacy SAP systems) and Target Load jobs, as well as the creation of staging, alignment and preload areas. The dynamic generation of ETL logic and jobs allows the platform to adapt easily to continual changes in the target configuration and can eliminate 30 percent of the work compared to manual efforts. 2 Gap reports: Provide pre-built reports for initial and ongoing analysis of data readiness for the target SAP environment. Building on IBM experience to smooth data conversion Years of extensive delivery experience with SAP, coupled with strategic accelerators and industry-leading software, enable IBM to deliver an end-to-end data conversion solution for SAP applications. This solution helps enterprises leverage data as a strategic asset that supports successful business transformations and delivers strong return on investment for an SAP deployment. Information Server Ready to Launch offers a proactive, well-defined approach to data migration that helps organizations reduce project risk and delays and enhances efficiency of business process operations. Proven processes designed to improve data quality also help to significantly reduce delays in business-critical SAP conversion projects and drive business transformation. In addition, a best practices-based methodology helps ensure that key skills and processes are institutionalized through the reusable assets and governance framework developed during the project. For more information To learn more about Information Server Ready to Launch for SAP Applications, please contact your IBM representative or business partner, or visit ibm.com/software/ data/infosphere/info-server/ready-to-launch-sap-app 5
Copyright IBM Corporation 2012 IBM Corporation Software Group Route 100 Somers, NY 10589 Produced in the United States of America September 2012 IBM, the IBM logo, ibm.com, DataStage, and QualityStage are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at Copyright and trademark information at ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml This document is current as of the initial date of publication and may be changed by IBM at any time. Not all offerings are available in every country in which IBM operates. It is the user s responsibility to evaluate and verify the operation of any other products or programs with IBM products and programs. THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED AS IS WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND ANY WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF NON-INFRINGEMENT. IBM products are warranted according to the terms and conditions of the agreements under which they are provided. Statements regarding IBM s future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice, and represent goals and objectives only. 1 Forbes Insights. Managing Information in the Enterprise: Perspectives for Business Leaders. April 2010. http://forbes.com/forbesinsights/ enterpriseinformation/index.html 2 Based on IBM services estimates and actual customer deployments using Rapid Generator. Please Recycle IMD14397-USEN-00