
Overview • What is workflow? • What is business process management? • Common workflow and process problems • The functional organizational structure • The role of enterprise systems • Introduction to SAP R3
What is Workflow (1)? • Workflow is a depiction (model) of a sequence of connected steps • Many see workflow as an abstraction of actual work • Examples: • The route you take to work • The exact steps to make a Twinkie • The steps to procure raw materials for manufacturing
What is Workflow? (2) • We model workflow in terms of • what steps are performed • who performs those steps • what dependencies (relationships) exist between those steps • what external resources (information, materials, etc.) are required to complete the set of steps
Modeling Workflow • We have tools to model workflow and implement workflow-based software systems • BizAgi models business processes • UML and UML tools (Visio) model workflow and various types of processes • There are several tools and there are different models too • We will use BizAgi in this course and a bit of Visio
Modeling Workflow (BPMN) • The Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) is used to depict business processes • There are formal symbols to depict the actors in the process, the tasks performed, and the relationships between those tasks
Modeling Workflow (Visio) • Visio supports several modeling tools for workflow • Data Flow diagrams model the flow of data through an information system • UML diagrams model process state, sequence, and structure
What is Business Process Management? • I like this definition: • Workflow is concerned with the application-specific sequencing of activities via predefined instruction sets, involving either or both automated procedures (software-based) and manual activities (people work) • BPM is concerned with the definition, execution and management of business processes defined independently of any single application
Non-normative Definitions? • But let’s not get bogged down in formal definitions • I can find several definition of the following terms: • Workflow • Business Process • Business Process Management
Common Workflow and Process Problems • Lack of workflow integration across functional units • This leads to a silo effect • Workflow that is not well understood
The Functional Organizational Structure • Purchasing • Production • Warehouse / distribution • Sales and marketing • Finance and accounting • Human resources • Information systems • Research and development
The Role of Enterprise Systems • Enterprise Systems (Enterprise Planning Systems) ERPs • Use best practices to implement cross-functional workflow systems for various industries • We try to • Eliminate information silos • Create a real-time or near real-time view of an organization • Establish strong internal controls over data • who can access it and who can change it
Common ERP Systems • Oracle (JD Edwards, PeopleSoft, Siebel) • SAP • Microsoft Dynamics • IBM • BAAN • Sage Group • Sage, Accpac ERP, Peachtree • There are also open source solutions
Introduction to SAP • SAP R3 (System Analysis and Program Development) is a client-server application made up of core business modules and optional add-on modules • A central relational database sits behind the server ( SAP HANA, Oracle, SQL Server, …)
The SAP Business Suite • SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (SAP ERP) • SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SAP SRM) • SAP Customer Relationship Planning (SAP CRM) • SAP Supply Chain Management (SAP SCM) • SAP Product Lifecycle Management (SAP PLM) • SAP NetWeaver supplies the client user interface
SAP – The Company • SAP AG • Founded in Walldorf, Germany in 1972 • World’s Largest Business Software Company • World’s Third-largest Independent Software Provider • Company Statistics • Over 45,000 employees in more then 50 countries • 1,500+ Business Partners • 95,000+ customers in more then 120 countries • 12 million users • 100,000+ installations
SAP – Industries (1) • Designed to satisfy the information needs for all business sizes (small local to large all international) • Multi-lingual • Multi-currency • Multi-balance (parallel G/L Accounting)
SAP – Industries (2) • Media • Mill Products • Mining • Oil & Gas • Pharmaceuticals • Postal Services • Professional Services • Public Sector • Railways • Retail • Telecommunications • Utilities • Wholesale Distribution • Aerospace & Defense • Automotive • Banking • Chemicals • Consumer Products • Defense & Security • Engineering, Const. • Healthcare • High Tech • Higher Education • Industrial Machinery • Insurance • Life Sciences • Logistics Service Prod.
SAP – Architecture (1) • Client/Server Environment • Client – hardware/software environment that can make a request for services for a central repository of resources • This is the NetWeaver program that you see • Server – hardware/software combination that can provide services to a group of clients in a controlled environment • This is the back-end server that you connect to through NetWeaver
SAP Architecture (2) • Three-Tier Architecture • GUI • Graphical User Interface (NetWeaver) or Web Interface (WebDynpro) • Application Server • One or more, help distribute work load • Database Server • One single data repository
SAP ERP Components • And get used to all of these codes! • Core • Financials (FI) (“Track”) • Materials Management (MM) (“Buy Materials”) • Sales and Distribution (SD) (“Sell Goods”) • Production Planning (PP) (“Make goods) • Human Resources (HCM) • Add-on • Customer Relationship Management (CRM) • Supply Chain Management (CRM)
SAP Database • It’s huge (over 25000 tables) • There is little or no data redundancy • Terminology and data definitions are consistent and accurate throughout the database
PCs, Laptops, etc. Browser Client Network Internet Transaction Server Presentation Web Server Application Servers Application Database SAP R3 Implementation © SAP AG - University Alliances and The Rushmore Group, LLC 2008. All rights reserved
SAP Configuration vs. Customization • SAP is configured by editing various configuration tables • Configuration does not require software code changes • Customization is possible through a programming language called Advanced Business Application Programming (ABAP) • Customization is a contested practice