This book helps readers understand how to successfully migrate from the SAP classic general ledger to the new SAP General Ledger. Readers will learn how to run all aspects of the migration project, including staffing the project team, developing a project timeline, determining when and how to engage SAP Migration Services, and uncovering potential problems and how to avoid them. This revised second edition also includes new information on the SAP Migration Cockpit, which is essential to the migration process and replaces the standard IMG migration tools covered in the first edition.

You'll learn how migrating to the SAP General Ledger from the classic general ledger can benefit your organization and how to manage the migration process from Planning through Go-Live, including integrating the SAP Migration Service into your project plans. The author focuses on SAP Migration Service in detail, helping you understand the use of the mandated SAP Migration Service and the SAP General Ledger implementation scenarios supported by it. Step-by-step instruction is provided on how best to install and navigate the new Migration Cockpit, including the packages, tasks, and validation tests available. Finally, and exclusive case study illustrates how a large-scale migration to the SAP General Ledger was performed in the real world, including coverage of all of the project phases outlined in the book.

Highlights

• SAP Migration Service
• Best Practices for Migration Project Management
• Migration Cockpit Tasks
• Target Migration Scenarios
• Migration Project Phases
• Staffing and Training

About the Author(s)

Paul Theobald, CEO of CAPE Global Consulting Inc. has worked with SAP since 1993. He has been an ERP Financials consultant for 16 years and is also a qualified Chartered Accountant (UK). Paul specializes in the new SAP General Ledger and has consulted on several of the largest migration projects undertaken to date. He is currently in the process of helping companies with the change to IFRS, both pre- and post-SAP General Ledger.

Table of Contents

... Changes in the New SAP General Ledger ... 13
... Migrating to the New SAP General Ledger ... 14
... Future SAP Support of the Classic General Ledger and Advantages of the SAP General Ledger ... 15
... Intended Audience and Skill Prerequisites ... 15
... How This Book is Organized ... 17
... Summary ... 18

1 ... Upgrade to SAP ERP ... 19
... 1.1 ... SAP ERP Key Components ... 19
... 1.2 ... Benefits of Upgrading ... 22
... ... 1.2.1 ... Benefits of SAP NetWeaver ... 22
... ... 1.2.2 ... Functional Benefits ... 22
... ... 1.2.3 ... Benefits of Upgrading from Legacy Systems ... 24
... ... 1.2.4 ... Finance Benefits ... 24
... 1.3 ... Upgrade Approaches ... 27
... ... 1.3.1 ... Upgrade Reasons ... 28
... ... 1.3.2 ... Technical Upgrade ... 29
... ... 1.3.3 ... Functional Upgrade ... 31
... ... 1.3.4 ... Strategic Business Improvement Upgrade ... 32
... 1.4 ... Best Practices ... 33
... ... 1.4.1 ... Planning ... 34
... ... 1.4.2 ... Building ... 35
... ... 1.4.3 ... Running ... 35
... 1.5 ... Future Release Strategy ... 35
... 1.6 ... Summary ... 37

2 ... Why Migrate to the SAP General Ledger ... 39
... 2.1 ... Upgrade and Migration as Separate Projects ... 41
... 2.2 ... New Functionality ... 43
... ... 2.2.1 ... Segment Reporting ... 44
... ... 2.2.2 ... Document Splitting ... 47
... ... 2.2.3 ... Parallel Ledgers ... 51
... 2.3 ... Possible Migration Scenarios ... 55
... ... 2.3.1 ... Migrating from Systems That Used Parallel Accounting ... 56
... ... 2.3.2 ... Summary of Possible Migration Scenarios ... 58
... 2.4 ... Potential Benefits and Risks ... 60
... ... 2.4.1 ... Benefits of Migrating ... 60
... ... 2.4.2 ... Risks of Migrating ... 63
... 2.5 ... Summary ... 64

3 ... Migration Phases ... 67
... 3.1 ... SAP Migration Service ... 67
... 3.2 ... Migration Project Phases ... 69
... 3.3 ... Phase 0: Planning ... 70
... 3.4 ... Phase 1: Migration and Testing ... 71
... 3.5 ... Phase 2: Go Live ... 72
... 3.6 ... Summary ... 73

4 ... SAP Migration Service ... 75
... 4.1 ... Questionnaire ... 75
... 4.2 ... Service Sessions ... 79
... ... 4.2.1 ... Service Session 1: Scenario Validation ... 79
... ... 4.2.2 ... Service Session 2: Test Validation ... 80
... 4.3 ... Scenarios Supported by the SAP Migration Service ... 81
... 4.4 ... SAP General Ledger Migration Cockpit ... 83
... ... 4.4.1 ... Installation of the SAP General Ledger Migration Cockpit ... 83
... ... 4.4.2 ... Loading the Migration Cockpit Packages ... 84
... ... 4.4.3 ... Migration Cockpit Navigation and Migration Tasks ... 86
... 4.5 ... Summary ... 88

5 ... Planning Phase ... 89
... 5.1 ... Scope of Project ... 90
... 5.2 ... Initial Situations in the Classic General Ledger ... 93
... ... 5.2.1 ... Use of Profit Center Accounting (PCA) ... 93
... ... 5.2.2 ... Use of Business Areas ... 93
... ... 5.2.3 ... Use of Cost-of-Sales Accounting ... 94
... ... 5.2.4 ... Use of SPLs ... 94
... ... 5.2.5 ... Use of Additional Currencies in SPLs ... 96
... ... 5.2.6 ... Use of Interfaces to External Systems ... 96
... ... 5.2.7 ... How Consolidation Is Performed ... 96
... ... 5.2.8 ... Status of Existing Transaction and Master Data ... 97
... ... 5.2.9 ... Company Codes and Cross-Company Code Clearings ... 97
... ... 5.2.10 ... Use of Parallel Valuation ... 98
... 5.3 ... Target Migration Scenarios ... 100
... ... 5.3.1 ... Migration Without Document Splitting or Parallel Valuation ... 101
... ... 5.3.2 ... Migration with Document Splitting ... 104
... ... 5.3.3 ... Migration with Parallel Valuation ... 109
... ... 5.3.4 ... Migration with Document Splitting and Parallel Valuation ... 117
... 5.4 ... Timing ... 118
... 5.5 ... Staffing and Training ... 119
... ... 5.5.1 ... Staffing ... 119
... ... 5.5.2 ... Training ... 120
... 5.6 ... Migration Cockpit Tasks ... 122
... 5.7 ... Customizing ... 128
... ... 5.7.1 ... Ledgers Customizing ... 129
... ... 5.7.2 ... Leading Ledger and Parallel Ledger Customizing ... 129
... ... 5.7.3 ... Document Splitting Customization ... 133
... ... 5.7.4 ... Segment Reporting ... 139
... 5.8 ... SAP Migration Service Scenario Validation ... 140
... 5.9 ... Summary ... 142

6 ... Migration and Testing Phase ... 145
... 6.1 ... Complete Customizing ... 146
... ... 6.1.1 ... Real-Time Integration with CO ... 146
... ... 6.1.2 ... Foreign Currency Valuation ... 148
... 6.2 ... Migration Cockpit Tasks ... 150
... ... 6.2.1 ... Checkup Phase ... 150
... ... 6.2.2 ... Preparation Phase ... 152
... ... 6.2.3 ... Migration Phase ... 155
... ... 6.2.4 ... Validation Phase ... 167
... 6.3 ... Test Migrations ... 168
... ... 6.3.1 ... Test Migration 1 ... 168
... ... 6.3.2 ... Test Migration 2 ... 169
... ... 6.3.3 ... Test Migration 3 ... 169
... 6.4 ... Validation of Document Splitting ... 169
... 6.5 ... Incremental Approach to Migration ... 174
... ... 6.5.1 ... Migrate Open Items and Transfer Balance Carryforward ... 174
... ... 6.5.2 ... Migrate Current-Year Documents ... 174
... ... 6.5.3 ... Migrate Remaining Current-Year Documents During System Downtime ... 174
... 6.6 ... SAP Migration Service Test Validation ... 175
... 6.7 ... Summary ... 177

7 ... Go-Live Phase ... 179
... 7.1 ... Go-Live Weekend and SAP Migration Service ... 179
... 7.2 ... Migration Cockpit Activities ... 180
... ... 7.2.1 ... Activation Phase ... 180
... 7.3 ... Testing ... 183
... 7.4 ... Training ... 185
... 7.5 ... Final Migration Activities and Technical Facts about Migration ... 188
... 7.6 ... Summary ... 190

8 ... Case Study ... 193
... 8.1 ... Introduction ... 193
... 8.2 ... CMPC ... 193
... 8.3 ... Premigration Review ... 194
... ... 8.3.1 ... Pilot System and Training ... 197
... 8.4 ... Planning Phase ... 197
... ... 8.4.1 ... Installation of Migration Cockpit ... 197
... ... 8.4.2 ... Project Scope ... 198
... ... 8.4.3 ... Planning Phase Tasks ... 198
... ... 8.4.4 ... First Test Migration ... 199
... ... 8.4.5 ... SAP Scenario Validation ... 199
... ... 8.4.6 ... Validation of Document Splitting ... 199
... ... 8.4.7 ... End of Planning Phase ... 200
... 8.5 ... Migration and Testing Phase ... 201
... ... 8.5.1 ... Second Test Migration ... 201
... ... 8.5.2 ... Third and Final Test Migration ... 202
... ... 8.5.3 ... SAP Test Validation ... 203
... ... 8.5.4 ... Incremental approach ... 204
... ... 8.5.5 ... Migration in the Production System ... 204
... ... 8.5.6 ... Go-Live Weekend ... 210
... 8.6 ... Go-Live Phase ... 211
... 8.7 ... Key Findings ... 213
... 8.8 ... Summary ... 213

... The Author ... 215