New ARIS Scout for process-oriented redocumentation of SAP R/3 systems

IDS Scheer Software supports companies to reduce their efforts in retrospective descriptions of their ERP-based processes by 80%.

During the implementation of many SAP R/3 systems, the documentation and optimisation of the system-based processes often were neglected. These failures cause unmanageable costs for the maintenance, support and optimisation of the systems. The ARISRedocumentation Scout now available from the international IT service and software company IDS Scheer AG helps to minimise the workload involved in retrospective documentation of implemented SAP R/3 processes and to tap the full potential of the system. ARIS, the world`s leading software for business process modelling, documents all processes based on the SAP R/3 reference model.

The new ARIS Redocumentation Scout guides companies through the individual redocumentation phases with its detailed procedure model and concrete step-by-step instructions. Checklists, model forms and numerous other tools ensure the quality of the results and help to shorten overall project times by 80%.

Important questions are quickly answered: Which SAP R/3 functions does my company use? Which functions have we implemented but do not actually use? Which functions should we prioritise during an upgrade? But most importantly of all: How can we present the results of the analysis in a form that is quick to grasp and simple to communicate?

The answers are generated by extracting, editing and analysing data from the SAP system and transferring them into ARIS. This gives companies a customised reference model which presents the processes used, the corresponding transactions and the organisational units involved and also the entire SAP R/3 system landscape in a transparent form.

"During the course of numerous projects we have encountered time and again the problem of poor process-oriented documentation of SAP systems," says Dr Wolfram Jost, IDS Scheer board member responsible for the product line. "The new tool provides the basis for continuous optimisation of systems that have already been rolled out."

In particular the Y2K problem and the launch of the euro at the beginning of the year 2002 forced companies to replace old systems rapidly. However, too little attention was paid to the integrative possibilities of SAP R/3 and the harmonising of software and business processes. Especially when companies embark on new lines of business, attempt to merge SAP systems in different subsidiaries or divisions, or deploy new SAP releases, they are often stymied by the fact that nobody really knows which modules and functions are being used where and how.

The Redocumentation Scout expands the existing ARIS Scout product line from IDS Scheer. ARIS Scouts provide companies with support in concrete process management projects. When designing, analysing and optimising business processes, the scouts are able to combine the industry-specific expertise of IDS Scheer consultants with the ARIS software methodology, which with over 33 000 licences sold, is the world leader in its field. The Redocumentation Scout was developed in conjunction with HRW Consulting Factory, who has proved her expertise in the field of redocumentation in a multitude of successful projects with well-known companies.