Role of a SAP Functional Consultant

For those who wished to know the role of a functional consultant. Below is one
view:

A functional consultant evaluates the demands in talking with the customer's

representatives, transforms the essence into an abstract and algorithmic
business model. Hence, he identifies the use cases and transforms them into
logical and technical views.
Then the main task starts: customizing the respective business area and
making sure the system reacts in the manner according to the constraints of
the requested use case.
The consultant documents the settings and prepares proper guidelines that
allow other consultants to do further changes or repairs with due efforts.
The consultant takes care that proper training is given to the users and that
the system is usable, performing appropriately and the business flow is
complete and correct.
During go live he assists the technical staff by testing the behaviour of the
system.
After go live he guarantees that the procedures remain usable and consistent
in real live situation and proposes enhancements.
The main duty of a consultant is to transfer external know-how to the client. It
is not manpower that counts but intelligence, understanding of processes, a
feeling for defects and general a common sense.

Role of a Functional Consultant in an End To End Implementation

When we talk about the role of a Functional consultant in an end to end
implementation, I think it won't be possible for me or anybody to define everything
but I will try to summarize it:

1. Functional consultant is expected to generate knowledge about the current

business process, design current business flows, study current business processes
and its complication, in all we can say getting through with current business setup.
Flow diagrams and DFD are prepared, most of the time in Vision format; all this
forms the part of AS IS document.

2. Everything configured has to be documented as per their categories in the form

of predefined templates; these have to be then approved by the team leads or
whoever the consultant is reporting to.

3. Mapping and GAP analysis is done for each module, I have seen people defining
integration after mapping, gap analysis and configuration is done, but as per my
experience in implementation, it is a simultaneous process.

4. Before starting configuring future business processes in SAP, the DFD/ERD are
prepared, this documentation is called TO BE, which can be also siad as the result of
mapping and gap analysis.

5. Sometimes Functional consultants are also expected to prepare test scripts for
testing the configured scenarios.

6. End user manual and user training is also expected from Functional Consultants.

The project normally starts off with a Kick off meeting in which the team size, team
members, reporting system, responsibilities, duties, methodology, dates and
schedules, working hours which have been predicated are formally defined.

ASAP, it won't be possible for me to explain it here, but all I can tell you about it is
that it is SAP standard implementation methodology, which SAP prescribes but is
not mandatory for any company to follow, but recommended to follow the same.

Five Phases of ASAP methodology.

Phase 1: Project Preparation - The purpose of this phase is to provide initial
planning and preparation for your SAP project.
Phase 2: Business Blueprint - The purpose of this phase is to achieve a
common understanding of how the company intends to run its business
within the SAP System. The result is the Business Blueprint, a detailed
documentation of the results gathered during requirements workshops. The
Business Blueprint document represents the business process requirements
of the company. It is the agreed statement of how the company intends to
run its business within the SAP System.
Phase 3: Realization - The purpose of this phase is to implement all the
business process requirements based on the Business Blueprint. The system
configuration methodology is provided in two work packages: Baseline (major
scope); and Final configuration (remaining scope).
Phase 4: Final Preparation - The purpose of this phase is to complete the final
preparation (including testing, end user training, system management and
cutover activities) to finalize your readiness to go live. The Final Preparation
phase also serves to resolve all critical open issues. On successful completion
of this phase, you are ready to run your business in your live SAP System.
Phase 5: Go Live and Support - The purpose of this phase is to move from a
project-oriented, pre-production environment to live production operation.