preparing for an sap audit: 10 essential insider tips & tricks
DESCRIPTION
SAP licensing is quite complicated. Due to our time-tested knowledge of the field, Xpandion knows that although the information is out there, it usually lies with SAP licensing consultants who do not like to share it publicly or for free. There’s also much confusion about this topic, particularly since SAP continues to buy more and more companies and because they change their licensing terms from time to time. After doing this for so long, we’re accustomed to seeing helpless customers who just surrender to paying the same amount each year when they renew their contracts. We see others who, after a merger or acquisition, automatically pay more without checking first to see if they needed to pay even an additional dime. All of them are frustrated because there is no one out there to help them. No one has put the knowledge, the guidelines and the rules of thumb into one document and said to them, “Just read this before you go to negotiation with SAP and you’ll be all set.” Now there is.TRANSCRIPT
Created by Xpandion
SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries
PREPARING FOR AN SAP AUDIT:
10 ESSENTIAL INSIDER TIPS & TRICKS
MOSHE PANZER CEO, Xpandion
AUTHOR
TIP #1: PREPARE
AHEAD OF TIME
You are facing an involved process. SAP licensing is based on complicated contracts, and a significant part of your time and
attention will be demanded.
SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries
TIP #2: CONSIDER
PREVIOUS AUDIT
INSPECTIONS
Find out the rules your company implemented from previous SAP audits. These guidelines might
have been approved by SAP and should certainly be considered for
the upcoming audit. SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries
TIP #3: APPLY THE
80/20 RULE
Organizations running several SAP systems should determine
from the very start of the inspection, which applications
need to be thoroughly inspected, scanned briefly or completely
ignored.
SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries
TIP #4: CONFER WITH
AN SAP LICENSING
CONSULTANT
Seek advice from a consultant who is expert at SAP licensing negotiations. They can guide you through the process and
help you define and understand methods of
classification.
SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries
TIP #5: DO NOT SEND
INVALID NUMBERS
Resubmitting past users and license figures to SAP is either a waste of money or illegal. Keep
your license inventory at the minimum required.
SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries
TIP #6: DO NOT GO TO AN
ON-SITE AUDIT ALONE
Arm yourself with an SAP licensing expert,
and analyze your current licensing status and needs beforehand.
SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries
TIP #7: DON’T JUST USE
THE STANDARD
INSTRUCTIONS
If you only rely on SAP’s guidelines, you’ll get an output of your current
licenses. First gather the actual data, then combine and classify
usernames. Now, you’re ready to send the audit report.
SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries
TIP #8: IGNORE
CERTAIN USERS
Users and activities, like SAP*, DDIC and EARLYWATCH, are preconfigured
and should be ignored. Often, twenty users or more from this type are created. Pay attention or you’ll
include twenty avoidable users! SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries
TIP #9: GATHER ALL
THE DATA
Various user types, like “Communication” and “System,” and users with empty license types in their records often
become forgotten. Follow this rule: if a user is registered in
SAP, consider it valid unless you have good reason not to.
SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries
TIP #10: ELIMINATE
DUPLICATE USERNAMES
IN THE SAME SYSTEMS
Duplicate usernames tend to turn into a
complicated issue in large enterprises.
Duplicate usernames should be closed and their licenses freed.
SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries
READ THE
SAP LICENSING EBOOK
Get 5 more tips and lots of valuable information on preparing for an SAP
audit.
CLICK HERE
SAP® is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries