Question:
Hi Pelssers,
Myself Aryan and novice to SAP CRM especially IC Webclient. Although I have been worked on SAP SD support projects since last one and a half year with no much possibilities of implementation projects in near future so I decided to go for SAP CRM which goes pretty well with mine background and experience. I have been thru Base Customization, Marketing and want to learn IC Webclient. I am very much interested in acquiring SAP CRM IC Webclient configuring knowledge but from FUCNTIONAL POINT OF VIEW initially (what r the main areas, functional modules and tcodes that I should focus on ? )
I would appreciate your answers to mine queries as I believe you are the kind of person who like to share knowledge, which I came to know from the SAP CRM Community. I have requested before to quite a few person regarding the same but all in vain, but do hope this time I would get the appropriate results from you. My queries are as follows :-
1] Is it necessary to work in SAP NetWeaver environment to configure/customize SAP CRM modules especially IC Webclient and Internet Sales even though the company do not have SAP BW/SAP APO in its System Landscape Design?
You are indeed working in a SAP Netweaver environment, but SAP Netweaver is an open platform for integration purposes. In fact, for you as a consultant, you will probably not have much to do with SAP Netweaver, unless you would be doing XI or BW.
In attachment you will find a PowerPoint on SAP NETWEAVER!
You can use CRM as a standalone application or integrated with SAP R/3 and/or BW for example! Depending on what the customer will be implementing you will of course have a different system landscape.
2] If so then as a SAP CRM consultant what is necessary to know about SAP NetWeaver?
Just do some reading on SAP Netweaver technology. You don’t need to get into real detail. Just check out information on help.sap.com or on service.sap.com! There is a lot of information available!
I myself am a functional senior SAP CRM consultant, but know most of the applications and components of SAP CRM and also have knowledge of BW. Specific knowledge of sap netweaver was not applicable for me during any project.
3] What exactly is Enterprise Portal and in what way SAP CRM Consultants are connected to it and what all activities they have to do in EP?
The enterprise portal is as you can guess a Portal which allows people to have a single point of access to different applications, tools, and other information sources.
E.G., it is possible to have via single sign on the SAP EP (enterprise portal) access to for example CRM processes like marketing and campaign management, service processes , but at the same time access to BW reports and or queries, and for example database access to non SAP database related data.
Integration in the SAP portal for CRM is via I-Views. (it is called People Centric CRM and the screens that you integrate in the portal are PCUI screens. Another thing is for example BSP developments (BSP applications like the IC Webclient – via Tcode SE80 you can look up the BSP application CRM_IC for example, which is the IC Webclient BSP Application for the IC Webclient) that can be integrated in the SAP Portal.
SAP delivers those working assets in the form of Portal Roles, like for example CALL Center Agent , of Marketing Manager. (every role gives access to specific worksets which on their turn give access to specific Iviews or screens).
4] What is the implementation tool/methodology that is generally used in deploying SAP CRM projects is it ASAP or Solution Manager?
You can use the SAP Solution Manager as a customer platform for efficient implementation and operation of SAP Solutions such as the mySAP Business Suite (CRM). It makes use of the mentioned ASAP (key accelerated SAP implementation concepts).
I never used the SAP Solution manager, but if your customer pays for it, you can of course use it. It might make life a lot easier!
The way I approach things is usually the following (supposing that the customer is considering implementing SAP CRM):
1) First you analyze business requirements. What processes are being used? Are the processing working in an optimal way?
2) What processes need to be improved? How can you improve them from a business perspective?
3) Make AS-IS analysis of the current business process and design the TO BE processes.
4) Translate the TO BE processes into system processes such as marketing and campaign management, account and contact management, IC win or Webclient, complaint or case management…..
5) Consider complexity , cost, added value, ease of use, user acceptation, implementation time and budget, during the BLUEPRINT phase!
6) During the blueprint phase, it is likely that you do not know what SAP functionalities within CRM are existing, and are best to implement… Therefore I usually do a lot of research on different sources.
Read SAP CRM course material, read SAP HELP, search presentations, Online knowledge products and other information on help.sap.com or on service.sap.com (make sure you get a S-user and password on this site!!) look at SAP notes and also ask questions on forums like sapfans.com or others
5] Which are the most important and mandatory functions, function modules and Tcodes of IC Webclient, Marketing and Base Customization?
I suggest you follow existing courses like the:
CR100: CRM base customizing
CR600: Marketing and Campaign management
CR400: IC Winclient
CR410: IC Webclient
If you have access to a CRM system, you will discover the Tcodes easily!
In the SAP Menu , you can click open the relevant folders, and display the Tcodes by displaying the technical names!
To do so, in the menu: you do “Extras> Settings> Display technical names”.
For Customizing you can check also the relevant paths:
Customizing Is done via Tcode SPRO.
Look up function modules via tcode SE37.
Business Addins via SE18. (usually relevant BAdI's are also mentioned in customizing under the relevant path )
In order to understand how everything works, I advise you first to read existing documentation (power points about for example IC Webclient, sap help information) and also the relevant Customizing documentation !
6]What in general is the system landscape design for CRM projects, What r the integration points within CRM and with other systems and et al ?
The system landscap for CRM or any SAP Module usually looks like this:
A) development system (here you do all customizing settings and developments).
B) QA (quality assurance system): for enduser training and especially for unit testing and integration testing purposes !!
C) Productive system
SAP CRM is for example usually integrated with a backbone SAP R/3 system. Integration in this case happened via the CRM middleware! On both sides (R/3 = plugin and CRM you will have a R/3 adapter).
For integration with BW there exists a BW Adapter. (in the CRM system, SAP delivers by the way standard data sources that can be used by the BW system. They can be activated (content) and replicated to the BW System for data analysis.
7] What are the interview questions that I could face in relevance to IC Webclient, Marketing, and Base Customization?
- Project experience?
- CRM functional knowledge? Which components?
- Technical knowledge (abap, oss notes implementations, BSP and html knowledge)?
- What are best practice cases? What is the added value?
- Show functional experience (e.g. how to create marketing plan, campaign, target groups, and sent out email to existing target group….) and customizing knowledge… (know what is possible, but also the limitations)
- Why IC Webclient instead of IC Winclient?
- What about performance of IC Webclient?
- What about User interface differences and customer adaptation and training?
- Possibility to show a small demo (stay in SAP Standard delivery) in short notice?
8)When I click on the IC Webclient in IDES via SAP Menu > Interaction Center > Interaction Center Webclient I get the result in a pop-up window asking for “<Host><Port><Path><File>“ , in real time projects also u get the same results and then u enter the address.
We do not have an IDES system, but have a demo system which we use for elaborating demos for our customers. You should read the IC Webclient Cookbook!! It is available on service.sap.com !
9) How do u access IC Webclient interface at the start of implementation process in SAP CRM. Is it via -
Architecture and Technology à ABAP Workbench à Overview à Object Navigator tcode SE80, then what is this link below and how do u access the interface in which u have to enter this link to access IC Webclient interface
You are correct! To access the IC Webclient you will need to know the URL.
You can check this with Tcode SE80 (object navigator). Next select for example the BSP Application CRM_IC.
Select ‘pages with Flow Logic ‘ and double click on the page “default.htm”. select on the right hand side of the screen the Tab Page “properties”. There you will find the URL!!
VIA Tcode SM59 you can check the hostname settings!!
10) What are these and is it necessary for functional consultant to know about them? BSP_WD_WORKBENCH - IC Webclient Workbench & CRMV_GENIIL - Customization of Generic Interaction Layer.
BSP_WD_WORKBENCH is used to create in a easier way a new BSP Applications, BSP pages, controllers and stuff like that!!
During the implementation of the IC Webclient at a previous customer however, we did all the necessary changes via SE80 (object navigator)!
This transaction is available from release CRM 4.0 when you have the Industry Extension pack installed, or from release CRM. 5.0.!
CRMV_GENIL is for changing the Generic interface layer!! Very Complex and best not to change without thorough knowledge!! Best is to follow the CR410 course first!! Or at least read and understand the IC Webclient cookbook!
Answer:
MM, apparantly I was not logged in when sharing this information...
anyway, I hope people will be sharing more information on this Forum and not only be asking questions all the time!!
regards
_________________
Davy Pelssers
Independant SAP Consultant CRM/BW/Authorisations
pelssersdavy@hotmail.com
Answer:
1) When being confronted with SAP (being SAP BW, SAP CRM, SAP R/3, SAP portal, SAP authorizations) you probably will do this as:
-business consultant :
analyzing business processes and try to improve them
-implementation consultant (abap developer, functional consultant, basis consultant, authorizations consultant)
- End-user within your company
2) To learn SAP or at least a specific module like SAP R/3 SD, FICO or SAP CRM it is best to first follow a basic course at SAP or a SAP Partner.
Next, ofcourse you have different sources like
[url]http:help.sap.com[/url]
http://www.service.sap.com
(here you will need an S-user ID and password)
https://www.sdn.sap.com/ (sap developers network)
SAP Forums and other websites like:
http://www.sapgenie.com
3) When you are a consultant, try to get involved into projects at customers.
- probably you will first learn a module in Customer Support Mode (first line and second line customer support)
- Next try to get knowledge of customizing!
- Learn by doing projects, but also learn from your colleagues!
4) When you are a consultant, it would be very nice that the company you are working for actually has itself running those environments like SAP BW or SAP CRM, to which you will have access (development system or IDES system) so you can learn at the office or in your free time on the system itself! this is the best way - reading powerpoints and course material will only help you understand the processes and functionalities but does not give you any real system configuration knowledge!
5) When doing your first project, don't lie about your experience! Don't claim to be an expert! Today, customers easily can discover your lies! having a bad name in the sector is not easy to get rid off! the SAP Market is not a very large one! most people know other consultants!
6) Don't claim to be an expert, even if you think you are! Even with 6 years of SAP experience in several domains, I still need to study every day (SAP is an unendless source of knowledge requirements) being technical and functional knowledge for a Module itself, but also cross module and from an integration point of view!
7) in your free time, discover new areas (other modules)
you can ofcourse specialize in one or 2 modules, but you never know what the market demand will be like in a near future!
today SAP CRM and BW are hot topics, but what will it be like in 5 years?
_________________
Davy Pelssers
Independant SAP Consultant CRM/BW/Authorisations
pelssersdavy@hotmail.com