Tag: HCM

  • ICG Implementation Solutions, Part III: Realization

    This post is part III of IV in a series about ICG’s implementation solutions. Over the coming weeks, we’ll cover each aspect of our implementation solutions, from project management to go-live and support. Be sure to check back later for more posts in the series. You can find parts I and II of the series here and here, respectively.

    ICG Implementation Solutions, Part III- RealizationAfter the critical steps of project management and business blueprinting, the next stage of ICG’s implementation process is realization–the final stage before go-live and support.

    Like project management and business blueprinting, realization can be broken down into a few main parts:

    • System configuration
    • Report specification and build
    • Interface specification and build
    • Conversion specification and build
    • Unit testing
    • End user training preparation and delivery

    Realization takes the time and effort put into the business blueprinting stage and enacts the desired outcomes and expected benefits.

    During the project management phase, we identified the resources, and who would complete the configuration efforts by thinking through all of the ways our project affects the organization. With all the processes and requirements fully documented and understood, our professionals work with your staff to configure SAP and deliver projects with better control.

    Knowledge transfer continues through this phase so that the eventual support staff thoroughly understands the implementation and configuration through documentation and/or hands-on training.

    As the configuration is put in place, unit tests are completed, and any adjustments necessary to the configuration are identified and resolved. Adjustments go through the change request process identified during the project management phase, and business blueprint documents will be updated to capture the changes.

    Unit tests, as part of the development process for proper operation, are determined and performed, and will eventually be the foundation for end-user training development and help desk support scripts. Custom code for reports, interfaces, and conversions is written and thoroughly tested in a dedicated testing environment.

    After realization, the process is nearly complete and we can move through to the go-live and support stage. It takes a lot of planning and preparation, but our process here at ICG is meant to evaluate every aspect of our project to enable success after go-live.

    Want to learn more about ICG? Get in touch with us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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    Photo credit: Ralph Orlowski/Bloomberg

  • ICG Implementation Solutions, Part II: Business Blueprinting

    This post is part II of IV in a series about ICG’s implementation solutions. Over the coming weeks, we’ll cover each aspect of our implementation solutions, from project management to go-live and support. Be sure to check back later for more posts in the series. You can find part I of the series here.

    ICG Implementation Solutions, Part II Business Blueprinting

    On Monday, we covered part I of our series about ICG’s implementation solutions, and discussed the approach we take during the project management stage of implementation.

    The next step of implementation is business blueprinting, which we’ll discuss today.

    Business blueprinting can be broken down into three main elements:

    • HCM business process and SAP HCM functionality alignment
    • Process redesign to incorporate SAP HCM best practice
    • Design of client specific solutions

    Business blueprinting is a vital piece of the roadmap for subsequent stages of implementation.

    This comprehensive approach is necessary to design a solution that accurately reflects the business’ need. Current HCM business processes and functionalities are identified and detailed out in step-by-step instructions and flowcharts, all with success factors incorporated.

    These documents provide the current state, and will be compared with SAP best practices and functionality to determine where they are similar, where potential gaps exist, and where change management will be more heavily involved.

    Change management will be an integral component where processes need to be redesigned to allow the staff to be efficient once they move from the current system to SAP, or from current SAP to enhanced SAP. SAP HCM best practices will also be incorporated to provide a more efficient and effective implementation, and ongoing support as part of the solution landscape.

    This time is also used to get staff trained and fully educated about the SAP functionality and processes, so that they can make informed decisions to reduce the risk of needing something different during the next phase: realization.

    When SAP HCM will not meet current business requirements with standard functionality or process redesign, we look at how to mitigate the gap by configuring and testing enhancements. SAP provides several avenues for enhancements, and we use those enhancements sparingly to reduce implementation and ongoing support costs. Our professionals have seen many situations, and can offer recommendations on how they have seen other companies meet their business requirements.

    By the end of business blueprinting, you will be able to compare current processes to future SAP processes, and see exactly where the organization needs to head strategically, with the optimum technical configuration. The business blueprint is reviewed and signed off by the business staff, and the design is set from the start.

    Like project management, business blueprinting is an essential step in making sure that the project is properly planned out, and that the business we’re partnered with is properly aligned for success. Knowing how current processes compare to future SAP processes allows you to make better predictions about how things will run after implementation, and helps make the process run as smoothly as possible.

    Want to learn more about ICG? Get in touch with us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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    photo credit: Telstar Logistics via photopin cc

  • The 7 Best Blogs and Online Resources for Anyone Interested in HR and HCM

    The 7 Best Blogs and Online Resources for Anyone Interested in HR and HCM3

    Part of being an HR professional involves being well-versed in what’s going on in the worlds of Human Resources and Human Capital Management. While ICG is here to help you with the implementation and support of SAP HCM, it never hurts to be educated about the space—and in terms of doing that, the internet is a great place to start.

    Even so, there’s so much information on the web that it can sometimes be tough to know what’s legitimate and what isn’t. To help our readers navigate those resources and get good, useful information, we thought we’d put together a list of blogs and resources for HR professionals, and for anyone looking to get an introduction to the inner workings of HCM.

    Here are our 7 favorite blogs and online resources for anyone interested in HR and HCM:

    • RecruitingBlogs: Geared more towards HR than HCM, RecruitingBlogs is nonetheless a great collection of blogs for HR professionals. From recruiting on LinkedIn, to executive leadership, this is a great place for keeping up on what’s happening in the HR world.
    • ASUG’s Learning Center: ASUG, or the Americas’ SAP Users’ Group, is essentially a collection of SAP customers. More than that, though, their site is a great hub for information about SAP and HCM. This is a good place to start if you’re looking to learn the basics about SAP and Human Capital Management.
    • HR Tech Europe: On the other side of the pond, HR Tech Europe is an annual HR technology conference focusing on everything from big data, to recruiting technology, to HCM. Like ASUG’s Learning Center above, HR Tech Europe’s collection of resources online contains valuable reading material for HR professionals.
    • All About HCM: All about HCM is, as its name suggests, a blog focusing on Human Capital Management. If you’re looking for in-depth information about some of the tougher questions surrounding HCM, All About HCM is a good blog to reference.
    • SAP Community Network: If you’re only going to read one of the resources on this list, SAP’s Community Network should be that resource. Providing info straight from SAP itself, the Community Network brings HR and HCM experts together, making for a valuable online community and tool.
    • ERE: ERE, best known for their annual ERE Recruiting Conference, also has a strong blog. This blog contains a good mix of all kinds of information for HR professionals, covering a wide variety of topics that you should be concerned about if you’re in the HR space.
    • The HR Capitalist: The HR Capitalist is easily the most fun to read of the resources listed here—but don’t let that fool you. The information provided here may be fun to read, but within each seemingly lighthearted post is a valuable lesson about HR.

    Obviously, ICG is here to help with broader solutions—navigating the changing business space can be difficult, and we’re here to help implement and support large-scale SAP HCM solutions to help businesses meet the ongoing needs that come along with change management. But as we’ve already mentioned, our solutions don’t mean that you can’t familiarize yourself with the current happenings of the HR and HCM spaces.

    These blogs and resources may not tell you everything you need to know about Human Resources and Human Capital Management, but they’re a great place to start for framing your company’s place within the changing business world.

    Want to learn more about HR or HCM than what’s available at the resources we compiled here? Let us know on Twitter @Integrated_CG, via email at info@integratedcg.com, or by phone at (866) 415-0071. We’re always here to answer your questions and would be more than happy to help.

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    photo credit: Martin Gillet via photopin cc

  • Financials 2013 Las Vegas | March 19 – 22

    sapfi2013

    Don’t miss Financials 2013, the most important event of the year for teams that use, evaluate, deploy, and support SAP functionality for financial management, reporting, and planning. The schedule includes in-depth sessions, networking events, and demos showcasing the latest updates and best practices for SAP Financial solutions.

    Optimize data flow between SAP ERP HCM payroll and SAP ERP Financials: Proven strategies for a smooth integration

    Mike Timm
    Friday, March 22, 2013
    8:30 am – 9:45 am

    Examine key integration points between SAP ERP HCM payroll and SAP ERP Financials to optimize data flows and troubleshoot common errors. By attending, you will obtain:

    • An understanding of the data flow between SAP ERP HCM payroll and SAP ERP Financials
    • Answers to the biggest integration challenges, including how retroactive calculations are posted, how month-end accruals are posted during payroll processing, and how to verify third-party remittance for off-cycle payroll
    • Tips to reverse postings from SAP ERP HCM payroll and SAP ERP Financials, to set up a company transfer clearing account, and to post taxes by tax authority

    Take home a process flow of payroll data between SAP ERP HCM and SAP ERP Financials along with workarounds for common integration problems.

  • HR 2013 Las Vegas | February 26 – March 1

    saphr2013

    110 sessions—including comprehensive workshops, lectures, demos, panel discussions, and interactive roundtables—presented by top experts at SAP, leading customers, and the most authoritative consultants in the SAP HR arena.

    Expert lessons to customize payroll using schemas, rules, functions, and operations

    Mike Timm, Integrated Consulting Group
    Wednesday, February 27, 2013
    1:00 pm – 2:15 pm
    Raphael 3

    Step through actual payroll processes and see real-life examples of how schemas, rules, functions, and operations are used and how each impacts the final payroll output and results. By attending, you will learn:

    • How to create and modify schemas and rules to meet your own needs
    • Real-world insights to avoid potentially costly mistakes when making changes to existing objects
    • Tips to modify schemas and rules to generate different premium wage types and amounts based on the type of hours worked from a single premium code

    An up-to-date guide to troubleshooting the payroll process if and when you encounter an error

    Mike Timm, Integrated Consulting Group
    Wednesday, February 27, 2013
    10:15 am – 11:30 am
    Da Vinci 3

    This session guides you to solutions for the most common payroll issues, such as a payroll warning, error, or incorrect result. By attending, you learn how to:

    • Use the payroll log to narrow down the object(s) master data, configuration, or systemic issue causing the problem, and determine the best approach for resolution
    • Identify other SAP ERP HCM modules that may be causing the issue by analyzing the payroll log or error messages and learn what infotypes, clusters, or table to check first
    • Understand how to troubleshoot payroll process models

  • HR 2010 Orlando | March 16-19


    This event, a collaboration of SAP and SAPinsider, features more than 95 sessions that help you optimize your talent management processes, streamline key payroll activities, enhance HR reporting capabilities, ensure compliance with security regulations, improve HR data accuracy, and simplify organizational management.

    Critical lessons for linking wage types and tax models as part of your payroll process

  • Financials 2009 Las Vegas | March 17-20


    Attend Financials 2009 for an unparalleled educational and networking event for accounting, finance, and management teams that rely on SAP software, and for the IT professionals who support them.

    A comprehensive guide to SAP HR payroll integration with SAP ERP Financials and SAP General Ledger

  • HR 2009 Las Vegas | March 17-20


    Attend HR 2009 for an unparalleled educational and networking event for HR, payroll, and management teams that rely on SAP solutions, and for the IT professionals who support them.

    The fundamentals of wage types and tax models in SAP payroll functionality

    Customizing the time evaluation process with table entries, schemas, functions, operations, and rules

  • HR 2008 Orlando | March 10-13

    SAP HR 2008, Orlando, Mar. 10-13 – Attend SAP HR 2008, the fifth annual conference and exposition for organizations that run and support SAP HR, Payroll, MSS, ESS, Benefits, Compensation and Talent Management.  Teams tap into strategies, detailed instruction, and best practices from the world’s leading experts on SAP-based HR activities.  SAP HR 2008 is hosted with SAP Financials 2008 and SAP GRC 2008.  By registering for SAP HR 2008, you can attend sessions at all three conferences at no additional cost as you can customize your learning experience from more than 300 expert-led sessions.  Delve into practical instruction delivered through in-depth classes, sessions for advanced users, and detailed customer case studies.  You will also have the chance to address your specific needs, face-to-face with experts who can help you overcome the challenges of your toughest SAP HR and payroll projects.

    The fundamentals of customizing SAP Payroll with schemas, rules, functions, and operations

    A comprehensive guide to HR/Payroll integration with SAP ERP Financials

  • Financials 2004 Las Vegas | February 23-25

    SAP Financials 2004, Las Vegas, Feb. 23-25 – You will benefit from over 110 expert-led sessions, pre-conference tutorials, customer case studies, and a solutions showcase. Strategies, best practices, and expert-led instruction for HR professionals who rely on SAP software, and for the IT teams that support them.

    Ensure Smooth Integration with the SAP Cross-Application Time Sheet (CATS)

    Integration with FI/CO