Getting the basics right with your SAP system can save time and make Asset Management more efficient. Recently, Oil & Gas provider Total worked with Rizing to streamline SAP maintenance reporting by simply utilizing functionality in the SAP software the company had already licensed.
To master the SAP basics for maintenance reporting, Total had Rizing conduct an assessment of its SAP usage and maintenance processes. This assessment wasn’t about only finding new functionality to use within SAP, but it was also about integrating that functionality into maintenance processes.
Total found that it could automate an essential piece of SAP maintenance reporting—breaking up notification details to identify categories such as damage and cost into structured data fields. Previously Total had been tracking this information but doing so manually by opening each notification separately and entering the data into an Excel spreadsheet.
Assessing Total’s SAP Landscape
To identify areas in which Total could improve its asset maintenance, Rizing provided an assessment of SAP and processes. Part of this was running an SAP check, examining the current SAP system set up, what custom development is there, considering how employees use the system through data analysis and looking at the master data setup.
After reviewing the SAP system, Rizing interviewed employees to understand better how they use the software. We also wanted to find out what they would like to get out of using SAP, what the requirements were for their job functions, and what they were currently missing.
The assessment lasted one week and helped identify where Total could optimize its SAP usage, and what sort of training would be required for employees to ensure they are using SAP effectively.
Training to Ensure Better SAP Maintenance Reporting Processes
While the recommendation of breaking up notification details within SAP was a key result from our assessment with Total, the proposal to train employees on SAP usage was equally as important. Proper asset management ultimately comes down to the people involved, and training workers on the new processes related to SAP was necessary.
Rizing provided that training, working with maintenance employees to show how to align their work situation with optimal use of the SAP system. We divided the training over six weeks, with two days of training each week for 50 Total employees.
The feedback on the training has been positive. Employees are finding better alignment between their job functions and the SAP functionality, which means they are more likely to use the system correctly and efficiently.
Benefits of Mastered SAP Maintenance Reporting and Next Steps
The result of the assessment is that Total’s SAP system is better utilized, creating better maintenance reporting and streamlined asset management processes. Total’s asset information is now more mature, processes are executed faster, and the asset maintenance chain inside the overall process has become more reliable.
In the future, Total will continue to look for areas of improvement, likely around master data, and areas where it can train employees to use SAP. With the basics right, Total can then turn to expanding its asset management roadmap to optimize its SAP system further.
For more on how your organization can master EAM basics, watch the on-demand webinar, “Get the Basics Right and Explore the Future.”